Tassajara Prep Petition Goes Forward to the County
The following speech was delivered by John M. Zukoski, one of the Founders of Tassajara Prep, at the March 9, 2010, meeting of the Dublin Unified School District Board of Trustees. The Board unanimously voted to deny Tassajara Prep’s charter petition. The petition will now be submitted to the Alameda County Board of Education.
“The Founders of Tassajara Prep would like to reiterate our commitment to bringing a world-class, college preparatory high school to Dublin, CA. We know our endeavor will have a tremendous positive impact on thousands of students whose lives will be enriched by the smaller learning community at Tassajara Prep. This positive impact will be felt not only by our student population but also by students throughout the Tri-Valley. We expect everyone to benefit from the innovative, best-practice educational environment proposed in our petition. To that end, the Tri-Valley Learning Corporation is pleased to announce the addition of both Dr. Jeffrey Watkins and Dr. Douglas Treadway to our team, as we work toward our vision of academic excellence and elevated expectations.
The Founders have reviewed the findings of fact and the proposed resolution requesting the denial of Tassajara Prep. We are disappointed with the process and the quality of due diligence the District has afforded the citizens of Dublin, and, more specifically, the prospective students of both Dublin High School and Tassajara Prep. No substantive discussion regarding the merit of our petition has taken place between the District and Tassajara Prep since the petition’s submission on January 11, 2010. We are struck by the litany of inaccuracies and misrepresentations throughout the findings of fact. All of the concerns regarding our petition could have been easily addressed had the District been open to a meaningful dialogue with us. The Founders of Tassajara Prep and the Dublin Unified School District Board share similar missions. The District’s stated mission is “to support all students in becoming lifelong learners by providing them with a rigorous and relevant education that prepares them for college / university or service to our country and to succeed in today’s global economy.” We should strive to work in concert towards those goals.
We know the fate of our petition will likely rest on other legal entities, as this Board adopts the proposed resolution. While the review period for the District ends tonight, the Founders of Tassajara Prep remain receptive to the District’s feedback and are optimistic that a meaningful dialogue between us will take place someday. As fiduciaries to the students of Dublin, we owe them a fair evaluation of every educational opportunity we can offer. Our hope is that we can change the dynamics of our interaction as we go forward with the petition. The students of Dublin certainly did not benefit from the costly legal documents prepared by Thurbon & McHaney. The Founders and the families we represent are acutely aware of the scarcity of resources that impacts all students in the State of California. We are forced to wonder what better use those high legal fees could have seen had the District taken a different approach. To that end, we will be submitting a formal Public Records Act Request for a detailed accounting of the staff hours and legal costs incurred by the District for this effort.”
12:44 AM on March 10th, 2010
Hi, The “the petition’s submission on January 11, 2010″ web link in the article requires login.
12:54 AM on March 10th, 2010
Thanks for letting know. The misdirected link has been fixed.
6:35 AM on March 10th, 2010
The point is nobody benefits from raising this issue. Where were these students and parents that you are so benevolently representing in vocing their opinion to the school board. The school board reacts to a need as it sees it to benefit the majority of the students. The board meeting also focused on the innovative Pathways program. In this budget strapped time, this petition and your push is a shame. Unfortunately, I feel there is some personal financial gain at stake rather than true innovation and commitment to the students. I have just been through the college admissions game with a student and outside of the CSU system, colleges are truly looking at the whole student. Activities, sports, etc. are a huge part of it, in addition to tough course offerings.
11:08 AM on March 10th, 2010
I think I need to correct the misconception that charter school only offers academic programs. That is definitely not true. A charter school with several hundred students can achieve outstanding academic performance and meanwhile offer a lot of extracurricular activities. Check out this link about Pacific Collegiate Charter, one of the top 10 public high schools in the USA and the best in California.
http://www.pacificcollegiate.com/
http://www.pacificcollegiate.com/Documents/DocumentRetrieve.cfm?q_DocumentID=70&UploadDocClass=StoryPDFs
You will be amazed what they are offering. Get educated and do not just get stuck in the conventional thinking.
