About Us

1. Sense of Purpose: We deliberately align all of our thinking and decision-making with the mission, vision, and values of the school.
2. Culture of Thinking: We ask questions, seek understanding, and practice the habits of good thinking.
3. Self-Knowledge: Believing in the importance of self-knowledge, we practice ongoing self-reflection and self-awareness.
4. Openness & Respect: We strive for a strong sense of community marked by collaboration, empowerment, and intentional openness and respect for the thinking of others.
5. Growth Mindset: Being optimistic about the potential for personal growth, we embrace challenges and regard failure as an opportunity to learn and improve.

Like all good ideas, the story of IVA Schools began with a spark.

In 2008, Dr. Steve Porter, a professor at Biola University’s Rosemead Graduate School of Psychology, was driving when a story on the radio caught his ear. The Obamas were deciding where to send their daughters to school, and charter schools were being considered. The reporter’s praise of charter schools—as flexible, innovative, and capable of turning bold ideas into reality—sparked a thought and a connection.

Steve and his friend Dr. Jason Baehr, a fellow father of elementary-aged children and professor at Loyola Marymount University, had long shared a vision for a different type of education —one where intellectual character was as vital as academic mastery. Steve pulled off the freeway and called Jason: “What if we started a charter school?”

Jason’s growing body of research in philosophy and education highlighted the importance of intellectual virtues—qualities of a good thinker or learner. Steve’s work complemented Jason’s, focusing on how intellectual virtues could shape students’ character development. Up to that point, intellectual virtues had only been studied academically. However, starting a charter school with this philosophical foundation could test its value as an academic model and impact students.

Over weekly coffee meetups, their idea took shape. They envisioned a community-driven school rooted in intellectual virtues that could empower students to think well. Unlike traditional models focused solely on test scores or rote memorization, they wanted to nurture students’ intellectual character, encouraging them to wonder, think critically, and persist through challenges.

Jason and Steve rallied parents, educators, and neighbors, hosting informal gatherings and attending community events to pitch their vision and test the waters: Is there a need in our community for this? Can we get people on board with our vision? The answer was a resounding “Yes—we want this and we want to be involved.” It was at one of these events where founding principal, Jacquie Bryant, came on board, inspired by the vision and encouraged that this model could be something great for Long Beach students.

With the community on board, Jason and Steve wrote the charter petition, pouring an established body of academic research into an educational model that was both actionable and visionary. The intellectual virtues, they argued, weren’t just for university seminars; they could transform learning and prepare kids for a complex world. Timing was also on their side, as California state testing had recently undergone changes from a focus on memorization to argument and reasoning – a perfect fit for an innovative charter school.

IVA Schools were shaped by a broader coalition of Long Beach advocates, including public school teachers, university professors, a charter school administrator, school counselors, a social worker, a scientist, and professionals from fields like marketing, finance, and law. This diverse group contributed practical skills, local knowledge, and a grassroots passion for improving public education, laying the groundwork for success.

In 2012, Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) unanimously approved the Intellectual Virtues Academy charter. In the fall of 2013, with a $1 million grant from The John Templeton Foundation secured—$600,000 for the school and $400,000 for research—IVA opened its doors to 56 6th graders. Each year, the school expanded, welcoming more students to its unique model.

Inspired by a podcast in which Dr. Jason Baehr talked about the impact IVA middle school was having in Long Beach, James McGrath reached out and became a member of the board. As the first class of 8th grade graduates prepared to move up, it was quickly becoming apparent that these bright, well-equipped middle school students also needed a high school to attend.

James McGrath, along with the help of founding principal Summer Sanders who was now on board, began to envision IVA High School. In a similar fashion to the middle school, a grassroots effort built the high school from the ground up – from writing the charter to securing funding, a location, and staff – but it was not without challenges. Long Beach had a crowded high school landscape, and not everyone embraced charters, so when the high school petition came up, LBUSD hesitated. Past charter failures loomed large, and despite a strong recommendation, the district denied approval.

But just like IVA’s students learn, our founders knew that getting the high school opened would require courage and tenacity. The team appealed to the state, securing approval with help from a $3 million Templeton grant. Two years later, another $1.5 million followed, cementing the foundation of IVA High. Chartered by the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), IVA High opened its doors in 2016 to its inaugural 9th grade class, the Class of 2020.

The inspiration for IVA High mirrored that of its middle school predecessor: to empower students to think creatively, critically, and with a capacity for self-growth. By integrating advanced studies, dual enrollment opportunities with Long Beach City College, and real-world applications, IVA High sought to bridge the gap between academic learning and practical life skills.

Since its founding, IVA Schools have served hundreds of families in Long Beach, fostering a tight-knit community where intellectual exploration thrives. IVA Schools stand as a testament to the power of community-driven innovation and the belief that education should do more than impart knowledge—it should shape thoughtful, engaged, and virtuous individuals. As we continue to grow, IVA Schools remain committed to creating a space where students are excited to learn, care about how their minds work, and wonder together about the world.