In the U.S. News rankings, often used by charter schools to indicate their supposed superiority to public schools, Crete was ranked in the lowest band for California Elementary Schools. The magazine noted that only 8% of students were proficient in Math or Reading.
While developing a school to assist vulnerable students is commendable, it should be noted that the percentage of Economically Disadvantaged students at Crete is in line with the LAUSD as a whole (87.70% at Crete vs. 85.4% for the District). The charter school serves substantially fewer English Learners (7.3% vs. 28%) and children with Special Education needs (8.2% vs. 13%). As usual, the Charter School Division ignored this data in making its recommendation.
A school that is just 30 spots away from the bottom of the barrel would seem like an easy candidate for closure, but not for Nick Melvoin. Proving his unwillingness to follow through with the California Charter School Association's (CCSA) promise of a greater level of accountability for these publicly financed private schools, Melvoin was the lone vote against approving the denial. Instead of recognizing their failure, the Crete board has already voted to appeal.
Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs, who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.
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