CLAYTON VALLEY CHARTERHIGH SCHOOL

Concerns, Questions, and Benefits

Concerns and Questions

1. Financials2. Student Population3. School Accountability4. Governance 5. Sports6. Immediate Change

Question #1:Why are charter schools funded differently than district schools?

Funding Difference (Example)A unified district school receives something similar to a “composite rate.” It is an overall average based on the grades they serve. If MDUSD was broken up for funding based on grade levels, the schools would receive different amounts:

Grades Unified Rate Grade Level Rate

K – 3

4 – 6

7 – 8 ≈ ≈9 – 12

Unified Rates ExampleMt. Diablo serves grades K – 12. Below is what other school districts receive that only serve specific grades:

Grades Served District Funding

K – 12 MDUSD $5,206

K – 6 Hawthorne Elementary School District $5,032

9 – 12 Centinela Valley Union High School District $6,407

MDUSD Overhead

The staffing difference is basically district level “overhead.” By eliminating that overhead, more funds are directed to the classroom. This also allows CVCHS to generate significant reserves that would otherwise be impossible.

Staff Student

MDUSD 1 10

CVCHS 1 14

Answer #1:All public schools, including charters, receive funds

based on how much the state determines it costs to teach students at different grade levels.

Question #2:Why is MDUSD claiming that they will lose

$1.6MM because of the charter?

State Funding

STATE

CVCHS

STATE

MDUSD

ElementarySchools

HighSchools

MiddleSchools

MDUSD Hypothetical

Total MDUSD Hypothetical Budget = $70$70 divided by 48 schools = $1.45 per school (composite funding rate)

If you remove one high school from this equation the composite rate drops down to $1.42 per school, a difference of $0.03.

This is essentially how the district has come up with the $1.6MM figure.

Grades Served Number of Schools Funding Rate

Elementary (K-5) 32 $1 per school

Middle (6-8) 10 $2 per school

High (9-12) 6 $3 per school

$1.6MMTwo problems…

• The district has failed to consider the cost of running Clayton Valley. This would substantially lower that figure if not exceed it.

• The rate MDUSD is receiving is for serving grades K-12. If it costs significantly more to educate a high school student than an elementary student, and MDUSD is now serving fewer high school students because of the conversion, then shouldn’t the $1.6MM be reallocated to reflect that difference?

Answer #2:MDUSD’s math is misleading. Also, the composite rate

funding method for unified districts may be flawed.

Question #3:How can we trust high school teachers to run a

complex school budget?

About ExED

Excellent Education Development (“ExED”) is the premier non-profit provider of charter school business management services.

• Currently Serving: • 50 independent charter schools• 2 charter management organizations• 4 conversion charter schools

Conversion Experience

ExED has assisted with the conversion of the following schools:• Granada Hills Charter High School• Palisades Charter High School• Gompers Charter Middle School• Keiller Leadership Academy• Birmingham Community Charter High School• El Camino Real Charter High School

ExED’s Conversion Team

CVCHS’ ExED direct team will consist of the following people:• VP, School Finance• Accounting Senior/Manager• Operations Analyst/Manager• Accounting Associate• Accounting Analyst

ExED’s Support Team

CVCHS will also have access to ExED’s support team which consists of:• Anita Landecker – Facilities• Carrie Wagner, CPA – Charter Finance• Compliance Manager• Human Resource Manager

VP, School Finance

Marshall Mayotte, the ExED person responsible for CVCHS, has the following background:• Charter experience since 2006• Controller experience since 2000• Certified Public Accountant• Certified Financial Planner• Converted:

• El Camino Real Charter High School• Birmingham Community Charter High School

VP, School Finance (cont.)• Education includes:

• UCLA, Master of Business Administration• USC, Master of Business Taxation• UCLA, B.A. in Business Economics• UCLA Extension, Certificate of PFP• Attended Boston College’s School of Education

Conversion Cost Structure?

Conversion charter schools typically maintain many of the same costs:• Adopt similar salary tables

However, they generate reserves for the following reasons:• No central office overhead costs• Control over vendors• Less waste due to financial transparency

Conversion ExperienceBelow are reserve levels of ExED charter schools:

09-10 Reserves Revenue %

Palisades Charter High School $2MM 8.5%

Gompers Charter Middle School $451K 8%

Keiller Leadership Academy $409K 10.5%

Birmingham Community Charter High School $904K 4.5%

Answer #3:Clayton Valley Charter High School will be a fiscally

responsible charter high school that will be overseen by an experienced charter school service staff and

provider.

Question #4:Who can attend Clayton Valley

Charter High School?

Student Enrollment

Ed Code 47605(d)(1):“A charter school shall be nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, employment practices, and all other operations, shall not charge tuition, and shall not discriminate against any pupil on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, gender, or disability.”

Student Enrollment

• All student populations will be served at CVCHS– Charter Petition Pg. 16:

• “Education will be accessible to all students, including mid-range students, students achieving at a level significantly below their peers, gifted and talented students, students receiving special education or related services, limited English proficient students, and students who are members of ethnic groups under-represented in colleges and universities. We also intend to recruit those high school students living in the CVHS attendance area who attend other area high schools.”

Student Enrollment

• Public School– No admittance discrimination– No cherry-picking

• We want to be the first choice school of the CVCHS attendance area– Brain Drain is eliminated– Eagle pride returns

• Students currently attending CVHS and their siblings are automatically grandfathered in

Answer #4:Anyone who wants to can attend CVCHS.

Precedence will be given to those students living within the attendance area.

Question #5:Does going charter affect this school’s

accreditation, coursework, or overall validity?

