Your comments have been nothing but attacks. Very sad but predictable.

Your comments have been nothing but attacks, lies and slander. Very sad but now unavoidable to call your behavior what it is.

So. When you are called on your games, obfuscations and distractions, you have a new target for more of the same.

I have made every effort to be polite to you on Sac Press. You apparently have no respect for the public and no dignity in how you represent the Mayor of Sacramento as his spokesman. Your return to the top of this discussion to continue to attack and slander me, responding to a post that is nothing more than informative video from PBS (The Lehrer News Hour on Michelle Rhea and the D.C, school system) indicates how invested you are in the deceptive, destructive and distracting tactics that I and others here object to.

It's also past time for the numerous, historic Central City neighborhoods north of Broadway to have a comprehensive PUBLIC (not charter) high school, under a 2004 court order resulting from the (public) Sacramento High School giveaway to (privatized charter St. Hope) Kevin Johnson.

That Kevin Johnson has the history he does at the location of our historic high school; that he has used it as a springboard to political power; that he claims to be a leader for community education; all while the former, PUBLIC Sacramento High School students and families still do not have a comprehensive, public high school, is completely crazy.

You gotta love when people who call themselves pro-Obama Democrats, like the two folks above, start attacking Mayor Johnson, a Democrat, for endorsing the President's education policy. How sad.

Steve. Nothing in what you just wrote is true. Not one word. You even falsely claim what other people call themselves?!!!! It's a shame when the Mayor's spokesman is such a blatant liar -- at this point it's no longer possible to be polite about your behavior on SacPress -- and attacks the public.

It's too tiresome deconstructing your disinformation. As his spokesman, you reflect poorly on the mayor by continuing these false statements, attacks and deflections to avoid the real issues affecting Sacramentans.

Steven:

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

Repeat as necessary.

And yes, when right-wingers begin co-opting the Democratic Party to their own ends, it is very good to see people with less regressive views stand up and take notice. Remember, Mayor Johnson didn't get the endorsement from Sacramento's Democratic Party.

Bill, Steve is still in campaign mode. "His" candidate, not our mayor or our city. Same misleading tactics and bumpersticker talk, rather than service to the community. The Mayor's spokesman is undermining the process and attacking the public at every turn -- at least on SacPress, where the public has an unedited voice.

Aren't there consultants to tell them how bad this looks? Or is this the new hardball, strongarm politics that would be institutionalized with a StrongArm Mayor? That's what they consider "modernizing." That's why the Charter was changed in the 1920's. To PREVENT this.

"Accountability" starts with not misleading and attacking the public.

Actually, Marion, the people of Sacramento -- who you ridicule -- voted for Kevin Johnson by a 58-42 percent margin. And remember, it's you who is attacking the public and the voters, not me.

And are you not a Democrat? Did you not vote for Obama? We do know you don't like Kevin Johnson.

And Mr. Burg, the party insiders backed Heather Fargo. But Democrats -- you know, the people that actually vote -- favored Kevin Johnson overwhelmingly. It's unfortunate that you think Barack Obama and the Secretary of Education are, in your words, "right-wingers."

2 more blatant lies. Will you stop? That's slander, Mr. M. No matter who you speak for.

"Actually, Marion, the people of Sacramento -- who you ridicule..... And remember, it's you who is attacking the public and the voters, not me."

And no, it was not a "landslide." Even if it had been, it does not give you the right to continue your dishonest attacks.

"And are you not a Democrat? Did you not vote for Obama?"

You might ask BEFORE you presume to claim publicly -- and falsely -- how others identify themselves.

"We do know you don't like Kevin Johnson."

I don't know Kevin Johnson. I don't like blatantly deceptive tactics. Those who inflict such on the public are the ones "ridiculing" and "attacking" them.

Please show some restraint and don't force me to point out your lies again.

Oh look, you even twisted William's words around to pretend he said something he didn't. And these games you play, these damaging games ARE Right Wing tactics -- to divert and deflect from the actual issues and constructive discussion.

