The threat of two charter schools moving into town could derail the Morgan Hill Unified School District’s plan to implement a pair of focus academies at two low-performing elementary schools next year and force the closure of at least one site, according to MHUSD staff.
Interim Superintendent Steve Betando said the district – with Tuesday’s unanimous approval from the Board of Education – is moving forward with the final planning for the two academies, regardless.
However, Betando stated it is “highly likely” those plans could change if the County Board grants Navigator Schools and Rocketship Education permission to open schools in 2014, causing the district to face a dramatic drop in student enrollment.
“We may have no choice,” said Betando. “It’s a reality. There’s no denying it.”
James Dent, co-founder of Navigator Schools, doesn’t agree with that logic since MHUSD will still “have thousands of kids that can benefit from innovation at schools.”
“I don’t know how the charters would impact that,” Dent said. “If a focus academy is going to provide a better education, why only do it at two schools?”
Theresa Sage, President of the Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers, said the fate of both academies comes down to enrollment numbers at the proposed academy sites at P.A. Walsh and San Martin Gwinn. If the charter schools draw too many students from those schools, then one or both academies could be scrapped. Instead, the district will be faced with the possible closing of an existing elementary school and loss of approximately 30 teaching positions in 2014.
“It would be devastating,” she said.
P.A. Walsh’s enrollment is currently 584. El Toro and San Martin Gwinn have the lowest enrollments this year with 521 and 523, respectively.
In November, Gilroy-based Navigator Schools submitted to MHUSD its Proposition 39 request, which requires the district to provide equal and adequate facilities to incoming charter schools. Navigator’s projected first-year enrollment for grades kindergarten through second is 168, with plans to tack on another grade every year through the eighth grade. Redwood City-based Rocketship Education has loftier goals of drawing 518 students for its K-5 charter school. Both charters can also enroll students currently attending schools from other districts.
Despite that, MHUSD is moving ahead with the plans to open a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics focus academy at P.A. Walsh and an environmental science focus academy at San Martin Gwinn, according to Betando.
The focus academy effort, which launched two years ago with the opening of the Jackson Academy of Math & Music, has been the district’s response to parents seeking more educational options for their children.
Betando said JAMM, as well as the Dual Immersion Multicultural Education housed at San Martin Gwinn, were the first two programs generated from community surveys that were conducted at every school site. At that time, ideas were floated around to create other focus academies such as those proposed for P.A. Walsh and San Martin Gwinn.
“How could I be happy to see one of these schools close?” said Board President Don Moody, following Tuesday’s school board meeting. Seven trustees voted unanimously to give the go-ahead to finalize the frameworks for both magnet programs, despite their uncertain future.
Moody pointed out that teachers, district staff, community members and outside consultants have already logged hundreds of hours outlining an environmental science focus for San Martin Gwinn and a STEAM focus at P.A. Walsh.
It could all be for naught, however.
Following MHUSD’s denial of Navigator and Rocketship’s petitions, the two charter organizations are now going through the appeals process with the Santa Clara County Board of Education. If the County Board votes to approve the two petitions during its Jan. 15 regular meeting, the charter schools will have the green light to open in Morgan Hill and will operate under the oversight of the County – not MHUSD.
“It’s going to be a huge, huge hit to our district if both charters come in here,” said Board Vice President Shelle Thomas. “Whatever happens, we need to move forward (with the academies) to allow our kids to have the most opportunities as possible.”
Betando added that the idea to open Jackson and the two other academies were in the works long before the charters came into the picture.
“I still want those options for our families and students,” said Moody, who was taken back by the “joint effort between the community and teaching staff and the level of energy” for creating the magnet schools that was expressed during Tuesday’s presentations to the Board.
Cecilio Dimas, STEAM Director of Curriculum and Instruction at the Santa Clara County Office of Education, outlined what the program would look like at P.A. Walsh, should it come to fruition.
Teachers would integrate science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics content areas in their lesson planning, which would rely heavily on project-based learning. Students would have greater access to computers for research purposes to help create multimedia capstone projects that reflect what they’ve learned in the different units of study throughout the school year.
Trustee Bob Benevento interjected how the STEAM program falls directly in line with the district’s current efforts to implement a $22 million technology plan that will impact each of its 13 school sites with 21st century learning environments, including the purchase of Google’s Chromebook laptop computers to be used by students in classrooms.
“Thank you for the opportunity to dream,” said Principal Elvia Teixeira at P.A. Walsh, addressing the Board of Education for previously allowing her school faculty and community to develop the STEAM program.
She surmised “there will be a waiting list to attend and volunteer at P.A. Walsh STEAM Academy.”
At San Martin/Gwinn, where the DIME program is already housed, the proposal for a focus academy on environmental science was presented by Manny Barbara, Vice President of Advocacy and Thought Leadership for the Silicon Valley Education Foundation.
The program, which will touch on all areas of science, including ecology, physics, chemistry and zoology, allows students to “take learning outside the classroom” to places like Uesugi Farms in San Martin. The school garden would be used more regularly for lessons such as plant structure and functions, the life cycle of plants and insects, and photosynthesis.
“We, as a staff, are 100 percent in,” proclaimed fifth grade teacher Jan Skapik at San Martin Gwinn.
Loud applause from teachers and community members in attendance followed both unanimous votes by the Board to allow for the final planning stages of the focus academies.
“We’re going full bore with the programs,” Betando said.
Paradise Valley: 694
Nordstrom: 676
Barrett: 609
Los Paseos: 600
Jackson Academy: 584
P.A. Walsh: 584
San Martin/Gwinn: 523
El Toro: 521
