Molly, You say you want a non-partisan, non-devisive organization of concerned parents to work together, BUT, your rant above makes your position pretty clear. You are quick to call BCS litigous, but failed to mention the outcome of the litigation. . . LASD is breaking the law (and short-changing the BSC children who are also local residents deserving of equal treatment). If the division of facilities is fair and even (as the law directs), then you, Molly (and all other LASD parents) should have NO issue 'trading' equally populated campuses with BCS. Would you do that? Of course you wouldn't. Until you are willing to accept any slice of the pie, the pie is not being devided fairly.

I too once wondered, "why can't the District tell us things and/or talk to BCS"?

Sadly, as the last communication we received from our District eluded to, it's impossible to have an "open dialog" between the District and BCS when there is ongoing litigation, as BCS re-started last week.

As I understand it, this state of constant litigation ensures that these parties will NEVER speak to each other openly, as they are effectively precluded, legally, from doing so.

So waiting for "BCS and LASD to start talking" is pointless. That will not happen (at least for another couple of years).

I do agree that it will be PARENTS who solve this problem (see: http://BullisCharterScam.org/ ), but parents beating their heads against a legal wall (by demanding that LASD and BCS do what is not legally possible) will accomplish nothing.

GREAT article on how "semi-privatization" boondoggles like Charter Schools always leads to crony-capitalism and ultimately solves nothing:

http://www.salon.com/2012/02/05/the_privatization_trap/singleton/

From the article:
>> "...the government isn’t simply just another agent in the market, and firms that are empowered to carry out the role of the state can be as abusive as the worst bureaucracy". <<

The Board of LASD might not always act the way every citizen wants them to at all times, but at least they are elected. An UNelected UNaccountable BCS Board is capable of the same EXACT sorts of abuses but the people have ZERO recourse when they disagree with them.

Or to put it another way, the idea that, "we should just elect this dictator and dispense with the democratic process because the latter has had some issues" NEVER ENDS WELL. (See: Venezuela, Hungary).

BCS supporters have infinite faith in their dictators to never ever act corruptly so they prefer them over a transparent, elected Board.

What if your child was at BCS and he/she insulted one of the billionaire's kids? You'd find your child asked to leave, disrupting their education and social well-being, because they "didn't fit into the program". Your recourse? Zero.

BCS is not, after all, a "public school" in the way anybody thinks of one. They are a private school that takes money away from public schools.

Please stop fighting, the children are watching. This issue reminds me of the movie, Groundhog Day. The same story day after day. Only when Bill Murray moves forward and accepts his fate does he get a different outcome.

The "facilities pie" is only so big and cramming one group here or there is not going to solve the issue of providing a great education to students. Is education only about this pie? Of course not - we need to think bigger.

I propose looking at this problem a different way. BCS and LASD have a tremendous opportunity to create a new way to educate our students. We have some of the most brilliant minds in the world living in our neighborhoods. Has anyone asked any of these actual geniouses who have literally changed the world what ideas they have? There are new ways of learning like Khan Academy, Apple ibooks, and EPGY (at Stanford) that come to mind and I'm no world changing genious.

Meanwhile, adults stubbornly dig their heals and draw lines in the sand.

My kids grew up in Los Altos and are now off to college so I have no dog in this fight. Wouldn't it be great if 5 years from now, Los Altos is heralded as the town that decided to become truly innovative and moves education into the 21st century?

There are enough brains and money in Los Altos/Los Altos Hills to make this a reality.

Charters are soooo 1997...

The new, new way is a return to normal public schools with a strong emphasis on parental participation.

Diane Ravitch--one of the founders of the Charter movement--has since changed her stance and come out strongly against them. She saw very clearly--from years of attempting to implement them--that the Charter concept is actually very harmful to education.

Now Charters are on the way out for the Demos, but the Repubs (of the "win-at-all-costs" variety, which I personally am not) have picked up the idea because teachers unions are huge Demo donors and they see Charters of a way to cut off enemy supply lines.

Crony capitalism, private control over public money, and power and success going to whoever has the best lawyers: this is the absolute ANTITHESIS of Apple, Google, and every entrepreneurial team that has ever started a company in this Valley save a few like Solyndra.

There are no "silver bullets" in education as the REAL problems lie in places at the opposite end socioeconomic spectrum from us here in Los Altos and Hills.

As for these different "experiments" in education, they belong in PRIVATE SCHOOLS where parents can risk their OWN MONEY not the public's. That is the "free market" at work, not crony capitalism like Charter schools.

I am reposting this here -- I don't know who SiliconSerf is but I am a huge fan.

"Tale of the District of Solta"
By SiliconSerf

Part 1
Once upon a time, in the Kingdom of Saint Clara was a tiny but prosperous District of Sotla. There were three villages in the district, Upper Sotla which was tiny but very prosperous; Middle Sotla which was large, populous, and prosperous but not quite as prosperous as Upper Sotla. Oh and finally there was the small village of Lower Weiv, which sat on the other side of the Royal Road. But such was the prosperity of the district that even the serfs living in Lower Weiv were also prosperous.

