The EUSD Boardroom was where the real action was last night. If you were anywhere near the intersection of Manchester and Rancho Sante Fe, you saw the sea of families in maroon TIP shirts and "Save Tip" signs signaling that TIP was on the agenda tonight. The priority item was whether the district would take the next step in revoking the Theory Into Practice Academy's Charter.
As with any TIP item on the docket, the room was packed, the air conditioning intermittent and minimal to no sound. (What are those microphones on the board members' desks for, anyway?) That made for all the more heated debate. First, Lean King gave a brief history about how the TIP Academy administration ended up in this mess. Next up was someone hired by the district to provide evidence to go forth with the intent to revoke. She gave a pretty alarming testimony with the most creepy being, in referring to attempting to interview TIP staff and families, that she had never seen "so much fear of appraisal" in cooperating with investigators, such as fear of appraisal from TIP administration and fear of ostracization by TIP parents, that ultimately ended up with non-cooperative interviewees. It sounded very Jim Jones. Her summation was that it is clear TIP has disregarded laws of the charter and that it would be within the boards right to revoke the charter.
The public forum opened with the TIP attorney, Paul Minney, giving evidence item by item that the TIP Academy has met all of EUSD's requests to demonstrate transparency and that there is "no factual evidence for notice of revocation" and that "If you revoke the charter tonight, you are not following charter law" This met with thunderous applause from TIP families in the audience.
TIP board members, TIP families and non-TIP families then spoke in support of TIP. A rowdy bunch, those TIP families, with hoots and hollers.
Now came time for the board to vote to continue with intent to revoke charter. Liken this to parents scolding a kid for being naughty (albeit, thousands of taxpayer dollars worth of naughty), then passing the kid to the neighbors so they can scold the kid, then to the next neighbor so they can scold the kid, ad finitum. The board is clearly not happy with the TIP administration's consistent lack of cooperation. Things don't look good for TIP. Lean King expressed his dismay at how much time and money the TIP fiasco has taken from EUSD business. Shannon Kuder seemed to want TIP shutdown on the spot and got nearly hysterical when TIP rowdies heckled her when she said "I have no confidence the Hazelton's are gone". The only glimmer of forgiveness seemed to come from Cathy Regan who applauded the teachers at Theory Into Practice, but made it clear she, too, wants the Hazelton's far, far away from TIP business. Bottom line, with two of the board members terms ending this year, (of note, none of the current board members have served less than 10 years? Some are going on 20! Do any of them even have kids in elementary school?) they don't want to be the ones looking soft with taxpayer dollars.
Now for the vote - unanimous decision to move forward with intent to revoke. Next step is a public forum tentatively scheduled for July 22 at 6PM. Tailgate party starts at 4. Bring a chair, one of those little mist fans, and a cooler.
