Contra Costa County Office of Education ke x ~~ 77 Sania Barbara Road, Pleasant Hil, CA 94523 + (925) 942-3388 Karen Sakata, Superintendent of Schools May 17, 2018 VIA U.S. MATL AND EMAIL Kristy Downs Governing Board, Chair Clayton Valley Charter High School 1101 Alberta Way Concord, CA 94521 Re: Clayton Valley Charter High Schoo! - Oversight Regarding Administr Turnover, Teacher Staffing, and Brown Act Compliance Dear Ms. Downs: am writing to you regarding recent changes with Clayton Valley Charter School's (*CVCHS") administrative staff, teacher staffing, and clarification regarding Brown Act Compliance. The County Office of Education understands that CVCHS's Executive Director, Chief Program Officer, and Chief Innovation Officer have recently left CVCHS. Additionally, because CVCHS's Director of Guidance, Assessment and Testing was a co-lead petitioner on two recently-granted charter petitions, we anticipate she will be leaving CVCHS in the near future. Further, we understand that CVCHS Assistant Superintendent, and several of CVCHS's current teachers, have indicated their intention to teach at those same charter schools, As you can understand, the vacancy or anticipated vacancy of five (5) administrative Positions is concerning. While we understand the CVCHS Board intends to hold a special meeting to discuss filling the vacant Executive Director position, the County Office of Education requests that CVCHS provide its plan to address the full scope of the administrative changes and ensure appropriate administration of CVCHS through the end of this school year and in the future (“Administrative Plan”). ‘The Administrative Plan should address how CVCHS intends to fill the currently vacant Executive Director, Chief Program Officer, and Chief Innovation Officer positions, as well as the anticipated vacancies for the Assistant Superintendent, and the Director of Guidance, Assessment and Testing. The Administrative Plan should also identify any additional CVCHS administrators who will be leaving CVCHS for one of the East Bay Tech Academy Charter Schools. If the Administrative Plan eliminates certain currently existing positions, it should include detail regarding how the duties and responsibilities of those eliminated positions will be fulfilled in the future. 1 According to the cover letter submitted with the East Bay Tech Academy Charter Middle and High School petitions, the organizers for those two schools include multiple CVCHS administrators. The County Office of Education, therefore, wishes to know if there are additional vacancies anticipated in CVCHS's administration. learn + lead * achieve / www.cocoschools.org wk se omaKristy Downs Clayton Valley Charter High School May 16, 2018 Page 2 The Administrative Plan should also detail how CVCHS will ensure transparency and stakeholder involvement in order to successfully fill these positions with the best candidates possible for the benefit of CVCHS's students, parent, staff, and community stakeholders. This is of particular importance, given CVCHS's mission to: “[UJnite our stakeholders, including students, teachers and staff, parents, and community members, in @ common goal to diligently prepare all students for success in the 21% Century.” (Charter, p. 23.) Additionally, the County Office of Education requests that CVCHS confirm how many of its current teaching staff have indicated interest in teaching at the East Bay Tech Academy's Middle or High School, and provide its plan to ensure adequate teaching staff will be in place for CVCHS students (“Teacher Staffing Plan”). Finally, the County Office of Education understands that, the evening before the Executive Director and Chief Program Officer departed from CVCHS, the CVCHS Board met in closed session at its May 14, 2018 meeting regarding agendized item “Public Employee: Discipline/Dismissal/Release.” The County Office of Education understands that no action was reported out of closed session and, and that there is no other Board Action regarding the departure of the Executive Director and Chief Program Officer. We therefore request that CVCHS provide documentation of its Brown Act compliance in connection with the Executive Director and Chief Program Officer departures ("Brown Act Documents”). Due to the import of these Issues, the following should be provided on or before May 30, 2018: (1) Administrative Plan; (2) Teacher Staffing Plan; and (3) Brown Act Documents. Please note, these requests are made pursuant to Education Code Sections 47604.3, 47604.32, and 47604.4. ‘Thank you In advance for your anticipated cooperation and prompt attention to these important issues. Please feel free to contact me at my office if you have any questions regarding the requests. Sincerely, Bill Clark’ Associate Superintendent, Business and Administrative Services Contra Costa County Office of Education cc: Karen Sakata, County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Fatima S. Alleyne, County Board of Education Board President