The Lesson of Sacramento High School

The responses to previous posts have been overwhelming and not dissimilar in their admonishment of VAPAC's administration. Many people have also placed blame firmly on the district for letting the situation get so completely out of hand. Others have identified the Sacramento High School debacle as the genesis of the current situation and the larger disarray in the district. Of course the lessons of Sacramento High represent a primer in how a school becomes dysfunctional:

An incompetent administration + district ambivalence = TROUBLE

A simple equation and one that sadly seem to be playing out at VAPAC and perhaps other schools. At Sacramento High School, teachers and parents complained about ineffective administrative leadership and communication -- a school site council was never convened, parents and teachers were kept in the dark regarding the school's budget, and administration operated under a cloak of secrecy if not outright invisibility. The lack of transparency in the formation and implementation of school policy was even further complicated when the school came under state sanctions through its participation in the II/USP program. Under this program (Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Program), schools not meeting their benchmarks on standardized tests in consecutive years fall host to a number of sanctions from the least severe -- transferring the principal and administration -- to the most severe -- closing the school. Unfortunately, the district opted for the latter choice before an audit of the school's academic program was carried out by the state.

Not surprisingly, once the audit was made public, 5 of the 6 key recommendations found clear fault with the administration and the district, confirming teacher and parent suspicions all along. But remember, the district closed the school before the findings were made public and transferred the principal before the audit was conducted.

VAPAC seems to be following a similar path: the district is doing little or nothing while the situation at VAPAC gets worse. The administration is clearly culpable for egregious acts that have jeopardized the education of 400 students. The administration's abuses of power are legion; their incompetence and ineffectiveness boundless; however, what remains to be seen is what move the district will make. The lesson of Sacramento High illustrates that the district likes to wash their hands of their problems before ever having to deal with them, lest, of course, the district takes any of the blame. And the further into summer this situation drags on, the less likely that any change will be made, or if a change is made, that the school can engage in the hiring of teachers, recruiting of students, and other necessary chores before the start of the fall semester. The swiftness and definitiveness of the district’s actions will determine the fate of the school.

So what to do?

The director and CFO (who is also the director’s son) are district employees. The district may remove them, transfer them, or in the case of the director, place her back in the classroom. (A previous placement at Leonardo Da Vinci was less than stellar for her and fraught with many of the same complaints swarming around her tenure at VAPAC.) As was the case at Sacramento High, the district has shown a general reluctance to reprimand or fire administrators who have demonstrated a dangerous degree of ineptitude -- Sacramento High's old principal is currently the principal of the districts community day school. But to continue to allow VAPAC to continue in its current direction is criminal.

But what can we learn from the lesson of Sacramento High School?

Charter Schools, Privatization, and Show Me the Money

For today's lesson, let's discuss charter school, which are public schools, that attempt to function as private schools. For an example, let's use the favorite and only topic of this forum...VAPAC.

But first, lets answer some questions:

• How do you classify a school that makes students apply for admission, denies students admission for grades and/or behavior, creates policy without input, and operates outside of any district oversight?

PUBLIC or PRIVATE (Choose one)

• Now, how do you classify a school that received over $500,000 in start up costs from a deficit ridden district, that makes students apply for admission, that routinely denies students admission, that creates discriminatory policy without input from the public, and that operates with little or no district oversight?

PUBLIC or PRIVATE (Choose one)

ANSWER: Public (In fact, VAPAC in both instances)

Yes, the sad fact of the matter is that VAPAC, run with public funds, staffed with district employees, and created as a public entity operates suspiciously like a private school (albeit a very poorly run private school according to reports). In fact, with the mass exodus of students, faculty, and staff, and the school in it death throes -- the district is overrun with complaints about the director and her thirst for absolute control over the school, the administration refuses to correspond with the district about these matters, and word on the street is that the administration is leaving the district with no option but to pull the school's charter -- could privatization for VAPAC be next?

Clearly, the situation looks dire for the school. And as far as the administration is concerned, the only way that they can maintain the dictatorial grip on power that they crave is to go it alone. That the district, bleeding money and facing a slew of lawsuits over the director's actions, would allow this rogue school to continue would be an abdication of their responsibility to the educational futures of the 300+ students currently enrolled. Aware of the situation since early in the school's first year, the district has been reluctant to make a move or address the many grievances against the administration. This reluctance could prove costly.

What needs to be addressed is the $500,000 that the district "loaned" VAPAC to get started. If they go private, how does the district recoup this money? Or, better yet, can they? For a cash strapped district thinking of scrapping bus service to save $240,000, the investment in this school is a significant sum. Additionally keeping the administrators at this site when the district is legally culpable for their actions seems fiscally irresponsible. Not to mention the cost of the charter, in terms of ADA and other expenses, to begin with.

Additionally, another concern that needs to be addressed is the welfare of the students on this campus. No hall monitors. No library. No computer lab. No discipline whatsoever. Of the students who have already left, most cite a lack of any coherent structure. The parents note a general reluctance on the part of the administration to address concerns as to student welfare and safety. Many have also commented on the Directors apparent favoritism when it comes to student behaviors and parental concern. Teachers also report that the Director seems to discriminate between whom she punishes and whom she lets off. Chaos is in the air and everybody feels it.

But the greatest problem to be solved: What will happen to these kids? If the school folds, what allowances will be made to place these students into appropriate programs outside of open enrollment? Additionally, if the school is in dire condition, when will students and parents be made aware of the situation so that they may choose another educational environment for their child? When is it too late?

VAPAC (cont'd) Dress Code

I really hate picking on this school, but the administration really brings it upon themselves. Apparently they've hired a lawyer (your tax dollars at work??) to draft a dress code policy for the next school year. Among the highlights:

Shirts

• No logos, writing, silk screening, or embroidery
• All shirts must have sleeves

Pants/Skirts

• Jean pants or shorts are not permitted
• Slits, rips, or tears in pants are not permitted
• Pants must be of a solid color

Personal/Grooming

• Hair that is dyed an unnatural color is not permitted
• Students must maintain a clean, neat, and healthy personal appearance

Of course, there is much more, but the dangerous provisions are those that create policy based on what is "educationally appropriate" or create a "distraction in the classroom." Who decides what is "appropriate" or "distracting"? Several students were forced out of the school by the administration this year for violation of a bogus hair policy the the administration rammed through without prior approval.

More importantly, kids and parents, this is a public school financed with public money. The application process and acceptance policy are already in violation of the law. California Education Code 47605 (d)(2)(A) says: "A charter school shall admit all pupils who wish to attend the school." No exceptions are provided in the law for hair color or clothing preference.

Dissatisfied??

Contact the administration at the school site.

Contact the school board...

jeank@sac-city.k12.ca.us

And let us hear from you!!!

Why Not???

It seems that for some time this district has been heading downhill. And I'm not talking about test scores. So much has happened in the last 5 years that it's hard to fathom what exactly has happened. However, I believe that it is safe to say that for a large part, this district has been mismanaged into chaos and that chaos is reflected in unmanageable school environments, administrative incompetence, questionable teacher effectiveness, and difficult student behaviors and attitudes.

Unfortunately, it would be too difficult and time consuming to recount all of the egregious acts of this district. Needless to say the Sacramento High School debacle and the CASA fiasco are only the tip of the iceberg. But since we have to start somewhere, how about the wave of charters currently operating and being created in the district. Or how about testing since it's testing time. Or maybe the effects of Small Learning Communities (SLC) on student choice. Or district oversight on many of the projects they initiate...

This is a free forum for discussion. Jump on in...