As of this morning, the NVMI website does not provide any updates on the revocation or the inability to secure a facility for the school year that will begin in just a few weeks. In fact, the site still offers the ability to enroll in the charter school. The students of this charter school deserve to know the truth and the ability to transfer smoothly to a new school. LACOE needs to act expeditiously to ensure that current and potential students are not harmed anymore.
Update: NVMI's Mark Ryan provided this response when asked about the report that LACOE has begun the process of revoking the school's charter: "NVMI is unaware of actions by the Los Angeles County Board of Education to revoke its charter petition. NVMI has not received a Notice of Violation, which is the first step to begin revocation procedures."
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Dear Board Member:
Having taught students for more than 50 years, including many with special needs, I write with concern for the well-being of pupils previously or still enrolled in the North Valley Military Institute (NVMI).
It appears that representatives of NVMI continue to put pressure on LACCD to grant this charter corporation a new lease to relocate alongside adult students on a college campus.
This comes despite the depletion of the NVMI board, management, and instructors and the sudden, wholesale removal of hundreds of middle-school students.
The troubles surrounding this school raise alarms for me as an educator, parent, and grandparent.
Students age 12 to 14 who were recently cut off peremptorily by the school deserve help in locating suitable education.
The students who remain enrolled, ages 14 to 18, based on reports I have read, appear to be in need of similar attention and assistance.
Steep budget and staffing cuts take a toll on the learning and lives of students. I know this from decades of experience. At NVMI, according to letters from the L.A. County Office of Education (LACOE), it seems students have been denied Individualized Education Program (IEPs). It also appears, due to staff terminations and resignations, they have lost access to special-education services and the professional guidance necessary to thrive under deteriorating conditions.
Like passengers on a bus that's low on gas with failing brakes on a downhill trajectory, the students recently removed from NVMI and those still aboard deserve truthful alerts and all the help they can get, without delay.
This is July. The new school year starts in just 5 weeks. I know that good opportunities await the students displaced from NVMI if they are duly informed and provided guidance for suitable placement starting now. They don't have a moment to waste.
Cheryl Ortega
Bilingual classroom teacher for 51 years
Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs, who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.
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