Monday, April 11, 2011

CVHS Charter conversion meetings

Want more information ?

A couple of meetings are taking place this week if you are interested in the possible charter conversion.

Monday (today) , April 11th at 12:30pm
Thursday, April 14th at 12:30pm

Meetings at Clayton Valley room E1.

There will also be a couple of community meetings one day next week at Endeavor Hall in downtown Clayton, so stay tuned for details on that.

They will present a PowerPoint informational slide show.

Message from the CVHS PFC President 4/12/11:


Friends—As you may have heard, Clayton Valley High School is currently and actively pursuing a charter school conversion.  This means that CVHS will convert from a traditional public school (governed by a school district and a school board) to a CHARTER school public school (governed by a site-specific governing board comprised of teachers and staff, administrators, parents and community members).

This conversion charter school affects everyone in the Clayton Valley area.  Even if you don’t have children in our local public schools, charter schools can be a boost to area real estate prices, safety, and the overall connection of a community.

As we are just in the beginning stages, there are many questions and points of clarification that still need to be researched and worked out, however the process is exciting and underway.  We have begun holding community information meetings and hope that everyone will take the opportunity to either go to one of the meetings to have all your questions answered or call me directly (redacted) to talk about what this might look like and how it might affect your child’s educations.

Our next meeting will be held this Thursday, April 14th at 12:30.  We will meet on the CV campus in room E-1.  Additionally, we are planning an evening meeting for (we hope) next week.  The dates and location are being worked out now so stay tuned and please forward this on to anyone you think may be interested.

19 comments:

  1. If they can make this work, it won't be the last one in MDUSD.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This would not be the first decision that the teachers made that did not work for them. I hope people really check this out before they make a rash choice. The grass is not always greener on the other side.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anon 8:39 When you are standing in a cactus patch surrounded by rattlesnakes, the grass on the other side is always greener. The problem is always how to get there in one piece. Depending upon the state budget, MDUSD will likely have to cut somewhere between $10 million and $30 million. Charter schools end up with more ADA money and don't have the large overhead of the district office. Plus more local control. Makes Charter schools look greener. But some people like cactus and rattlesnakes. The Board traded a "parcel tax" for "solar bonds". So if I were you, I wouldn't be leveling any criticism at teacher's bad choices. Maybe Lawrence can rent the covered parking to teachers and staff.
    Doctor J

    ReplyDelete
  4. At that time the choice probaly looked good. Most of those people are gone. This district has some great teachers.It was not a criticism it was something that did happen. It will take work to get this district back on its feet with all the cuts but I think we can do it. You just can't see the snakes because of the grass.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Could someone enlighten the rest of us on what this thread is about?

    ReplyDelete
  6. They are looking at putting in a Charter School. Some may think this is bad. "I Personally" do not.
    This only gives parents an alternative for schooling their child. I have more than 1 child. While 1 or 2 of my children may do well in a Public School and love their teachers and friends, public may not be the best choice for another child. Private schools may be to expensive for parents that children may benefit from them. Other States with good schools and no district issues still do have Charter schools and the are a great for the families and kids that need them. NOT ALL CHILDREN ARE ALIKE so not all of them do well in the same learning environment. This is NOT a reflection of the wonderful teachers we have in some of our schools now as some may think. Hope you come to the meetings to learn more...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anon 7:48

    "It will take work to get this district back on its feet with all the cuts but I think we can do it."
    I am unfairly taking only one portion of your comment and forgive me if I have misunderstood.

    I am concerned that our District believes just as you do, meaning that it is the budget cuts that is keeping our District from providing our children an excellent educational experience. I could not disagree more. Yes, the budget cuts are a factor but it not the biggest problem our District has.
    We have a lack of leadership, which causes low morale, distrust, divisivness, etc...
    Because we don't have good leadership we have a lack of transparency, a lacking of planning, the need to spin information when talking to the community, etc...
    When was the last time you heard this Board or Superintendent addresss the community to talk about moving forward, to talk about uniting our community of schools, to talk about plans for improving the quality of education, etc...
    No instead we hear at nauseum that it is the State's fault and we don't have enough funding.

    I would like to take the liberty of changing your sentence to the following:
    "It will take hard work to get our district working toward excellence in education, but we can do it with strong leaders who have integrity and vision."

    Until then the grass is definitely greener in a good charter school.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anon 11:38,

    AMEN to that. Lets not forget it is our dedicated teachers that started the talks on this. This is a group of teachers that I want my child to learn from without the "pulling back from the district" this is a group that is fed up with the lies and the issues. This is a group of parents and community members that can see what is happening to our children...We can change the system by doing just this we are saying that we are striving for excellence.

    Not all children are destined for greatness but we need to give all of them the opportunity to find out how great they are.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anon 1:25 Every child should be given the opportunity to reach their potential. All potentials are not equal.
    Doctor J

    ReplyDelete
  10. What about special need students? Do they accommodate them? How do they pick who goes to a Charter School? Do they have to fellow NCLB?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Isn't that what I just said. In our current situation we are NOT giving them the opportunity to reach their full potential.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anon 2:49
    There is a lot of misinformation about charter schools. I attended both of the County hearings for Flex Academy, the charter high school now approved in the Mt. Diablo attendance area. At those hearings it was clear that charters have to be able to accommodate special needs students. Charters are not private schools that get to pick and choose who they will and won't admit. Can they hold students to a certain standard? Yes. If that is something you object to I find that odd. I think all our schools should hold students to a certain standard. Fighting for that is better than arguing against a charter. I know charters have to meet State standards, I don't know if that includes NCLB.

    I would ask you this, if our current schools had to go through the same vetting process as a new charter school how many would pass? Could they pass again after 5 years?

    Unless you are one of the adults who stand to gain from opposing charter schools, I would stop and look at what our high school kids get in the way of an education today and really ask yourself why you wouldn't want them to have better.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I am curious about the Clayton Valley Charter. If the move to a charter is teacher led, what is MDEAs position on the move? Charters can be union or non-union, if Clayton Valley teachers remain part of MDEA what will be new and innovative about the program? How will the campus culture change? If they go non-union will MDEA oppose the charter?

    ReplyDelete
  14. What happened at yesterday's meeting ? Was Lawrence there ? What did he say ?

    ReplyDelete
  15. As I understand it, it isn't so much that the Charter is union or non union. It is the individual teacher's choice. If you are union, you can continue your individual membership in the union or if you choose, you can drop the union. Most charters work very hard to give their teachers "equal" pay and benefits regardless of union status. What is most important, is that the teachers should "really want their students to achieve", not just pass the test to keep the school in good political standing.

    I don't believe there is much need to think on the NCLB issue at a charter. Entry is by lottery and space available. A student either "makes the grade" or doesn't make the next year's
    lottery cut.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have nothing to gain. Just interested in getting more insight on charters. I think all schools should be on the same level and I think this district can do it, but it will take some time and be very hard work to turn it around, but I think it would be worth it

    ReplyDelete
  17. I sure hope that one of the meetings will be at a time other than 12:30!

    Teacher/Mom

    ReplyDelete
  18. So it will be the parents who are in charge of hiring/firing teachers? No tenure, no union protection?

    ReplyDelete
  19. If it is a "teacher trigger" conversion, teachers may remain in the union and MDEA would continue to represent them. The charter organization, however it is constituted, would be responsible for hiring and firing (as MDUSD is now), and would have to work with the union, to some extent, in carrying out its personnel policies. Here is a site about these conversions, created for educators:

    http://charterteacherunion.org/who-we-are

    ReplyDelete