Category Archives: Charter schools

22nd Annual EYE Light Student Film Festival shows off local talent – Daily Republic

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The 22nd Annual EYE Light Student Film Festival will give students a chance to show off their film talent next week.

The event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 25, at Rodriguez High School, 5000 Red Top Road in Fairfield.

The EYE Light Festival was started by Buckingham Charter Magnet High School using 35mm film. It grew to become an internationally recognized festival. This year it is sponsored by Rodriguez High.

Source: 22nd Annual EYE Light Student Film Festival shows off local talent

Kairos Public Schools earns civics honorable mention – Daily Republic

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Kairos Public Schools received an honorable mention for the California Civic Learning Award, making it one of 18 schools in the state to receive this prestigious recognition.

The California Civic Learning Award is given to schools that demonstrate excellence in civic education and engagement, and Kairos was recognized for “its commitment to preparing its students to be informed, engaged, and responsible citizens,” the school said in a statement.

“We are thrilled to receive this recognition from the California Department of Education,” Jared Austin, co-founder and executive director of Kairos, said in the statement. “At Kairos, we are dedicated to ensuring that our students have the knowledge, skills, and civic dispositions to be active and engaged members of their communities. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our teachers, staff, and students.”

Source: Good News: Kairos Public Schools earns civics honorable mention

Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy celebrates new multi-purpose room with Ribbon Cutting – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Rebecca Wasik

Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy’s new campus on McClellan Street in Vacaville is finally complete.

The Knights celebrated the completion of their new multi-purpose room with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday morning. Students, staff and members of the community were invited to see the new multi-purpose space and enjoy breakfast from the multi-purpose room’s kitchen. The completion of the campus was made possible through Measure A, which was passed in 2014.

The new multi-purpose room can be used for sports, cooking and as a cafeteria. It also includes a stage for assemblies or performances.

Source: Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy celebrates new multi-purpose room with Ribbon Cutting – The Vacaville Reporter

Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy students partner with Recology for breast cancer fundraiser – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Rebecca Wasik

National Honor Society students at Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy in Vacaville are making a difference when it comes to breast cancer awareness.

Recology Vacaville Solano currently leases out pink trash totes for $200 a year, with all funds supporting the Solano Midnight Sun Breast Cancer Foundation. These pink totes replace the traditional gray trash totes that are standard for residents. The totes are vibrant pink to show support to those in the community who may be suffering from or are survivors of breast cancer.

Source: Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy students partner with Recology for breast cancer fundraiser – The Vacaville Reporter

Building a LEGO bridge – Times-Herald

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By Jordan Baker

Ken, Ryan and Nina Sarna have already shown a ton of success with their NFL Flag Football league. Now the family is looking to show off its other playmaking abilities with LEGO.

The Coach Sarna League has progressed to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning.

The next step is Caliber: ChangeMakers Academy, says teacher Ryan Sarna, and the joy of LEGO.

“We wanted to do more. We’re big on creating community so let’s reach kids that may not be interested in football.,” Ryan Sarna. “LEGO is a lot of fun, but it increases their engineering capabilities. This is really an engineering competition. We wanted to start a low-cost league that was high quality.”

Source: Building a LEGO bridge – Times-Herald

Buckingham crab feed supports students – The Vacaville Reporter

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Support students at Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy by indulging in crab.

The BCCA SHIELD parent group is hosting a crab feed at 6-10 p.m. Saturday at the McBride Senior Center, 91 Town Square Place in Vacaville.

Proceeds will go toward scholarships and fund student club supplies and activities.

Doors open at 5 p.m., followed by no-host cocktail service at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m.

Source: Buckingham crab feed supports students – The Vacaville Reporter

Northern California charter school has academic success following tough years during pandemic – Fox40

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By Jeannie Nguyen

More than 1,000 students are waiting their turn for a chance to get into a Vacaville charter school after hearing about its recent academic success.

Success is not the word many would use over the few years when dealing with the pandemic, but for the staff and students at Kairos Public Schools, success is a word that they’re pleased to share given what they’ve endured.

