Educational Freedom in Rocklin
Should parents be free to choose what kind of school their children will attend?
Educational Freedom is the question to be answered on Wednesday, January 15, 2008 at 7:00 pm in Rocklin.
The answer to this question will be given by the Rocklin Unified School District Board of Trustees and will have consequences not only for Rocklin, but the entire Placer County area.
If you are involved in your child's education and believe you should have the freedom to choose, you should attend this meeting.
"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves is sinful and tyrannical"Thomas Jefferson
posted by Blogmaster at 9:58 PM
12 Comments:
The trustees have spoken, and they don't believe in freedom, and they don't believe in choice.
I have heard Rocklin Academy is going to resubmit the charter for Western Sierra Collegiate Academy (WSCA), and appeal to the County, and State if necessary. At some level, this charter will be approved.
Teachers at the meeting used scare tactics - talking about how much the district would lose if the charter was approved. They used the same rhetoric and attacks used against charter schools all over the country. Teachers were told by their union to attend the meeting and speak against the charter. The Trustees have all taken significant amounts of money from the California Teachers Association during their elections. The teachers union is controlling our Board of Trustees and our schools!
But research has shown that in districts with charter schools, districts respond by offering more programs, advertising their success and being more responsive to parents. We have seen this in Rocklin with the full-day kindergarten offered by Ruhkala Elementary, an IB program approved for Sierra Elementary, and Rocklin Elementary considering Junior Great Books.
The law encourages the development of charter schools for these reasons. If the RUSD Board of Trustees had followed the letter of the law, they would have approved the charter. There was no valid reason not to.
No programs will be cut from the high schools, no classes will be lost. Rocklin is a growing area. The growth has slowed due to the economy, but Rocklin continues to grow because it is a great place to live, and yes, because of the schools.
But, currently only 48% of Rocklin graduates leave with the a-g requirements needed to attend a Cal State University. That is a shame!
The news from Sierra Community College is that many students need remedial work - and that is where the majority of our graduates go!
When the charter is approved, and there is no doubt it will be, the two Rocklin high schools will have to focus on improving programs for all their students and attracting more students to their advanced classes. This will only make the high schools better, and prepare more of our students to be successful in college.
WSCA will benefit our entire community. RUSD may have slowed it down, but they won’t stop it, and that will be a good thing for all of our schools.
Thank you for providing this forum.
That was an interesting post by DJB (whoever that is?) A point of clarification though, Sierra Elementary did not choose to adopt the IB-PYP programme because of the Rocklin Academy or the Maria Montisori Charter. Rather, it was because the students of Sierra are capable and up to the challenge and the staff are excited about the programme. The decision was entirely site based (initiated by the principal with no thought whatsoever about a charter school) and approved by the RUSD Board after two years of research and finding the funds to support it.
By the way DJB, why don't you actually sign your name?
Respectfully,
bob capp
Bob,
My point is that charter schools put pressure on districts to examine their policies and programs and be more responsive to parents. Didn't the Board of Trustees deny your IB program the first time you brought it to them?
I don't like to cite test scores because I don't believe they tell the entire story, but Rocklin Academy has had the highest test scores in Rocklin for six years in a row and has hundreds of children on the waiting list. Talk about putting pressure on a district!
I applaud you and your parents for bringing the IB program to Rocklin. More choices will ensure all of our children will receive a better education in the long run. That is why I support Western Sierra Collegiate Academy.
DJB,
The first time we proposed the IB program @ Sierra, the district didn't have the $$ to support us. Las year, the state gave each school a grant (Site Block Grant) and each district was given a District Block Grant. We spent all of the SBG and the district matched our $$ with their DBG to enable us to move forward. Again, the charters had no impact on our effort to become an IB-PYP school.
You're right, test scores only tell the story for about 5 days in the life of a student during the school year. It is all too easy to measure a school or community by a 3 digit #.
Why DJB, why not your name?
bob
Bob,
We will have to agree to disagree -I don't believe the district would have given you the $$ without pressure, and I believe the pressure came from the charter school's success.
As for why I don't post with my real name - I have seen the vicious and personal attacks that go along with politics in Rocklin. I have seen what happens if you question the status quo and challenge the good 'ol boy network we currently have.
Anonymity allows honest debate.
