Hmong College Prep Academy: A History of Growth, Achievement, and Challenges
Hmong College Prep Academy (HCPA) is a charter school located in St. Paul, Minnesota, open to all students. It stands as the largest single-site charter school in the state, serving approximately 2,400 students in the Como neighborhood. HCPA's history is marked by rapid growth, innovative programs, and a commitment to serving students who may not thrive in traditional school settings. However, the school has also faced its share of challenges, including financial controversies.
Founding and Early Years
The story of HCPA began in 2000 when parents, educators, and community leaders convened to envision a school that would cultivate the academic, emotional, and cultural development of students who were not experiencing success in traditional educational environments. This vision led to the Minnesota Department of Education's approval of Hmong College Prep Academy as a K-12 public charter school. Minnesota was the first state in the country to enact a charter public school law. After two years of careful planning by the founders and community members, HCPA opened its doors in Minneapolis in 2004, initially serving grades 9 and 10.
In 2006, HCPA relocated to the Midway neighborhood of St. Paul. The academy's first graduating class celebrated its commencement in 2007. That same year, Phase II of the school's expansion plan commenced, with the construction of additional buildings.
Expansion and Programmatic Focus
HCPA continued to expand its offerings and facilities in the following years. In 2009, the school increased its enrollment to over 550 students by adding grades 4 through 12. By 2010, HCPA achieved its goal of becoming a K-12 institution with the addition of grades K-3. A new high school was built in 2013, marking the start of HCPA's Phase III expansion. The most recent addition, a new elementary school, concluded Phase IV expansion in 2017.
HCPA's programmatic focus is centered on college preparation, emphasizing experiences, culture, knowledge, pride, and life readiness. A key element of the curriculum is the integration of Hmong language and culture across all grade levels.
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The school's mission is "to provide the best integrated, challenging, and well-rounded educational experience to students in grades K-12." HCPA strives to achieve this mission by adhering to its core values, which include:
- Warrior Way: Embodying a growth mindset that fosters discovery and perseverance, and respecting self, others, and the community.
- Relationships and Connections: Creating a safe learning environment where relationships are fostered to build connections based on mutual trust between students, staff, and the community.
- Commitment to Excellence: Providing challenging opportunities that promote investigation, hands-on learning, and independence.
- College and Career: Consistently engaging with college and career exploration that focuses on the social and emotional development of the whole child.
- Global Perspective: Encouraging curiosity and exploration so that students become aware of the global impact of their decisions, taking on new information with an open and engaged mind.
All HCPA students receive small group advising through HCPA's College Prep Program. Starting in 2010, the College Prep Program is a grade 6-12 plan in which students remain with a single teacher and student cohort for their entire stay in a particular school (MS, HS). Additionally, HCPA has an annual World Culture Day. HCPA students Also have a school wide picnic. Recently, the school picnic has also provided a platform for community outreach.
Recognition and the TAP System
HCPA has received recognition for its efforts to improve student achievement and teacher effectiveness. The school was selected as a finalist for the TAP Founder's Award by the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET). The TAP System for Teacher and Student Advancement is a comprehensive educator effectiveness model that aligns teacher leadership, daily job-embedded professional development, educator evaluation and support, and opportunities for performance-based compensation.
In 2010, prior to implementing the TAP System, Hmong College Preparatory Academy (HCPA) was identified as one of the 32 lowest-performing schools in Minnesota. For student achievement and growth, HCPA was categorized in the bottom 5%. An outside consultant found that HCPA teachers were not differentiating instruction, implementing current instructional practices, using data to improve instruction, and effectively instituting professional development and the evaluation of teachers. The school was told that if it didn’t make drastic changes, it would face the risk of being restructured or closing altogether.
Superintendent Christianna Hang chose TAP among a suite of options, determining that its structure and practices would effectively target the school’s needs. Three years later, in 2013, HCPA earned Celebration status-the second highest state recognition-from the Minnesota Department of Education based on its progress applying initiatives that lead to positive student outcomes as measured by proficiency data, student growth, achievement gap reduction and graduation rates. The school was honored as a Celebration School again in 2015, and in 2016, received a value-added score of 5-the highest possible score indicating that students achieved significantly more than a year’s academic growth compared to similar schools throughout the state.
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Financial Controversy
In Spring 2019, HCPA, began exploring options to fund capital improvements, namely constructing a middle-school building. Dr. Christiana Hang, HCPA's founder, former superintendent, and former chief financial officer, inquired whether her friend Kay Yang, a hedge fund manager, knew of potential investors or donors interested in HCPA. Yang contacted Paul Brown, an owner and manager of Woodstock Capital, LLC (“Woodstock GP”). Brown assured Hang that any investment would comply with Minnesota law and HCPA's investment policy.
At Hang’s request, on September 6, 2019, Reiner executed a “side letter,” which “outline[d] the specific types of securities that the Woodstock GP committed to purchase using HCPA’s investment.”[1]The Fund will invest in US Government Bonds and Short‐Term interest rate debt securities, which are very liquid. The fund may also, if opportune, invest in European government bonds with an equivalent, or higher rating than US Government bonds. The Fund will concentrate on benchmark 10‐year US bonds as well as Short‐Term Notes and interest rate products with the aim of diversification towards lower risk and consistent returns. The Fund will focus on buying these debt securities at discounts through regulated markets and identify, purchase, and hold positions that will reap consistent profits throughout the year. These securities can be held, or sold, for optimal risk management. From Reiner's letter on September 6, 2019.
In September 2019, HCPA executed the Subscription Agreement to purchase shares in Woodstock LP, and Hang wired $5 million from HCPA’s Minnesota-based bank account to Woodstock LP. The next month, the funds began trading on the stock market. HCPA’s monthly statements showed the fund’s value decreasing substantially. HCPA's $5,000,000 investment did not comply with Minnesota law regarding permissible investments of public funds or their own investment policies. From September 2019 through April 2021, HCPA has failed to recover $4,315,238 of the public funds lost.[2]Safety of Principal ‐ Investments shall be undertaken in a manner that seeks to ensure the preservation of principal in the overall portfolio.
Court filings show the school’s attorney, Jim Martin, expressed “reservations” about the investment plan on Aug. On Sept. Martin urged Hang to seek the opinion of an independent investment advisor before moving forward. “By the time HCPA funded its investment in the Woodstock Hedge Fund, which Dr. Hang had stated she wanted accomplished before she went on (a) trip, I understood that HCPA, its counsel Mr. Martin, and Dr. Yang told Hang that her hedge fund was over capacity at more than $60 million and couldn’t take on more money, according to court documents filed by Woodstock. Hang had her first call with Woodstock representatives on Aug. On Sept. Yang reported earning $4.2 million in fees and commissions in that time, along with $400,000 as a 35 percent share of the trading profits. Yang’s first restitution payments to investors were due last November.
The school board said in a statement that it “is in the process of retaining independent legal counsel to investigate and review specific personnel recommendations. The first conflict involved Bridge Partner Group, a company owned by Hang and her husband, Paul Yang.
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tags: #hmong #college #prep #academy #history
