• Welcome
• Fast Facts
• Our Mission & History
• Charter School FAQ
• Our Charter (pdf)
• Staff
• Employment
• Board of Directors
• Partnerships

“When I think of our humble beginnings at 24th and Quintara, I'm amazed at all the cool things going on today. Every year the school learns more about what it can do.”

Emiko, Creative Arts' first graduating class

Our Mission & History

Our Mission
The mission of Creative Arts Charter School is to provide Kindergarten to 8th-grade students of San Francisco with an innovative, high-quality education that focuses on an arts-integrated, hands-on curriculum, with the overall goal of giving our students a lifetime appreciation of learning and the development of their unique talents and abilities.

Past, Present, Future
CACS was founded in 1994 by a small group of families and teachers who shared a vision of an arts-rich, hands-on curriculum based on the best educational research and progressive teaching practices. They had seen other schools' attempts to innovate falter when faced with bureaucratic obstacles and resistance to change. But they persevered in a national climate that alternately supported and rejected innovation in individual school settings. And today our students benefit from a challenging academic environment that includes dedicated dance, visual arts, and music teachers.

Initially focused on Kindergarten through 3rd grade, the school's scope was extended through the 8th grade in 1997. Creative Arts' first graduates, the Class of 2002, enrolled in a range of high schools throughout San Francisco. Building on our success, the Board of Directors voted in 2005, with the support of the staff and community, to expand the student body to 312 over an eight-year period. To reach this goal, the school will add a second Kindergarten every other year until 2010. Creative Arts continues to evolve in breadth and scale. Originally run almost exclusively by our Board and a long list of volunteers, the school now benefits from an administrative team that includes the school director, business manager, learning support professional, director of enrollment and attendance, and student services coordinator. We currently employ 11 classroom teachers; an arts coordinator; music, dance, and visual arts instructors; and a literacy specialist for the early grades. Our achievements and recognition include:

• In 2003, an 83-point increase for economically disadvantaged students (third highest in San Francisco) qualified the school to receive the highly competitive Governor's Performance Award.
• The University of Southern California's School of Education presented CACS with a certificate of recognition for our implementation of project-based learning.
• In 2007, as part of PG&E's Solar Schools grant program, CACS won a one-kilowatt solar panel installation to support science instruction on alternative energy.
• In 2008, with an API of 779, CACS exceeded its standardized test growth targets (once again).
• In June 2009, CACS served as one of two Northern California sites to offer Responsive Classroom® trainings to Bay Area teachers.
• CACS is required to apply to the San Francisco Board of Education for charter renewal every five years. At our most recent renewal in March of 2009, the school received a unanimous vote of approval.