"Tale of the District of Solta"
By SiliconSerf

Part 2
All were happy, for their castles were great centers of learning and were governed by a board of Elders. One smaller castle was in Upper Sotla, and the rest were scattered throughout Middle Sotla, and alas, there were no castles in Lower Weiv. Fortunately, the residents of Lower Weiv were welcomed at the nearby castles in Middle Sotla. All were happy, until one day it was decreed that the castles needed to be renovated, for indeed the battlements were beginning to crumble. Gold was collected across the district for the renovation, and it came to pass that the castles were renewed one by one. Now whether it was intentional, or not, the small castle in Upper Sotla was left for last. And the worst fears of the villagers of Upper Sotla indeed came to pass, for while the castles of Middle Sotla were made shiny and new, it was decided that their small castle would be closed, for the board of Elders had spent all the gold on the castles of Middle Sotla. Truth be told, the castles in Middle Sotla looked half shiny and new, for much of the renovation seemed to center on the administrative parts of the castle and not the parts of learning, which was strange, and made many in the district wonder if the gold was spent wisely?

Sotla.........
by SiliconSerft

Part 3

Intentional or not, best intentions or worst, the people of Upper Sotla were greatly angered by this slight and resolved to open their own castle and indeed this is exactly what came to pass. The Overlords of the Kingdom of Saint Clara decreed that equal space should be provided for this new castle. Now remember, the board of Elders could have given the old run down castle in Upper Sotla to the people there, but their hearts were filled with jealousy, and they feared that a new castle might eventually surpass their own. So instead the elders chose to spend additional gold on a temporary castle placed on on the jousting grounds of one of their castles nearest the Royal Road far from Upper Sotla. Indeed, they expected the people of Upper Sotla to abandon the project, but they did not. Soon, the shabby little temporary castle lead by the people of Upper Sotla was turning out scholars and craftsman, knights and archers of the highest quality. This without the large jousting grounds, and archery ranges of the other castles. Despite the lack, they began to win many tournaments and ribbons.

.......Sotla
by SiliconSerf

Part 4

Recall the serfs of Lower Weiv, for they had no castle of their own. While they were welcomed at the nearby castles, each year the board of Elders debated which castle the serfs of Lower Weiv should be sent, to start their studies. And so, over the years, the serfs were scattered across many castles, and this too angered the serfs of Lower Weiv, for again, intentional or not, Middle Sotla was slighting them. Recall too, that in placing the temporary castle for Upper Sotla as far from Upper Sotla as they could, or so it appeared, the board happened to place this temporary castle very close to Lower Weiv.

......Sotla
by SiliconSerf

Part 5

The success of the new castle was like a thorn in the side of the board of Elders, for this new castle was not under their governance. In hopes of cutting off support for the new castle, or so it appeared, they reopened the castle in Upper Sotla at great expense. Surely the people of Upper Sotla would be satisfied now! But alas, the Upper Sotlian memory was long. Other events came to pass as well. When the board reopened the castle they held a great gathering, for they would need to move people from castle to castle to fill up space, and it was decreed at that gathering that all of the serfs from Lower Weiv would be sent to the castle farthest from home, on the other side of the district. Additionally many in Middle Sotla would need to be moved as well. This angered Lower Weiv, and recall again, the new temporary castle was placed closest to Lower Weiv. But many others were angered as well, and the applications for the new castle that lacked the spacious jousting grounds, and archery ranges soared anyway. And so it came to pass, that instead of cutting support for the newest castle, the board of Elders instead succeed in swelling support for the new castle and many traveled there from across the district.

.....Sotla
by SiliconSerf

Part 6

Soon though, the news of the space the board of Elders placed the new castle reached the Overlords of the Kingdom of Saint Clara and they were angered, for they had decreed a castle with equal space, and low, where were the jousting grounds? And the spacious archery ranges? And so they decreed again, more forcefully that the new castle be given equal space.

......Sotla
by SiliconSerf

Part 7

Oh how this new decree caused much tearing of hair and beards throughout Middle Sotla, for in their minds, hadn't they been generous? Would they need to give up one of their castles? Which one?! Might it be the one their own children attended? They could not see, nor remembered the slights, intentional or not they had caused Upper Sotla and Lower Weiv. Nor did they recall that they had repeated opportunities to make amens. And so our tale continues. For the board of Elders is indeed prideful, and more jealous than ever of the success of this new castle and this is overcoming what should have been frugality with their own gold. After the Overlord's decree they sent forth a messenger with an insulting offer that flew in the face of the Overlord's anger. Peace and calm in the district would not be restored with the path chosen by the Elders. Who knows where this tale will lead, but I fear it will be quite some time before we can say the lines, and they lived happily ever after.

Originally Posted on MV Voice -
http://www.mv-voice.com/square/index.php?i=3&d=&t=4090

Hey Joan, you are a very rude person. I think I speak for everyone that you should really go away and find something else to do with your time besides live and breathe these discussions. Why were you so quiet in the Board meeting last night? Ashamed to speak out and reveal your identity?

Hey Karen she is no more rude or obsessed then Ron. Perhaps he should go away and get a life and stop living and breathing this. Cuts both ways.

Likewise, "Bill"?

"We believe charter laws were intended to raise the quality of education in communities but should not be used to displace high performing district schools. The goal of is to educate the community on the facts behind the BCS/LASD issues that face our community."
Wow! I think this sums it up in a nut shell. I don't know if you could possibly sound any more pretenses or arrogant. Aren't you really saying, "We believe that the law doesn't apply to us, after all we are above the law - we are rich and our kids are smart. You don"t need a choice, our way is the best way." Luckily we have a court system to interpret the law. Your services are not needed.

"Parent" Why are you so offended that there is a public forum now for facts on both sides of this issue to come forward? And, so are you saying that you believe charters SHOULD be used to displace high performing district schools?

Editor's note: Patch has removed Deep Grizzly's posting of the link to a 'Downfall' parody. While 'Downfall' parodies are a popular meme, there are issues with Patch's Terms of Use. ( http://losaltos.patch.com/terms ) Links to other parody videos were not taken down.