Commentary on Tri-Valley Learning Golden State Charter School Petition

By Bobbie Singh-Allen, President, Elk Grove Unified School District | Special to Elk Grove News | February 4, 2016 |

As a parent, I understand the need to have alternative educational options for children.

As a decision maker, doing what’s in the best interest of our students, is a responsibility I take seriously when examining schools.

A good indicator on how a business will perform is to review their operations in other jurisdictions. I took the day off from work and traveled to Livermore to see the Charter School firsthand. While I was mesmerized by the Charter School I saw --its fabulous project base learning approach, the innovative classrooms, and more, the petition process with peer and staff review is in place to evaluate the things I might not see in a short visit.

Unfortunately, the final staff report pointed to many statements made by the petitioner that lacked critical evidential support and in some cases made bold assumptions, which were not factual.

TVLC’s proposals lack a solid argument for viability and sustainability, which goes against the grain of how we conduct business in Elk Grove Unified.