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Charter School Oversight

January, 2014

Charter Application Activities by Month

November, 2007 December, 2007 January, 2008 February, 2008
March, 2008 April, 2008 October, 2008 November, 2008

In 2007, there are two charter schools (Alameda Community Learning Center and the Bay Area School of Enterprise) in Alameda. In 2005, both schools had their charter renewed for five years for an additional five years. Alameda Community Learning Center is a dependent charter school using AUSD for a number of its administrative functions. Bay Area School of Enterprise is an independent charter school and AUSD merely serves a fiscal agent for its administrative functions.

Charter schools have existed in California since 1993. School districts are the primary agency required to approve/deny the charter school petition. In addition, school districts have certain obligations regarding facilities for charter schools. More background information on California charter schools is provided EdSource. Here is a 2014 study on charter school quality.

Here is a primer on charter school oversight as an overview of charter oversight activities.Here is an example of a staff report denying appeal at County Office of Education level.

The National Association Charter School Authorizers created an analysis of 2014 state charter school policies.

November, 2007

On November 9, Community Learning Center School, Inc. submitted a charter school application to the District along with a 3 year budget, 3 year cash flow statement and a District impact statement. The charter petition proposes a K-12 school (starts as a K-10 school) with an initial enrollment of approximately 300 students.

On November 20, 2007, a new charter request was covered in an Alameda Journal article titled: Charter school seeks to expand. Blogging Bayport created an entry: Chartered Tour. At the November 27 BOE meeting the Board of Education received an overview of charter school oversight process. As a result, Board members began receiving comments from the community.

On November 28, State Superintendent Jack O'Connell visited ACLC to acknowledge the school's 2007 California Distinguished School award. The event was organized by Townsend Public Affairs, Inc., a public agency and non-profit organization advocacy and consulting firm. Documents passed out to attendees included an overview of ACLC and achievement data. At the November 28th PTA council meeting, ACLC representatives passed out applications and a petition of support for the new charter school.

Decemeber, 2007

On the day of the December 11 Public Hearing, Blogging Bayport created this entry: Chartered Territory. The Alameda Journal posted an article tited: Group to ask for new charter campus. Folowing the meeting, The Alameda Journal posted a recap article tited: Alameda considers charter school's bid while the Alameda Sun published an article titled: Charter School Debate Heats Up. On December 20, Blogging Bayport posted this entry: Great Tests, Less Filler! Now with 20% More Math!. On December 21, two Emails were sent out to all school district employees from two ACLC employees regarding the Nea Charter School application.

On December 21, a second charter school application was submitted to Alameda Unified School District. The application submitted by Renaissance Leadership Academy for a K-8 school included an 14 page introduction, the petition and a budget. The initial population would start out 105 students and grow to 205 students. Alameda Sun published an article titled Second New Charter School Could Drain AUSD Coffers.

During the Winter Break, there was no shortage of blog entries covering the debate on charter schools. Stop, Drop and Roll published these entries: Deep in the Heart of Texas and My Girl Likes to Charter All The Time. Blogging Bayport published these entries: Alt Ed Part One, Alt Ed Part Two and Alt Ed Part Three. The three blog entries generated over 75 comments from a dozen individuals. Warning Demographic Content provided ACLC demographic data using sports figues as a legend. On January 3rd, the Alameda Sun published an OpEd piece titled: Protect Our Public Schools: No New Charter School by Rob Siltanen, Alameda High AP teacher who also summarized his feelings on Blogging Bayport. The Alameda Journal pulished an OpEd piece by Jeffrey Smith, Encinal Math teacher titled: School board must pay heed to community.

January, 2008

On January 4th, the January 8th Board meeing packet contained a recommendation to deny the charter school application from NCLC.

On January 7th Blogging Bayport posted an entry titled: Charter School 101 Part One. Paul Bentz sends an EMail addressed to Board of Education and Superintendent requesting a 30 day extension before a decision is made along a response to staff recommendation to deny the application.

On January 8th, the Alameda Journal published an article titled: Charter group seeks postponement. Blogging Bayport posted an entry titled: Regrouping. At the January 8th BOE meeting, the Board voted 5-0 to deny the charter school application from NCLC.

On January 10, Blogging Bayport posted an entry titled: Open Forum. The Alameda Sun published an article titled: District Denies Charter Proposal. The Alameda Journal published an article titled: District denies charter school plan.

