Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1543424
Multiple people lined up at the MCOE Board of Education meeting in opposition to the proposed charter schools; at the mic, CCA member and Hartnell Community College faculty Chris Zepeda. Monterey County: Big Win for Public Schools and Students Educators and allies defeat proposed charter schools despite backers' deep pockets I N A V I C T O R Y for public schools and students, the Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) denied an application by Navigator Schools for a series of Kâ12 charter schools through- out Monterey County. e MCOE board cited potential negative impacts on existing public school programs and services that could be harmful to current students as the primary concern. Navigator, a charter school network run by business and corporate heavyweights, operates four campuses in California and received a $12 million grant from the Trump administration to expand. Educators, administrators, parents, students, labor allies, community members from multiple county districts and local charter school lead- ers and educators packed the MCOE Board of Education meeting in mid-January to voice their opposition to the proposed charter. Speakers told the board that by fracturing educational resources, the proposed charter would lead to "reductions in staffing, programs and essential student supports" and undermine the stability and quality of education in districts across the county, especially for the most vulnerable students. e board voted 6-1 against the charter. One trustee said, "the people have spoken." "This victory means more stability for our students," said Monterey Bay Teachers Association (MBTA) President Rosalyn Book, who with a coalition of local leaders and community allies led the charge against the charter. "Our district alone had esti- mated that if the charter school was approved, then 120 employees and $9â$10 million would be cut from our budget. Now students have stability with teachers and school services." Protecting the most vulnerable Oscar Ramos, president of the Salinas Elementary Teachers Council (SETC), noted that the charter school would harm the most vulnerable students in the county. "My main concern is that I work with migrant families, and [charter proponents] failed to pro- pose anything significant that's going to support migrant students," Ramos told a KSBW reporter. An MCOE staff report raised this issue as well, finding virtually no mention of migrant students in the petition for a county with one of the 40 cta.org Advocacy MBTA Pres. Rosalyn Book