Office building at 171 12th Street was recently purchased for $7.4 million by Lumbee Properties LLC, a company founded and managed by Chavis. My understanding is that both Jorge Lopez Oakland Charter High and American Indian Public Charter School II I believe are housed at the 171 12th Street property. Lopez has a property management firm called Sun management group that collects the rent. The District’s webpage lists the Oakland Charter High School’s address as 171 12th Street.

Perhaps they are not connected, but I suspect that AI charter schools had made possible the purchase of the multi-million dollar downtown office building.

Jim Mordecai

I dont believe AI is cheating in the obvious sense….that is to easy to catch. But in the less than obvious way, perhaps they are.

However, OUSd cheats kids far more than they or any other high performing school can. So, keep up the work but please, get a goos spokesperson cause life after Chavis is dull to dumb with the AI school.

Then again, I would hate to be the one to try and fill his shoes!

Sent from my phone. Please excuse the typos.

Crazy Like a Fox : The Ben Chaves Story; is the tbook I was referring too.

I see your point. Its true that laws do destroy the intent. However, a law can be used against a person if not followed. For example a business without workers comp, or one who pays workers less than minimum wage.

My point is that if this is “The Model for inner city education,” such as the book and many of the proponents claim, then shouldnt they have all of their ducks in a row, (or at least the minimals) as they wait for attack from the status quo?

I see your point though and agree that schools in Oakland should be allowed to select to a degree/

A rule on open admissions does nothing to prevent the proper flunking out of the dull students. It also won’t keep Charters from having a program calculated to only attract & retain black, white, mexican or asian students (the methods used start with the naming of the school).

The whole point of charters is to allow schools and students to associate or dis-associate with people they like or don’t like in programs selected for certain people. Charters are created as polar opposites of public schools which PC requires to be all things to all people. Charters are here to serve their target constituiency. To each his own.

I’m not sure which book you are referring to. Would that be a book by the founder of AI?

I don’t have a sole answer to the problem of inner city education – I do believe that student/family choice of which school to try to fit into is key. Beyond that, all the schools should offer the discipline which is essential for the lower class to move up in society. Beyond that if they just get their prole students speaking standard english, and reading, writing and counting at national standards for each grade level they will have OUSD beat by a mile. I don’t think that’s too much to ask any Oakland area school.

You are correct that they could choose to offer what they wish or dot; however charter law does say that they will have NO Admissions prefernces of any type. BUT

Dont get me wrong, I do not dislike them (their arrogance gets under my skin) but thats got nothing to do with what they do.

However, given that they have the no admissions preference clause, and the fact that their much spoken model is spoken of by many as a cure all- I think they should be able to put their money where their mouth is- dont you?

I read the book and found it entertaining, I have spoke to evaluators of the school (from OUSD) and I have spoken to former teachers at the school who say the kids some how just consume the books at 6th grade. OK, so they are lucky and get the smart kids-more power to them; but c’mon! Stop preaching as the sole answer to solving the crisis of inner city students.

I guess, when they do open the doors to anyone- and become a success (perhaps not a the level that they are at now) but success at the realistic all student level- I will want an autograph for my book!

Jim- I dont understand your post. What buidling? If he can buy a building at that price, the district should have made a deal to sell him a building and made a profit.

Large comprehensive schools traditionally provided tracking that followed your line of
reasoning: “Students should not be in programs where they are statistically certain to fail. And bright students should not be in dumbed down classes to accommodate the dullards.”

I think in the autobiography of Malcolm X, ghosted by Alex Haley, Malcolm Little was counseled against college. In contrast George Bush’s entitlement called a college legacy meant he partied with fellow legacy entitled wealthy recreational drug dullards as well as middle and upper class bright lights.

However, I think the tracking issue is a public issue to be decided by the values of the public.

One thing about charter schools that are legally corporations is that they do not have to provide the public with the choice of understanding how they do things but only high test scores to receive funding as a “public school”.

When I learn that AI’s Chavez pays $7.4 million for downtown Oakland building I want to know what the public doesn’t under current charter laws have a right to know because AI has a corporate right to play its cards close to its vest.

And, I think $7.4 million gives a new meaning to high stakes testing. And, wonder if AI’s business plan provided leveraging ADA in buying that office building that as a non-profit comes off the City’s tax roll.

Jim Mordecai

Some schools are preforming arts schools, some are in the market for science programs, some are there for rad-lib political indoctrination (and admit it), some are into foreign languages and cultures. The whole point of Charters is to let the families choose for themselves what the want for their offspring, and who they want their offspring to associate with.

AI seems to have a thing about college prep (I believe). Many children have no business anywhere near a college prep program. Must AI be expected to cater to dull students at the expense of their college prep program?

And should any school – even a public school – that is running a college prep program at a particular campus be expected to accommodate a dullard? – Remember my experiences at Oakland Tech Summer Session when it was run by UC Berkeley as a demonstration high school program? They threw out students right and left for getting too many (quiz) Ds and Fs or missing 3 days of class for any reason including sickness. Students and parents would be told they weren’t working out and needed to leave.. Was that WRONG?

Viva la difference…

Students – especially the middle school and up students (where the “differences” are noticeable) need to go to appropriate schools with appropriate programs for them. Like they do in Europe. That’s how everyone avoids wasting time and getting frustrated unreasonably. This is what’s needed in OUSD.

Students should not be in programs where they are statistically certain to fail. And bright students should not be in dumbed down classes to accommodate the dullards.