Tonight the AUSD BOE will vote to approve or deny the Academy of Alameda's new charter petition for a K-5 elementary school. 

The Academy of Alameda submitted the petition to AUSD on August 12, 2014.  AUSD staff convened an analysis committee to inspect the charter and compose a report.  Members of the analysis team included: Sandy Wong, Steven Fong, Adelita Martinez, Tracy Rohlfing, Shariq Khan, Susan Mitchell, Robbie Lyng and Kelly Lara.  On October  14,  AUSD staff presented the analysis and recommendation that the AUSD BOE approve the Charter Petition.  Tonight, AUSD staff bring the charter petition before you for action with the recommendation that you approve the Charter Petition.

The Academy of Alameda has met all of the criteria to approve the charter.  The criteria are outlined in California Education Code section 47605. The six criteria are as follows:

1.     Charter School petition must contain the required number
        of signatures (Education Code 47605): 50% of the 
        signatures of  parents/guardians meaningfully interested
        in attending OR 50% of the teachers needed for the first
        school year.

2.     A complete charter petition must address all of the
        required 16 elements outlined in  California Education
        Code 47605. For example:

        ·        Description of learning in the 21st Century

        ·        Measurable pupil outcomes

        ·        Method by which outcomes are measured

        ·        Governance structure

        ·        Method to achieve ethnic and racial balance

        ·        Admission requirements

        ·        Discipline procedures

3.     Four Conditions:  The petition must identify that the
        charter school shall be nonsectarian in their programs, 
        admission policies, employment practices, and all other
        operations. The petition must identify that the charter
        school shall not charge tuition, shall not discriminate
        against any pupil on the basis of ethnicity, national
        origin, gender, or disability and shall admit all students
        who reside in California who wish to attend.

4.      The petition must outline that an employee of the school
         district cannot be required to be employed in a charter
         school, a pupil enrolled in the school district cannot be
         required to attend a charter school, and no charter shall
         be granted that authorizes the conversion of any private
         school to a charter school (Education Code 47605 and
         47602).

5.      The petition must indicate the charter’s proposed
         location within the geographic boundaries of the
         school district receiving the petition.  The petition
         must include a description of the facilities to be
         used and specify where the charter school intends
          to locate (Education Code 47605).

6.      The petition must include a multi-year budget.

AUSD staff recommends Board approval of  Academy of Alameda K-5 Elementary School Charter.  The Charter Petition addresses all of the required elements.  The term of the charter is June 30,2015 through June 30, 2020.