Families That Can tag:www.familiesthatcan.org,2012-03-08://10 2012-05-10T22:40:28Z Movable Type Pro 4.37 Happy Mother's Day to a "Champion Mother" tag:www.familiesthatcan.org,2012://10.7098 2012-05-10T21:05:28Z 2012-05-10T22:40:28Z Maria Flores a parent from Camino Nuevo charter schools was recently honored by Los Angeles School Board member Monica Garcia Sierra Jenkins maria_flores_parent_camino.jpg (Entry/Page Lead Image)

Maria Flores, second from the right, was honored by LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia, center

Families That Can would like to take this time to wish all mothers a very Happy Mother's Day. Mother's Day came early for one of our faithful charter school parents, Maria Flores. She was recently honored as a "Madre Campeona" (Champion Mother) by Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board president Monica Garcia at the 3rd Annual Guillermina Awards. This ceremony honors amazing women in Los Angeles that inspire, support and educate our communities. The ceremony took place on Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at El Mercadito De Los Angeles.

Maria Flores was born in Mexico City. With the support of her family she was able to complete two years of higher education in Business Administration with a focus on Tourism up until she immigrated to the United States in 1989. She is a proud parent of three boys; her youngest son is a third grader who attends Camino Nuevo Harvard, her 15-year-old son is a tenth grader at Camino Nuevo High School, and her oldest son, 19, is her family's new pride and joy - the first member of their family to be accepted to a university. He is currently in his second year at New Mexico State University.

Maria is a firm believer that it takes a village to raise a child, and that is why she is always volunteering in her children's schools. She volunteers countless hours in the school library, classrooms, cafeteria and wherever else needed on campus. Maria became an engaged member of Families That Can through her active volunteer role at Harvard Elementary. Maria has been a champion in educating family, friends, community stakeholders and key legislative members that the key focus should be on our children's future. She has rallied all the way to Sacramento to advocate for all our children who cannot vote, for all the parents who cannot vote and for all those parents that have to work countless hours to support their families. She is a true "Madre Campeona!"

]]> Noticias para su boletín informativo para padres para Mayo tag:www.familiesthatcan.org,2012://10.7092 2012-05-08T22:31:49Z 2012-05-10T21:47:20Z Ayúdenos a difundir información mediante la inclusión de nuestras noticias en su boletín escolar o en su página web. Sierra Jenkins Ayúdenos a difundir información mediante la inclusión de nuestras noticias en su boletín escolar o en su página web. Nosotros incluiremos un breve artículo en nuestro boletín todos los meses para hacer este proceso mucho más fácil para usted.

¿Se ha registrado para votar?

¡Su voto es su voz! Es emocionante participar en las elecciones Presidenciales cada cuatro años, pero no se olvide de que su voto tiene un tremendo impacto a nivel local. Afecta decisiones sobre las escuelas locales, así como iniciativas de municipios y condados.

Usted puede registrarse para votar en línea o puede también recoger un formulario en la oficina electoral de su condado, bibliotecas locales, u oficinas de correo. Las elecciones son administradas por la Secretaría del Estado de California. Visite su página web en www.sos.ca.gov/elections/new-voter/spanish/ para obtener más información o para averiguar si ya está registrado.

Los votantes pueden obtener ayuda adicional en español llamando gratis a la línea especial de la Secretaría de Estado al (800) 232-VOTA (8682).

Otra manera de asegurar de que su voz sea escuchada es involucrarse con Families That Can (Las Familias Si Pueden), una organización de padres de las escuelas chárter por todo el estado de California. Regístrese hoy para recibir su boletín electrónico gratis en www.familiesthatcan.org/join.

]]> May Newsletter Article: Have you registered to vote? tag:www.familiesthatcan.org,2012://10.7091 2012-05-08T21:56:55Z 2012-05-10T21:46:16Z Help spread the word by running this short article in your parent newsletter encouraging everyone to register to vote! Sierra Jenkins Help us spread the word by including news from Families That Can in your school newsletter or on your website. Our bilingual promotion kit makes it easy. We'll also provide a short article that's ready to go every month in our weekly e-newsletter. Make sure you sign up to receive it if you don't already!

Are you registered to vote?

Your vote is your voice! It's exciting to participate in presidential elections every four years, but don't forget that your vote has tremendous impact at the local level, from local schools to city government and county initiatives.

You can easily register online or by picking up a form at your county elections office, library, or U.S. Post Office. Elections are handled by the California Secretary of State. Visit their web page at www.sos.ca.gov to learn more or to find out if you're already registered.

