Impact of Independence HS sharing with 3 Charter Schools

As an Independence teacher, I am open to the possibility that charter schools may sometimes offer students opportunities that a district public school can not. However, trying to run five different schools (IHS, Pegasus, KIPP, DCP, ACE) on a campus designed for one school is doing nothing but shortchanging five different student populations. While IHS and Pegasus have some relationship to each other, the charters run as independent entities so there is no sense of community or communal respect/ownership. Putting 4-5 different communities in shared facilities is stressful. It would be another story if all facilities were self-contained yet on the same block (like houses), but too many areas must be shared under the current arrangements. Instead of adding to, this arrangement subtracts from all of the students' high school experience; this isn't fair to Independence students, Pegasus students, KIPP students, ACE students, or DCP students, nor the respective faculty and staff.

Make IHS how IHS is suppose to be

Charter schools are not the answer to solving the education gap within our communities. It's time the general public is informed on why thiese profit based institutions are targeting our neighborhoods. Let's starting asking why their teachers do not have cleared California credentials, and why the have such a high teacher turnaround. Our students deserve to be respected! No to charter schools!

Safety should be the number one priority!

Please help improve education in the US

Bad idea!

My husband is a teacher and coach at Independence and this is having a huge impact on East Side Students.

I believe this petition brings many very serious problems to light and has tried to propose fair solutions. I also believe that the district should have put more thought into these problems before initiating the inclusion of the charter schools on our campus. Unfortunately I think this is a common problem - district action before investigation and discussion with all parties who will be affected by their decision. I am in complete support of this petition.

Let's help make Independence a better learning environment!

Additionally, the IHS bookroom was moved into the library to provide additional space to the charter schools. Having the bookroom in the library essentially eliminates any functional use of the library, especially given the size of the student population at IHS, and creates a safety issue for library patrons and staff.

There are so many issues that aren't being addressed with this proposed impact. Please reconsider and respect those involved with a more informed decision.

As an alumni I feel that this is unfair. Classrooms are full as it is.

Adding more students unsupervised and poorly staffed makes it unsafe for students to learn. I do not agree with sharing our campus to outside education institutions

No.

When charter schools begin to handle their issues then let them come into a district. SCCOE needs to stop approving new charters until all ducks are in a row

I believe cutting down some charter school will decrease altercation events and can easily increase better safeness for the students, staff and teachers

10 years ago Featured

There is a definite safety issue when 4 schools are located on 1 campus. How do you communicate effectively between schools if there is an emergency (shelter in place, medical emergency, discipline issues, etc.)? Our kids' safety must come first.

Independence was IMPROVING when I graduated....how has it become so much worse with all these charter schools?

I am an IHS alum and find this disconcerting for all students and staff, but especially those of my alma mater.

Charter schools take valuable resources from the neediest students. We don't need them in the district