Home Antioch County Board Hears Charter Conversion Petition for Dozier-Libbey Medical High

County Board Hears Charter Conversion Petition for Dozier-Libbey Medical High

by ECT

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Pleasant Hill, CA – May 8, 2014 – Last night, the Contra Costa County Board of Education heard overwhelming community support from the citizenry of Antioch for the conversion of Dozier-Libbey Medical High School to an independent public charter school under the authorization of the CCCBOE.

In all, just under one hundred people chose to speak before the board on this issue that has come to be seen by many as a challenge of the current leadership of the Antioch Unified School District (AUSD), from which Dozier-Libbey seeks to separate.

Fifty-three parents, teachers, graduates, health-care industry professionals, and other community members praised the medical pathway school’s move toward independence, and asked the Board of Education to grant the school’s petition. Supporters repeatedly commended the staff of Dozier-Libbey, and highlighted the fact that the school will remain an Antioch public school serving the same community it always has, but with more effective and connected management.

Thirty-three school district employees and contractors expressed concern with AUSD losing governance over Dozier-Libbey, and thirteen other speakers opposed the charter conversion with such statements as, “autonomy is un-American.”

Antioch mayor Wade Harper, also a school district employee, initially spoke against the Dozier-Libbey teacher-petitioners, but then appeared confused as to which charter he did support.

Last February, the vast majority of Dozier-Libbey’s faculty signed a petition filed with AUSD, in accordance with the charter schools section of the California Education Code, to convert their school to a public charter.

According to the petition, the school would be managed by its own governing board made up of parents and community members, independent of AUSD’s board of trustees. The teachers’ 121-page petition presents a strong case for significantly improving academic programs and fiscal management at this respected pathway school, however AUSD subsequently denied the petition, prompting teachers to file an appeal with the CCCBOE, which may elect to grant the charter under its own authority.

A decision is expected from the county board later this month.

The following information was a press release provided by Jeff Weber

Photos provided by Frank Rehm Photography

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3 comments

Terri Chapman May 9, 2014 - 7:31 am

I am both a tax paying citizen and an AUSD employee. I would have been at the meeting Wednesday night to speak against the Independant Charter as I did at the earlier board meeting but had a family emergency to attend to. Please be aware that the author of this press release, Jeff Weber, is biased. He is a teacher at DLMHS and also one of the petitioners and not an unbiased reporter. Here is my question- How many of the speakers for the Independant Charter are Antioch tax payers? DLMHS was built as a part of our district. It was taken all shareholders- students, parents, staff, teachers, district employees and school board members alike to make this school what it is. That being said: Why then was the decision to become an Independant charter made by just the teachers? How can 23 people decide what is best for not only their school but the hundreds of students as well as classified and certificated employees in AUSD. Their decision impacts all of these people and more. I know the DLMHS teachers are great teachers. (I have worked with a large majority at both AHS and DVHS.) But the truth is there are many wonderful, awarding winning teachers throughout the entire district. I would venture to guess that the size of the school lends to part of the success rate. I would also venture to guess the location of DLMHS being located in the middle of a field where a student can’t just walk there have anywhere has contributed parents taking a more active role. Had DLMHS started as a charter where students could not participate on the other district’s teams, would they still chosen to go there? In my opinion, if the Independant Charter goes through, I do not believe the students should be allowed to play on the other high schools teams. Why should students who are not a part of district take a place away from a student who is a part of our district. I am truly disheartened by this petition. I had hoped the days of Us v. Them were over in AUSD and we could all be proud of who we are.

karl dietzel May 9, 2014 - 12:24 pm

hello terri,
my kids never went to antioch schools, are grow up/ one is still in college. the little bit i know about antioch schools come by almost daily horror news stories, or grade stats, were “our” kids always get the shorter end of the sticks.
why is this?
i support the initiative the teachers are taking, they are in the know, our school board leaders and politicians are missing the big picture.
if we the people want to make changes, we need to break away from all the old habits, and concentrate on our kids education.
if we ever want to fix the job situation, the economy, living standards, crime etc the list is long, we need to invest in our kids and their academic training.
you ask how can 23…..well, this is a democratic process…

Julio May 9, 2014 - 2:19 pm

As a parent with experience with charter schools, including Antioch, Terri, I support the request for the new charter. Yes, there are many good teachers in all our schools in Antioch. Some very bad, even in charter schools. I do not support the dirty tactics of the school board, including Ms. Motts. She should be able to stand up to Dr Gill and she never has.

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