I'm a WCSD/AUHSD parent. It doesn't bother me that Walnut Creek's children are served by several different school districts. While I definitely think that going charter would be a good thing for Northgate, I can't say the same for WCSD/AUHSD absorbing all the MDUSD schools/students in Walnut Creek...

The reforms should extend to AUHSD as well. We are entering a different era of accountability where excesses such as duplicate school districts and administration have to be reorganized. AUHSD is one of only 90 high school districts in the state, among over 900 K-12 districts. Lamorinda K-8 school districts could easily take over one high school per city and become K-12. There could probably be a consolidation of all the districts into one with such a homogenous population. However, though this is obvious, you can be certain that school officials and parents groups will find multiple arguments against it...probably calling it impossible.

Ruth Carver does not speak for College Park parents. In fact, College Park parents led the charge AGAINST the CV charter, so to say that there's talk of a charter movement at CP is really just someone trying to create momentum for her cause. I can't speak for Northgate or the other schools in Walnut Creek, but the College Park community -- which, incidentally, includes families in a contiguous boundary area including Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Walnut Creek, and Lafayette -- works well with the district and gets things done. We see our geographic diversity as a plus and are proof positive that a true educational community need not be defined by city boundaries.

I agree wholeheartedly with "Educate our Kids" that Ruth Carver does not speak for all of the parents in Walnut Creek. I would especially like Mayor Simmons to know that, since many of us cannot attend his Saturday walks because we work on the weekends!

As a WCSD/AUHSD parent, I do not believe that Ruth Carter has the best interest of either district kids in mind. She fails to realize or mention that doubling the size of WCSD as she suggests would place the WCSD in a size category that would make it impossible to continue to manage in the same way that has made it an excellent district. She also does not mention in her public speeches the fact that the personnel/benefit issues, facilities (property ownership), work culture, and many other infrastructure challenges require enormous time and energy to resolve before any transfer can be made. Years of negotiations, time and energy would be required. Many of those decisions will not be made at a local level and require approval from many agencies. Personally, I would like to see any efforts made by school personnel at every level focus on the classroom and making improvements. I do not see the value in diverting time and energy to something for which the outcome simply becomes another big school district. Ruth should be insisting the school board puts students first and working with them not against them. I won't defend the Mt D Board or criticize them but Ruth leads parents to believe that running a district is a simple matter and disregards the basic principle of changing one small thing can have unintended ramifications that won't end well for the students. None of us want to play around with experiments on our kids.

Ruth Carver does NOT speak for this Walnut Creek resident. I do NOT believe that Northgate should be absorbed by Acalanes, or any other perceived "Walnut Creek" district. When I moved to Walnut Creek, I paid a substantially larger price for my home in order to be in the Walnut Creek Unified School District, as well as the Las Lomas High School attendance area. One of the reasons that the WCUSD and AUHSD run so well is their size. If we are required to pick up every school whose parents are disgruntled, whether in Walnut Creek or otherwise, we lose that advantage. I am solidly against this plan.

WC children go to public schools in three different districts, but the article makes it sounds like the kids are split between three different districts. Technically, that is a little disingenuous. The Acalanes Union High School district serves only four high schools, Acalanes, Las Lomas, Miramonte and Campolindo. WCSD is only for elementary and intermediate school. The kids that live in WC and go through WCSD go on to AUHSD. Mt. Diablo is a unified district and covers K-12.
Carver is also quoted as saying that children in the NW corner of WC "attend schools miles-away in Pleasant Hill and Concord even though they were closer to WC schools." The fact is there is only one school closer to the NW WC residents and that's only to some of the residents. It's Buena Vista Elementary. Many of the other families in the NW corner live just as close to PH Elementary.

Carver has said her mission is to keep all kids in WC schools. Students in NW WC and parts of PH live closer to Acalanes High School, but that is in Lafayette, so her argument about keeping kids in WC schools rings hollow here.

Agreed that many boundaries make no sense. That's how boundaries are. They are arbitrary, but the lines have to get drawn somewhere. I am sure that's how the people who live across the street from those who are in the WCDS feel about being in the MDUSD.

I agree with many of the comments against Ruth Carver's drive to reunite Walnut Creek schools in one district. First of all she only mentions Northgate and has failed to explain that it would not only be Northgate but 3 elementary schools (Walnut Acres, Valley Verde, Eagle Peak-charter school but under the MDUSD, and Foothill Middle school.) We too moved into this district after careful planning and consideration of the school district long before we had kids. Was this a stretch for us, absolutely but we knew in the long run it would benefit our kids. The WCSD has done well because its not a large district like MDUSD who has mismanaged the district. Ruth Carver says that Walnut Creek families want to unite our school districts but I can tell you that is not the case for most of the families in the 94596 and 94595 zip codes. Maybe Ruth can spend her efforts trying to fix the problems in the MDUSD instead of creating more. I too am solidly against this plan.

Don't forget Bancroft Elementary.

How hypocritical of Northgate.
First, the prinicpal send out a mass e-mail criticizing the cost to the MDUSD for the CVCHS application when by state law, finances are not to be taken into account.
Secondly, at the initial meeting by the CVCHA group with the County Board of Education, Northgate students show up with very large signs protesting the CVCHS application, filled with their perceived finacial losses.
Check out the link below. You will find that Northgate HS and 5 other schools wanted to leave the MDUSD at an esimated loss of $24 Million Dollers of revenue and 50 Million Dollars of property value.
What a great educational institution they are with a principal trying to create a frenzy of parents and students with information that cannot be used to deny a Charter Application and conveniently forgetting what they wanted to do less than 4 years ago.

http://www.ci.concord.ca.us/citygov/agendas/council/2008/03-25-08/rpt03-25-08-4A.pdf

Fact is, Bancroft, Valle Verde, Walnut Acres, Foothill, and Northgate all have scores over 900 API and would boost up the average API of the WCSD thereby making Walnut Creek real estate more attractive. If anything, WCSD should dump Murwood and Buena Vista because their API scores are so low and put a drag on the WCSD teachers and drain the funds to bring the slow students up to average.

We need to stand up to Ruth Carver and Alisa MacCormac! Enough is enough. We told you no already and the education board also you no. You are selfish and only looking to increase the value of your properties at the expense of others and our kids!