We heard this lie before--Bush's relatively narrow victory in 2004 was called a "landslide" (and maybe it was, compared to the election he lost in 2000.) So a 52-48 margin (not counting the 5% or so that wrote in other candidates) is considered a "landslide" in that the winner got more votes than the loser.

Steve, do you have proof that a majority of Democrats voted for Johnson? Or did Johnson get "swing votes" from Republicans who didn't have a candidate in the race (other than Shawn Eldredge)?

I'm not a Democrat. I voted for Obama because he seemed like a moderate-liberal hawk, which I am, but I was kind of hoping he was a bit more liberal...and, to be honest, I was not expecting all the stealth conservatives that seem to be riding in on his coat-tails.

But let's try another refrain:

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

KEVIN JOHNSON IS NOT BARACK OBAMA.

When I am talking about Kevin Johnson, I am not talking about Barack Obama. They are not the same person, as much as you try to make people think they are. Supporting one does not mean supporting the other.

If that's the case, how do you explain the amazing results in some inner-city schools (including ours here in Sacramento) by teachers and staff that throw out the business-as-usual practices? Nobody is blaming the teachers. I would think the President and Secretary Duncan would disagree with that. But to pretend that the status quo is okay misses the point. And of course we need to fully fund our schools and have health care. That's a no brainer.

Steven: Part of the amazing results seen at Sacramento High are obtained by kicking out underperforming students. This leaves those students with nowhere to go but the already overburdened public schools in other neighborhoods, and gives you an artificial patina of success.

So your preference is to keep the small number of kids who aren't performing in a classroom with kids that do so the others can't live up to their potential? No child that is working hard is "kicked out" of any school. And perhaps our other public schools should have the same level of standards so that ALL our kids can achieve.

As opposed to kicking them out of school entirely, yes. Not necessarily in the same classroom--that's why you have separate special ed, remedial, vocational, and college prep tracks--but yes, in the same school. Anything less stops being a school that serves the public good and starts being a self-serving institution more interested in its own reputation than its educational mission.

Here's a blast from the past, Steve: Ever watch the Christian Slater movie "Pump Up The Volume"? A loudmouth pirate radio DJ exposed a plan by a corrupt high school principal to kick out underperforming students to keep test scores high, and misused school funding to pad their own budgets and serve their own ends. Sound kind of familiar?

The truth is a virus.

Except that's not how we did it when California's education system was the pride of the nation. Turning education into a business will result in a McDonald's style education: minimum effort for maximum profit, assembly-line learning, and products that look far better in promotional advertising than in the real world.

William, it also results in the destruction of valuable community-building that truly public schools provide, particularly in a diverse city like ours.

Those here crowing about "our inner city schools," ignore the elephant in the room, which is that all of the Central City neighborhoods (all north of Broadway, from Downtown to East Sac and College Greens) still don't have a public comprehensive high school; while Kevin Johnson's private school occupies, underperforms and underutilizes Sacramento's historic public high school campus.

RonaldWest,

The public does not want its pubic school system privatized, locally or nationally. That's what is going on here, but it's not presented that way, because there would more opposition from the public. Stealth tactics have insinuated this process into Sacramento for several years, with inadequate public involvement.

Now stealth privatization of public education is being championed by a mayor who is one of those who has personally -- and politically -- benefitted from (premature, illegal) privatization of a vital public high school. The sordid record of that success is downplayed by local media that have enabled Johnson's continuing hijacking of our high school and his campaign for mayor.

"The people who zealously oppose this necessary education reform are perpetuating the status quo."

"The status quo..." would that be code for "the public schools"? "This necessary education reform..." does that mean privatization? "Zealously..." does that describe recognizing hollow phrases, deceptive tactics and redirection of public funds and resources for private gain?

I wouldn't be quite so "zealous" about the issue if the major newspaper had not colluded with Johnson in recent years to equate "public" and "charter" schools in the public minds.

