Part I. Open letter to fellow Waldorf parents: Questions to consider before signing the charter petition

Before submitting the charter petition I hope that we Lagunitas Waldorf Inspired Program (LWIP) parents can have a substantive discussion about the many critical unanswered questions about going charter that are not currently being discussed. This process needs to be done in a transparent manner. All the relevant documents, contracts, and information should be shared with all fellow parents in our program before the petition is submitted to the board of trustees. This is critical so that a thorough discussion can take place and we parents have a chance to change and vote on the proposal. I hope that you will join me in having a balanced discussion about the questions I raise below to carefully consider all the very serious ramifications of going charter for our children, the District and our families. Until this happens I urge everyone with concerns to join me in not signing onto a charter petition in the works for a number of months that few of us have seen or read.

How many of us have read the charter proposal or have considered the potential impacts of forming a charter? I would venture that few of us have. Before we rush into such a drastic decision to fracture the District there are a number of crucial questions I have raised below that need to be considered by all the parents and teachers as a community. I missed the meeting at which it was announced that a group in our program have been working with consultants for several months to prepare a petition to turn LWIP into a charter school. I wish I had known what the topic was to be discussed that day but unfortunately no agenda for the meeting was sent out. I have concerns about how this process is proceeding. Because the April 5^th meeting is scheduled during the time I teach a class, I also am unable to attend. For this reason I am raising my questions in this email.

Many crucial questions remain for us to discuss and decide as a community before taking such a drastic step. Among these questions are what is the impact of becoming a charter on our children, the teachers and the rest of the District? Will it mean that we would have less money per student but all of the administrative responsibility? Who would run the charter and how will decisions about admissions, curriculum and hiring be made? Would it be divisive and generate more animosity among fellow parents? Do the AC’s advisors and consultants (who appear to be connected and/or funded by the Walton family which founded and runs the Walmart corporation) advocate a type of education that contradicts our own values and educational approach? If you would like to have a conversation about these issues please feel free to contact me or raise them at the meetings. I will continue to discuss this issue on this blog, Lagunitas School District Watch.

1.     Will we get to vote? Is this a fait accompli (a done deal)? Is this already decided or are we going to discuss and vote on whether to go charter? If I missed that, when was it announced, what was the outcome? How many parents voted? Who counted the vote? 

2.     When will we be asked to sign a petition supporting the petition to go charter? It was announced that the petition will be submitted for the April 17^th Board meeting. That is a bit more than just two weeks from now. But when will we parents receive the petition? Will we be able to make changes and amendments to it? How many have to sign it in order for the petition to be considered by the board?

3.     Have we considered other less divisive options? Can we work in more constructive ways to improve our situation in the District such as running more supportive candidates for the board to give us a voice? Last year we successfully organized to save our program. It was hard and long but we succeeded. Why can’t we continue on our success within the District? Why should we split off into a charter when we already have our program?

4.     Will all parents receive copies of all the critical documents before the charter petition is submitted to the board of trustees? I was told on March 12^th that I cannot read the consultant contracts, and draft petition, feasibility study, and budget being prepared. Why? Should we expect that this process be done in a transparent manner and that everyone have a say? Who is making this decision for us? 

 

My next postings will address my other 19 questions of concern. 

Until these questions are discussed in a calm, careful and transparent manner and we parents are given a chance to change and vote on the charter petition I urge you to not sign the petition. We just do not know enough about what is being proposed, why it is being proposed, and the impacts on our children, the District and our families to turn our program into a charter.