A few minutes before Lauren Goff’s fourth grade class, it was clear that having fun while learning is a top priority.

Source: Northern California charter school has academic success following tough years during pandemic

Vallejo school board to consider new agreement with charter network – Vallejo Sun

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By John Glidden

The Vallejo school board will be asked to approve a tolling agreement with Griffin Technology Academies (GTA) on Wednesday as the charter network works to fix several alleged violations levied by the school district.

The Vallejo City Unified School District Board of Education voted on April 28 to send a notice of violations to each of the four charter schools operated by GTA alleging the charter network mismanaged its finances, allowed mold to flourish inside school facilities, and violated the state’s open meeting law.

Source: Vallejo school board to consider new agreement with charter network

New roads ahead for 30 VUSD summer school graduates – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Thirty seniors made their way to the stage and, about 30 minutes later, it was all about diplomas, that emblem of adulthood and a figurative ticket to a new life.

Newly graduated from Vacaville Unified’s summer school, the seniors, who picked up their diplomas Friday afternoon in the filled-to-capacity Catwalk Theater at Will C. Wood, did not walk across the stage in June with their respective classmates at Vacaville, Buckingham Charter and Wood high schools, and Ernest Kimme Charter Academy.

Source: New roads ahead for 30 VUSD summer school graduates – The Vacaville Reporter

Griffin Technology Academies announces new members to accountability team – Times-Herald

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By Thomas Gase

Continuing with its remedy for being served with a Notice of Violation by the city’s school district, Griffin Technology Academies is appointing new members to its accountability team this week.

Nick Driver, the Vallejo City Unified School District’s new superintendent, named Brent Zionic — an educator and technology expert with a deep background in workflow and compliance processes — as GTA’s new Chief Accountability Officer.

Driver also named Jane Henzerling, charter school founder and educational systems and measurement expert, as a second key member of the new team.

Source: Griffin Technology Academies announces new members to accountability team – Times-Herald

Vallejo charter schools promise ‘turnaround’ after district’s threat to status – Vallejo Sun

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The Griffin Technology Academies (GTA) Board of Directors formally responded this week to allegations of wrongdoing levied by the Vallejo school board in late April.

The Vallejo City Unified School District Board of Education voted on April 28 to send a notice of violations to each of the four charter schools operated by GTA – paving the way for the district to strip the charters of their status. The district alleged the charter board committed numerous violations, including failing to protect students, mismanaging the network’s finances, allowing mold to flourish inside school facilities, and violating the state’s open meeting law.

Source: Vallejo charter schools promise ‘turnaround’ after district’s threat to status

Fairfield-Suisun board to consider multiple-school sports agreement – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

The Fairfield-Suisun school board will hear a presentation Thursday on the California Interscholastic Federation Multi-School Agreement that could allow students at private and charter schools to compete on public school athletic teams.

A CIF agreement such as this is between two schools and allows students from a school that does not have an athletic program to participate in their “resident school’s” athletic program.

Source: Fairfield-Suisun board to consider multiple-school sports agreement

Vallejo school board tells charter schools to fix issues or risk losing status – Vallejo Sun

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The Vallejo school board took its first steps toward potentially stripping Griffin Technology Academies (GTA) of its four school charters over concerns that the organization has mismanaged finances, failed to protect students from mold infestations, and violated state open meeting law.

The five-person school board unanimously approved sending notice of violations to the GTA board of directors on Thursday, giving them until June 6 to remedy or refute the alleged violations. If the school board believes the organization hasn’t shown enough improvement, the board could continue the process of revoking the charters.

Source: Vallejo school board tells charter schools to fix issues or risk losing status

Kairos Public Schools earns state award for pandemic response – Daily Republic

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Kairos Public Schools has received the state 2022 Pivotal Practice Award for its pandemic response – the only Solano County school to receive the recognition.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced the award Tuesday.