Another way to make your voice heard is through Families That Can, a statewide organization of charter school parents. Learn more and sign up for a free parent e-newsletter at www.familiesthatcan.org/join.

¿Se ha registrado para votar?

¡Su voto es su voz! Es emocionante participar en las elecciones Presidenciales cada cuatro años, pero no se olvide de que su voto tiene un tremendo impacto a nivel local. Afecta decisiones sobre las escuelas locales, así como iniciativas de municipios y condados.

Usted puede registrarse para votar en línea o puede también recoger un formulario en la oficina electoral de su condado, bibliotecas locales, u oficinas de correo. Las elecciones son administradas por la Secretaría del Estado de California. Visite su página web en www.sos.ca.gov/elections/new-voter/spanish/ para obtener más información o para averiguar si ya está registrado.

Los votantes pueden obtener ayuda adicional en español llamando gratis a la línea especial de la Secretaría de Estado al (800) 232-VOTA (8682).

Otra manera de asegurar de que su voz sea escuchada es involucrarse con Families That Can (Las Familias Si Pueden), una organización de padres de las escuelas chárter por todo el estado de California. Regístrese hoy para recibir su boletín electrónico gratis en www.familiesthatcan.org/join.

]]> State Budget: Your Voice Made a Difference tag:www.familiesthatcan.org,2012://10.7079 2012-05-04T22:43:19Z 2012-05-04T22:50:22Z Parents called, emailed and testified in person - and it made a difference! Sierra Jenkins In late April, we asked you to speak out on the state budget to support several items in the current budget that would help level the playing field to ensure that charter schools get their fair share of funding.

Parents and advocates from schools as far away as the Altus Institute in San Diego testified in support of the charter school budget items in the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education.

"I had to say something. I'm the voice for my child and my school and if I don't, only the voices on the other side of the issues would be heard." - Lanie Holmer, parent from Westlake Charter School

The calls, emails, and in person testimony made a difference. The Senate Subcommittee took several positive actions, and left other items open to decide at a later date. This means that all of the charter school items are either still alive or headed to the budget conference committee for further discussion. We'll continue to keep you posted!

]]> A Parent's Eye View of State Politics tag:www.familiesthatcan.org,2012://10.7077 2012-05-04T22:16:44Z 2012-05-04T22:59:47Z Charter parent Lanie Holmer testifies before the CA Assembly Sierra Jenkins "I had to say something. I'm the voice for my child and my school and if I don't, only the voices on the other side of the issues would be heard."

lanie_holmer_parent_sacramento.JPG

On a Monday evening in late April, Lanie Holmer, a parent at Westlake Charter School in Sacramento got an urgent email from the school's Executive Director Bob Capp asking parents to call legislators about the state budget. An Assembly Committee would be debating important proposals about charter school funding the very next day. Lanie regularly attended school meetings and knew first-hand how California's funding structure and budget cuts to schools were hurting her children's school. Not only do charter schools receive less funding overall, but unlike school districts, charter schools can't take out low-interest loans to help them through deferrals. Right now, the state is delaying over 30% of payments due to schools into the next year. Imagine if your employer told you to keep doing your work, but you wouldn't receive a paycheck for part of it until next year!

She asked what she could do that make a difference and the director said: "Come with us to the hearing!" Lanie shares what it was like as a parent to testify before an Assembly committee.

I've only been to the capitol building twice and only as a tourist. I walked into the building and the first thing I saw was a huge throng of people and I was hoping they weren't there for the same meeting! I managed to find the committee room and sat down. They hadn't reached our item on the agenda yet, so I read over the materials and thought about what I would say.

Our school is fiscally responsible and has healthy reserves. It's that we're not getting our money due to the deferrals. All public schools are going through this. What's unique to charters is that we don't have the same means to bridge that shortfall as other schools do and we also receive less funding overall. It's just not fair. Many of the Governor's budget proposals to address this made a lot of sense.

I knew I had to say something. I'm the voice for my child and my school and if I don't, only the voices on the other side of the issues would be heard. I wanted to support our school.

I'm a founding parent at Westlake Charter, which opened in 2005. We have an emphasis on global awareness and connecting children to the world. We have amazing teachers and the highest test scores in our district. As parents, we volunteer as much as we can.

I've completed about 150 volunteer hours so far this year and I'm not the only one. Many parents have done even more. Our teachers are dedicated to the success of our students. We believe in the school and want it to do well, but none of that can overcome the fact that there's no money in our coffers due to the deferrals. We work really hard with what we've got, but there's only so much that parent volunteers can do.

