Bullis Charter School
Encyclopedia
Bullis Charter School is a public
charter school
located in Los Altos, California
, USA, for grades kindergarten through eighth. As the Santa Clara County Office of Education charters the school, BCS operates independently of the Los Altos School District
(LASD). BCS differentiates itself from the LASD schools by providing "Focused Learning Goals", full-time teaching specialists in the arts and sciences, a comprehensive foreign language program (Mandarin), and optional after-school activities.
(this school later re-opened as Garner Bullis School in 2005).
It continues to exist to offer a differentiated curriculum from what is offered in the nearby LASD elementary and middle schools.
Because of the nature of the school's origin, the background and motivation behind the school's creation are an important part of it's history. The exclusive driver, as mentioned, was the closure of the local public school. The reasons given by the local school district for the closure were low attendance and budget. This was in the context of Los Altos Hills parents assisting in the campaign to pass a $100M bond measure to upgrade all seven of the LASD schools, which included a dollar amount and plans for the renovation of the Bullis Elementary School campus (now called Gardener Bullis School).
Two weeks after the bond measure passed, LASD announced that there would not be enough money for the renovation of the Bullis campus, and that Bullis would have to be closed. First on the list of construction projects funded by the bond measure was the conversion of the closed Covington Middle School into a new $5M District office, and a new seventh elementary school, Covington Elementary School. These actions further confused and in some cases infuriated residents of Los Altos Hills who had worked overtly to get a bond passed to help the school in their neighborhood in particular.
Los Altos Hills residents formed committees to explore options to re-open the local public school site which had been closed, including curriculum development, Principal search, site search, and legal issues.
Although it has been said that the original idea of a Charter School was suggested by the superintendent of LASD, the move was fought bitterly by the school district (perhaps because there were already plans to re-open the local public school but the actual reasons are still unclear). Without support from the local school district, residents appealed to the County of Santa Clara to charter the new school, which proved successful. The school is now chartered, then, by the County.
Early meetings of the Bullis Charter School Board took place at the Los Altos Hills Town Hall and in the multi-purpose room of the then-closed school (now Gardner Bullis School) to find a site for the new school. None of the four school sites that the town had donated for public education was currently used for that purpose. One had been sold and developed as housing. One was leased at sub-market rents with the option to purchase for $1 after 30 years (to whom?). One is still leased to the private Pinewood School. Citing a newly minted clause in Proposition 39, the committees decided to petition the district for facilities in which to locate their school.
The school now resides in a location shared with another LASD school site. This location is viewed by many as "temporary" and not as desirable as existing LASD school campuses. However, as LASD only has active school campuses with regular attendance, there is no campus readily available for an entirely new school. This necessitates a sharing arrangement as the school has now, or, as desired by BCS (ironically) the closure of an existing LASD school.
Now that the school exists along side of the original school it was intended to replace, the justification for the school's existence is a constant challenge for its Board and personnel. While some agree that there should be an "alternative" approach to education in the area, many question the need for this in a district which is already one of the best in California.
On March 15, 2004, the LASD offered the portable classrooms at Egan Junior High School
to BCS beginning on May 1, 2004. BCS accepted and has been located there ever since.
On February 21, 2007, the Santa Clara County Board of Education approved the renewal of the BCS charter for five more years in a 6-0 vote.
On April 9, 2008, BCS was given a California Distinguished School
Award.
In 2008, BCS was granted WASC
Accreditation.
In November 2008, the Santa Clara County Board of Education ruled that BCS can add a 7th and 8th grade.
In August 2010, BCS opened its doors to their first ever 7th grade class, offering an alternative to the traditional middle school experience with Project-Based Learning
, Multi-Disciplinary Intersessions, and block scheduling.
(API) scores* since 2005 (as compared to the Los Altos Elementary average). Although this is outstanding performance, it is not significantly higher than nearby schools:
* The API is a number ranging from 200 to 1,000, with a higher number being better.
