Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Watts.
Hi Peter, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My 25+ years of experience in education in the inner city of Los Angeles (Watts and South Central) has allowed me as a teacher, founding charter school principal and district administrator In 2017, my wife and I Dr. Didi Watts launched our heart’s passion The Watts of Power Foundation.
Watts of Power Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit whose mission is to strengthen families and communities in foster care and those living in high-poverty zip codes through a focus on education and community revitalization; through wrap-around support for Black educators.
Founders and visionaries for the foundation, Peter Watts, Jr and Dr. Didi Watts, have over 45 years of experience in the education sector. Tired and frustrated of seeing minority children and young adults not being able to reach their full potential due to economic and personal struggles, we decided to take matters into our own hands and find the solution for the talented students we saw passing through our classrooms.
Founded in 2017, The Watts Of Power Foundation’s primary focus is to serve African American and Latino families, to strengthen community bonds and to empower people through education, housing, economic development, job training, and advocacy.
The main aim of The Watts Of Power Foundation is to give young people the means to excel, progress and reach their full potential, no matter what challenges stand in their way. Through comprehensive learning experiences that are specially designed to serve the needs of our target students alongside effective site-based instruction, a rich hands-on learning experience, and foundation skills presented in ways that are relevant and inspiring for our students, we strive to motivate our students to remain in our programs and explore their potential for the long term.
Our newest initiative is called Teacher Village. The Teacher Village Initiative is a multifaceted program that builds a bridge for undergraduate students as they are recruited out of college, complete teacher education programs and settles into teaching careers. The Initiative supplements existing teacher education programs with professional support, housing, peer connections, and training in the soft skills needed to build effective relationships with students and their community.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The resources needed to accomplish this mission is vast. We are addressing the lack of Black educators in the public school system. Currently, there are only 2% of Black men who are part of the teaching workforce nationally. One of the barriers of the teaching profession is the low pay, student debt, exams and cost of living in high-rent cities like Los Angeles. We want to address some of these barriers by providing affordable housing to our teaching fellows during our residency. We also provide stipends to our fellows to help defray the costs of exams and fees that incur as you are entering the teaching profession.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Peter Watts, Jr – Peter Watts was born and raised in South Los Angeles. He is a graduate of Cal State Dominguez Hills where he received his B.A. in Mass Communications. He received his Master of Education in Administration and Leadership degree from University of Phoenix. He also holds a Master in Theology from Fuller Seminary where is a doctoral candidate Spr. 2022. His educational career began more than 20 years ago in Los Angeles Unified School District at Compton Ave Elementary School. He then taught for 7 years at a charter organization (ICEF Public Schools), where he also was the founding principal of Thurgood Marshall Middle School, a blended learning and project-based focus school. Peter ended his career as the Director of Blended Learning where he developed a comprehensive and innovative approach to education for this charter school district. Peter is currently the CEO and Co-Founder of the Watts of Power foundation.
Peter Watts also serves on the advisory board for Teach For America, Los Angeles
Dr. Didi Watts – is an accomplished education advocate who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Education with a concentration in Counseling and an Ed.D in Educational Leadership for Social Justice.
Didi was born and raised in LAUSD Board District 7 and has spent more than 20 years as an educator advocating for the needs of Black and Latino students. She served as an LAUSD elementary district intern in South Los Angeles before transitioning into the role of school psychologist. Fueled by a desire to provide excellent support to special education students and families, Didi served as the Assistant Director of Special Education within a charter management organization. Upon receiving her administrative credential, Didi served as a middle school principal focusing on academics while improving school culture and climate. Most recently, Didi was the Vice President of Education for a non-profit in West Los Angeles, supporting students with special needs in non-public and residential placements. She currently serves as the Chief of Staff for LAUSD BD 7.
Outside of work, Didi enjoys vacationing with her husband of twenty-six years and their three adult children.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I’ve always been a leader. It didn’t matter what I involved myself in, I would also rise to the top and take lead on projects and sports activities with my friends. Once I got to college that personality trait and skillset continued. I became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and became the local college chapter president while in undergrad.
These life lessons that I learned along the way made me into the person and leader I am today. It is why my wife and I followed this big vision of bringing about change in the teaching profession. Ultimately, we want to impact the lives of black and brown kids in public schools for the common good. We love our city and we love the people in our city and want to see our communities flourish like any other wealthy community like Beverly Hills, etc…
Pricing:
- Placement Fee – $2500/fellow
- $300/hr for training
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.wattsofpowerfoundation.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watts_ofpower/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076446751259
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/watts_ofpower
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/y5E0ZsdN-EA
Image Credits
Joshua Blake-Ham