As I watched the meeting, what was interesting is that the committee chair was the only committee member there for the entire meeting. I didn't know the legislators could go in and out throughout the meeting! When they called for public comment, about 20 people stood up. Everyone that spoke was a director, a principal, school board member, or they represented the school districts, as well as a representative from the county treasurer. They all had a better grasp and understanding of the issues and laws than I did. Aside from the representatives from our school board and our business office, who are also parents at the school, there weren't any other parents at this meeting and I wasn't sure that I would have much to offer.

When I stood up and said, "I'm just a parent," I really felt the energy in the room change, that the members of the committee were actually listening to me. That made the three hours in that meeting worth it - at least they listened to what I had to say and I wasn't just another person in the line. They listened to me because I was a parent.

I'm glad I showed up and wished other parents could have come, but understood that the late notice made it difficult. I'm glad I was there to be a parent voice. Even if you can't show up, call and email. Otherwise, they won't hear us. We have to speak up; these are our kids.

]]> How To Get Your Voice Heard Online tag:www.familiesthatcan.org,2012://10.7052 2012-05-01T22:15:18Z 2012-05-03T18:53:54Z Learn more about blogging and harnessing the power of social media as a parent advocate! Sierra Jenkins Our elected representatives make decisions every day that affect our schools and our students, from a state legislator who proposes a bill that will hurt charter schools to a local school board member who is deciding whether to let a new charter school open in that district.

When it comes to charter schools, YOU are the expert. You have a great story to tell and speaking out really makes a difference - so how do you get your voice heard? It used to be you had to get the media's attention to write a story that would reach a lot of people. Nowadays, with the Internet, you have the power to reach people directly in so many different ways.

This page has more questions than answers. Our goal is to give you the right questions to ask so you can come up with a great strategy to support your school by speaking out online and sharing your story and getting other parents at your school to do the same! Key Questions:

WHAT is your goal? WHO do you want to reach? WHAT do you want to say? WHERE are conversations taking place online? HOW do you best make your voice heard?

Use this printable handout to guide you through developing a strategy for your online advocacy and outreach.

It's important to work closely with your school leader and other parents and staff so that everyone is well-coordinated, knows what to say and understands their role in the plan. Your approach will vary depending on who you're trying to reach and for what purpose. Don't have a specific campaign underway at your school right now? There are still a lot of great things you can do to support your school and all charter schools.

More resources:

Get Inspired

Below, you will find a variety of examples of online communications from different charter schools across California.

School Websites
A professional website is key to establishing your school's brand. There are many companies that can help you design, post and maintain an attractive website at an affordable cost and without advanced technical skills. Make sure your website has both basic content that rarely changes such as an "About us" section, contact details and a list of board members, as well as space on your home page to highlight new content. Some schools have a news section on their front page like Partnerships to Uplift Communities. Your website is a resource for many different audiences. The Classical Academies web site is made to be easy to navigate, with all the basic information front and center and a tab for current parents to find the updates relevant to them.

Social Media
Social media refers to a wide variety of different websites, with seemingly new outlets popping up daily. What they share in common is they allow users to interact with the content and each other, facilitating online conversation. Having a presence on some of these sites can be a great way to raise awareness about your school and share good news with a broad audience. Here are some sites you might explore:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • GreatSchools
  • MySpace
  • Yelp
  • Flickr
  • Utterli
  • Wikis
  • Meetup
  • Digg

Just because you haven't heard of a site doesn't mean people in your community don't use it! Schools use social media in various ways.

For instance, Green Dot has links to YouTube, Twitter and Facebook prominently displayed on their web page, including a box on the home page featuring the latest tweets.

Synergy Academies uses Facebook as a way to stay in touch with alumni, board members and supporters. They do a great job of posting lots of photos, links to news coverage of the school and other updates on a regular basis. You can see many more schools' Facebook pages in the "Favorite Pages" section of CCSA's Facebook page.

This article details more creative ways that schools have used social media, like promoting school events or sending out the daily cafeteria menu.

Video
Many schools produce a video about their school, which can be a fun way to promote the school. Here are a few different videos from: Larchmont Charter School in Los Angeles, Envision Charter Schools in the Bay Area and Watts Learning Center in Los Angeles.