On January 17th, Renaissance Leadership Academy provided a memo to the District regarding the potential location of charter school. The Alameda Journal published an article: Trustees to weigh new charter bid on January 18th and Stop, Drop and Roll has this blog entry: Quick Thoughts on Charter Schools in Alameda. On January 22, Blogging Bayport published a blog entry: Deep Impact and Stop, Drop and Roll published this blog entry: 5 Questions for the School Board to Ask Tonight. Blogging Bayport followed up the Deep Impact with an entry titled: One Parent at a Time.

February, 2008

In mid February, the District announced the application from NCLC had been appealed to the Alameda County of Education. Here is Blogging Bayport entry regarding the announcement: Second Bite at the Apple. The Alameda Journal published an article: Charter group takes plan to county regarding NCLC's appeal to the Alameda County Board of Education.

March, 2008

In anticipation of the application from NCLC being appealed to the Alameda County of Education, Blogging Bayport posted an entry on March 11th: Charters, Cuts and Budgets.

In March 2008, a public opinion survey was conducted to measure the attitudes of voting public regarding charter schools.

April, 2008

The Alameda County of Education staff issued an Executive Summmary and Findings regarding Nea Charter Application Appeal for the Alameda County Board of Education. They voted 6-0 to deny the charter. Blogging Bayport posted an entries on April 22/23 titled Leathered or Upholstered and Theives in the Education Temple.

October, 2008

On October 3, Community Learning Center School, Inc. submitted a charter school application (12MB file so be patient waiting for the load) to the District.

November, 2008

Prior to the November 25 BOE meeting, the comments received is far less then the 90+ comments for the NEA Charter application. Staff made a recommendation to approved contingent signing of memorandum of understanding.

In 2008, SB 537 requires the California Research Bureau of the California State Library to prepare and submit to the Legislature by 2009 a report on the key elements and actual costs of charter school oversight.

December, 2013

At the December 17, 2013 Special meeting the Board approved a new 5 year charter for Nea based on this staff report.

January 2014

The Academy of Alameda submitted a petition for charter renewal. The renewal was approved.

Nea Charter Application Documents 2007

2005 MOU between ACLC and AUSD
Nea Charter School Application Submitted to AUSD
Nea 3 Year Budget
Nea 3 Year Cash Flow
Nea Impact to AUSD
CLCS Powerpoint presentation from 12/11 BOE Meeting (5MB file so be patient waiting for the load)
AUSD Staff Recommendation to Deny Charter
NCLC Response to AUSD's Recommendation
Executive Summary - ACOE Appeal
ACOE Appeal Staff Findings

Nea Charter Application Documents 2008

2005 MOU between ACLC and AUSD
2008 Nea Charter School Application Submitted to AUSD (12MB file so be patient waiting for the load)
Nea Presentation from 10/28/08 BOE Meeting
2008 Nea Charter School Application Final Revision - 11/25/08 Version
AUSD Staff Recommendation from 11/25 BOE Meeting
Nea Advertising Flyer
Nea Admission Application

Renaissance Charter Application Documents

Renaissance Introduction
Renaissance Petition
Renaissance Budget
Renaissance Location

Additional Sites on California Charter Schools

California Charter School Development Center
California Charter School Assocation
EdSource California Charter School Measuring their Effectiveness - June 2007 Report
CA Legislative Analyst Office 2004 Report Assessing California's Charter Schools
RAND Report on Charter Schools - 2003

Comments from Community Regarding the Charter School Applications

For 2007 NCLC Charter Approval Against 2007 NCLC Charter Approval
51 40

Due to the volume and size of the comments received, a separate webpage has been created to captured comments received. Here are the comments received for 2007 NCLC Charter Application.

For 2008 NCLC Charter Approval Against 2008 NCLC Charter Approval
5 3

Due to the volume and size of the comments received, a separate webpage has been created to captured comments received. Here are the comments received for 2008 NCLC Charter Application.

For Renaissance Charter Approval Against Renaissance Charter Approval
1 1

Due to the volume and size of the comments received, a separate webpage has been created to captured comments received. Here are the comments received for Renaissance Charter Application.

Background

In 1992, California became the second state in the country to enact legislation allowing for the creation of charter schools. The first charter schools in California opened their doors for the 1993-94 school year and, during the past ten years, charter schools have grown in number and steadily increased enrollment. To assess how these schools are using their resources in educating students, the state recently funded a two-year evaluation