BCS has seen some of its approaches mimicked by Silicon Valley charter schools. In particular, grass roots efforts are now occurring for the establishment of a Chinese Language immersion Charter School in Palo Alto.
Supporters of the school say that these lawsuits are necessary for the school to secure the facilities they are legally due under Prop 39.
The center of the controversy is the school's desire for a larger and more elaborate campus. Supporters of the school say that a more elaborate (larger, with improved facilities) is due because of the law as it is written. In particular, the school has stated that it prefers its own campus to replace Gardner Bullis School with its own campus.
Critics of the school question the need for what has been called a "boutique charter school". Unlike most Charter schools, critics say, BCS exists in an already highly-rated and very well-funded public school district. Although its academic scores are very high, this is the case for surrounding schools as well.
The school has been criticized for being a "defacto private school". Although its "suggested" donation of $5000 per child per year is officially voluntary, critics have alleged that the schools tactics in collecting this "donation" are very aggressive, and that the fear of being ostracized in this way virtually ensures that very few parents who do not intend to donate this yearly amount will attend the school. This leads detractors to the conclusion that only people who pay the "tuition" for the school will generally attend the school. Further, detractors note that within this context, the school offers even less differentiation with respect to API test scores as they are only slightly higher yet the school boasts, statistically, the most economically advantaged children and therefore the most apt to score higher on standardized tests.
Supporters of BCS say that their school operates with far less money (more efficiently) than surrounding public schools. BCS supporters in particular allege that the salary and benefits for its teachers are much lower than those of surrounding public schools, making its operation much more efficient. Public school supporters counter that this is because the Charter has fewer problems to deal with, such as the education of disadvantaged children.
Many local parents fear that BCS may force the district, through its lawsuits, to close currently operating public schools (ironically the impetus behind the formation of BCS). BCS counters that it is the District that originally closed the founders' public school in the first place, so the blame of existing school's closures should be placed on the District, not on BCS.
Other fears from local parents as well as local community members involves the Charter's open policy towards enrollment (which, as a Charter school, is mandated by the State). Although the District is mandated by Prop 39 to provide "equivalent facilities" for a corresponding number of students, BCS is within its rights to over-fill its facilities with many times more students from outside the district.
As BCS positions itself as a "better alternative" to public schools, and is very critical of public schools and their operation, a constant principled attack on public schools in general is part of the operational playbook of the school. Some BCS supporters indicate that expanding the school to many more LASD campuses would be a "success" since that would be an indication of strong consumer demand. Critics charge that this demand is driven by unfair market tactics, such as BCS's propensity to market itself like a business would (which local schools typically do not do) and the unfair (and ultimately temporary, it is alleged) advantages critics allege BCS has over normal public schools.
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
located in Los Altos, California
Los Altos, California
Los Altos is a city at the southern end of the San Francisco Peninsula, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city is in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 28,976 according to the 2010 census....
, USA, for grades kindergarten through eighth. As the Santa Clara County Office of Education charters the school, BCS operates independently of the Los Altos School District
Los Altos School District
Los Altos School District serves the elementary and intermediate educational needs of Los Altos, California, United States, led by Superintendent Jeffrey C...
(LASD). BCS differentiates itself from the LASD schools by providing "Focused Learning Goals", full-time teaching specialists in the arts and sciences, a comprehensive foreign language program (Mandarin), and optional after-school activities.
History
BCS was founded by local residents as a reaction to the decision of 10 February 2003 by the Los Altos School District (LASD) Board to close Bullis Elementary School in Los Altos HillsLos Altos Hills, California
Los Altos Hills is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 7,922 at the 2010 census. Located in Silicon Valley, Los Altos Hills is one of the wealthiest cities in the nation.-Strictly residential:...
(this school later re-opened as Garner Bullis School in 2005).
It continues to exist to offer a differentiated curriculum from what is offered in the nearby LASD elementary and middle schools.
