August 2022 ACCS - Item 3 Public Comment 1

To receive an electronic copy of the below communication, contact the Charter Schools Division by email at charters@cde.ca.gov.

[The following information was provided on California Charter Schools Association letterhead.]

August 8, 2022

RE: Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS) August 2022 Item 3

Subject: Appeal of the Denial of a Petition for the Establishment of a Classroom-Based Charter School Pursuant to California Education Code Section 47605(k)(2): Consideration of Evidence to Hear or Summarily Deny the Appeal of Mayacamas Charter Middle School, which was denied by the Napa Valley Unified School District and the Napa County Board of Education: SUPPORT

Dear Chair Walsh and ACCS Commissioners,

On behalf of the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) and the 1300 charter schools we represent, we are writing to support the appeal of the petition for the establishment of Mayacamas Charter Middle School (MCMS). We agree with the assessment and recommendation from the California Department of Education (CDE) that Mayacamas has submitted sufficient evidence to establish a basis for the State Board of Education (SBE) to hear the appeal based on the documentary record, and agree that there are no grounds to summarily deny.

AB 1505 ensured a fair and impartial review of charter appeals by assigning specific roles to both the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS) and the SBE. The ACCS is charged with holding a public hearing to review the appeal and the documentary record and make one of two decisions: (1) determine if there is sufficient evidence that an abuse of discretion occurred and therefore recommend the SBE hear the appeal, or (2) determine there is not sufficient evidence that an abuse of discretion occurred and therefore recommend that the SBE summarily deny review of the appeal. MCMS has clearly submitted sufficient evidence that an abuse of discretion occurred and therefore should be heard at the SBE.

MCMS intends to serve students and families from across the Napa Valley. MCMS proposes a school designed to serve socio-economically and racially/ethnically diverse students, with a broad continuum of unique needs. The proposed program is highly personalized and differentiates instruction to meet individual students’ needs. Through project-based learning, online learning, and other engaging strategies, as well as an emphasis on students’ social-emotional development, MCMS will ensure students master state content standards and grow developmentally in an inclusive, welcoming, and supportive school culture. We support MCMS and feel that they will be a strong addition to the educational options available to families in the region.

We thank you for your careful consideration of this item and urge you to vote in support of the CDE recommendation that MCMS’s appeal be recommended for review at the SBE.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss further, please feel free to contact Gina Plate, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs at gplate@ccsa.org or me at rsoto@ccsa.org.

Kindest regards,

Ricardo J. Soto
Chief Advocacy Office and General Counsel

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