9:45 PM on March 10th, 2010
George,
I like the way you think…I would love to have an additional $1.2 million to run Murray if I had funding like PCS. Just think of the programs I could run on $17 more per day, per student.
I could have intervention teachers at each grade level (K-5). I could offer one year of free pre-school for all incoming families. I would include the most comprehensive assessment system and identify students’ individual learning styles. When they didn’t score well, I would hire a staff psychologists to diagnose learning issues, (special ed or not). Counseling for all families could be offered in the evenings to help families stay together which will create the optimal home situations for the students to live in. Literally, this could be done, I am not pulling your leg.
Heck I could even start and endowment that could pay partial scholarships to draw down the cost of college for the families that couldn’t afford it given the recent increases in higher ed costs.
Wow I can only dream right now…are you sure that the TP followers are ready to lay down that kind of money? You’re right with that type of money, anyone could set up an incredible award-winning program that would take care of the needs of all students. If this was the standard that California upheld, I am sure we could close the achievement gap in a few years. How did I arrive at all these conclusions? Read on:
_________________________________________________________
Taken from:
http://www.pacificcollegiate.com/Documents/DocumentRetrieve.cfm?q_DocumentID=345&UploadDocClass=DynamicContent
How much does PCS spend per student?
PCS spends approximately $9,305 per student each year.
It costs $52 per day for each student
PCS receives $37 a day in state funding
PCS depends on donations of $17 per day to bridge the funding gap.
________________________________________________________
So for the sake of argument, here is the math:
$17/ day x 186 school days= $3,162/year
1600 Students at Dublin High X $3,162 = $5,059,200
What could Dublin High do with $5 million more dollars each year?
Just imagine…
Applying this on a larger scale:
DUSD Enrollment 5,739 X $17 more per day X 186 School Days= $18,146,718
What could DUSD do with $18 million more a year?
We could restore ALL of the budget cuts from the last three years, including restoring the class sizes to 1:20, plus have an extra $8 million a year to invest in quality programs. What a dream, would love the opportunity to design an incredible program that had all the bells and whistles.
So I guess my point is that it is very easy to build an elite school made from students who have few or no road blocks to their learning. This requires no thinking outside the box or unconventional ideas, just cold hard cash.
Given the fact that only 3% of the PCS population has disabilities, this program doesn’t reflect a model that could serve a comprehensive population.
I can’t stress how easy it is to find these diamonds in the rough. Given PCS’s demographics, with 52% of the parents holding a graduate-level college degree, 35% of the parents holding a college degree, 11% with some college and only 1% with a high school diploma, it is no wonder all the students are going to college. Having a 100% college enrollment goal is a piece of cake with this population.
While it states that this is a “public” charter, once again we see that the parents need to spend $3,162/student of their own money each year to make it work. (Granted it is cheaper than private, but not exactly a free or inexpensive public education for the students.) I wonder what happens to the idea of equality in educational program from a state, county, or city level?
Schools like this definitely return us to the days of local school board control and local tax control. An idea that I am not against, however, the formation of these schools leads to mass inequity throughout the state. I think these schools will increase the achievement gap, not close it. Agreed, nice school, if you can afford it.
Respectfully yours,
Rick
9:27 AM on March 11th, 2010
Excellent posting Rick. Well thought out, well written, well researched & (apparently) impossible to argue with – I love it
Apparently the TP supporters can’t make similar fact-based arguments, this might explain their lack of support in the community.
12:43 PM on March 11th, 2010
Hi, Rick,
I like the way you are thinking too. I also very much like the way you are writing.
With all due respect, it seems to me you can always find some excuses for a school’s under-par performance. I really did not want to bring up the fact that Murray’s API score dropped more than 20 points last year. But I have to mention it to keep my arguments in context. If someone brought up an example of Lincoln Elementary in Oakland, you would say it is because of their Asian American population. If someone brought up an example of an elementary school in Harlem – the poorest community in New York City, you would say something else. So I get the point and I do not want to keep arguing with you about this.
