Tassajara Prep Public Hearing – Dublin Unites to Oppose Charter Petition Appeal

Tassajara Prep Charter Petition Opponents at the Alameda County Office of Education

Dublin community members united today in opposition to the Tri-Valley Learning Corp.’s Tassajara Prep charter petition.  Tri-Valley Learning Corp. was recently denied a charter petition by the Dublin Unified School District to open Tassajara Prep.  Tri-Valley Learning Corp. appealed the local school board decision to the Alameda County Board of Education.  Today’s public hearing was part of the appeal process.  A vote on the charter petition denial will take place on the morning of June 22 by the Alameda County Board of Education.  

As was the case at the Dublin Unified School District public hearing, not a single Dublin parent spoke in support of the Tassajara Prep charter petition.  Over 50 opponents of the charter petition took time off work to attend the public hearing.  Only 3 representatives of Tri-Valley Learning Corp. attended the public hearing: Bill Batchelor, Dr. Jeff Watkins and Tim Hall (none of whom have children in Dublin public schools or have any direct experience with Dublin public education). 

[UPDATE] On Tuesday June 22 the Alameda County Board of Education denied the appeal of the Tassajara Prep charter petition.  Details available here.  Tri-Valley Learning Corp. can now appeal to the State Board of Education.

Dublin High Seniors Present a Petition with 500 Signatures Opposing Tassajara Prep

Four student representatives from the Leadership Program at Dublin High School attended, armed with a petition signed by over 500 Dublin High students opposed to Tassajara Prep.  Stanford-bound Dublin High Student Body President Ravali Reddy shared her views with the Board and Lan Tran, student representative to the Dublin Unified School District Board of Trustees, presented the petition.  Alameda County Board of Education representatives (from left to right) President Jacki Fox Ruby, Superintendent Sheila Jordan and Trustee Area 7 Yvonne Cerrato accepted the student petition.  

Both the charter petitioners (led by Livermore residents Bill Batchelor and Jeff Watkins) and charter opponents (led by DUSD Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hanke, Dublin High Principal Carol Shimizu and DUSD School Board President David Haubert) had 15 minutes for remarks before supporters and opponents were given an opportunity to speak.  No Tassajara Prep supporters were present to speak.  Because of the large number of opponents present, five opponents were selected to make 3-minute statements to the Alameda County Board of Education.   The Alameda County Board of Education Trustees then proceeded to ask questions, primarily directed at the Tassajara Prep representatives.

The themes of the presenters were consistent with the Dublin Unified School District’s Findings of Fact regarding the Tassajara Prep charter petition.  A detailed review of the Tassajara Prep charter petition is available here.  More information on the possible location of Tassajara Prep if ultimately approved is available here.

If the Tri-Valley Learning Corp. Tassajara Prep charter petition denial is supported by the Alameda County Board of Education, Tri-Valley Learning Corp. has the option of appealing the decision to the State Board of Education.  The State Board of Education’s decision is final.