SCHWARZ IS AMBASSADOR MONROE PRINCIPAL RECEIVES METLIFE AWARD FOR HELPING STUDENTS FIND JOBS.

Byline: MARK KELLAM Valley News Writer

During the past 18 years, Lynda D. Schwarz has made many changes at Monroe High School, reaching out to local businesses to create internships for her students and bringing business leaders into the school to inspire students to succeed.

She also spearheaded the creation of smaller learning communities to enhance the high school experience for students.

For her hard work in developing school-community relationships, Schwarz, 55, recently received the Ambassadors in Education Award, sponsored by MetLife.

Schwarz points out that she may be receiving the honor, but others have helped tremendously along the way. ``I've done nothing myself without a team,'' she said.

Schwarz, who was named principal of Monroe High two years ago, began at the school as a career adviser/work experience coordinator. She worked with local businesses and chambers of commerce to help students find work opportunities.

She was named an assistant principal at Monroe five years ago.

In the early 1990s, she led the way in creating the Perkins Academies, which were programs that focused on particular subjects. She began with academies in culinary arts, aviation and child care. They proved so popular and successful that 12 additional academies were created in the next five years. They included engineering, law government and police work.

The school has worked to construct facilities that help students get hands-on training in their selected interests. For example, the law government magnet has a courtroom, the engineering academy has a robotics lab and the hospitality/culinary academy has a full-service kitchen. The culinary students also go to Mission College three times a week to take classes.

The Monroe High campus in North Hills has 4,700 students, but because of the academy structure, the learning environment is more personalized, Schwarz said. She added, teachers can more easily communicate among themselves if a student is having problems in class and then direct their attention to help the student improve academically.

Schwarz, a 33-year veteran of LAUSD, also understands the value of getting parents involved in their children's education. She partnered with The Parent Institute to provide classes for parents and guardians to learn how to improve their children's learning skills and how to get their children into college.

The classes are taught in English and Spanish, and Schwarz said the school recently purchased a translation machine so classes can be conducted simultaneously.

As part of the Ambassadors in Education honor, Schwarz received a $5,000 grant. She plans to use the money to expand the center where parenting classes are held. She also plans to hold a community breakfast sometime in May.

She said it's often unusual for a teacher to become an administrator at a school where he or she has taught for a long time. However, she said her longevity at Monroe has worked to everyone's benefit.

She has helped preserve the history and traditions at the school. ``We truly are a family,'' she said.

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Lynda D. Schwarz, principal at Monroe High School, received the Ambassadors in Education Award for her work in developing school-community relationships.