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Schools

Sharp Criticism Pointed At Bullis Charter School

As the school faces a five-year charter renewal on Oct. 5, a searing email from a county trustee may mean a new direction.

A sharply-worded email from a Santa Clara County Board of Education trustee is creating quite a buzz around Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. It carries serious criticisms of (BCS) and highlights the crossroads it faces with an up or down vote on its charter renewal at a meeting next Wednesday, Oct. 5.

The Sept. 23 email from trustee Anna Song carries the subject line, "Re: The 'So What.'" Song sent it in response to a parent's email to the board that expressed disappointment over Song’s comment of "So what?" at a Sept. 7 charter renewal hearing, after a positive presentation of the school's accomplishments.

Song's email, copied to the county board as well as the Los Altos School District board, does not mince words.

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“The numbers are so poor they could justify an immediate revocation hearing to cancel BCS’s charter and permanently shut down the school this term, in my opinion.”

Song was writing about the same Academic Performance Index (API) scores that BCS had proudly trumpeted when they were released earlier this month, but she referred to a different part of the test results. 

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“A quick look at the Academic Performance Index scores for the Los Altos School District shows that BCS has performed abysmally in serving socioeconomically disadvantaged students,” Song says.

And this is coming from one of the charter school's earliest and most committed supporters, she wrote.

Farther down in Song’s 2,600-word email, she states, “Sadly, after being a strong advocate of BCS from its first days, I now conclude that BCS is in material breach of its charter agreement with the Santa Clara County Board of Education.”

She suggested that BCS might be better served as a private school.

Song’s missive instantly began pinging all over local email in-boxes and even landed in the blog of Los Altos School District Board member Doug Smith, LASD Observer, on Sunday, along with the original email from Bullis parent, Buffy Poon.

It brings to light a long-simmering controversy between the school's supporters who boast the school's high API scores and other achievements, and critics who point out the school does not serve students with varying needs and challenges.

Song added, “I note a sense of entitlement from BCS’ population in general, especially from your letter. And after reading your letter, I seriously question if Bullis’ future would be better served as a private school.”

Bullis carries a public school charter with the Santa Clara County Board of Education and uses Los Altos School District facilities, on the campus of Egan Junior High. But some have criticized the school for operating more like a private school. Parents donate up to $4,500 per student as part of an annual fundraising campaign.

"They have a very select student body and they are trying to create a private school on the taxpayer's dollar," said LASD board member Smith, who published the emails on his blog. "That's not what the charter school program is set up to do and that's certainly not what the public education system is all about."

Smith said he hoped the email exchange will be a "catalyst for discussion" in the community.

Routine Renewal Turns Into New Challenge

What started as a routine charter renewal process with the Santa Clara County Board of Education for Bullis has now evolved into what could be an entirely new direction that encompasses more outreach to those socioeconomically disadvantaged students Song spoke of.

On Tuesday, Song told Patch her comments were meant to challenge the Bullis community to do more than educate its own children, mostly from Los Altos Hills. Both Song and Joseph Di Salvo, the board president, said in interviews that they want to see the charter renewed, as long as school officials are willing to commit to outreach measures.

Di Salvo said he expects Bullis leaders will commit to changes at the Oct. 5 meeting at 5 p.m., in the Board Room of the Santa Clara County Office of Education, 1290 Ridder Park Dr., San Jose.

Song said she asked county Superintendent Charles Weis if the scheduled vote can be pushed back, so that the board can hash out an agreement with BCS officials.

Di Salvo said he wasn’t sure a vote could be postponed, but he said he thought the board could agree to a memorandum of understanding with the school, outlining how the school might extend its outreach.

On Tuesday, Di Salvo said he met with Bullis Principal Wanny Hersey, Bullis board member Anne Marie Gallagher, and others, in a meeting arranged weeks ago, before the controversial email exchange. He said they were receptive to possible changes.

His suggestions for outreach ranged from including socioeconomically disadvantaged students in the school, in particular Hispanic students, to sharing educational programs and strategies with teachers and administrators at underperforming schools, to starting a “Bullis 2” charter in an area such as Alum Rock in San Jose.

Gallagher confirmed that Bullis officials are open to the trustees’ outreach ideas.

“The board has been looking at expansion opportunities for a long time,” she said. “We are open to Alum Rock and all possibilities.”

According to Gallagher, the questions posed by Song and others are “all a part of the process. So on the 5th, when we go before the board, we’ll be able to answer every question that has been raised, hopefully.”

'So What?'

Bullis administrators, teachers and parents at the Sept. 7 charter renewal hearing probably were not prepared for Song's comment after a glowing presentation about Bullis' academic achievements.

"So what?" Song asked. That, in part, was what prompted Poon's email expressing disappointment that trustees did not view Bullis' achievements in as rosy a way as supporters. While some might have taken her comment to be flip, Song said no disrespect was intended.

"I was saying, you need to show me more than the gushing of how great you are doing with your children," she told Patch.

As a county education board member, she said she has to look at a bigger picture, which includes how to lift up children with challenges. Both Song and Di Salvo said charter schools, as public schools, must serve a larger community.

Additional reporting by Patch Contributor Nicole Baldocchi

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