You're right - we will agree to disagree. I believe that you give more credit to the Montessori and Rocklin Academy then they both deserve. My opinion. (from 30 years of working in this community)
Anonymity is the cowards way, not anything about honesty or honest debate, (debate cannot exist without standing up and be recognized) it is all about hiding. Nothing personal, it is just my belief - that is why I stand behind my words-and can be attributed to them and be proud of them!
bob capp
So were some of the Founding Fathers "cowards?"
Anonymity has been a core principal of open and honest political debate in this country since the beginning. One of the most influential and respected public debates regarding the Constitution took place using names such as Publius, Cato, John DeWitt, the Federalist Farmer and others. We still don't know all of the people behind those names today.
If used correctly, remaining anonymous can be a great tool to foster open and honest debate without repercussions. It can also serve to eliminate the genetic fallacy so prevalent in American Politics.
I fully support the use of anonymous names on this forum as long as it is used in the context of furthering the debate and not as a means to slander others.
Taken out of context-you're right! The founding were risking their lives, fortunes and futures. Though DJB and you are stating an opinion on a blog that:
1. Isn't widely read
2. Isn't life threatening
3. Will not affect his or your fortune or future
Writing anonymously on this blog is cowardice-Get over it blogmaster and DJB. This isn't the Revolutionary war and there is no King George or torries to do you harm. To compare this blog to that war is hubris.
bob capp (this is my real name, and I stand behind my words-they are my own)
Bob,
An Educator should know better, you need to review your history. The Federalist Papers and the responses were written after the Revolution when their lives, fortunes and futures were no longer in danger. They were written under pseudonyms to foster honest debate, specifically to prevent the genetic fallacy. This was the Constitution we are talking about, a follow on to the Articles of Confederation that had many problems and made the viability of the United States questionable. The Federalist Papers were not written to discuss the Declaration of Independence.
My example was only to show this country has a long history of anonymity. There is nothing wrong with it, it is not "cowardice" and the example is not "hubris."
There is no denying politics in this town is dirty and in all probability will only become more so. Read some of the other local blogs and you will see what I mean. The name calling is rampant. An anonymous discussion where names do not matter and ideas rule will probably be the only way to make progress. It's an unfortunate reality.
I suggest instead of taking to calling people cowards you get over your own need to "name names" and stick to the ideas.
So the readers (lurkers) of this blog do not have to search:
Signed Sean Jones (Blogmaster)
Others may remain anonymous if they desire.
Mr. Capp
We all know the cost associated with the IB program. If I were to agree (which I do not) with the Steve Paul, the “Grand Poobah,” of your school board, you are trying to build an elitist school. Are you going to open enrollment up to all Rocklin children? Your school is one of the smallest in the RUSD. Why would we spend over $100,000 for a program that will only benefit a small group of kids? If I am a Twin Oaks or Antelope Creek parent (2 of the worst performing schools in the RUSD) will I have equal access to Sierra Elementary School? Maybe that $100K should be spent improving those schools? That is the way the Trustees on your school board think. I am actually surprised they approved this program. I hope you will be fair to all the families in the RUSD who might want to be part of the IB program.
Why not start the IB program at Twin Oaks Elementary School? You know Twin Oaks is one of the worst performing schools in the district. They have scored the lowest rating possible when compared to similar schools by the California Department of Education for the last 2 or 3 years. They need help. Their enrollment is down. Parents are looking to leave the school. I believe Rocklin Academy gets more calls from Twin Oaks parents than any other school in the district. Teachers have transferred out of the school. Maybe it is time for a new principal.
BTW – If you want to read more on what I and others think of the decisions made by your school board go to http://conservativebetrayed.townhall.com. This is my blog and you can post comments.
Bob Capp is right on one point, educational performance should not be judged on 5 days of testing. Unfortunately, Bob the educational performance of Rocklin grads when judged on college remedial coursework and achievement after graduation is pathetic. Once you enter the reality of the global competitive market and see how other countries are kicking our butt with better educated workers, you will realize that you have been existing in the teacher's union created fantasy land, not unlike that in the Truman Show. What you and the RUSD fail to realize is that no one gave you the right to control education in this community. That control belongs to the parents. If parents want choices, they deserve choices. After all, they are the paying customers. RUSD is merely a vendor in the educational marketplace.
I guess Bob Capp ran away. Sometimes the truth hurts.
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