Required Response Form Grand Jury Report Title: Advancing Education Through Sharing Report Dated: April 3, 2019*

- Innovations (creative teaching methodologies which benefit students) at any school are neither utilized nor shared between charter and district schools. * AGREE WUSD has a very positive relationship with the charters schools within our community. However, we do not meet and exchange ideas of best practices. Willits Charter is an A-G focused high school, La Vida Charter blends independent study work with part-time attendance, and Willits High School (WHS) is a comprehensive program for all types of students. WHS has A-G college bound students, 11 Career and Technical Education Programs, an Alternative Education program, Special Education Programs, as well as independent study. At the elementary level, the district and WECS have similar programs. It's important to understand that we compete for students and competitors generally are not working in chorus with one another. We believe in parental choice and want to be the right choice, as do the charter schools.

– Since district schools operate under more restrictive rules and regulations, it is difficult for the district schools to offer some of the same options or programs as charter schools. * STRONLY AGREE Rules, regulations, accountability and paperwork are piled on to the public schools compared to the charter schools. Charter schools don't have to have the same requirements for teacher credentials, they are non-union, have limited building codes, and a board that can function much more like a business. I am not advocating for the charter schools to follow our rules, we would like to have their rules. Public schools would be far more responsive to student needs and change if able to avoid the incredible mountain of educational legislative code dictating everything. EdCode makes a basic assumption that local control cannot be trusted and must be micromanaged by Sacramento and the County School System. It also important to note that WUSD is also running state regulated programs such as: special needs programs, year around food service programs, busing, alternative high school, adult education, athletics, a pool, tennis courts, auditorium, school farm, community gym and more.

- The district schools are changing their curricula to attract students and increase their ADA funding. *DISAGREE/AGREE WUSD adjusts curriculum because the state mandates it and produces the tests that we are held accountable to. Again, local control is not an option. If I knew of a program that the district could afford to do and would draw students back to WUSD, I would do it without question. My goal is to make WUSD the best district it can be for all students. The entire concept of the state funding schools based on ADA is wrong, districts are being punished for lack of attendance by students. This is like punishing the waitress when people don't show up to eat at the restaurant. All public schools in CA should join together in a class action lawsuit against the state, due to the direct conflict with the mandated requirements of the Williams Act.

– Where existing, the assigned oversight person between the district and the charter schools has not looked for opportunities to broaden the success of district schools. Currently, the GJ found no evidence of collaborative processes between the charter and district schools. * AGREE WUSD has a very limited role in oversight in regards to the charter schools. WUSD follows the state guidelines and makes sure the charters have the required documents and provide solvent financial information. We have a great relationship with the charter schools but not a collaborative problem-solving situation. However, with special education we do work in collaboration because public schools are required to provide services for those students. Our district has a large number of high need students since the charter schools do not have the numbers nor the capacity to provide for those programs.

– Many parents are not aware of the availability, or even the existence, of SARC, API, and other scores and reports to determine the best educational experience for their students. Parents have traditionally not been educated in the availability of these tools. *AGREE WUSD works hard to provide all the state requirements, which include all of the items mentioned above and more except API (which has been changed). The majority of parents are not aware of the documents and reports available to them, they rely on the local schools to do their best. There is a small group of parents who will check available data and reports, however reports that are 50-80 pages will often get put down quickly. Comparing schools is usually based on programs and services offered, just like the other businesses in town.

- The GJ has found in Mendocino County the mission of charter schools as originally envisioned has not been fulfilled. * AGREE The mission of charter schools is to provide parents with an alternative to traditional public schools using public tax dollars. The charter school movement is far larger than just Mendocino County and the same issues exist nationally. Most people believe that our local charter schools are either part of WUSD or at least directly controlled by WUSD. The truth is these charters have their own school board, hire all their own people and make all of their own educational decisions for their schools.