School Board Rejects Charter School Idea

The Ventura Unified School District has rejected a proposal for a charter school in the city of Ventura.

The Board of Education unanimously turned down the petition, which was submitted by American Charter Schools Inc., for an independent study and home-schooling charter school.

Joseph Spirito, district superintendent, said he reviewed the proposal and listened to its proponent but ultimately recommended that the five-member school board reject the plan.

“The petition is poorly drafted, haphazard in its approach to crucial matters such as curriculum and testing, and it fails to present a charter consistent with sound educational practice. I think this is a dangerous experiment in education,” Spirito said.

Spirito added that the proposal did not contain acceptable academic standards, nor did it establish policies or criteria for the selection of textbooks and curricula.

He also expressed concern regarding the absence of provisions for English language learners, special needs and at-risk students, or those needing remedial education or individual attention.

“This is an independent study program that would take students away from the Ventura district and make money off them,” said Don Austin, the district’s legal counsel.

In contrast, said Austin, a charter school proposal at Cal State Channel Islands has received early support because of its innovation.

Trustee Velma Lomax said her greatest concerns were that the proposal made no mention of Ventura’s demographics and cultural diversity, nor did it appear to address problems specific to the local community.

“I think a good charter school would provide good competition, but the applicant didn’t do his homework,” Lomax said.