We have needed education reform for quite some time. Balkanization of communities and privatization (and unregulated misuse) of public funds and resources, are not good solutions.

Marion, how does this specific education reform lend to "stealth privatization"?

Apparently Marion has been appointed to speak for the People...I must have missed that vote.

Most Americans support choice in education and Charter schools. That is not privitization. And even if it was I would support it. Private schools and Charter schools do a MUCH better job at educating our children.

Oh yeah and btw... Charter schools ARE PUBLIC SCHOOLS..as per the CA Education code, they are just managed by non-profits, who do a much better job at educating our children, and for less money.

Jim, I speak for public involvement. It's true that "Stealth tactics have insinuated this process into Sacramento for several years, with inadequate public involvement. "

My assertion that, "The public does not want its pubic school system privatized, locally or nationally" is as, or more, valid than your claims that "Most Americans support choice in education and Charter schools. " and "Charter schools... are just managed by non-profits, who do a much better job at educating our children, and for less money."

People know what the public school system is. That is not it.

Public funds, public property, public education, let the public decide.

And no, charter schools are not public schools, no matter what the trends in marketing indicate.

MonaRomero,

Before there was "Teach to the Test" and "Speak From the Script" and "Let Business Dictate How You Educate Children," there was this thing called "context."

"Now stealth privatization of public education is being championed by a mayor who is one of those who has personally -- and politically -- benefitted from (premature, illegal) privatization of a vital public high school. The sordid record of that success is downplayed by local media that have enabled Johnson's continuing hijacking of our high school and his campaign for mayor."

No one said "this specific education reform lend to "stealth privatization." "

If the Mayor's spokesman hadn't been so intentionally disruptive here, we might have discussed the "specific education reform" more.

But Mr. Macchiaviglio has a lot of damage control to do. It keeps him too busy to discuss actual issues. He has people bringing up criminal behavior, criminal misuse of funds, criminal investigations, criminal buyouts and payoffs and that's not to mention dumping students and fudging statistics on St. HOPE performance, in order to meet those generic, cut and paste "high standards" that the education "reformers" are pushing. Worst of all, Machiaviglio has to attack those who call the mayor's deceptive, bumpersticker strategies for what they are!! Damn critical thinkers!

So, you're right, it is confusing. In the context of what Johnson has accomplished and gotten away with, including being elected Mayor with no policymaking or City Council meeting experience, it's really something,

How he and St. HOPE can continue squatting on the historic, comprehensive Sacramento High School campus is another mystery.

"Now stealth privatization of public education is being championed by a mayor who is one of those who has personally -- and politically -- benefitted from (premature, illegal) privatization of a vital public high school. The sordid record of that success is downplayed by local media that have enabled Johnson's continuing hijacking of our high school and his campaign for mayor."

I'm sorry if the context wasn't clear enough. Maybe if I'd had a better public school education, I'd know whatever the Latin phrase is for: "He champions his own stealthy cause."

Thank gawd for Google and the Net. I tried to find translations that might help:

Is champions suus own furtim causa
It champions the cause of his own stealthy
This champions his own by stealth case at law

Is champions suus own causa occulte
This champions his own case at law secretly.

Hope that helps.`

Marion you are a partisan hack... school choice is supported by the majority of Americans ONLY Unions and liberal drones are against giving children a better chance at a decent life.

Charter Schools ARE PUBLIC SCHOOLS...regardless of your assertions. THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA CALLS THEM PUBLIC SCHOOLS!.. but you know more don't you Marion.

educate yourself See: http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cs/re/csabout.asp

Jim, you are a bully, as classy as Mr. Machiaviglio... If not for having to defend against your outrageous attacks, neither would be worthy of comment. I'd decided this regarding you on SacPress and then met you in person. You don't listen to anyone, talk over everyone, force those who want to speak to announce it to you to shut you up, who then find you talking over them anyway. You might be more careful with your insults and accusations.

"...school choice is supported by the majority of Americans ONLY Unions and liberal drones are against giving children a better chance at a decent life."

