There is still hope for Public Education

Updated Wednesday October 23 at 2:40pm: I received a phone call from a concerned IIA Board member within 3 hours of publication of my post regarding factually inaccurate statements that I made in the post. The statements of concern are “The school was literally on the brink of having its charter revoked and the doors closed in the spring of 2022.” Further down I once again stated “the doors nearly closed on this program in the spring of 2022” This IIA Board member stated that it’s important for the public to know that at no point was a notice ever sent out by Orange County Board of Education or Orange County Department of Education threatening the revocation of IIA’s Charter. He also stated that at no point was there ever consideration of the school closing its doors after year 1. I acknowledge and appreciate the feedback and have made the edits to the post accordingly. In consideration of all the facts, it should be disclosed that both the Principal & Executive Director were both let go at the end of year 1 (June 2022) and the new Executive Director did not assume his position until July 2022. In addition, all but 1 Mandarin teacher left at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. With those facts disclosed, I’ll let my readers draw their own conclusions on the gravity of the situation that I describe as our school being able to overcome the unthinkable.

Greetings readers! It has been quite a while since my last post. I have been absent from Substack not because of lack of desire or interest- purely because of lack of bandwidth. I have poured my heart and soul into supporting my daughter’s education, her Mandarin Immersion Charter School, and the pursuit of all her passions/talents/loves (especially softball). It is a blessing to be able to live in the present and to bear witness to lifelong memories being made right as they happen. While I wish I could chronicle everything that has transpired in this journey- the memories remain in my head and heart for now as it’s very time consuming to capture them in writing on a mobile device when I’m constantly on the go!

I felt compelled to sit down and write this morning with the couple hours of highly covteted free time that I find myself with. Honestly, my daughter’s recent 5th grade informative writing assignment has motivated me to put pen to paper! Today, I’m choosing to write about several things that have inspired me which I feel I need to tell the world about.

Source of Inspiration #1: Irvine International Academy (IIA) and The Irvine International Academy Community

It was December of 2022 when our family made the transition from our local neighborhood elementary school (Cypress Village Elementary) to Irvine International Academy Mandarin Immersion school. I had been heavily involved in the PTA, School Site Council and attended Irvine Unified School District Board of Education meetings regularly. I had come to learn, and observed with my own eyes, the school district that was highly coveted and that I had placed on a pedestal since we moved to Irvine in 2012, was failing our students- my daughter included. A focus on academic rigor had been replaced by emphasis on social movements and activism. Little did I know, there was a tuition free Charter school just down the road that not only offered a language immersion experience but emphasized academic rigor and the six pillars of character! This school- just barely in its second year of operation- had overcome the unthinkable. It was the strength of the IIA community, the shared belief in the vision of the school, the students’ love for learning, and the strong new leadership brought in after year one (Dr. Stefan Bean) that saved the school and kept the doors open. (As a side note Dr. Stefan Bean has now gone on to serve at a County level as the Orange County Superintendent of Education). A serendipitous encounter with staff and parents of the school at the Irvine Tree Lighting ceremony in December 2022 led to our tour of the school and my daughter pleading with me to start at the school immediately (mid way through her 3rd grade year)! I was blown away by what I witnessed when I toured the school. We felt so welcomed and immediately knew this was a place that shared our values, believed that every student could achieve, and believed in the importance of having a strong community. I have never seen a community come together to the degree that I have witnessed at Irvine International Academy (IIA) over the past 2+ years since we started there- it’s truly remarkable. Great things happen when a community is allowed to unite over a shared vision, shared values, and common goals. Our school and community have proven that the public school model still can work when properly managed. When parents are viewed as part of the team that makes a school (and our students) successful- great things happen. Countless hours put in by dedicated parent/grandparent/community volunteers combined with very dedicated teachers/staff (who are not hamstrung by Union dogma or contracts) and a Leadership Team that sees the potential in every student result in academic excellence across the board and high academic achievement levels among the students. Here is the evidence:

Figure 1- Summary of IUSD’s performance on State Test Scores- Graphic Prepared by IIA Administration. Please note, this performance is not isolated to 2024 results- although 2024 represents our best performance, we have had strong academic performance since the school opened in fall of 2021 and the first scores reported in 2022

I have never seen a success story quite like ours- especially considering what our school had to overcome after year one’s turmoil. I am filled with tremendous hope and optimism that, so long as the strength of our community remains in tact and we hold firm on what we value, we will continue to build upon our achievements and sustain high levels of academic success. We will serve as a model for our county/state/nation and we will be able to overcome whatever adversity we are faced with. The icing on the cake is that in addition to being able to rest our hat on academic excellence, our students are developing proficiency in Mandarin! Many of those developing proficiency are not even native Mandarin speakers.

