County Charter School Summit

SAN JOSE, CA – The rapid growth of charter schools in Santa Clara County, and concerns about effects on neighborhood public schools, have led to the call for a Charter School Summit at the Santa Clara County Office of Education on January 30, 2010.

A Charter School Task Force was commissioned by the Santa Clara County Board of Education in June, after the idea for a summit was put forth by Board Vice President Anna Song and Board Member Joseph Di Salvo. The two co-chair the Task Force. The summit is being facilitated by the COE Charter Schools Department.

The identified objectives of the summit are to:

• Ease tensions between charters and local school districts
• Increase awareness of charter activity in Santa Clara County
• Increase collaboration among districts, the County Office of Education and charters to best meet student needs
• Promote an environment where the process for charter applications, approvals, and denials has clearly defined and communicated accountability standards.

The summit also will highlight exemplary teaching and learning practices in charter schools and traditional public schools. Breakout sessions will allow participants to focus on identifying strategies to help charter schools and school districts work together on projects of mutual benefit: the academic achievement for all students.

Task Force members:

• Anna Song, County Board of Education
• Joseph Di Salvo, County Board of Education
• Grace Mah, County Board of Education
• Lucretia Peebles, Ph.D., Director, COE Charter Schools Department
• Andrea Whittaker, Ph.D. ,San Jose State University
• Bill Erlendson, Ph.D., San Jose Unified School District
• Leslie Reynolds, President, SJUSD School Board
• Alicia Gallegos Fambrini, San Jose Charter School Consortium
• Hilaria Bauer, Ph.D., Alum Rock School District
• Nick Driver, California Charter Schools Association
• Anne-Marie Gallagher, Bullis Charter School
• Jennifer Andaluz, Downtown College Prep
• Bill Gould, Bill Gould Design
• Nancy Markowitz, Ph.D., San Jose State University

For more information, e-mail CharterSchoolsDept@sccoe.org

Date last updated: December 4, 2009