Collaboration leads to new direction for SCUSD charter school petitioners

Yav Pem Suab Academy sets asides petition to work with district

Sacramento City Unified School Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond today announced that organizers for the Yav Pem Suab Academy agreed on Tuesday to set aside their petition to start an independent charter school in the district.

At a special board of education meeting on Tuesday night, petitioners said they would work with the district to create a school that remains part of the district as a “dependent” charter school, a charter that would remain under district governance, but would be allowed greater flexibility to use a longer school day or other departures from traditional school practice.

Independent charters are schools that also enjoy variances from traditional school practices but are not governed by school district boards of education.

Raymond praised the collaborative effort and the opportunity the petitioners, mostly from the Hmong community, are offering the district. “We haven’t served the needs of all our kids, especially our Hmong, Latino and African American students,” Raymond said. He noted while many details remain to be worked out with the district and Sacramento City Teachers

Association, the new opportunity will allow the district and petitioners to create a “win-win.” Raymond added, “This is an exciting opportunity for us to be bold and move in a direction that can set the model for closing the achievement gap for all students. This decision will let the district better serve the needs of students with an innovative program and allows us to retain students who might wish to attend such a charter program.”

He added, “Hope is not a strategy. We will need to all work together to make this dream a reality for our community.”