Choices
Option #1.
The District and VAPAC re-write the charter and bring the school into the fold as a "dependent" charter.
One can only imagine this choice going over as well as a lead balloon, and word on the street has it that the Director vehemently refused to consider this option. Probably because it means that the cushy, overpaid positions that she created for herself and her son would either vanish or be scrutinized more severely. Additionally, the executive board, packed with close acquaintances and sycophants would be dissolved.
This option also appears to be a tacit acknowledgement on the part of the district that this is a flawed charter as written, one that lacks the necessary oversight and controls to insure a proper learning environment is maintained. It is also a charter that reads like a blatant power grab at taxpayer expense.
But what are we to make of a school that fires a valued employee and former student with no justification while the Director and her Son maintain their bloated salaries with few accomplishments to show for their efforts?
From what we've heard, this is the option that most people desire. Interestingly, however, we don't warrant notification from either the Director or the district of this possibility and are left out of the decision making process that affects our children. Thanks.
Option #2
District can reassign the administrators.
Because both the Director and her Son are district employees, they can be reassigned. Of course, this is clearly a personnel decision; however, we would hate to see the district maintain either individual on the payroll, particularly the Son who would not meet the minimum qualifications with any reputable organization for either a CFO or a Grant Writer. If it ultimately comes down to saving the school vs. saving their jobs, we believe the students and the program are far more important. This option does raise the question as to why, once things started going bad at VAPAC, the district didn't just reassign the Director and her Son until the most serious of the allegations against them could be investigated and adjudicated.
We cannot see the Director and her Son accepting this option.
Option #3
The district can release the Director and her Son from continued employment with the district.
Given the callous nature with which the Director and her Son dealt with parents and students on many occasions coupled with their ruthless, self serving management style, misuse of taxpayer money, and unwillingness to compromise on any issue let alone allow dissent or disagreement, we believe that this is an acceptable option. Neither of these people are the types of employees any organization would want, particularly a school district charged with the stewardship of other peoples' children.
Of course, there is another option that the district cannot offer but the Director and her Son can create:
Making the school a private school.
Looking carefully at the administration's penchant for totalitarianism in decision making, their desire to impose a dress code, the illegally crafted enrollment process, and their general disdain for certain types of students, it seems that this is the direction that the school is headed. Of course, the question would then be economic viability.
For additional discussion, see the previous post:
Charter Schools, Privatization, and Show Me the Money
For Dress Code Drafts:
http://208.57.178.12/info/DraftDressCodePolicy05-06.htm
http://208.57.178.12/info/DressCode04-05.htm
Additional Note to Students and Parents Enrolled or Enrolling at VAPAC
Contrary to what information is being disseminated at the school and in its literature, VAPAC is not its own Localized Educational Authority (LEA). The SCUSD is the LEA of record for the school.
17 Comments:
wait, they didnt fire efrain (sp?) did they? =(
i think they did.
Yes, they did. That was not done well either.
Efren was "released" from employment by the administration on the last week of school.
If the administration wants to keep their "cushy" jobs, they need to get their butts into gear and fix their issues because the right thing for the students might actually be done and they'll be fired or "released", get reassigned, or the school will become a dependant charter. Which none of those decisions are good for them.
Honestly, I hope the right thing for the students is done and they are fired and perhaps charged with any crimes they've committed.
Without Efren, that school never would have gotten to where it is. When he was a student, Efren sacrificed many hours in helping to build the physical school as well as many other non-student type jobs, and once he became an employee, he was often found helping to maintain a semblance of discipline (which was quite a regular occurrence since the dlc's rarely arrive before school starts and are often gone from the campus itself with only an inept Spanish teacher left in charge), wiring the school for computers, building sets for performances, staying extremely late to do tech work, cleaning the general site, and helping anyone--students and teachers included--with whatever they needed. His reward? Being fired right before the end of the school year because he was known to "associate" with people the dlc's are intimated by. The bottom line? If you do something that the woman and her son don't agree with and you'll be kicked out of the school or fired. What great administration!
Awww, I've lost my buddy. Now who am I going to visit with before and after Judo...
-Sandra
How many teachers left the school this year?
melchor, seigert and efrain. Maybe kapp
Melchor, Siegert, Efrin, Spilman, maybe Kapp and Fox. Several of the other teachers are now looking at some other options also.
So, How does anyone find out what is really going on? One would think that with all the complaints to the District Office that some changes would occure. Parents often have the strongest push to have changes made. Hopefully any parent reading this site will call the District Office and ask what has been done to make the VAPAC school a safe place to send their children. Please post comments if anyone has any news or thoughts.
I have been pushing the district by lodging formal complaints that VAPAC has had to answer. Ever time they answer they dig a deeper hole for themselves. I have been told by the district that they will be 'doing something' soon. I understand that they can't tell me anything specific, but I worry that they will do nothing that has any effect.
I suggest that if you lodge a complaint that you only use information that you know first hand-do not use hearsay, but do file complaints.
Black47
OK parents, LET GET BUSY!!!! This needs to be an all out effort and challenge!
I say they need to fire the dlc's as you know where the money is going that is already known... their pocket books specially if the CFO (HIM) still lives with his Mommy (Director)Maybe she still iron's his clothes and dresses him too. SCUSD needs to step in too as the students are loosing what happen to it being about the kids? SCUSD is more intrested in money! But then they are loosing money with all the charter schools. Maggie were are you do something about VAPAC
For parents who send their kids to VAPAC why do you do it? Do you think they are learning the answer is yes they are learning from some good teachers but loosing by being punished when they do nothing wrong by dlc's what does this do to your son/daughters self esteem. And do you wonder why your kids don't have books? a library? a computer lab? Where is the money going?
If anyone gets any answers from the District Office could you please post them? I have to return to VAPAC this next year because I haven't been in the district long enough to go anywhere else. I guess the DLC's are still pretending that nothing is wrong and everything is wonderful. I know very differently and it makes me sick. I have tried to get in the school and the doors are locked and no one answers the phone (even when the black cars are there!). Staff are not allowed to have keys so we can get in the building to get some work done. Come on parents, please call the District Office and demand some answers about how the school will be running this next year.
I MISS Efren!!!
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