Valley Oak – in the act of creation

1. Why should Valley Oak seek charter status?

Organizing under a charter would allow Valley Oak to continue to serve the children of its neighborhood. Depending on how the charter is written, it could also become a magnet school that would give other students and families reason to become part of the Valley Oak community.

 

2. Who would be the most likely and productive agency to sponsor a charter for VO?

DJUSD would be the authorizing agency. One scenario would be to set up a 501c3 for the school so that it would exist as an independent agency.

 

3. Who would the teachers work for?

In most situations where pre-existing schools create charters, teachers remain employees of the authorizing agency, and remain members of the bargaining unit. Seniority, salaries, and benefits are not affected.

 

4. Who would populate the school?

By law, no one is required to attend a charter school, and no one is required to work at one. Charter schools are not regulated by the usual boundary limitations, so any child from any neighborhood in any school district would be eligible to attend Valley Oak. The charter can be written to give preference to neighborhood (boundaries of which are established by the charter) children, and beyond that remaining slots are typically filled by lottery. For instance, students who could enter a lottery might include non-neighborhood Davis children, or children of UCD employees who do not live in Davis but who would like to enroll them at Valley Oak for the convenience and to obtain schooling for their children under the vision of the charter. Funding for that student follows the student from his/her home district, and home districts cannot deny that transfer.

 

5. What would be the risk of chartering under DJUSD? Can they terminate the charter in order to close it?

No. Once established under the charter, the school will continue for the term of its charter, typically 5 years. At the end of each term the charter is reviewed but so long as the school complies with its charter, it must be renewed.

 

6. Who provides services that originate off-site, such as technological services, special education and psychological services?

In the development of the charter, there would be discussions with the district to continue to provide services on a contract-basis. The goal of these discussions is to leave both the school and district in financial status quo. No one wants to see the district or the school financially damaged by the creation of a charter. On the other hand, any perceived savings to the district by closing Valley Oak would not be realized, so other solutions to those problems would need to be found by the district.

 

7. What is the chain of command in terms of administrative issues and liability?

The details of authority are settled in the charter. Incorporation of the school and sound management of insurance resources are all part of that planning.

 

8. Can the district dispose of property (the DO) and displace us at our expense under the charter?

No. By law, available school buildings must be made available to viable charter proposals with a minimum of 80 in-district students.

 

9. How does this process begin?

With extensive conversations regarding whether or not this is an option the community (teachers and parents) wishes to consider. There need to be meetings to discuss the various options and define the vision for a charter if such an option should be pursued.

 

10. This sounds complicated. Who is available to help us?

We have support from CTA, the California Teachers Association, in developing the plan and the charter. The vision needs to come from us, but the technical help is offered by them.

 

11. Why is a teachers’ union interested in charter schools?

The union exists for much more than simply negotiating for teacher salaries and benefits. In some cases where charters are formed, teachers’ jobs are preserved. This is not the case at Valley Oak or in other locales where student population is relatively stable. The union is also invested in providing opportunities for teachers to do what they do best: teaching children in the best way they know how. Often this professional intent is best served by the creation of a charter to allow the vision of a dedicated faculty and community to be realized, particularly when any given district’s priorities run counter to the best-interests of a particular group students.

 

12. Would we have a principal or not?

Perhaps. It would depend on the governance model adopted by those forming the charter. Another option includes a cooperative management system. Charter schools both with and without principals are common.

 

13. What are some charter-specific ideas currently being floated by members of the community?

The primary goal of a charter for a Valley Oak neighborhood school would be to sustain the excellent programs already in place at Valley Oak for its neighborhood children.

There is interest, particularly among some intermediate and the science staff, in considering a high-tech teaching environment as part of the charter undertaking. There is support available from CSUS Department of Education in that regard, and support from UCD would also be likely. Funding for a high-tech campus could be sought from a wide array or sources.

There has been discussion about the kind of community Valley Oak would like to be, and how we could organize ourselves around providing even more effective support for families and children who have particular issues that extend beyond the school property lines. How a learning community responds to crisis and other special needs can be part of how a school organizes itself under the charter. Communication, conflict resolution, creative problem-solving and negotiation are all within the realm of this discussion.

 

14, How could DJUSD keep the charter from being approved?

The District can deny a charter under two sets of circumstances, one substantive, and one technical:

Substantive reasons:

1. The educational program of the charter is unsound and poorly crafted.

2. The people seeking the charter are not likely to be able to provide the services detailed in it.

Technical reasons:

1. There is an insufficient number of signatures on the charter.

2. The elements of the charter are not comprehensively described, or that it does not make affirmations regarding compliance with the law in regard to discrimination, not charging tuition, not being sectarian, etc.

Given the track record of Valley Oak in its historic, numbers-validated provision of services to the Valley Oak neighborhood, any denial of the charter by DJUSD would very likely be overturned by the State Board of Education, in the opinion of our advisor from CTA.

 

15. How can I contact CTA to learn more from their representative?

Mike Egan, CTA Region 2 Charter School Organizer, is available to community members at any time, and will be happy to meet with us as a group or individuals. He can be reached at megan@cta.org, (916) 723-2822.