November 10, 1999
Resource: Sheila Jordan, (510) 670-4140Alameda County Board of Education Gives New Village Charter School More Time
HAYWARD--The Alameda County Board of Education voted unanimously last night to give the Oakland-based New Village Charter School until January 11 of 2000 to resolve its problems.
At that time, New Village will report on the status of its finances and issues related to teacher credentialing, and the county office Business Services staff will provide an analysis and projections of the school’s fiscal situation. The Board is then expected to make a decision to continue or revoke the school’s charter.
On November 3, Superintendent of Schools Sheila Jordan had informed the school by letter that she would recommend to the Board that it revoke the charter for New Village, originally approved in late 1995. She also imposed fiscal controls, available to her under AB1200, following a determination by county office staff that the school was unlikely to meet its financial obligations.
Jordan said of the Board’s vote, "We want New Village to be successful, and we will continue to support their efforts to improve. The parents, board, and staff at New Village have a lot of talent and energy.
"But they have these staffing, programmatic, and fiscal difficulties. They have been unable to focus their strengths, and that’s the bigger issue. They are going to have to learn to work together to create a cohesive, stable learning environment. That’s their real challenge."
Earnest Avellar, Vice President of the Board of Education, said, "The Board remains concerned about the existing problems, particularly the lack of credentials and fingerprinting checks, and the fiscal situation.
"Nevertheless, the parents and teachers spoke of their enthusiasm and belief in the school, and we wanted to give them one last opportunity to correct the problems. I know the county office will continue to help in any way it can, but at this point the future is really up to the school."
Jordan’s concerns related to both fiscal and educational aspects of the school’s operation.
Fiscal problems include overdrawn accounts and an unbalanced budget; failure to establish measures to avoid overspending; continuing low enrollment and insufficient funding; a continual turnover in staff and board members, resulting in a lack of continuity in policy, procedures, and training; and impending legal action due to unpaid bills for rent, utilities, and maintenance.
Among the school’s educational problems, Jordan sites a lack of cohesive recommendations on program improvement; conflicting decisions regarding personnel and program that are made by both staff and board; lack of proper credentials for the school’s teachers; and a failure to conduct background checks of certificated staff, including failure to conduct the fingerprint checks required by the Education Code.
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