But I do want to make a few points about your education inequality comments. Don’t you think we already have this in the current education system? Some school districts are better than others. Some school districts are richer than others. Some schools are asking for bigger donations from parents to keep their schools better. Just as an example, San Ramon’s Dougherty Valley district is asking parents to donate at least $800 a year for their high school, not mentioning that their property tax is 1.75%. So there is already a lot of education inequality in the current education system. Charter school does not create this. Charter school is just doing the same thing as traditional public schools (in terms of soliciting donations from parents). Charter school offers an opportunity for committed parents who are willing to sacrifice their economic interest a little bit to give their children a better education. And yet, it is still a much cheaper alternative to a private high school.
BR,
George
12:38 AM on March 12th, 2010
Hi George,
Thanks for your reply. I too appreciate your contributions to the blog. Talking about context, I would be glad to explain the point drop, and actually, I have already done that back in September. (I don’t know if you are aware of that post or not since it was pre-TP and I don’t know when you began reading the AroundDublinBlog, see the link below). Anyhow, I have given the factual accounting for the score drop in numerous presentations to our staff, SSC, PFC, and the Board.
If you really cared, I would be happy to sit down and explain it to you, or anyone else for that matter. Call me at Murray and we could set up an appointment, then you can decide for yourself if it is an excuse or just plain facts. (925) 828-2568 x 5401 All I ask is that you understand the underlying demographic changes, the calculations, and how the API is derived before you make gross generalizations and negative assumptions about the learning that is going on at Murray. If you knew me, you’d know that I would be the first to point out which grade levels and students didn’t perform as well in comparison to last year’s class.
The API calculation is very complex and it is weighted in multiple areas. In a small testing population, like Murray, you will find that a small group of students, who perform well below their peers, will have a huge effect on the API. The questions then become who are they, why did they perform below their peers, and what can we do to improve their scores? I did post a rather lengthy explanation. Please see the link below for a full explanation. You’re correct that a 24 point drop in any one year would be a huge concern if you had a stable population. Once you understand the underlying demographic changes that occurred at Murray last year, this drop is easily understood. See the link for more:
http://www.arounddublinblog.com/2009/09/2009-dublin-unified-school-district-api-scores/#comment-3520
Yes, I am very intrigued by the success of Lincoln Elementary in OUSD. So much so that I asked the honest question concerning the success of the Asian sub-demographic, the reasons behind it, and how can we replicate that success. Wasn’t an excuse there either just seeking facts. Actually, you provided me with some good insight into the reasons behind their success. I truly appreciated your personal experiences. I am always looking for ways to assist parents in helping their child succeed in school.
So I guess I can’t change your perception of why I give detailed explanations, since perception is such a personal thing, (i.e.: excuse vs. rationalization vs. fact), but I think there are some valid data points that I have presented. So I will let others examine the evidence and decide for themselves if it an excuse or fact. The readers of the blog are pretty intelligent and they can figure out spin when they see it.
Concerning the inequity, you’re right San Ramon and Livermore schools get less ADA from the state than Dublin or Pleasanton. So they have to find other ways to support their schools and make up the difference. It is unfair, unjust, and almost criminal in my mind.
What I have such a hard time accepting is that we would knowingly take less money for our high school students here in Dublin just because charter supporters feel they can’t work within the confines of the present system. This puts the charter school at a huge disadvantage from the get go and for what results? We have already seen that LVCS has only equaled the results of their surrounding Livermore schools that share their same demographics. Furthermore, LVCS underperforms in comparison to Dublin El when ranked by the similar schools ranking from the CDE. With all due respect, I simply don’t feel the results are worth the present risk. If I saw better results, then I could be convinced otherwise. I am always searching for the best way to build a great learning system that will be efficient and effective at serving students.
Regards,
Rick
1:51 PM on March 12th, 2010
Hi, Rick,
Although we may have philosophical difference, I do appreciate your very civilized arguments.
BR,
George
12:43 PM on March 10th, 2010
It is about time that the charter school idea needs to be rehashed. I agree that east dubliners should not commute to Dublin High. I also agree that an extension of Dublin HS in east Dublin should be revisited.
11:17 PM on March 10th, 2010
Mr. or Ms. Anonymous,
You wrote “Where were these students and parents that you are so benevolently representing in vocing their opinion to the school board. The school board reacts to a need as it sees it to benefit the majority of the students.”
