Future of Cesar Chavez school on the line

By ERIC LINDBERG — Nov. 24, 2009

There’s a lot on the line tonight for supporters of the Cesar Chavez Dual Language Immersion Charter School.

Santa Barbara School Districts officials will be talking over plans to overhaul the school’s charter after deciding last week that the educational institution was performing below minimum academic standards.

On the table is a resolution that would allow for significant oversight by district administrators at the charter school in the coming months, along with the development of a new vision for the dual immersion program by next year.

It’s the latest twist in a stressful few weeks for Cesar Chavez officials, who fired the school’s principal, Eva Neuer, last Tuesday and are not exactly ecstatic about the proposed path forward.

“We obviously have some major concerns about it,” said Lee Fleming, president of the school’s governance council. “But we’re also very happy that the school board appears to be willing to work with us.”

She declined to discuss the circumstances surrounding Neuer’s termination, citing personnel privacy laws, but said she didn’t want the community to have the impression that school officials are grasping at straws.

“We’re very focused on improvement for the school and we’re trying to be very thoughtful and methodical in our decisions,” Fleming said.

During a heavily attended school board meeting last week, school officials seemed to be on the verge of pulling the plug on Cesar Chavez for not meeting minimum state standards for a charter school.

Superintendent Brian Sarvis said the school does not qualify for charter renewal and has fallen short on all measurable standards. But he insisted that district administrators don’t want to shut down the program.

“I think it should be clear that nobody wants to close Cesar Chavez school,” he said. “I don’t want to, the board doesn’t want to.”

Instead, he wants to put a plan in place to boost student achievement, particularly among English language learners, for the remainder of the year. Part of the plan involves hiring a consultant from the district to observe the instructional program, provide feedback to teachers and engage with school officials to find ways to increase academic achievement.

Formed nine years ago, Cesar Chavez Charter School was envisioned as a dual immersion program that would bring together students from diverse backgrounds and educate them in both English and Spanish languages and cultures.

Those in support of the program argue that the process develops students who are well rounded and more likely to succeed later in life. Critics, however, say students at the charter school start out far behind their peers once they leave the K-6 school and head to a local junior high school.

The resolution up for discussion tonight would extend the term of the school’s current charter through the end of the school year, allowing time for community members to draft a new charter focused on improving academic outcomes at the school.

“The plan to continue the program through the end of the year really depends on the ability of the district to exercise enough oversight to assure the board that English learners are achieving at higher levels,” Sarvis said.

That kind of oversight would be a tough pill to swallow for Cesar Chavez officials, who said the cost of hiring a consultant from the school districts would be a major economic hit.

“That would bankrupt us,” Fleming said. “These are super-tight times.”

She said the school is more interested in hiring research-based consultants linked to universities. Fleming was also concerned about changes to the charter that would drastically alter the makeup of the school.

However, she said Cesar Chavez officials are willing to have the school’s principal participate in district training sessions and to allow a district administrator sit in on governance council meetings.

“I would not send my children to any school that doesn’t believe it needs to improve continually,” Fleming responded when asked if she felt the school needed to make changes. “I’m not going to say, oh, we’re fine as we are.”

But she took issue with the suggestion that students at Cesar Chavez are not academically comparable to other area schools.

“To say we’re not comparable to other schools is just not accurate and truthfully is not fair,” she said.

Students leave Cesar Chavez with bilingual abilities and “higher-order” thinking skills, she said, in addition to a greater cultural understanding. Families also benefit through a parent education program, not to mention the fact that Spanish-speaking parents can help their children with homework, Fleming said.

“It’s expensive and high maintenance and takes a lot of time,” she said of the dual immersion curriculum. “But in the end it’s worth it.”

District officials, however, painted a gloomier picture of the school, noting that it falls within the lowest 5 percent of elementary charter schools in the state.

Sarvis said state officials are getting serious about clamping down on low-performing charter schools and simply renewing the Cesar Chavez’ charter is no longer an option.

“Their initial position was, we’re doing fine, just renew our charter,” he said. “That’s what the board can’t do.”

He vowed to work with the Cesar Chavez community to help develop a successful model for the charter school. It’s not all doom and gloom, Sarvis added, noting that he is impressed with the high level of parent involvement, the enthusiastic staff and the “Si, se puede” spirit on the school’s campus.

“I really have high hopes for the school and high hopes for their success,” Sarvis said. “I think a plan can be put together collaboratively.”

He planned to meet with Cesar Chavez officials yesterday evening to talk over options for the future. Fleming said she expected to meet with teachers and parents after school yesterday, and expects a large turnout at tonight’s meeting.

“A lot is riding on this decision,” she said. “Our community is very invested in a very intimate way.”

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: 11/24/2009

Is the meeting going to be spoken in English or Spanish?

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FED UP WITH IT : 11/24/2009

Shut this school down. If the kids can't assimilate and learn in English, then they don't deserve a free education on the taxpayers' dime. Get real Santa Barbara

Civil Warrior

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UP is DOWN : 11/24/2009

Imagine moving to South America and demanding that we be taught in English and that taxpayers bankroll these English schools so that we can immerse ourselves into South American culture. Give me a f***ing break.

Jefferson

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Like I said... : 11/24/2009

If they would have only advertised with "On Patrol"...then they would have some influence around this town!

Boycott Boy

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I think I've seen this movie before... : 11/24/2009

Dual Language Immersion isn't a bad idea in itself, and were it any other language than Spanish I would support the School more. However, this seems suspiciously like an end-run around the restrictions against the failed "billingual" model from years past... and the results seem to prove it. Give them a little more time, and if they still can't get up to snuff, pull the plug.

Son of LEGAL immigrants

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