Blogs
A blog can also be a way to spread the good word and to integrate different voices from your school community. Blog are particularly well-suited to integrating photos and video or links to interesting news articles or web sites. You can write about any issue or success story at your school, or invite others to do so, including parents, students, teachers and boardmembers. This blog from Mueller Charter School in Chula Vista has posts from various people on a variety of subjects. The blog for Oxford Preparatory Academy in Chino Valley has lots of photos and updates on classroom projects. The blog for Rocketship Education has entries on a variety of hot topics in education reform.

]]> How to Respond to Criticism Online tag:www.familiesthatcan.org,2012://10.7051 2012-05-01T22:01:18Z 2012-05-01T22:13:04Z Has someone posted negative comments about your school online? There are many ways to engage other parents at your school to respond. Sierra Jenkins Online forums give you an opportunity to defend yourself, share more information and get the word out. In this day and age, people get information from many different sources, and engaging online is key for building awareness of your school and building support.

Most importantly, if someone writes bad things about you on an online forum, RESPOND.*

Why should I respond to an online post about my school?

  • Much of what is posted on the web stays there indefinitely. People searching the internet will continue to find forums that are years old and have incorrect information.
  • Responding to a nasty post can help set the record straight. At the very least, the response sows seeds of doubt in the reader's mind about whether the author of the original post is trustworthy.
  • It starts a conversation. Just as you engage with the community face-to-face, social media, blogs and websites are a way to educate people about charter schools and to build support for your school.

Tips for engaging online

  • If you are mentioned online, whether positive or negative, encourage members of your community - teachers, staff, parents, or high school students to post their own comments and responses. Your parents are your best advocates!
  • If you personally respond, be transparent about your relationship to the school, i.e.: "I am a parent at X school..." or "I work at X school. I would encourage anyone who is interested to visit our school. Contact us at XXX-XXXX."
  • Share links that allow people to find out more and that verify what you're saying. For example:
  • Go beyond the newspaper. Articles on traditional media sites are a good place to start, but conversations are happening in many corners of the internet. For example:
    • Yahoo! groups
    • Facebook (Sometimes local businesses or organizations have a large following in their neighborhoods)
    • Twitter
    • Blogs (Technorati is a good place to search.)
  • Google your school. This is a great way to find out WHERE people are talking about your school online and WHAT they're saying about you.

When you SHOULD NOT respond to a post

* Before responding, look at the website or blog and find out more about the author of the post. Do they often write about charters or education? Is their coverage completely one-sided? Is the forum a space that is open to different viewpoints? If the author is extreme in his or her views, responding can sometimes only serve to incur more vitriol. This is a judgment call to make on a case by case basis.

]]> How to Write a Letter to the Editor tag:www.familiesthatcan.org,2012://10.7050 2012-05-01T21:54:45Z 2012-05-01T22:14:01Z Was there an article about your school or charter schools in the local newspaper? Writing a letter to the editor of your local publication is a great way to raise awareness about your school and set the record straight. Sierra Jenkins Was there an article about your school or charter schools in the local newspaper? Did you feel the reporter didn't get it right or that there is more to the story?

Writing a letter to the editor of your local publication is a great way to raise awareness about your school and set the record straight.

Tips

  • Be careful to keep a lid on your emotions, as a well-written and focused letter will be more likely to be published.
  • All publications have a word maximum for submissions, generally between 150 and 200 words. Make sure you keep it short or the publication either won't run it or will edit your letter as they see fit.
  • There are often opportunities to comment online immediately following an article on a publication's website. Go ahead and post your comments there, as well as submitting them to the editor.
  • If you are responding to a story that already ran, also give the reporter who wrote the story a call or send an email to start building a relationship for future stories on local schools.
  • Do you have more to say than what will fit in 150 words? Consider penning a guest editorial. The guest editorial or "op-ed" page is a coveted spot. Contact the editor of the publication, and discuss the potential for publishing your submitted story. A guest editorial should be succinct, well-researched, and timely. Publications will have a word maximum generally between 650 and 750 words per submission.
]]> May 2: Sacramento County Candidate Forum - You're invited! tag:www.familiesthatcan.org,2012://10.7044 2012-04-30T18:23:51Z 2012-04-30T18:25:13Z This Wednesday, you're invited to meet the current candidates for the Sacramento County Board of Education. Sierra Jenkins This Wednesday, you're invited to meet the current candidates for the Sacramento County Board of Education. Our elected representatives on the boards for school districts and county offices of education make major decisions affecting our local schools. Don't miss this chance to learn more and meet the candidates before the June 5 election!

DATE: Wednesday, May 2
TIME: 6 p.m.
Child Care provided
LOCATION: Fortune School
6829 Stockton Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95823

Are you registered to vote? Your vote is your voice! It's easy - find out how to register to vote today!