Anyone who thinks there was ever a prayer of the school board approving the charter petition are fooling themselves. Since the day this idea was proposed, it has been a foregone conclusion that the district and the board would oppose the idea. If faced with a professional and well thought out charter petition like Tassajara Prep’s (that’s right, I read it), every school district in California would react the same way DUSD has, and they would come up with similar arguments to justify their denial. There is no district in the state that wants to let public education get out from under their control. It’s the same in the business world. Businesses do not like to see competitors move in on their turf. Boy, if only businesses could reject their competitors the way local school districts are allowed to deny charter schools. Imagine how much easier it would be for a business to make it without competition. DUSD’s decision to deny the petition should come as no surprise to anyone.
You also wrote “I feel there is some personal financial gain at stake rather than true innovation and commitment to the students.”
Casting aspersions like that only makes opponents seem petty when the facts are examined. I got to know the Tassajara Prep founders personally and I can assure you that they are all volunteering their time and will see absolutely no financial gain from their huge effort. What they are putting into this is sacrifice, expenses out of their own pockets, and tons of time and dedication. All for the benefit of the community. There’s a reason no one else has done this in Dublin; it’s because it is a lot of hard work. Tassajara Prep’s founders are doing this because they believe it is the right thing to do for Dublin students. They should be commended for their community spirit, not denigrated like you have done. I salute them and look forward to helping them achieve their vision, for the sake of my kids’ educations.
Dan
10:03 AM on March 10th, 2010
I’m very much looking forward to T Prep. My sister briefly attended Dublin High, and after her experiences, I will never send my children there. The administrator took one look at her Hispanic face and many piercings and would not let her enroll in AP classes. She had been homeschooled before, because she was traveling in Europe. She moved to a small charter school and finished the IB program there and will graduate from Stanford next year.
1:38 PM on March 10th, 2010
To the comment referring to the Hispanic child being denied access to AP classes – I am not saying Dublin is diverse by any stretch of the imagination, but it is compared to the schools in Pleasanton and Danville. I have personal experience with underrepresented minorities and they can succeed at Dublin High and do take AP classes. I’m sure it had to more to do with a misunderstanding of her school resume and qualifications and less to do with her appearance.
7:21 PM on March 10th, 2010
Ah so the people at DHS are racist now – give me a break. The reality is all this lying and slandering and lack of participation at city council meetings from the “pro” TP side is smacking of desperation. If you don’t like the <10 minute commute to DHS – buy a house on the East side and quick the NIMBY whining. I had to take the freakin bus to school for 45 minutes. This is all just a ploy to boost real estate at Dublin Ranch – they don't give a rip about the kids. If they did they would realize that splitting the high school in two will result in two lousy schools. If you actually don't like it – GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
This is going down like a lead balloon unless the Livermore based carpetbaggers bribe someone.
Which I wouldn't be surprised.
10:13 PM on March 10th, 2010
If opponents of TP think that TP will boost real estate price at dublin ranch, then they must also believe that TP will be great school.
10:50 PM on March 10th, 2010
Continue on your logic: If TP is a great school and it is open to all Dublin residents, it must be good for all Dublin real estate properties.
11:37 PM on March 10th, 2010
Precisely! Tassajara Prep will not only benefit the east side, it will increase desirability of the entire city of Dublin for families seeking an outstanding high school on par with our neighbors Pleasanton, Danville and San Ramon. This will boost property values all over town. Better yet, it will boost education all over town. Rather than hurt existing schools, it has been shown time and time again that charter schools elevate school performance in the local school district. Dublin High has 2 1/2 years to prepare for the opening of Tassajara Prep. The Dublin Unified School District and the Dublin High administration are going to have to make some intelligent adjustments if Tassajara Prep causes Dublin High attendance to temporarily dip. They are smart people. They can do it. If student performance also dips at Dublin High, it will be the fault of the district & the administration, not the fault of Tassajara Prep. Despite the possible temporary impact, I believe that student performance at Dublin High will be better in the long run because of Tassajara Prep.
