Comments on: Holbrook parents and teachers rally to rescind school closure decision

By: Wait a Minute

Wait a Minute — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 22:50:24 +0000

The main advantage of becoming independant (of the MDUSD) charter schools is that those schools get to KEEP THE MONEY generated by their ADA.

Since at least 40% of every dollar coming into these schools is being sucked up by the District this alone is a huge reason to become independant charters. Granted, you still will have some overhead costs like payroll accounting etc. But at least you get to decide how to spend the money and can choose to keep your overhead expenses in-house or sub-contract with the MDUSD or even the CC County Office of ED.

Their is even legal language that the MDUSD would have to allow these converted independant charter schools to remain at their current locations for several years and if an agreement can be worked out in that time to stay in place for as long as the agreement’s terms state.

It is also not too far-fetched to have the schools run completely democratically by the teachers and parents and to hire the Principal that best meets their needs.

Sounds like the perfect way to fight back against such a corrupt and discredited district administration.

By: anonamom

anonamom — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 05:12:21 +0000

Holbrook should get on the ball and get Charter applications in NOW. If I were in a position to “just do it”, I would create a Charter Association, or join a system like KIPP (their Charter in West Oakland just won a great award)for all schools North of Willow Pass; definitely Holbrook, Glenbrook, Mt Diablo High, and also Sun Terrace if they wanted to join in the movement.
This would eliminate both the problems and the cost of busing; get full $$ credits per student at Mt Diablo High, retain dedicated teachers. The list of benefits is long. One great benefit is that fund raising can be done “per school-for the benefit of that school”!

By: charter new course

charter new course — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:31:23 +0000

Holbrook and Glenbrook may stay open by petitioning to convert into a charter school, if 50% of the school’s teachers will sign a petition:
“Anyone may develop, circulate, and submit a petition to establish a charter school. EC Section 47605(a) (Outside Source) requires charter developers to collect signatures to indicate support for the petition… For a charter school that is a conversion of an existing public school, the charter developer must collect the signatures of 50 percent of the teachers at the school to be converted. The petition must contain a prominent statement that a signature means that the person signing is meaningfully interested in teaching in, or in having his or her child(ren) attend the school.”
http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cs/re/qandasec2mar04.asp

By: Marta Vanegas

Marta Vanegas — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:40:04 +0000

And so, we went to protest, yet again, at the School Board Meeting. We each got only 45 seconds to say our piece, and then were beeped off… and Mr. Eberhardt called the next speaker immediately. The explanation for the shortening of the comment allowance was that there were so many people wanting to talk. That the Board was 45 minutes late to return from closed session was not given as a reason for cutting parents, teachers, and students (i.e., their constituents) out of the debate.

We basically kept our comments to the above talking points, with one considerable exception: Mrs. Weiller, my daughter’s third grade teacher spoke to the Board about an alternative solution, which would obviate the need to close Holbrook due to lower projected enrollment. Her proposal was to convert the school to a K-6 school. But we can go even further, and convert all schools in our district to K-8. That is what West Sacramento did, and they prevented the closing of neighborhood schools.

In the meantime, parents at Holbrook will continue to organize and explore solutions to our predicament. Even if we feel no lovin’ from the school district, this is a very close-knit community of committed parents and we will fight this decision with all our might. Hey, if we could re-landscape the school property, we can do anything, right?

By: rich

rich — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 05:58:44 +0000

The whole decision of closing 2 schools in such close proximity to one another raises suscpicions that the decision was based upon political damage control for the board members.By impacting only one concentrated area the risk of political backlash namely being voted out is diminished since your in effect killing two birds with one stone in the eyes of a board member.Voters should take notice of this tactic when the next elections roll around for these members unless they rescind their decision to close Holbrook, no one community should have to bear the whole weight of the districts budget crisis but this is in fact what they are trying to do.I’m sure the community would reluctantly be willing to sacrifice Glenbrook to do their part in helping the district, but having 2 schools taken away is just simply unfair.