Our Roots

Laura Jeffrey – 1915 - 2003  

LJA is named after Laura Jeffrey, a long-time Minnesota resident whose life exemplified the love of learning and service to community that are the goals of our school. Ms. Jeffrey came of age when there were few career choices available to women and African-Americans. Despite the limitations imposed on her, Ms. Jeffrey was an honors graduate of Macalester College and the only African-American in her class. After earning a master's degree in library science in night school, she became one of the first African-American librarians in the St. Paul library system, rising to branch librarian. Ms. Jeffrey built a life that exemplified personal strength, intelligence and a passion for her beliefs. In the spirit of Laura Jeffrey, LJA provides a stimulating learning environment that will foster confident young women – women with the skills to be a positive force in their communities. Serving a culturally diverse student body, LJA exemplifies that people thrive most when they work with others and take responsibility for their own learning. At LJA, students learn from their successes, failures, and experiences.

Laura Jeffrey Academy Start-up team

As with any new organization, the ability to succeed is often predicated on the people starting it – in this case, on its board of directors, founder, and project leadership team. Following are brief profiles of the individuals involved in starting LJA.

Cindy Reuther – Founder

Cindy has spent much of her adult life working to better the lives of underrepresented youth in organizations and community.  LJA brings together two of Cindy's passions. The first is to provide urban students access to educational opportunities currently available to those with financial means. Second, she developed an organization with infrastructures that support excellent learning, financial sustainability and organizational resilience. Her long-term plan includes documenting the process and replicating the model across the country and internationally. Laura Jeffrey Academy has been a dream in the making for over a decade.

Kai Michels - Co-Founder

Kai’s work was crucial in obtaining LJA’s charter and start up funding. A former elementary school teacher, she remains dedicated to the concept that education can change the world. She created the LJA tagline ‘Asking Questions, Making Choices' to express the teaching and learning philosophy of LJA. As an Organizational Development and Financial Management consultant, Kai specialized in work process redesign, providing both the vision and methodology for process reforms. Kai provided project and financial management consultation for Fortune 500 business divisions across a broad array of industries. Her previous experience includes Account Manager, Dun & Bradstreet Software; Director of Budgets and Forecasts, and Manager of Accounting, Itel Corporation.

Management expertise and a solid financial base

Charter schools thrive when they have a high quality plan that addresses governance, management, and the learning and teaching model. LJA’s plan is comprehensive. It details the steps that are being taken to ensure the school’s success as it progresses from a sound concept to an exciting educational experience.

LJA's board of directors and educational design team bring proven experience in research and finance, organizational development and management, human resources, curriculum development, women’s studies, and teaching.

The State of Minnesota approved the school's charter and Audubon Center of the Northwoods became Laura Jeffrey Academy's sponsor in 2006.  Laura Jeffrey Academy has a strong base of planning and operating funds from the Walton Family Foundation grant and a Federal Planning and Implementation Grant.

Authorizer

Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center

Erin Anderson, Director of Charter School Authorizing

1730 New Brighton Blvd

Suite 104, PMB 196

Minneapolis, MN 55413

(612) 331-4181

csdadmin@ospreywilds.org

ospreywilds.org/charter-school-division