11:34 AM on March 10th, 2010
I attended one of the board meetings where this was discussed and to be honest, compared to other issues brought before the board, hardly anyone showed up to support Tassajara Prep. In a democracy we need to accede to the wishes of our electorate and to this point, it appears more voters dislike the idea of the district supporting a new school than like it.
Tassajara Prep founders need to spend more time and effort to sell the idea to Dublin residents and quit wasting time rehashing why lawyers think its a bad idea.
If the majority of residents support Tassajara Prep, it will be built. Work on getting the majority!
11:45 AM on March 10th, 2010
If you understand and abide by the law about charter school, it is never required to get majority of citizens approving (or voting for) it. Otherwise, very few (if any) charter schools will be approved. That being said, I think it is important to get enough parents’ signatures on the petition.
7:26 PM on March 10th, 2010
“It is all about competition and choice.”
No it’s all about Dublin Ranch developers and Real Estate Agents (who run this blog) lining their pockets with cash. Pleasanton’s school district is larger and can accomodate two schools. I have a quiz for you – who would support a second high school if it was put on the west side of town? Nobody – because it is a sad joke – and why it will be defeated as it should be.
When the population can support two schools – that is when one should be built.
12:03 PM on March 10th, 2010
George, can you take the lead on bringing in the parents signatures for petition?
2:23 PM on March 10th, 2010
To tell you the truth, I am more motivated than ever to help in this petition. If you would like to help as well, please send me an email at guanghua_99@yahoo.com. Thanks.
2:44 PM on March 10th, 2010
I’m still failing to see what the shortcomings are of Dublin High. I feel it’s better to band together and build ONE STRONG high school than divide resources in hopes of creating two mediocre schools to address commute issues. If the commute is difficult, then propose some type of school transit system. Our city is still young and growing and it’s important that NO child falls through the cracks in our attempt to restructure something based no meaningful need and the ambitions of a few.
5:41 PM on March 10th, 2010
Anonymous,
It is all about competition and choice. Pleasanton has two school and there are competitions between them since Pleasanton parents can choose which school to go. I would like Dublin parents have similar choices too. The teachers in Charter school have competitions. Low performance teacher can be layoff. There is no way you can achieve that in traditional public school.
7:57 PM on March 10th, 2010
Many of you are failing to understand what “choices” are most important as far as schools go. Here’s a question – what’s more important to you? Choosing what school your kid goes to? Or having a wide variety of choices within an already strong school?
This charter school will surely create two smaller schools with watered down programs. You need to have a strong population of students to offer a wide range of classes – AP and otherwise. Do you know why DHS has many more AP and elective classes compared to, let’s say, ten years ago? The school population grew!
If the charter school is created, then great. Choose to send your kid there. But your kid won’t have very many choices once they get there, and if enough kids go to this charter school, DHS kids won’t have very many choices either.
7:56 PM on March 10th, 2010
Is Dublin High School currently mediocre? What’s wrong with DHS in it’s current state? Everything I’ve read across a number of web sites, Facebook, etc., DHS is an excellent school that has a lot of support and choice (21 AP classes, clubs, early acceptance to top notch schools, and so forth). And, this is without being at 2500 students, but instead at 1250-1300 students.
My question to those against Tassajara Prep: Why can’t Tassajara Prep be this successful? The school would be of the same size as DHS after a few years, so all things being equal, why can’t TP have the same success and choice? DHS has already proven that it can be extremely successful as a “small school”.
8:02 PM on March 10th, 2010
You really think that the high school student population in Dublin will double in a few years? Really?
When I graduated in 2000, I think there was roughly 1000 students. For the 2009-2010 school year, I think it’s around 1350-1400, something like that. In those ten years, the city of Dublin is so different now after all the expansion! So even after the creation of east Dublin, the DHS population hasn’t grown all that much.
8:20 PM on March 10th, 2010
Hi Anonymous – Dublin’s population has grown by about two-thirds over the past 10 years. Whereas, based on your figures, Dublin High School’s student population has grown by about one-third over the same time period. Can you venture a guess as to why Dublin High School’s student population growth hasn’t kept pace with the City of Dublin’s overall population growth?