Says you. Sounds pretty partisan hackish to this public school graduate.

Charter schools are not public schools. The public school system is just that. It is not a charter or privatized or balkanized school system. It is a public school system with public standards, public funds, public property and public accountability, that builds community and provides public benefit.

Your insults and phony marketing lingo notwithstanding.

Thanks, Marion for the thoughtful response. From a personal perspective, I went to a charter school. It was in every sense of the word "public", with "public standards, public funds, public property and public accountability" - perhaps even exceedingly so for fear of public backlash.

My experiece with the school system was very negative. I attended every possible parent-tacher function and got to know the staff. It was shocking to me to see then staff dressed wike the meeting was a car wash, only one or two dressed in a professionla manner, ever. Nver was a teacher available to meet me one on one before 7 AM or after 4 PM, they did not have the time for it.

Thank you, Savvysydsam, for acknowledging that test scores are soaring at this charter school. You might also note the number of kids going to four-year colleges is soaring too. That's because what's happening at these schools is working: dedicated teachers, strong staff, supportive parents. It's changing lives and making our community a better place for all of us.

By the way, "ALOT" is spelled "a lot."

Gee, thanks for the spelling lesson. You sure are very selective with your data. You refuse to acknowledge why the scores are up. All of the pro-charter people refuse to look at the reason why. I stated it earlier and I will state it again. nearly 200 kids LEFT the school last year. Who are they? Why did they leave? Special Ed, English Language Learners - NOT NUMERICALLY SIGNIFICANT at that school! This is a California inner city school but they don't have significant numbers of those students at their school.

As far as 4 year colleges. I know they make every student apply for college whether they plan to go or not. Any school that did that would have higher numbers of students ACCEPTED to college. What interests me is the terrible SAT scores for that school. They get worse every year.

Here they are for 2007-2008:

Sac Charter / Ca State Avg

Critical reading avg. 380 / 494
Math avg. 377 / 513
writing avg. 382 / 493

WOW, pretty bad. Those scores all dropped from the year before and the year before that and so on and so on. Getting worse, not better. I trust the SAT more than I trust Sac Charter's test scores. They can't cheat on the SAT.

Except that just about every charter school operation is a not-for-profit.

I think we agree that salaries, training, and resources all are critical. But, honestly, I don't know how you can defend business-as-usual in our schools.

I don't believe I defended "business as usual" anywhere in my comment. I don't want "business as usual." What I do want is schools to be fully funded, teachers fully credentialed and paid better, the the Arts to be restored to the regular school day, available to every child-not just a select few at "special" schools, teaching minutes extended to allow for teaching ALL subjects, the educational process to be "child-centered" instead of "test centered" and parents to be held accountable, as well as schools, when their children fail to achieve. When parents-of any income level or cultural background support the schools and teachers by doing their job-turning off the tv, reading with their kids, supervising homework, and making sure they get to school on time, fed and ready to learn--kids achieve. I say that from first-hand experience and numerous studies also came to the same conclusion.

Business as usual currently means expecting our kindergarten students to master what used to be the 1st grade curriculum, even though we don't require them to be 5, as many states do, before school starts. What is occurring, is that many of these children are failing kindergarten because they are not ready and are too young. Boys are especially at risk. If they were instead taught an age-appropriate child-centered curriculum, they would be much more likely to succeed, to see themselves as successful learners, and enjoy school. So no, I don't support a lot of business as usual. But I also don't support the idea of handing our schools over to business to run. Get the politics out of the schools and get back to teaching the kids.

We agree on more than we disagree. But the "business" you speak of are usually nonprofits or groups that focus on learning and achievement, not profit. And nearly across the board, the results have been impressive.

Buildrbuz...you are incorrect. CA schools have age cutoffs for kindergarten. It's January, the student must be 5 by then...I know I have two kids. I wanted my 4 year old in Kindergarten this year, he was denied because he did not turn 5 until February.

