Analysis: Clear Choices for Davis Voters on Valley Oak in School Board Election

Back on October 19, 2007, ironically the same day that the Davis Enterprise ran a front page story detailing envelope stuffing in the classroom, Bob Dunning in his column declared, "Valley Oak the biggest issue in schools race."

There is no doubt that this blog has devoted considerable time to covering Valley Oak. Indeed, if we look at the labels (along the side bar of the People's Vanguard of Davis blog) we notice that Valley Oak has 46 mentions. That is just more than the Yolo County General Plan (43) and just under Target (48).

Whether that makes it the most important issue overall in Davis facing the schools is debatable, but one thing about the issue of Valley Oak, is that it is one of the very few issues in which you can see clear and distinct lines between the candidates on the issue of Valley Oak. Listening to candidates debates, there was a sense that the differences between these candidates were simply in their real world experiences.

However, the Valley Oak issue, is different. The Valley Oak charter school process is moving on. They are currently circulating a petition to establish a starter school.

The school will be founded on three pillars:

• the maintenance of a successful neighborhood program

• a system of cooperative school governance that encourages innovation, effectiveness and efficiency

• the utilization of education technology for bridging the digital divide for students and their families

According to a recent release:

"We are asking parents who are 'meaningfully interested' in having their children attend the school described in the charter to sign the petition. If you are one of those parents, or know a parent who may be interested, petitions will be available to sign at a number of locations. "

"Petitions can also be found at tables at Valley Oak Elementary near the bike racks and MPR during the week of Monday, October 29th through Friday, November 2nd (Conference Week) from 8 to 9 a.m. and from 1:30 to 5 p.m."

The full charter is available here.

The Valley Oak Charter School is an issue that strongly divides the candidates.

Joe Spector who has extensively campaigned on keeping Valley Oak open, strongly supports the charter initiative.

He was recently quoted in the Davis Enterprise:

"The charter school is forward-looking in its development of a magnet school program for career/technology... The charter school provides educational opportunity for the neighborhood students. The school presents an attractive education alternative for parents who live nearby, or work in our community. So we are likely to bring new students to our district who can benefit from our programs and help create district enrollment growth... [The Valley Oak staff] is highly dedicated and successful in teaching and addressing all students' issues, including English language learners, GATE (Gifted And Talented Education), and special education."

Bob Schelen has said that keeping Valley Oak open was one of the reasons he got into the school board race to begin with.

Back in August, Mr. Schelen told the Vanguard:

"I think that the closing of Valley was a mistake. I think that it should have stayed open. It’s the only elementary school in the core area or the downtown area and it has a strong historical significance."

He added:

"I think the idea of a charter school is an excellent one and it’s very unique to have a teacher’s association anywhere in the state support the idea of charter schools. They’re very controversial and with good reason. However, in this case, the Davis Teacher’s Association is looking to put together the proposal for the charter school. When you have the teacher’s association saying this is what we want to do—then that idea excites me. And I would work as hard as I could to find a way that we could do the charter school..."

Richard Harris has expressed concerns about a Charter at Valley Oak. He stopped short in the recent Davis Enterprise of out right opposing it.

"The burden of proof is on the charter school proponents to show how the school district's budget and programs will not be negatively impacted by opening a charter school."

"I take very seriously the responsibility to look at the specific proposal and assess its fiscal and program impacts on the district as a whole... To do any less is an abdication of the fiduciary responsibility of a board of education trustee.

"The troubling factor is the charter school adoption process itself. The community is being forced into a discussion and decision on the creation of a new magnet school through the very narrow lens and timetable of this singular proposal driven by one small group of parents and teachers.

"As a board member, I'll always welcome the opportunity to discuss creation of magnet schools or innovative programs to serve varying student interests or educational goals, but this current process feels like a shotgun marriage."

Finally, Susan Lovenburg supported the decision to close Valley Oak made by the Best Uses of Schools Task Force.

She told us in August:

"I closely followed the work of the Best Uses of Schools Task Force and publicly supported their recommendation to close Valley Oak as a K-6 campus. Though I initially sought to maintain nine campuses, I came to believe that the decision to close best serves the students of Valley Oak and the District as a whole, not just financially but educationally. It was a heart-wrenching and difficult decision for me as an individual, for the Task Force, and for the Board - and I understand that it is one the families of Valley Oak find difficult to accept - but it has been made and it is time to look forward."

On the Charter issue she seems supportive of charter schools in general.

On the Valley Oak charter school, she told us in August:

"With regard to the proposed charter school, legislation requires that a well-written charter with a good educational plan, sound finances, and commitment from sufficient teachers and families with students to participate, must be approved by the Board. It is my hope that the planners of the charter school are looking carefully at new approaches and new strategies for addressing the needs of low socioeconomic income and English Language Learners, rather than simply trying to preserve the existing Valley Oak program."

She more recently told the Davis Enterprise:

"Organizers of the Valley Oak charter program are preparing a petition that must include a sound educational program, a plan for successful implementation which includes measurable student outcomes, and signatures from parents interested in having their students attend... This petition will be submitted to the district, and staff will evaluate its merits prior to submission to the school board for consideration. If approved, the district will have continuing oversight of the charter school."

"I will work with district staff and charter petitioners to understand the goals of the charter school and its potential relationship to the district, both programmatically and financially, and do my best to see that the charter school realizes its own potential by successfully serving our students."

From these statements there seems to be key differences between the candidates on the issue of Valley Oak and the continuing issue of whether it should stay open. The voters of Davis have a clear choice depending on where they stand on the issue of Valley Oak.

---Doug Paul Davis reporting