School Accountability

• WASC Accreditation– Western Association of Schools and Colleges– Charter Petition Pg. 16:

• “When it opens, CVCHS will operate under the accreditation already granted to CVHS through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). CVCHS will continue to be accredited through WASC. This accreditation ensures that the academic program is acceptable and transferable to other high schools and universities.”

WASC

• We have been in contact with WASC• They have worked extensively with charter

conversions (especially in LAUSD)• “Expanded Substantive Change” process• No interruption of accreditation• The WASC term continues to be valid after the

conversion

School Accountability• Course Approval and Transferability

– a-g requirements– Charter Petition Pg. 21:

• “Each department develops its curricula to comply with State and National standards and the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) a-g requirements.”

– Charter Petition Pg. 49:• “Courses will continue to meet a-g requirements of the University

of California and California State University systems and meet accreditation standards as established by the Governing Board of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).”

a-g Course Approval

• The school submits coursework under a specific CEEB # (college code)

• This number will remain the same after we convert

• All current a-g approved courses will remain approved

• All new courses will require a new submittal just as they would if we were a district school

Accountability???Four of the six MDUSD high schools have failed to meet their Annual Yearly Progress (AYP):

• Mt. Diablo• Concord High• Ygnacio Valley• Clayton Valley

Answer #5:The charter will allow the school to flourish. Our image and success rate will change for the better which will only increase our academic legitimacy.

Question #6:Who will be in charge of CVCHS?

Governance

• Charter Petition Pg. 66-67:– “The mandate of the CVCHS Governing Board is to

promote and maintain the guiding mission of CVCHS as articulated in this Charter. The governing structure is designed to foster participation by all stakeholders and assure the effectiveness of local school control and accountability. As part of the CVCHS mission, it is vital that students witness and participate in the CVCHS collaborative process of policy development and decision making.”

Governance

• Charter Petition Pg. 68:– “The Governing Board shall consist of the

following stakeholder members: • Two (2) teachers• One (1) classified staff member• Two (2) parents• Two (2) members at large• One (1) retired teacher• One (1) administrator (other than the executive

director)”

Board Elections

• All respective stakeholder groups will vote for and elect their representative board members.

• Shared ownership is a top priority• Mistake in by-laws• “Draft”

Governance Structure

Governing Board

Standing Committee:Curriculum and

Instruction

Standing Committee:Human

Resources

Standing Committee:StudentServices

Standing Committee:Operations

Executive Director

Governance Structure

• Charter Petition Pg. 69-70– “CVCHS believes that we best serve our students

with a distributive leadership structure. We envision faculty, staff, parents, students, and administrators bringing their concerns and ideas to one or more standing committees through attending and participating in open committee meetings and submitting written proposals to the committees.”

Answer #6:Governance of CVCHS will be shared by all

stakeholders.

Question #6:Does going Charter affect our school’s

sports programs?

Sports• Pat Middendorf

– CV Athletic Director– DVAL Representative on the North Coast Section Sports

Advisory Committee• Gil Lemmon

– NCS League Commissioner

• Per a phone conversation, Mr. Lemmon specifically stated that the status of sports at Clayton Valley High School will not change in any way. The school will still be part of the DVAL and NCS will regard this as a simple name change. It will not affect CV athlete eligibility in any way.

Answer #6:Sports programs will NOT be affected.

Question #7:What will be different at CVCHS in the first year

or two?

Changes

• On-site management• Fiscal Stability• Freshmen transition program• Calendar• Planning Grant ($350,000)

Answer #7:Change will not be instantaneous but will

become increasingly more apparent as we build momentum.

Top Ten Charter Benefits1. Ownership2. Accountable Staff3. On-Site Management4. Fiscal Stability and Responsibility5. High School Calendar6. Freshmen Transition Program7. Cleaner and Safer Campus8. Leading Edge Technology9. Student Support Programs10. Professional Support

Ownership

• A community-run high school• Not just good or great, but the best• Energy, passion, commitment

Accountable Staff

• Incredible core group• Underperforming will seek help or leave• Professional Development• Hiring pool and process• Attracting the best• Administration

On-Site Management

• The red tape and bureaucracy of the district• Personal Attention• Let’s get things done

Fiscal Stability and Responsibility

• Grants• No district overhead to carry• Control over vendor contracts• ExED

High School Calendar

• Not designed for high school students• First semester• Winter break• Special programs

Freshmen Transition Program

• Introduction to high school experience• Testing, remediation, acceleration• Academic planning• School culture and behavior expectations

Cleaner and Safer Campus

• Staff and Student handbooks• Buy-in from community at large (staff,

students, parents, police officers, city council members, business owners, etc.)

• Standing Committees

Leading Edge Technology

• Currently district schools are not allowed access to you-tube, twitter, facebook, and other web based media that all have huge academic potential if utilized correctly.

• Paperless campus• Business partnerships• Career training

Student Support Programs

• Summer transition• Winter remediation• Summer School• Before and after school tutoring• 7th period

Professional Support

• CVCHS Stakeholders• Charter Petitioners• CCSA• ExED• MYM

CVCHS will continue to work cooperatively with MDUSD in order to assure a smooth transition

and positive working relationship in the charter conversion.

STAY INFORMED• The California Department of Education has links to

California Ed Code that deals with Charter Schools (www.cde.ca.gov)

• Read the CVCHS Charter on our Facebook page or website (http://sites.google.com/site/claytonvalleycharterhighschool/)

Important Dates

• CVCHS Public Hearing– August 9th, 5:45-7:00 PM– Monte Gardens Elementary

• Staff Recommendation and District Decision– September 13th