And your assertion that they are teaching 1st grade curriculum to kidergarteners is also incorrect.

And then there is corruption. Many nonprofit charters contract out all their services to a for-profit firm, sometimes run by the same owner. This backdoor model—of a nonprofit funneling dollars to a separate, for-profit entity—is common. Kent Fischer explained it in the St. Petersburg Times:

The profit motive drives business…. More and more, it’s driving Florida school reform. The vehicle: charter schools. This was not the plan. These schools were to be “incubators of innovation,” free of the rules that govern traditional districts. Local school boards would decide who gets the charters, which spell out how a school will operate and what it will teach. To keep this deal, lawmakers specified that only nonprofit groups would get charters. But six years later, profit has become pivotal.... For-profit corporations create nonprofit foundations to obtain the charters, and then hire themselves to run the schools.
Hmmm... could this be happening with the Mayor and his many entangled businesses? St. HOPE Public Schools, St. HOPE Academy, Kynship development, blah, blah, blah.

Mr. Knapp- Buildrbuz is correct about 1st grade curriculum in kinder. When I went to kindergarten in the 60's we finger painted and still took naps. When I volunteered in my kids' kindergarten classes several years ago, they were reading. We didn't even open a book until the 1st grade.

The cutoff for SCUSD for kindergarten is Dec 2. I have kids born in December /November and the Dec kid waited a year because she was born after the 2nd. Parents whose kids are born before Dec 2nd can opt to send them to school while they're 4. That's why so many kids who were born before then start kinder at 4. Usually, those kids are not ready to perform at the current level. Many parents are opting to keep their kids home and have them start kindergarten older. That's what I did with my Nov kid and it was the best decision I ever made.

"The profit motive drives business…. these schools were to be “incubators of innovation,” free of the rules that govern traditional districts. Local school boards would decide who gets the charters, which spell out how a school will operate and what it will teach. To keep this deal, lawmakers specified that only nonprofit groups would get charters. But six years later, profit has become pivotal.... For-profit corporations create nonprofit foundations to obtain the charters, and then hire themselves to run the schools."

Thank you, Savvysydsam. But we don't need to look thousands of miles across the country to find rampant corruption and profiteering associated with so-called education reform efforts. Unfortunately, both are alive and well right here in the River City.

Some might forget that the CASA alternative pension fund and retirement spiking scandal that wracked the Sac City school district under the former school board led by Jay Schenirer also involved the creation of a shadowy charter school management venture under the CASA umbrella. Essentially, with CASA the same high level Sac City District officials who generously padded their retirement (10 extra years of service credit and many thousands of additional dollars a year!) also schemed to roll themselves directly into lucrative management contracts to administer the business operations of the same charter schools they helped establish during their tenure running the district. This was all done simultaneously with the give away of Sacramento High School to St. Hope. CASA-- which ultimately cost the school district millions of dollars in settlements--- largely was seen as the brainchild of Laura Bruno, the school district's Chief Financial Officer at the time. Bruno retired from the district with her fattened pension into a sweet gig as CASA's chief officer...she also served on the St. Hope/Sac Charter school board.

As buildrbuz wrote:

"But at the end of the day, this isn't about teachers or students, it's about money and power and who controls it."

How does Johnson promote himself as as education mayor with a straight face?

"Essentially, with CASA the same high level Sac City District officials who generously padded their retirement (10 extra years of service credit and many thousands of additional dollars a year!) also schemed to roll themselves directly into lucrative management contracts to administer the business operations of the same charter schools they helped establish during their tenure running the district. This was all done simultaneously with the give away of Sacramento High School to St. Hope. CASA-- which ultimately cost the school district millions of dollars in settlements--- largely was seen as the brainchild of Laura Bruno, the school district's Chief Financial Officer at the time. Bruno retired from the district with her fattened pension into a sweet gig as CASA's chief officer...she also served on the St. Hope/Sac Charter school board. "

Here is the link to RSVP. Site says it will be first come, first served.

http://www.cityofsacramento.org/mayor/

Umm, I'm not a dem. I get angry when people lie to steal taxpayer dollars. If you're a conservative, you should see that Democrats for Ed reform is all about getting their hands on the money. Not about fixing anything.