“We are proud of the courageous efforts of our staff and students as they responded with student-centered decision-making in the most challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic. The team’s perseverance and dedication to create learning systems for our scholars in a time when no school was prepared speaks to our spirit of innovation,” Jared Austin, the executive director of Kairos, said in a statement.

Source: Kairos Public Schools earns state award for pandemic response

Vallejo City Unified School District sends notices to four charter schools – Times-Herald

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By Thomas Gase

The Vallejo City Unified School District announced in a news release Tuesday that it sent out draft Notices of Violations and Opportunity to Cure to Griffin Technology Academies (GTA) concerning its four charter schools.

Those schools include Mare Island Technology Academy middle and high schools as well as Griffin Academy middle and high schools.

The VCUSD’s Board of Trustees will review, consider, and vote on whether to formally issue the draft notices sent to GTA’s four schools on Thursday at 5 p.m. during a special board meeting.

Source: Vallejo City Unified School District sends notices to four charter schools – Times-Herald

Buckingham vendor fair helps support teachers and students – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

McKayla Klein brought her handmade jewelry collection to the vendor fair to help support her school, Buckingham Charter on Saturday.

The seventh-grader began making jewelry for Girl Scouts and found it so relaxing she just couldn’t stop creating.

Last year she began selling her creations at craft fairs with the help of her parents.

Source: Buckingham vendor fair helps support teachers and students

Thompson, Garamendi announce nearly $4 million for Solano County schools – Times-Herald

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Congressmen Mike Thompson and John Garamendi announced on Thursday that Solano County schools will receive $3,944,431 from the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Emergency Connectivity Fund Program (ECF).

This includes $2,013,524 to the Vallejo City Unified School District and $657,375 to the Benicia Unified School District.

The ECF program, which was created as part of the American Rescue Plan, helps schools and libraries ensure that students can connect to the internet at home, allowing them to take advantage of online learning and do their homework. Known as the “homework gap,” students who lack access to the internet at home often fall behind their peers as curriculums and educational opportunities rely more and more on the ability to conduct online research and connect to the web.

Source: Thompson, Garamendi announce nearly $4 million for Solano County schools – Times-Herald

Caliber Public Schools appealing VCUSD denial – Times-Herald

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By Thomas Gase

Once denied, Caliber Public Schools is still attempting to open a high school in Vallejo to accompany its current kindergarten to eighth grade campus in the city — Caliber: ChangeMakers Academy.

Earlier this week a public hearing was held in front of the Solano County Office of Education for the Caliber High School petition. In December, the Vallejo City Unified School District (VCUSD) denied the petition on the basis of fiscal impact.

Caliber’s high school petition was originally submitted in September of 2021.

Source: Caliber Public Schools appealing VCUSD denial – Times-Herald

Board of Education holds hearing for proposed Caliber High School in Vallejo – Daily Republic

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By Matt Miller

The Solano County Board of Education held a spirited public hearing Wednesday at City Hall concerning a petition from Caliber Public Schools to start a high school in Vallejo.

Caliber Public Schools filed a petition in January to appeal the decision in December of the Vallejo City School District governing board. The Vallejo board unanimously denied Caliber’s petition to establish a new high school because of the district’s ongoing fiscal troubles.

The Solano Board of Education held the first public hearing Wednesday to consider the level of support for the petition by teachers employed by the school district, other employees of the school district, and parents.

Source: Board of Education holds hearing for proposed Caliber High School in Vallejo

Buckingham Students Plan For The Future – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Joel Rosenbaum

America Perez-Ochoa, 14 (right) a freshman at Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy takes notes as she speaks with Dr. Jacquae Walker (left,) a family practice physician, with Kaiser Permanente in Fairfield during the school’s annual career fair Thursday at the Georgie Duke Sports Center. Students from the school were able to speak and network with a variety of professionals from a range of careers including, medical, military, engineering, public safety, and journalism during the school-wide event.

Source: Photo: Buckingham Students Plan For The Future – The Vacaville Reporter