It seems that Clayton Valley has created a groundswell of interest in the charter idea. I've gotten a TON of emails asking who to contact for information, asking already who might be ready to mentor other schools, etc. Seems to have struck a cord. I don't think it's just the idea of a charter in and of itself, as we know we have Eagle Peak here already, and the new Flex Academy coming to the district soon - but the idea of teacher or parent trigger charters - converting a school to a charter vs a new idea, new school. It's very interesting, indeed.
The folks involved in the exploration of the CVHS charter have started a new facebook page, they say
"to disseminate information to staff, students, parents and community members of Clayton Valley High School as we research and explore the option of becoming a conversion charter school."
So, check it out and join the discussion Clayton Valley Charter High School on facebook. There are links to charter school information, as well as links to other successful charter conversion schools. Something tells me a lot of eyes will be on this process, and if successful may not be the only high school, joining the ranks of charter within our district boundaries.
Don't forget the meeting Thursday, April 14th, in room E-1 at CVHS at 12:30pm. There is also a meeting on Monday evening, April 18th at 7pm at the Clayton Library.
The fact that everyone is asking about how to get involved is a clear sign that we are fed up with the current situation and are ready for real reform. The district and union are running everything straight into the ground. I am very happy to know that I am not alone in the fight for our kids!
ReplyDeleteYou are definitely not alone.
ReplyDeleteParent Interest Event
ReplyDeleteAs of today 225 students have been accepted into Mt. Diablo Flex Academy! Enrollment capacity is planned at 250. If you are interested please attend the parent interest meeting tonight in Pleasant Hill:
Pleasant Hill
Wednesday, April 13
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Winslow Center
2590 Pleasant Hill Road
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
You can apply for grades 6 - 12 online at http://www.k12.com/flex/
Click on "learn more" under the Mt. Diablo Flex option
This isn't just for high school folks. Let's get a Pre-K-6 school in there too. All English speakers should be completely fluent in Spanish, not just the other way around, and they need to start intensively training in pre-K.
ReplyDeleteWhen I hear my dentist say, "I won't hire anyone who doesn't read-write-speak fluent Spanish, I realize just how upside down our school system has become. Waiting for two semesters of foreign language in high school is waaaay to late to become "fluent"!
Wow g, your dentist is racist...I was born and live here in America, took French and would not be hired because I don't speak Spanish? Before you say anything, my heritage is Native American. Wow, now I wish I knew which dentist to avoid... Why not, if you move here, learn the language that the majority who live and were born here speak. Stop demeaning those of us who are natives.
ReplyDeleteI agree learning another language is valuable but our schools are already under-funded and I would rather us keep what we have then have to add a another language beginning in 1st grade to the mix. Or maybe we should become like Europe, no sports, music, chorus, dance, performing arts, only strong academics in school. Then of course there are those little darlings that the only thing keeping them in school are sports and music. So then maybe each school should have a focus, like a Performing Arts schools, a Technology School, a Medical based school, etc....
Back to Charter, this will not affect us as our last child is graduating from the MDUSD but I am curious how all this will pan out.
10:49.. That is not racist at all, and that card is getting a bit frayed around the edges. No one cares where anyone was born!!
ReplyDeleteI see him as an astute dentist and businessman, who already has noticed that 50+% of his patients are more comfortable and better able to understand his instructions in Spanish.
The writing is on the wall, and we are ignoring it. The point is immigrant children ARE learning enough English to get by on the street and on a job, and we are not teaching language to our native children at the age when children can best learn it and retain it.
Yes, let mom and dad pay for Bobby's trombone lessons privately! Spend the public money keeping our native children linguistically on par with our immigrant children!
When you give an instruction to someone working for you, and he turns and explains it to the other 4 workers in "their comfortable language", you have to just smile and walk away trusting they'll do it right. Sure you can say "English-Only in my Presence!!!"
Good luck with that.
g - move to Mexico. Sorry but I am pretty sick and tired of being told I have to learn a language from the country down below that treats their own citizens like trash. Yes it makes me mad. If I were to move to Germany I would have to learn their language. If I moved to Switzerland I would have to pay to put my children in a school that is taught in English. If I were to move to Mexico, would they provide me with instruction and services in English? NO!
ReplyDeleteSo the downfall of California is exactly what you and that Dentist are doing.. So based on your comments you will send your children to Cambridge, Oak Grove Middle and Ygnacio Valley High because it is your children's best interest to be around other languages. I am curious on your response. I had this same debate with a relative but when it came to their children, the answere was Hell no, she wanted Walnut Creek schools.
So if your belief is that we must conform to the illegals (in order to be a USA citizen you have to know English at some level) then you must believe that your children can attend the same schools.
All I know is that I send my children to our neighborhood schools and they are the minority, I don't have a problem with that. What I have a problem with are people like your Dentist who would never dare to have their children attend OGMS or YVHS or Mount.
I will try my best not to insult you over the trite little "move to Mexico". I was born and raised in Va, moved to Ca as a teen, except for several good swear words, don't speak a speck of anything but English, and I have sense enough to know when I'm at a huge disadvantage.
ReplyDeleteApparently you don't see it yet. Don't you see the problem here? You say, "All I know is that I send my children to our neighborhood schools and they are the minority..."
That is exactly my point. My children, who went to Holbrook and Mt. D are grown, my grandchildren are all in high school now. They are all beginning to see that they are at a language disadvantage because it is so much harder to learn now.
Remember my first post was hinting that we need to look into Charter at the Grammar school level. Think of a preK-6 Math and Language Academy. Teach all those little puppies 5 languages minimum!
History shows it will take, minimum, 2 full generations for those who settle here to begin to "give up" their native language. What are you and your family going to do to keep up until then?