Bill Burg has a knee slapper for ya!

"We heard this lie before--Bush's relatively narrow victory in 2004 was called a "landslide" (and maybe it was, compared to the election he lost in 2000.)"

Let it go Louise. You won! Look what you won, a truckload of hate!

Charter schools are not public schools.

The public knows what the public school system means and what it means to support the public school system...

... Until enough are disinformed and miseducated enough to accept the dismantlement of the public school system and the Orwellian changes in marketing/language that enable it.

Seriously honey you need to up your medication

Well that just goes to show you, Jim, you can lead a horse to water, then you can stand there and watch him die of thirst. Most dems are thirsting for water here, but they refuse to drink. Well actual that i$ wrong, what they are thru$ting for here i$ the money, which will $till leave them dying of thir$t and our public $chool$ $till failing.

Marion here is different, I will say that. She sounds like a person that has overdosed herself on cheap bottled water, and is slurring her disinformation in an attempt to save her own soul. You see a lot like her spouting denials in the face of truth, it’s a liberal addiction.

I support choice in education and Charter schools. But please, you dems just continue on making a$$es of yourself, I am enjoying myself immensely.

God Bless America

You can lead a horse to Kool Aid and tell them it's water, but you can't make them drink.

What is a Charter School?
A charter school is a public school, and it may provide instruction in any of grades K-12.

This is a direct quote from the page of the California Department of Education. Do you think you know more than the department of education?

Lady Marion I think you are just as fictitious as your boyfriend Robin, and not only did you drank the cool-aid, you bathed in it.

But let’s not be harsh, and say you are smarter than the CDE, if that is true they for sure they should not get the money. But the possibility of that is not even slim to nothing.

To remind you, you can educate yourself at the link Jim provided, or continue to heckle from the corner while wearing your dunce hat. My personal hope is that you continue to make a a$$ of yourself.

God Bless America

Yes, there are charter schools that are called "public" because they receive public $. They are not, however, truly "public" in that they are not obligated to serve everyone by law. Just like Sac Charter, they can kick out 200 underperforming kids and then claim how great they are. It's not that their program is better or their teachers are better. Their student body is better. That's it. I don't mind choice in education, as long as there is an even playing field and charters don't suck away resources from schools who are obligated by law to try and educate students whose parents don't "choose to choose". Those kids are at a huge disadvantage and quite frankly, charter schools don't even address these kids. Pretty soon, public schools will be filled with the rejects of charter schools. It doesn't fix the fundamental problem which is bad parenting and the cumbersome ed code. The ed code needs to be completely revamped and parents need to quit blaming schools and teachers for all of their failings. Just switching to charters doesn't fix anything . The same problems will persist.

http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cs/re/csabout.asp
What is a Charter School?

"A charter school is a public school, and it may provide instruction in any of grades K-12. A charter school is usually created or organized by a group of teachers, parents and community leaders or a community-based organization, and it is usually sponsored by an existing local public school board or county board of education."

A charter school is "usually sponsored by an existing local public school board" and is NOT a public school in the traditional sense of "public schools" which the local public schools board oversee.

"A charter school is generally exempt from most laws governing school districts, except where specifically noted in the law."

Another distinction between charter schools and public schools. There are many more.

"California public charter schools are required to ..."
"Public charter schools may not ..."

Despite the misinformation at the top of the paragraph (which SacPress bullies have latched onto, not reading any further), the final lines contain the correct term: "public charter schools." Just as the actual name "Sacramento Charter High School" is rarely used by charter promoters and their enablers in the media.

Kevin Johnson even went so far as to name his charter school business franchise, independent from the public schools, "St. HOPE Public Schools." Wonder if the students are allowed to read "1984."