Thx, John Z.
8:31 PM on March 10th, 2010
My first guess is that with the unbelievable amount of condos in east Dublin, there are more younger families than families with high school kids moving in. That’s just a guess though.
My second guess is that families with high school kids were discouraged in the past with moving to Dublin because of the comparisons to schools in Pleasanton and San Ramon. If that’s the case, and with DHS getting better each year, perhaps this trend will change, and that’s fine.
My question is that why can’t the second high school wait until Dublin actually NEEDS this second high school?
8:43 PM on March 10th, 2010
Hi Anonymous,
And who do you blame for the “unbelievable amount of condos in east Dublin?”
Last night at the Planning Commission Public Hearing, Planning Commission Chairperson Morgan King said that “Dublin needs more single-family homes” in support the proposed Sorrento East Redesign. Perhaps Dublin will see more single family detached homes going forward.
9:02 PM on March 10th, 2010
I didn’t say I had a problem with the amount of condos in east Dublin. I don’t care about who is responsible or not. Guy asked me a question, I answered.
7:40 PM on March 10th, 2010
Dublin Unfied’s budget is in the toilet…it would make no sense for them to approve the charter and lose pupil money.
2:29 AM on March 11th, 2010
There is no popular support for Tassajara Prep.
George Wu is correct when he says it is never required to get majority of citizens approving (or voting for) it. But he forgets that the school board is an elected body. It is required for them to get a majority of citizens approving their decisions. If board members go against the wishes of their constituents, they don’t remain as board members, since they will be voted out of office.
The same is true for the County Board of Supervisors. If they don’t see a groundswell of public support, they will not approve the charter.
If the founders of Tassajara Prep do not start selling the school to the public, the school will not be built If they waste time challenging legal findings, or limit their public relations solely to this blog, no one will support them. They need to go door to door, they need to advertise, they need to post flyers, and they need to make public detailed statements on why this would be good for Dublin and would not hurt the city’s already strapped resources. If they truly want it they need to do much more than they have and they need to focus on positive press, not negative.
5:48 AM on March 11th, 2010
I have kids in all levels of school in Dublin. At every gathering of parents where Tassajara Prep is mentioned, it universally brings up anger, mostly geared at the idea that the new school will steal attention and resources from existing schools. I have yet to hear a west Dublin parent support it. A handful of parents from east Dublin does not a school make. I think it’s a wonderful idea, but I just don’t see any community support.
When I lived in Long Beach and they were creating their first charter school, we heard about for it for years before it got approved. The investors in the school flooded the local paper with press releases and bought full page ads regularly. The new school generously sponsored many local charity events and always had free giveaways at all the street fairs, festivals and events. They never argued with the detractors, probably because that would have hardened their opponents stance. By the time the school was built, the school already seemed a part of the cityscape.
I’m not seeing this with the Tassajara Prep supporters. I see no ads, no presence, just arguments. I’m seeing signs of animosity and a quickness to point out the shortfalls of the current high school over the merits of what a new school would bring the community.
I feel that with out more positive promotion, our dream of a charter school will be lost.
9:51 AM on March 11th, 2010
I am quite neutral about the Charter school. Dublin schools may lag behind our neighboring cities as far as ratings. I feel strongly that child’s education starts, continue and end at home. Schools are there as sources of knowledge. Parents play an important role in a child’s education. Teachers are secondary. I see comments regarding why predominantly asian schools excel in API ratings. Being asian myself, discipline and respect is number one in my priorities for kids to learn. I see this to most asian parents. It does not mean that other race does not place discipline and respect as a priority in their child’s upbringing. I was brought up by my parents with a whip in the left hand and a caring right hand. The left hand instill in me the respect I have to give to my parents. The right hand shows me the love and caring they have for me. I cannot bring home an average passing report card as the right hand may not be there. I may get the left hand in some occasions and does scare me to bring a bad report card. The right hand is always there to hug me when I bring an outstanding grade. I was thought to be disciplined by the respect I give my parents. I notice the outstanding parent involvement in San Ramon, Danville and Pleasanton schools. Before we look at schools as the culprit of an under achieving child, we need to look twice or thrice at the parents. My daughter did not attend public schools in Dublin. No knock on our public schools. I was brought up in a sectarian catholic school and I place focus on religion as a means for my child to be disciplined and respectful. May be not anymore as I think it has changed. My daughter is one year away from graduating Nursing from Dominican College and is in the dean’s list and may get a Summa Cum Laude. I was successful in my daughter’s education and so all of us. Don’t use the school as a scapegoat, if it applies to you. Focus on your child.
