Would you welcome a charter elementary school in Morgan Hill modeled after neighboring Gilroy Prep?

• Lisa Pampuch: Yes. I’ve heard nothing but positive things about Principal James Dent’s work at Eliot School in Gilroy and at Gilroy Prep.
• Jeff Smith: Yes, I would welcome a charter school in Morgan Hill. I think generally speaking they provide a better education than the non-charter public schools. A big reason they provide a better education is because they’re not dragged down by the politics and corruption of the teachers’ unions, who are only there to advocate for the teachers (and collect their dues). Charter schools, on the other hand, can place the students first and focus more on their education.   
• David Cohen: I’m not sure. While it appears to be working well in Gilroy, we’ve learned through the years that success is very difficult to replicate. I am also concerned that more charter schools will only make the existing
MH schools worse. That’s not something I would like to see.
• Chris Bryant: Yes, they have achieved good results in Gilroy and perhaps this will spur our traditional schools to implement real changes instead of trying different programs and then discontinuing them even if they result in improvements. But change needs to be driven from the top by setting specific measurable goals for each school and then holding school leaders accountable to meet those goals.
• Julian Mancias: Yes. Gilroy Prep has a very impressive resume. Plus, it gives the district parents another option for their child’s school of choice.
• Hank Miller: Yes. Although not the panacea once promised, charter schools provide parents and students with educational options. Further, they tend to put the proof of performance on teachers and administrators as well as the students, as it should be.
• Karen Anderson: Yes. I think the charter schools and this proposed one are good for the students which is the goal of education.
• Kathy Sullivan: No, I believe we should continue to work on improving the schools we have in our community right now. I would like the very new and fledging Gilroy Prep to work on helping the school it has grow before getting into expanding. I would like us to continue to offer parents more choices in our established neighborhood schools like our Math and Music program at Jackson or our dual immersion program at San Martin.
• Dave Appling: A qualified “yes.” I would strongly welcome an excellent public charter school. Gilroy Prep has been impressive with the primary grades, and appears to provide a very good model. However, there are other models, and the devil is in the details. More information needed.
• Dennis Kennedy: Maybe! After hearing an initial presentation, I am impressed.  I would like to hear what the Morgan Hill  School Board thinks about the idea, after they have visited Gilroy Prep and reviewed their proposal for a school , modeled after Gilroy Prep, in Morgan Hill.
• Jeff Nunes: Yes. We have some good schools here in Morgan Hill, but there is always room for one more.  Gilroy Prep is expected to get a 960+ API score for its first year which is a great achievement and one that should be duplicated anywhere possible.