Even so, the St. HOPE web site points out the differences between charter and actual public schools and the public school system:

St. HOPE Public Schools (SHPS) is an "independent charter SCHOOL SYSTEM."
"The goal of St. HOPE Public Schools is to provide Sacramento youth with a PRIVATE SCHOOL EDUCATION, for free."
The vision of St. HOPE Public Schools is to "To CREATE one of the finest urban K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS in America."

The stated goal and vision of St. HOPE is to create an independent public charter school system -- separate from the public school system -- to offer private school education, sponsored by the local public school board.

Among the stated reasons that "St. HOPE Public Schools differ from traditional district public schools" are: "Freedom: St. HOPE Public Schools must adhere to the same major laws and regulations as all other public schools, however, they also have a certain freedom from the procedural road blocks that can get in the way of providing educational excellence."

A "certain freedom" from certain, unstated "procedural road blocks..." It's clear that Kevin Johnson has no respect for procedure that gets in the way of his agenda.

"Sac High is built on a special philosophy and belief system that is practiced every day."
Also unstated is what this "special philosophy and belief system" is.

From http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cs/re/csabout.asp
"The law also requires that a public charter school be nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, employment practices, and all other operations."

There is is again, that pesky correct term "public charter school" and the requirement that they be nonsectarian, which St. HOPE and Hoodcore are not.

Charter schools are not public schools. The public is allowed to apply to attend public schools. That's it.

Yep, she does need to up her meds.

Sorry folks, this does not mean what it says:

A charter school is a public school, and it may provide instruction in any of grades K-12.

God Bless American.

Marion - you need to re calibrate that tin foil hat your not making sense.

Were you one of the union school teachers given the boot at Sac High? Sure sounds like it. No matter what your issues are.. the fact of the matter is that Charter schools INCLUDING Sac High are PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

The facts in my comment are drawn directly from the web site aticama and JimKnapp referred to and from the St HOPE web site.

Rather than refute the facts, they repeat false slogans ("If I say it, it's so!!") and slime their personal attacks.

In California ALL Charter schools must be non-profit.

buildrbuz do you even have children?

If you don't like free choice...maybe move to a country like Venezuela... you will be right at home. Feel free to send your kids to a public school that is your choice...but don't tell me where to send mine.

“that the top 5-10% of students from McClatchy perform just as well, as the students from the other schools. What that says is, it isn't all about public vs private vs charter.”

No, what that says is that it is an assumption, and that I can just as easily say that they will all get failing grades. Until the test is run, we will not really know, will we. I say let’s not play with assumptions when it comes to our children’s education. Let’s get the facts out and look at them.

As a child I went to both public and private schools (both Christian and Military), (at that time they were not called charter schools), and I can say that the level of education I received at the later far outreached the level received at the former. Public school always made me feel that I was there so they could get paid by the state. It was explained to me that they would not get paid if I was not in school, “so that is why you have to be here.”

I have seen the failures in the public education system, and they are more than they are less. I say let’s get some new thinking in the system, and quit financing those that have already show themselves as failures. Who knows, someone may put together the right combination that could change the face of education in the world, just not in Sacramento.

God Bless America

Handpicking the student body and fudging statistics and test results is not the answer either.

"There are so many factors that affect students outside of what happens inside the walls of the particular school they attend. And the make-up of the individual student-their determination to succeed, or lack there of-is also huge."

Maid Marion

You should stay away from that old soul coffee, or at least switch to decaff.

God Bless America.

"aticama" lay off the Kool Aid and use your real name on SacPress.

Illegal immigration and sub-cultures that do not value education. THAT is the reason our schools suck and why there is an education gap.

Oracle, after several incarnations, JimKnapp has the courage to put his real name on his SacPress comments, such as they may be. I wonder if you would look at your own racist and elitist comments differently -- in this discussion and earlier discussions on the use of library benches -- if you used your real name here.

Louise, you need a mirror. You tend to present yourself always knowing whats best, and others are wrong.