Media Alerts

How are we going to get out of this mess? Invest in the Future!

March 23, 2009

MEDIA ALERT                                                                                        

Contacts (all English/Spanish): Marie Moore, 408-230-5239

Elizabeth Alvarez, 408-518-1540

Art Meza, 408-821-6387

How are we going to get out of this mess? Invest in the future!

Parent & Community Leaders Demand that Alum Rock School District Embrace BOLD PLAN for More High-Performing Schools 

WHAT:    PACT grassroots community leaders will hold a Community Action Meeting with elected officials and hundreds of community members concerned about the quality of education in East San Jose.  PACT will urge school district, City and County officials to take action to stop the dropout crisis and related crime and economic decline by supporting excellent small schools and charter schools.  As schools and all levels of government face unprecedented budget cuts, the Alum Rock School District can not afford to not invest in these school models with demonstrated success in student achievement.

WHO:      PACT grassroots leaders will ask Santa Clara County Supervisor George Shirakawa, City Councilmember Nora Campos, Alum Rock School Board President Gustavo Gonzalez and Alum Rock Board Trustee Esau Herrera to make commitments to:

Ø  Provide consistent and appropriate facilities for excellent schools

Ø  Support school-site decision-making (autonomies) for small schools of choice, including budgeting, hiring and supporting strong principals

Ø  Ensure school district transparency with finances and all policies and practices with accountability to the community it serves

Councilwoman Campos will announce a historic new partnership: $1 million of City Redevelopment Funds for ACE Charter School serving the lowest performing students in East San Jose.

Plus Santa Clara County District Attorney Dolores Carr, students, parents and teachers will give testimony about the urgent need for leadership and commitment to excellent schools to support student success in school and life and end the dropout crisis.

WHEN:    Monday, March 23, 7:00-8:30 pm

WHERE:  St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 4601 Hyland Ave., San Jose 95127

 

WHY:  The achievement gap and dropout crisis have plagued East San Jose for too long.  And, these problems start long before high school.  Despite some recent improvements, over 60% of its 5th and 8th graders in the Alum Rock School District fall below or far below CST standards in reading and math.  

That leaves only 30%, on average, of Alum Rock students who are proficient when they leave 8th grade.  By the time the majority of these students get to high school they barely have a chance at making it to graduation - they are already on the path to dropping out.

Proven solutions to the dropout crisis and achievement gap are, however, in operation in East San Jose now, including:

PACT-initiated small schools:

  • Renaissance Academywith approximately 200 6th-8thgraders has an API of 806 - and was named a California Distinguished School in 2007 after less than three years of operation!
  • L.U.C.H.A.(Learning in an Urban Community with High Achievement), serving approximately 240 K-5 is the highest-scoring district school with an API of 821!
  • Adelante Dual Language Academyis the only Spanish-English dual immersion school in Alum Rock. Adelante was founded on the vision of growing into a K-8 school to provide an excellent bilingual education to its students all the way to high school.

And charter schools:

  • ACE Charter Middle Schoolsupports the lowest performing students and under-performing middle school students to get them on track for high school and on a path to a college andsuccess in life.
  • The firstRocketship Charter Schoolnear downtown San Jose has an API of 866. Rocketship 2 will open in Alum Rock next school year with a charter from the SCC Office of Education, after rejection from the Alum Rock School Board.
  • KIPP Heartwood Academywas the first charter school in Alum Rock and has an API of 903, 260-193 points higher than the other district middle schools.

 These high-performing schools are the solution to the problem of chronically failing schools and the dropout crisis in East San Jose.  Now, with fewer dollars to spend, the Alum Rock School District must prioritize its spending to support and expand these proven school models to reach thousands more students. All public officials have roles to play supporting and challenging our local schools to support well-proven strategies for closing the achievement gap.  Parents and community members must hold public school districts accountable for fulfilling their responsibilities to educate all children and operate with openness and transparency.

Events Organized by:

  • People Acting in Community Together (PACT) is a multi-ethnic, interfaith organization that empowers people to create a more just community. PACT represents 21 congregations and 50,000 people in Santa Clara County.

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=06BDB101D222FC37 

Testimony about the dropout crisis by PACT grassroots leaders and public officials