Kachipaz Origins
Our
Guiding
Principles
At Kachipaz Academy, we believe that teaching is about more than checking off a list of standards or meeting minimum benchmarks—it's about igniting a passion for discovery, growth, and intellectual curiosity in every student.
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Learning is an Exciting Journey, Not a Checklist
Too often, education becomes a box-ticking exercise. But learning, when done right, is exhilarating. We foster an environment where students are excited to explore new ideas and embrace the thrill of intellectual growth. Passion is contagious, and we strive to pass it on to our students. -
Aim Beyond Limits
We set ceilings higher than we think possible because we have seen the capacity of students rise beyond expectations. By challenging them to aim high, we create opportunities for remarkable and unfettered growth. When educators teach strategically above what we think the students can comprehend, students often surprise us with their achievements and have reduced levels of boredom. Teaching family style is integral in this process as students are able to absorb information as they are ready for it and benefit from shared learning. -
Motivation Through Praise, Accomplishment, and Goals
Encouragement is the cornerstone of long-term success in learning. We emphasize the importance of celebrating achievements, setting meaningful goals, and fostering a deep sense of accomplishment. Positive reinforcement and purpose-driven learning fuel a student’s drive to continue growing. We focus on building strong relationships through positive feedback and personal recognition. Students are more likely to have higher levels of resilience, confidence, and capability for communication. -
Firm Love and Strong Boundaries
Structure and security are vital for effective learning. We believe in upholding boundaries with firmness and compassion, ensuring that students feel supported and safe. Clear expectations combined with loving guidance create an environment where growth thrives. At times sharp correction will be needed but it will be always followed up with an abundance of attention and care, ensuring that the student understand that rules are important but they are so full of worth themselves. This teaches students how to continue to have successful relationships in the future. -
Learning Connected to Real Life
Education should be practical and purposeful, connecting students to the larger world. We learn not just to accumulate knowledge for the sake of being smart but to understand and contribute meaningfully to our communities. Why memorize facts like state capitals without context? Instead, we emphasize learning that equips students to think critically, solve problems, and serve the world around them.
At Kachipaz Academy, we believe that teaching is a calling, one that requires vision, passion, and dedication to helping students become their best selves. By holding fast to these guiding principles, we aim to create an educational experience that is engaging, transformative, and rooted in the realities of life.
Dr. Jessica Loayza
My journey to founding Kachipaz Academy has been years in the making. While always excited to learn, up until college, my public school experience was marked with long periods of boredom and the ability to achieve high scores in all subjects without effort. Despite being tested as Talented and Gifted, skipping a grade, and taking college courses in High School, I still felt let down by public education.
In 3rd grade, myself and another girl were put in another room during Spanish to teach ourselves because we were already above that which the teacher was teaching the rest of the class. I remember in 4th grade, being so underchallenged that I estimated the number of dots on the ceiling and was tasked with grading other student's homework then entering it in the computer. In High School, I remember just sitting in class waiting as the teacher taught to the children who didn't pass the state required testing. While some teachers went to extra lengths to be creative and engaging, they were still teaching way below my capacity. They were mostly keeping me busy instead of unlocking my potential. It wasn't their fault, the system was created in a way that forces teachers to be able to check boxes.
In college I thrived. I had really good grades but I noticed that I hadn't built up the skills and practice of diligent studying. I completed final papers the night before, I studied for tests for a couple minutes before. When one class had us turn in drafts of our papers at specific dates before the final was due, I realized how much better I could be if I had developed habits of working harder. I had one micro economics professor who wrote the tests so hard that the average score of students was around 30%. Afterward he would curve up. When asked why he did this, he replied: "If my ceiling is artificially low, I can never be surprised by what a student really is capably of". I realized that all throughout my life, my ceiling was so artificially low that I had not had the opportunity or need to develop skills that would really allow me to unlock my full potential.
I completed a B.S. in International Relations with a focus on Latin American History and Politics with a minor in Sociology. I completed a study abroad in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Northern Mexico, primarily serving the rural populations of the indigenous Mexicans, the Tarahumara. Throughout school I have played and coached sports, including playing collegiate rugby. I completed a Masters of Public Policy with an emphasis in Natural Resources and Environmental Policy. Finally I completed a PhD in Political Science with a double emphasis in Comparative Politics and Public Administration. My thesis was regarding how information and communication technology is fundamentally changing the structure of American bureaucratic systems in the United States and how this is effecting democratic principles in the administration of the law.
After and during school I have worked in a variety of fields. I have done fun jobs like being a professional ski photographer or support for wildfire fighter camps. I have been a research analyst for a state university and I spent many years at a prominent university reviewing new and continuing human subject research for an ethics board. After that I worked for several years with small and emerging non-profit organizations and small businesses to increase their internal capacity to grow and access governmental grants and funding opportunities.
My initial goal when starting my PhD was to teach at a University, as I absolutely love the atmosphere that campuses naturally provide. However, after having children of my own, I felt called to take another path. I feel there is a great need to provide another experience for young scholars. One where knowledge and intelligence isn't getting 100% on tests, but where it is increasing their understanding of how to listen to and speak the language of the universe. Where it is unlocking their full potential to become the intricate, unique, and amazing person that they are capable of being.
That is my goal with Kachipaz Academy: to use creativity, wisdom, and long term vision to guide learners to unlocking their full potential (whatever that might look like).