Here’s our pick of recent news about the effort to privatize public education in California and the families, students, and teachers fighting back.
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San Diego charter school in “meltdown mode.” The San Diego Cooperative Charter School is teetering on the edge of closure after leadership turmoil and reports of persistent safety concerns led families to unenroll their children in droves since the end of last school year. The San Diego Unified School District is considering turning it into a “pilot school,” which would requirement an agreement between the district, the teachers union, and parents. Voice of San Diego
Silicon Valley charter school struggling to find facility. The Los Altos School District hosted a multilingual public meeting about identifying long-term facilities for Bullis Charter School. The school recently decided to no longer give priority enrollment to wealthy students after the district sent a strongly worded letter to the Santa Clara County Board of Education demanding that it prevent “longstanding discrimination” by the school. Los Altos Town Crier
Third time wasn’t a charm.California’s Montebello Unified School District has rejected a charter school for the third time. Why? The school’s plan lacks details about its curriculum. There are no state-required phys ed. classes. And more. Pasadena Star-News
Anti-vaxxers find workaround. Some California charter schools have found a workaround for anti-vaxxer parents to avoid vaccine requirements. The state’s current laws apply to all schools except for “home-based private schools and students enrolled in an independent study program.” KCBS
Pro-charter spending on AB 1505. In the recent legislative battle over AB 1505, which will give local school communities more say in the opening of new charter schools, pro-charter school groups spent about $900,000 on lobbying. Los Angeles Times