Only a fence between them

I like….good point!
— February 26, 2015 2:29 p.m.

Only a fence between them

This is exactly my point, this is not about the construction of a High School on the campus of Silver Wing Elementary, this is a referendum on Charter Schools. I appreciate you being clear about this. I can understand it much better like that. Thank you.
— February 26, 2015 2:28 p.m.

Only a fence between them

And if you look at the scores when it started, when it was on the parking lot at Rice Elementary. It's impressive that the school is still around. Parents got letters every year saying the school might be closed down because of performance. It took a while, but the philosophy worked. With 50%+ English Language learners and a 90%+ latino population, the students worked super hard. Even the Governator came down to visit them and tell them what a great job they did!
— February 26, 2015 10:42 a.m.

Only a fence between them

Anniej, I appreciate your active role in your community and you are exactly the kind of member of the community I thought I was hearing from when I attended the meetings at the school during this process. I guess that's what's troubling for me. For the last three years I thought the High School had been a positive for the community. I understood from teachers at Silver Wing there were no problems with the students. They were respectful and helpful. Parents that came in to the office seemed up beat and wanted to know how to enroll their student in High School. I had not heard anything negative about PDAs, profanity or anything of the like. I remember one parent at a meeting commenting that it was about time they used the field for something. It was not until the last Board meeting when one teacher stood up and voiced concerns. This was even more confusing because that teacher was one that had participated in the cross age tutoring. So, in all fairness, the students, parents and staff of CVLCC High School understood everything to be positive. After 3 years of being there, you kind of think you'd know if you were not wanted. It's unfortunate that it's gotten to this point and I can't help feel that it is less about the construction of the High School and more about charter schools as a concept. As you said in your post, you "would be there to stand against the Charter." Any way, I hope the meeting is productive tonight and not full of politics.
— February 26, 2015 9:08 a.m.

Only a fence between them

Yes, as I stated in the post, I copied and pasted the information from an agenda item.
— February 26, 2015 8:43 a.m.

Only a fence between them

Thank you for asking and for not seeing this as a personal attack. There were no posts deleted.
— February 25, 2015 6:33 p.m.

Only a fence between them

www.cvesd.org Sorry about that. My browser fills it in. These are just some: (I copied and pasted from an agenda item) On April 10, 2013 the Director announced to the CVESD Board that he intended on adding a High School. On May 8, 2012, the Board approved the Chula Vista Learning Community Charter (CVLCC) petition for the period of July 2012 through June 2017. Included in the charter petition was the integration of Grades 9 through 12. CVLCC Grade 9 students were housed in facilities at Silver Wing Elementary for the 2012-13 school year as District staff and CVLCC administration discussed options for a permanent location for the charter high school. With planning and discussions continuing and the need to accommodate students in Grades 9 and 10 for the 2013-14 school year, the Board adopted Resolution No. 2012-13.58 for the purchase of two 48' x 40' relocatable classroom buildings and one 12' x 40' relocatable restroom building to be placed at Silver Wing for CVLCC paid by CVLCC. Subsequently, based on parent and charter school community support, the decision was made to permanently house CVLCC High at Silver Wing. Also in 2013-14, CVLCC decided to proceed with plans to purchase a 132' x 40' two-story facility that would consist of seven additional classrooms, a multipurpose room, food service area, and restrooms. Installation of solid fencing is planned around the perimeter of CVLCC High to separate the high school campus from the elementary school campus. May 22, 2013, the district authorized the Execution and Delivery of the Chula Vista Elementary School District 2013 Certificates of Participation in an amount not to exceed $7,500,000. This would allow for the addition of infrastructure to develop expansion projects at CVLCC High School. Agenda Item 4.JJ, June 18, 2014 clearly outlines the intentions to house CVLCC High School at Silver Wing. After a six-month review process (this involved District architect Ruhnau Ruhnau Clarke; the Division of the State Architect; and reviews for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, safety, and structural requirements), a bid was prepared for the manufacture, delivery, and installation of the two-story building and advertised December 11 and 18, 2014, in the San Diego Daily Transcript. Bid documents were requested by and provided to nine contractors. On December 22, 2014, the District held a pre-bid conference that was attended by six of these contractors. One contractor responded to the bid opening on January 21, 2015, as reflected in the following chart. There are more and I will look for them as I have been sifting through the agendas and minutes. For the logs of the community meetings you would have to contact the district directly, as those are not on the web site.
— February 25, 2015 3:24 p.m.

Only a fence between them

I did not think I made any personal attacks. I simply stated facts. The "assumed" name was to make it clear I have lived in Chula Vista since the '70s and to take personalities out of this. I have no doubt the people at the meeting were not lying about not knowing; however, that does not mean the information was not given out. This district can provide copies of sign-in sheets and dates of meetings and copies of memos. As far as Mr. Tamayo not being supported by the union, I don't disagree. However, when you read who endorsed him, people like Lorena Gonzalez and other Union supporters, which is not a bad thing, come up. I am not against unions at all. Having taught in the district for a few years and paid my union dues. What I take issue with is declaring "student based decision making" and then making decisions don't take students in to account. There have been no complaints about the high school in the 3 years it has been there. Not one. There has only been collaboration in tutoring between the high school and elementary school. I find it hard to believe that the "community" has been holding its collective tongue for all these years or did not notice the school. Please keep in mind the drop off and pick up for many parents is in the High School parking lot. I agree, unions don't bargain the existence of charter schools…but, why then does the CVE Facebook (Chula Vista Educators) announce the meeting at Silver Wing and encourage members to "voice their concerns". Why is it even an issue CVE would be involved with. I have no problem with an open and frank discussion. However, that starts with objectivity and ends with evidence. CVESD.org has the Board Minutes dating back to 2012 where a high school was announced. The district has the memos and logs of community meetings. I don't disagree that people didn't know, but I cannot accept this being characterized as a covert, under the table, back room operation. It has been right out in the open. As far as the credibility of the "argument", I don't worry about it because I'm not arguing. I'm simply relating facts that can be independently verified.
— February 25, 2015 1:05 p.m.

Only a fence between them

How does the construction of a High School that has been in the works for 3 years, with documented community meetings dating back till then, suddenly become a referendum on Charter Schools? Has anyone looked at the demographics of the school? 90% + latino, 50%+ English language learners. Has anyone here looked at the performance of the 1,300 plus students? There are already students living in that area attending that High School so there is nothing to do with exclusivity. As far as the money, the school receives the same reimbursement rate as other schools, there is just something more "efficient" about how it is managed. Lets not try to cloud the issue here. The school did everything in the open, look at the minutes of the CVESD Board meetings and the letters sent home from the Silver Wing Principal. The school has been there for 3 years and the spot was chosen because of Silver Wing's enrollment numbers. This school, it's parents and, especially its students, have done nothing except worked really hard to represent their community and district. There are parents that even moved into the area to be part of the community. To suddenly realize this school appeared over night and make it about Charter Schools is unfortunate and smacks of Board Members supported by the Union, Board Members who work for Sweetwater and are losing money because these students do not attend their schools and, unfortunately, an author who disclosed, thankfully, her connection to the "bargaining team", another term for **Union**. To suggest that the two members at the meeting were representing CVLCC is indicative of the bias. Both representatives were there on behalf of the CVESD District and were there to explain the process. Not having a dog in the fight would seem to be the first, and most important, prerequisite to reporting information like this. It's unfortunate that the educational future of students has become politicized.
— February 25, 2015 10:29 a.m.