Because of the nature of the school's origin, the background and motivation behind the school's creation are an important part of it's history. The exclusive driver, as mentioned, was the closure of the local public school. The reasons given by the local school district for the closure were low attendance and budget. This was in the context of Los Altos Hills parents assisting in the campaign to pass a $100M bond measure to upgrade all seven of the LASD schools, which included a dollar amount and plans for the renovation of the Bullis Elementary School campus (now called Gardener Bullis School).
Two weeks after the bond measure passed, LASD announced that there would not be enough money for the renovation of the Bullis campus, and that Bullis would have to be closed. First on the list of construction projects funded by the bond measure was the conversion of the closed Covington Middle School into a new $5M District office, and a new seventh elementary school, Covington Elementary School. These actions further confused and in some cases infuriated residents of Los Altos Hills who had worked overtly to get a bond passed to help the school in their neighborhood in particular.
Los Altos Hills residents formed committees to explore options to re-open the local public school site which had been closed, including curriculum development, Principal search, site search, and legal issues.
Although it has been said that the original idea of a Charter School was suggested by the superintendent of LASD, the move was fought bitterly by the school district (perhaps because there were already plans to re-open the local public school but the actual reasons are still unclear). Without support from the local school district, residents appealed to the County of Santa Clara to charter the new school, which proved successful. The school is now chartered, then, by the County.
Early meetings of the Bullis Charter School Board took place at the Los Altos Hills Town Hall and in the multi-purpose room of the then-closed school (now Gardner Bullis School) to find a site for the new school. None of the four school sites that the town had donated for public education was currently used for that purpose. One had been sold and developed as housing. One was leased at sub-market rents with the option to purchase for $1 after 30 years (to whom?). One is still leased to the private Pinewood School. Citing a newly minted clause in Proposition 39, the committees decided to petition the district for facilities in which to locate their school.
The school now resides in a location shared with another LASD school site. This location is viewed by many as "temporary" and not as desirable as existing LASD school campuses. However, as LASD only has active school campuses with regular attendance, there is no campus readily available for an entirely new school. This necessitates a sharing arrangement as the school has now, or, as desired by BCS (ironically) the closure of an existing LASD school.
Now that the school exists along side of the original school it was intended to replace, the justification for the school's existence is a constant challenge for its Board and personnel. While some agree that there should be an "alternative" approach to education in the area, many question the need for this in a district which is already one of the best in California.
Timeline
On September 3, 2003, the Santa Clara Office of Education approved the school charter and became the sponsoring agency of BCS.On March 15, 2004, the LASD offered the portable classrooms at Egan Junior High School
Egan Junior High School
Ardis G. Egan Junior High School is a middle school for seventh and eighth graders in Los Altos, California. A lot of people go here. It is part of the Los Altos School District. Most of Egan's five hundred students live in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, though a few live in Mountain View. Egan is...
to BCS beginning on May 1, 2004. BCS accepted and has been located there ever since.
On February 21, 2007, the Santa Clara County Board of Education approved the renewal of the BCS charter for five more years in a 6-0 vote.
On April 9, 2008, BCS was given a California Distinguished School
California Distinguished School
A California Distinguished School is an award given by the California State Board of Education to public schools within the state that best represent exemplary and quality educational programs. Approximately five percent of California schools are awarded this honor each year following a selection...
Award.
In 2008, BCS was granted WASC
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
Accreditation.
In November 2008, the Santa Clara County Board of Education ruled that BCS can add a 7th and 8th grade.
In August 2010, BCS opened its doors to their first ever 7th grade class, offering an alternative to the traditional middle school experience with Project-Based Learning
Project-based learning
Project-based learning, or PBL, is the use of in-depth and rigorous classroom projects to facilitate learning and assess student competence . Students use technology and inquiry to respond to a complex issue, problem or challenge...
, Multi-Disciplinary Intersessions, and block scheduling.
Academic performance
Since its inception, BCS has consistently been the highest-scoring charter school of over 650 in the state of California. By the end of 2006, BCS was also ranked among the top 1 percent of all schools in the state. BCS' California Academic Performance IndexAcademic Performance Index
The Academic Performance Index is a measurement of academic performance and progress of individual schools in California, United States. It is one of the main components of the Public Schools Accountability Act passed by the California legislature in 1999...
