| For immediate release December 15, 2011 |
Contact:
Larry Slonaker, SCCOE Phone: (408) 453-6662 |
County Board approves 20 more Rocketship charters
SAN JOSE, CA – Rocketship Education’s request for authorization of 20 more countywide charter schools was approved by the Santa Clara County Board of Education Wednesday night.
The votes culminated a seven-hour meeting, which at its peak was attended by 450 people, most of whom were Rocketship supporters. Because the board’s main meeting room could accommodate only about 250 people, the remainder of the attendees were seated in nearby rooms with audio and video feeds of the proceedings. The Wednesday vote followed previous board approval for five Rocketship countywide charters.
Most of the votes were 5-2, with Board Members Michael Chang and Anna Song dissenting. On votes for two proposed schools located in San Jose Unified School District, Board President Joseph Di Salvo joined the dissenters.
“This is a momentous time for public education in Santa Clara County,” Di Salvo said after the meeting. “We did not make the decision lightly. We recognize there are many ramifications of this decision. But ultimately, the board majority felt this decision was in the best interest of all students.”
Di Salvo cited the support voiced at the meeting by San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, Vice Mayor Madison Nguyen and Council Member Sam Liccardo, among many others. But he also acknowledged the emphatic dissent voiced by numerous superintendents and board members of local districts.
He added that the ultimate hoped-for goal is that collaborative work between charters and traditional public schools will eliminate the achievement gap in county schools by 2020.
Also on Wednesday night, the board reelected Di Salvo for another one-year term as board president, and elected Julia Hover-Smoot as vice president.
Date last updated: December 15, 2011
