"Like passengers on a bus that's low on gas with failing brakes on a downhill trajectory, the students recently removed from NVMI and those still aboard deserve truthful alerts and all the help they can get, without delay."
-- Cheryl Ortega
A well-functioning organization led by strong leadership would have never purposefully put itself into a position where it did not have the facilities it needed to operate. Yet, that is precisely where the North Valley Military Institute (NVMI) finds itself now.
As early as January, NVMI complained publicly that they could not afford the space that the LAUSD was offering in response to the school's demand for space using PROP-39. Instead of immediately finding a workable solution, "Superintendent" Mark Ryan spent months chasing the possibility of moving the charter school to the grounds of the National Guard in the Sepulveda Flood Control Basin. It was only after this plan failed that NVMI turned its attention to leasing space at the LACCD's Los Angeles Mission College.
When the deadline arrived for NVMI to give a final answer about the PROP-39 offer, a lease had still not been finalized with the LACCD. Without a signed document, the school should have accepted space on the VOCES campus to ensure its continued existence, but NVMI opted instead to reject the LAUSD's offer and bet it all on being able to persuade the LACCD to let it move in.
The flaws in NVMI's plan became obvious when the matter was presented to the LACCD's Board of Trustees on June 7, 2023. Despite "Superintendent" Mark Ryan's claim that the lease had to be approved at that meeting in order for the school to open in time for the new school year, the Trustees delayed a decision until they could get additional information and then consider the lease at a special meeting later in the month.
Concern among board members seemed to deepen during June amid further evidence of chronic mismanagement and misconduct at NVMI. Also questioned was the lack of any detailed preparation to feed, instruct, transport, or properly supervise hundreds of high-school students on the Mission College campus. Even the propriety of the special consideration given to NVMI by scheduling the special meeting came into question and it was canceled just prior to its scheduled occurrence.
Instead of concentrating on assisting its students to find new schools, NVMI scheduled a protest at the July 5, 2023, LACCD Board meeting. In anticipation of comments by the charter school's stakeholders, I sent the following letter to the trustees in advance of their meeting:
I appreciate your continued vigilance as the North Valley Military Institute (NVMI) continues to request a lease for space on the Los Angeles Mission College campus. What has been proposed would be significantly different from how this school presently operates on campus and requires a thorough evaluation of how it would affect your students.
In my past correspondence with you about this matter, I have shared my concerns about how this school is managed. The lease that is being proposed requires close cooperation between the LACCD and the charter school to handle issues that might arise, including student discipline, the sharing of space, and how students with Special Education needs will be taught. Looking at past behavior by NVMI management can give important insight into how successful this partnership can be.
Unfortunately, in the time since you last considered NVMI's request, the conduct of its management has continued to be chaotic:
- "Superintendent" Mark Ryan has said that his position is not covered in the current budget and he would resign as of June 30, 2023. However, he is still representing himself as holding this position. Additionally, the Board of Trustees has not designated a replacement, a violation of its charter with LACOE.
- As of June 30, 2023, the Board of Trustees does not have enough members to meet the requirements of its charter. Numerous vacancies exist due to resignations and the expiration of terms.
- The Board of Trustees neglected to hold elections for officers. These positions became vacant on June 30, 2023.
- There are reports that the Director of Special Education and Assistant Director of Special Education positions are now vacant. This will not only affect their ability to remain compliant with reporting requirements and keep current with IEPs but will hamper the ability to work with Mission College to integrate the 20.6% of its student body with disabilities into the new program.
- The NVMI Middle School closed down at the end of the 2023 school year. The Board of Trustees has still not voted on a Material Revision to cover this change. A material revision to the charter is required whenever the grade levels serviced are dropped from a charter school program.
- NVMI has also not submitted a Material Revision to cover the move from the VOCES campus and the change to an "Early College" program. This revision would be required before NVMI could begin operations on the Mission College campus. By Ryan's own admission, approval of this change will take at least 60 days from the time it is submitted, so it is bewildering that the management did not submit one as soon as the change became the only way it can continue to operate.
I urge you to continue asking NVMI's management hard questions. They are the ones who created the current situation and you should not feel pressured to bail them out.
Sincerely,
Carl Petersen
As the LACCD's meeting progressed, it became apparent that the staff at the county had also taken note of these issues. According to a source at LACOE, efforts to revoke the NVMI charter are in process. It is not yet clear how far along in the process this revocation is, but hopefully, it will bring some order to a closedown process that has the potential to be extremely chaotic.
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