12:10 PM on March 13th, 2010
Clearly, even the parents behind Tassajara Prep don’t care enough for the proposed school. Today’s Dublin St. Patricks Day Parade didn’t even have a float or group supporting the new school.
There is no community support for a Tassajara Prep. Let it die a natural death.
1:08 PM on March 13th, 2010
John,
The last paragraph of your speech is a joke, right? You submit a petition that by law requires the district to prepare a findings of fact. Then complain that they spend resources to perform that very act?
Please stop using the smokescreen. This proposal has nothing to do with “choice” or “competition.” It is the work of a small group of people who still have not reconciled themselves to the choice our elected officials made to build one world-class high school for our community.
9:27 PM on March 18th, 2010
In terms of getting the word out, Homeowner Association is a perfect venue. It is a low cost way to get the message across, also many HOAs are natural supporters of Tassajara Prep.
Any HOA board members reading this blog? Please help, use your email list and monthly publication to introduce Tassajara Prep to parents, keep them posted of the progress, telling them no need to move to Pleasanton or San Ramon for high school.
Other homeowners can call or email your HOA requesting them to help Tassajara Prep. I think currently it is more important to spread the news than debating with naysayers.
10:48 PM on March 18th, 2010
Please send me an email at guanghua_99@yahoo.com. I will explain to you what we are planning to do to support TP. And feel free to give us some suggestions. It is better to discuss about this privately. Thank you very much.
11:37 PM on March 19th, 2010
Almost every charter school in California had the support of the
local population and administering school board before a petition was even submitted. In fact the vast majority of charter school petitions have be submitted by school board members after a community need has been identified by the board. You guys over there in Dublin seem to have done it backwards. You submitted the petition before you got community andboard support. The result is that you’ve pretty much angered all of the supporters for the existing district schools and it looks like it will never get approved. I think the proponents of Tassajara Prep need to go back to scratch and do it the right way this time.
10:50 PM on March 20th, 2010
It is definitely not true. Charter school petitions may generally have local support, but very few of them have local school districts support, simply because local school districts have no control over the resource for charter schools.
7:51 AM on March 22nd, 2010
A “community survey” email is floating around to ask questions about Tassajara Prep. It is from “community.feedback@comcast.net”. How many people in the community received this? I live in the Dublin community – specificially Dublin Ranch community – and haven’t been asked to fill it out. Is this from the TP team?
9:37 PM on March 22nd, 2010
Hi Anonymous – the Tassajara Prep team has not distributed a survey.
Thx, John Z.
9:56 PM on March 22nd, 2010
I wish there would not be a biased report coming out of this survey based on some selective community members. I did not receive any email asking me to fill out a survey either.
11:18 PM on March 10th, 2010
Going one step further, if property value goes up for everyone in Dublin, wouldn’t all of Dublin’s schools get more money from property taxes?
Oh, and to the point that DUSD will build more schools when there is demonstrated need…I suppose that’s why we have portables at Dougherty Elementary.
11:29 PM on April 7th, 2010
Portables at school sites serve a very specific purpose. Because of the changing popluations in neighborhoods, where family grow up and children move on to middle and high school. Many, many school districts build elementary schools with portables added when enrollment may be at its peak. After a number of years, enrollment levels out, and the school capacity will be sufficient for the enrollment. It is not cost effective to overbuild an elementary school, only to have classrooms unused in the not to distant future. This building model has been used in districts throughout the state and saves taxpayers money. In a perfect world, with unlimited funding from the state, perhaps districts could operate differently, but until that time, better to build what will be needed over the long haul, not just during “bubble growth” periods.