]]> How to Register to Vote tag:www.familiesthatcan.org,2012://10.7001 2012-04-25T16:25:30Z 2012-04-25T18:11:36Z Your vote is your voice! Sierra Jenkins voting_red_check_mark_stock.jpg (Entry/Page Lead Image)

Registering to vote only takes a couple of minutes and allows you to be able to vote in elections, fulfill your duty as an American citizen and make your voice heard.

It's exciting to participate in presidential elections every four years, but don't forget that your vote has tremendous impact at the local level, from local schools to city government and county initiatives.

Get Registered

You can easily register to vote online or by picking up a form at your county elections office, library, or U.S. Post Office.

Elections are handled by the California Secretary of State. Visit their webpage to learn more about how to register to vote or to find out if you're already registered.

Get Informed

It's important to learn more about the candidates and ballot initiatives in your area. You can find lots of great information online and in your local media or by attending events and candidates forums.

The non-partisan League of Women Voters is a one-stop shop for voter information.

Vote!

Keep an eye out for upcoming elections in your area. There are usually several elections each year. All voters receive information in the mail before each election about the candidates and initiatives they will be voting on and where to find their polling place.

]]> State Budget: Demand A Fair Share for Charter Schools tag:www.familiesthatcan.org,2012://10.6984 2012-04-20T20:28:11Z 2012-04-20T20:51:45Z Legislators are discussing many charter school budget items this week - they need to hear from you! Sierra Jenkins In the last week of April, California's Senate and Assembly Budget Sub-Committees will discuss many charter school budget items. They need to hear from you about how their decisions impact your school!

  • Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education on Tuesday, April 24
  • Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education on Thursday, April 26

These are the key points to tell your elected representatives:

  • Charter public schools receive, at minimum, 7% less than other public schools - this is simply unfair and must be changed.
  • Years of funding cuts and deferrals have made it exceptionally difficult to run a charter public school, in part because charter schools don't have the same ability to borrow at low-cost like district public schools have.
  • The Governor's budget proposes low-cost solutions to help level the playing field for charter schools, like improving cash flow solutions and reducing bureaucracy.

Our system makes it easy to send a letter to legislators - send a letter in support of the charter school items today!

Governor Jerry Brown released his state budget proposal in January, the first step in California's annual budget process. His budget currently contains significant reforms designed to level the playing field between districts and charter schools by streamlining and expanding a number of financial supports for charter schools. The Governor's proposal is contingent on voter approval of his tax initiative on the November ballot.

The State Legislature will continue to debate and revise the budget through early fall. We'll keep you updated on how their decisions will affect your charter school.

]]> Why Charter Parents MUST Speak Out tag:www.familiesthatcan.org,2012://10.6981 2012-04-20T17:17:26Z 2012-04-20T18:31:37Z K.W. Tulloss saw first-hand the importance of advocacy work when his child's school was recently up for renewal and ran into some political challenges that put the school's future in jeopardy. Sierra Jenkins As a parent and supporter within the charter school movement, we are constantly reacting to legislative attacks targeting charter schools. All these attacks become even more personal to me last week after attending a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) board meeting. My child's school, Watts Learning Center, is one of the highest-performing charter schools in the state of California. This is a school with a proven track record of providing children in my South Los Angeles a great education. It is a school that demonstrates that African Americans and Latino children can learn. It's simply a school that we the people and community believe in.

This school was recently up for renewal with LAUSD and it would only make sense that if this school is providing a high-quality education for all children, it should get renewed immediately. Unfortunately, this was not the case for our high-performing school.

Instead, school board member Bennett Kayser announced that he planned to vote against all charter school items, including renewals. He set out to convince his colleagues on the board to vote "No" on this school that means so much to its community. We in the charter school and the greater community heard his message loud and clear: "No matter how great you might be in serving black and brown children, politics and money take precedence over your children's education."

This is the exact reason why families must continue to make their voices heard especially to those that aren't familiar with or don't care about charter schools. This is the reasons why families must continue to defend the rights of our children to receive a great, high-quality education.

Fortunately, the academic success of my children's school and the support of the community convinced the school board to approve our school for renewal with a 6-1 vote. Lesson learned: Don't wait until adversity knocks on your door, get engaged and inspired to defend the children of the charter school movement! Sign up today to receive our free e-newsletter and action alerts!. Your voices are needed in this movement!

Has your school signed on to partner with Families That Can? Learn more!