Source of Inspiration #2: The Teachers at Irvine International Academy

Irvine International Academy is blessed with extraordinary teachers and staff. From the front office staff, to the custodian, to the volunteer librarian, to the classroom teachers, to the classroom aides, to the lunch staff and after school team- it is noticeable that everyone feels part of the community. Everyone cares and takes great pride in their job and in the well being of the students. Our Teachers invest a tremendous amount of time planning out their lessons with just the the right balance of rigor and fun. It is not an easy feat to plan out a lesson that is to be taught in Mandarin and English. Our teachers are able to do such great things with very limited resources. IUSD frequently reminds the public that they are one of the most underfunded districts in the nation and they are repeatedly forced to do more with less. IUSD is constantly lobbying for more $$$. At IIA, our teachers have proven that it is possible to do more with less so long as you have the right mindset and know how to be resourceful. It’s expensive to operate a Charter School because Charter Schools typically offer a differentiated learning approach requiring a mix of highly specialized and broadly credentialed teachers/staff. We are severely underfunded relative to Irvine Unified School District yet our performance outmatches theirs:

IIA* is funded at ~ $13,109 / student vs. IUSD** funded at $18,421/ student

* Based on enrollment of 534 students and a budget of $7M

**Based on enrollment of 38,000 students and a budget of $700M

The difference in the mindset and attitudes of the teachers was the starkest contrast I observed when we transitioned from our neighborhood public school to IIA. It’s “the sky is the limit” mindset, and the wide array of supports in place, that enabled my daughter to go from 0 Mandarin experience or proficiency to now being at 5th grade level language proficiency as a non Native Mandarin speaker. This is exceptional- particularly since neither my husband nor myself speak any Mandarin. I immediately noticed that the teachers at IIA love their jobs and often participate in community activities with IIA families outside of school hours to strengthen the community bond. The teachers are invested in getting to know each student individually and are quick to recognize individual student potential. You don’t get a sense that bureaucracy or red tape interferes with the implementation of a lesson plan as you do at the neighborhood public school. Whenever a need arises, the community immediately joins together to fill that need. I’m particularly impressed by how our teachers do not place any limits on student achievement. They are not interested in establishing ceilings or keeping our students inside the box of grade level standards. In addition to helping our students meet grade level standards, they are invested in preparing them for the future and for what lies ahead. This is brilliant. This is something traditional public schools fail miserably at! A recent conversation I had with my daughter’s 5th grade English teacher was particularly inspiring! Initially, I was concerned that our 5th graders- who are being asked to use MLA format for their writing, create a Works Cited Page, and use in text citations- were being asked to do things far beyond their ability level without fully comprehending the purpose of the requirements. I was delicately reminded, by this young teacher, of how much she cares about sparking a passion for writing in her students. She is cognizant of balancing what students believe they are capable of with what she believes they are TRULY capable of. She is earnestly preparing our students for the future. I felt so humbled hearing this and I now have an even greater appreciation for how much work and thought goes into her planning process to pull this off. We’re only in October and our 5th grade students have already produced a multi page narrative essay, completed a writing project on the book “Wonder” and are about to submit their multi page informative essay! They know all about MLA format and how to create a list of works cited. They have already exceeded the 5th grade reading and writing standards and it’s only October! At a traditional public school, this experience would be the exception rather than the rule. At IIA it seems to be the rule rather than the exception. Preparing our students for the future seems to be the common theme amongst all our fifth grade teachers. What I love most of all is that the parents are included in the preparing students for the future mindset established by our teachers. In partnership with our teachers, we get to play a role in each step of the learning journey.

Source of Inspiration #3: The students of Irvine International Academy

During my high school years I attended a Boarding School. I was fortunate to live with and amongst people from all over the world. I loved learning about other cultures and countries- it really broadened my perspective. I find myself reflecting on those high school days as I take note of the demographics at IIA and the evolution of the city of Irvine to become one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. When we arrived at IIA, we quickly recognized that our family was one of very few in the community who did not speak a second language at home. We are surrounded by families who speak 2, 3, or 4 languages at home and are proficient or nearly proficient in all of them! What an opportunity! In my observation, students starting school who already know a second language perform better academically, grasp concepts quicker, and are more motivated to learn. Contrary to popular belief, IIA does not hand pick/ cherry pick its students so that we retain only the best and brightest. We are a public school- there is no admission test you have to pass to be able to enroll. We abide by the same rules as all public schools. It just so happens that those who are drawn to a Charter School model tend to be those with unlimited academic potential that is not properly/adequately harvested and nurtured in a traditional public school setting. It is a beautiful thing to observe dedicated students from all over the world play together, learn together, and inspire one another. Our students motivate each other to achieve. They support each other on their learning journeys- something that is encouraged by the teachers and the community.

In conclusion, there IS still hope for public schools. It’s time to shut down the narrative that public schools are a lost cause and that families should pull their children out immediately. Look for a public school that meets the recipe for public school success requirements:

1. Hires teachers with high expectations who are capable of motivating students to achieve

2. Creates an environment that nurtures student intellect and does not impose limits or restrictions on student achievement

3. Involves parents in developing a strong and supportive community

Perhaps you’ll find that your nearest public Charter School is a great fit just as we did.