(API) scores* since 2005 (as compared to the Los Altos Elementary average). Although this is outstanding performance, it is not significantly higher than nearby schools:
| Year | BCS Score | LASD Average | BCS Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 970 | 949 | ~2% |
| 2006 | 960 | 960 | (none) |
| 2007 | 972 | 954 | ~2% |
| 2008 | 967 | 956 | ~1% |
| 2009 | 971 | 959 | ~1% |
| 2010 | 988 | 965 | ~2% |
* The API is a number ranging from 200 to 1,000, with a higher number being better.
Differentiation from Surrounding Public Schools
Bullis Charter School personnel say that "innovation has always been a part of the fabric of school". One differentiation is its Individual Learning Plans which later became known as "Focused Learning Goals". Another is full-time teaching specialists in the arts and sciences, and a foreign language program (Mandarin) taught as a requirement from kindergarten to sixth grade, and a curriculum featuring co-curricular classes and optional after-school extra-curricular activities.BCS has seen some of its approaches mimicked by Silicon Valley charter schools. In particular, grass roots efforts are now occurring for the establishment of a Chinese Language immersion Charter School in Palo Alto.
Controversy and Criticism
The school was founded within the context of animosity toward the Los Altos School District (LASD) and its policies (as was discussed in the History section). Since the founding of the school it has engaged in several lawsuits against LASD.Supporters of the school say that these lawsuits are necessary for the school to secure the facilities they are legally due under Prop 39.
The center of the controversy is the school's desire for a larger and more elaborate campus. Supporters of the school say that a more elaborate (larger, with improved facilities) is due because of the law as it is written. In particular, the school has stated that it prefers its own campus to replace Gardner Bullis School with its own campus.
Critics of the school question the need for what has been called a "boutique charter school". Unlike most Charter schools, critics say, BCS exists in an already highly-rated and very well-funded public school district. Although its academic scores are very high, this is the case for surrounding schools as well.
The school has been criticized for being a "defacto private school". Although its "suggested" donation of $5000 per child per year is officially voluntary, critics have alleged that the schools tactics in collecting this "donation" are very aggressive, and that the fear of being ostracized in this way virtually ensures that very few parents who do not intend to donate this yearly amount will attend the school. This leads detractors to the conclusion that only people who pay the "tuition" for the school will generally attend the school. Further, detractors note that within this context, the school offers even less differentiation with respect to API test scores as they are only slightly higher yet the school boasts, statistically, the most economically advantaged children and therefore the most apt to score higher on standardized tests.
Supporters of BCS say that their school operates with far less money (more efficiently) than surrounding public schools. BCS supporters in particular allege that the salary and benefits for its teachers are much lower than those of surrounding public schools, making its operation much more efficient. Public school supporters counter that this is because the Charter has fewer problems to deal with, such as the education of disadvantaged children.
Many local parents fear that BCS may force the district, through its lawsuits, to close currently operating public schools (ironically the impetus behind the formation of BCS). BCS counters that it is the District that originally closed the founders' public school in the first place, so the blame of existing school's closures should be placed on the District, not on BCS.
Other fears from local parents as well as local community members involves the Charter's open policy towards enrollment (which, as a Charter school, is mandated by the State). Although the District is mandated by Prop 39 to provide "equivalent facilities" for a corresponding number of students, BCS is within its rights to over-fill its facilities with many times more students from outside the district.
As BCS positions itself as a "better alternative" to public schools, and is very critical of public schools and their operation, a constant principled attack on public schools in general is part of the operational playbook of the school. Some BCS supporters indicate that expanding the school to many more LASD campuses would be a "success" since that would be an indication of strong consumer demand. Critics charge that this demand is driven by unfair market tactics, such as BCS's propensity to market itself like a business would (which local schools typically do not do) and the unfair (and ultimately temporary, it is alleged) advantages critics allege BCS has over normal public schools.