]]> Are you registered to vote? tag:www.familiesthatcan.org,2012://10.6942 2012-04-12T19:30:34Z 2012-04-25T18:10:44Z The primary is coming up June 5 so register today. It only takes a couple of minutes! Sierra Jenkins voting_red_check_mark_stock.jpg (Entry/Page Lead Image)

Registering to vote only takes a couple of minutes. With this uncomplicated process, you'll be able to vote in elections and fulfill your duty as an American citizen. Remember, your vote is your voice!

In 2012, you will have the opportunity to participate in the presidential election. However, your vote has even more impact on the local level, whether it's taxes, schools or city government initiatives. Those are even more reasons to be excited about getting registered.

Registering to vote gives you the power to affect how things are done in your neighborhood, your city, your state and nation. The question is simple: are you registered to vote? If the answer is no, get registered today!

Just check out "How to Vote" in our Training section!

]]> What do you think of our new website? tag:www.familiesthatcan.org,2012://10.6929 2012-04-09T16:48:44Z 2012-04-20T21:04:56Z We want to hear from you. What kinds of news stories, information or new training materials would you like to see? Sierra Jenkins We are super excited to announce that we have relaunched the Families That Can website to be an even better source of news and training for parent advocates like you.

Besides having a great new look, the improvements include:

MORE TRAINING

Our new "Train for Action" section has everything from how to find your legislator to videos on grassroots advocacy.

BILINGUAL

All key web content is now available in both English and Spanish.

EASY

With a sign-up box on every page, it's easy to sign up for our free e-newsletter and keep in touch.

SCHOOL LEADERS SECTION

In this new section, school leaders can learn more about FTC and sign up to partner with us.

PARENT VOICES

Your stories are powerful! That's why we're excited to be able to highlight your voices as inspiration for other parents.

INTERACTIVE

We want to hear from you! Facebook comments now makes it easy to post and share. If you have a Facebook account, you'll can post right at the bottom of this page, no additional log-in required!

So tell us: What do you think of our website? What kinds of news stories, information or new training materials would you like to see? We want to hear from you! You can also send ideas to contact@familiesthatcan.org.

]]> Parents Tell Boardmember: "Stop Attacking Charters!" tag:www.familiesthatcan.org,2012://10.6917 2012-04-05T21:34:42Z 2012-04-05T21:58:06Z When LAUSD Boardmember Bennett Kayser said he planned to vote no on everything related to charter schools, parents and students spoke up! Sierra Jenkins On March 13, Bennett Kayser, who serves on the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) board, announced that he plans to vote "NO" on everything related to charter schools.

Families That Can immediately sent out an action alert to parents in Kayser's district. Parents and students were infuriated that despite their schools' success and strong commitment to serve the students in their communities, their own school board member was discrediting all their efforts.

Boardmember Kayser thought we weren't paying attention, but I'm sure that changed once he starting receiving emails and phone calls from his constituents. To date, 302 emails have been sent to Bennett Kayser and they will continue arriving to his office as long as he continues attacking charter schools!

  • Teachers reacted because this meant that all the hours they spent on lesson planning, graded homework assignments, reviewing tests, tutoring their students and all their other activities school related are not being appreciated by their School Board Member Bennett Kayser.
  • Students reacted because this meant to them that all the hours spent on studying at home, researching for their projects, paying attention in class, having the desire to excel in their school work to get into college did not matter their School Board Member Bennett Kayser.
  • Parents reacted to this because it meant that their participation in their child's school, those early school drop offs, those long night hours helping their child with their book reports or collages are not appreciated by their School Board Member Bennett Kayser.

The question that parents and students keep asking themselves is: How is it that their school board member Bennett Kayser is not supporting their successful charter schools? Below are some of the high-performing charter schools located in the district Boardmember Kayser represents. The state's goal is for all schools is an API score of 800+.

Charter School API Scores (as of 2010-11)

  • Alliance Environmental Science and Technology High School - 881
  • Academia Moderna - 717
  • Aspire Antonio Maria Lugo Academy - 847
  • California Academy for Liberal Studies (CALS) - 861
  • Celerity Troika Charter School - 970
  • Futuro College Prep - 795
  • KIPP Comienza Community Prep - 963
  • Renaissance Arts Academy - 877

Data was obtained from reportcard.lausd.net.

It's worth noting that Academic Moderna has had a 65 point growth from 2009 - 2012 and Futuro College Prep hit 795 in the first year it opened!

Please contact Boardmember Bennett Kayser today and tell him to put students first, NOT politics!

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