Since word dropped just about two weeks ago that the Alisal Union School District was moving to revoke the charter of Oasis Charter Public School, activity at the North Salinas campus has taken on a frenetic pace. There have been emergency meetings with teachers and staff, emergency meetings with the Oasis board and parents and emergency lobbying by parents at an AUSD board meeting.
There was a court ruling that went against Juanita Perea, the school’s executive director, who had sought a restraining order against an activist parent. There was a resignation that maybe wasn’t really a resignation from Perea, a la, I’ll leave if and when you find my replacement. There was an invitation from Perea to Weekly education reporter Marielle Argueza and me to sit down and talk and learn more about the school, but in a baffling move, that invitation was rescinded shortly after it was extended.
The situation has unfolded so quickly, in fact, that some parents who hadn’t even realized there was a problem at hand now find themselves battling to save the school; AUSD has set a deadline of June 30 for Oasis to voluntarily give up its charter, or face public revocation of it. Instead of sitting down with Perea, we sat down with three of those parents who wanted to tell us, in simple terms, why Oasis is worth saving.
They describe a world of activity, where students create an annual “Boxland,” a replica city where businesses are opened, commerce takes place and even taxes are paid. They talk of robotics lessons, of foklórico lessons, of harvest festivals that see children, parents and teachers performing together. They describe a community.
For Jessica Padilla, whose 20-year-old son attended Oasis (disclosure: so did my 20-year-old, for kindergarten) for sixth grade, there was no other choice for her younger son, a 10-year-old who’s been at Oasis since age 6. She describes him as kind of a nervous kid, a boy who doesn’t like noise and crowds; at Oasis, she says, he’s not as nervous as he used to be.
“To be able to come here and see he’s fine – Oasis is like a big family. It might not be for everyone, but it’s perfect for my son. I’ve been happy with the staff and the leadership and the director,” she says. “If I have a concern, I come to them and they fix it.”
Padilla counts herself among the parents who didn’t realize a dire situation was at hand. It’s not because she’s not involved: “I volunteer a lot. I’m here a lot,” she says. “Everyone thinks different and that’s OK, but to make it into this problem it’s become, I don’t think it’s a big enough issue to revoke the (charter). They’re not hurting the parents, they’re hurting the children.”
Sergio Gomez, who teaches adult ed and ESL classes, also describes Oasis as a place where his formerly anxious son has blossomed. He has two children at Oasis, and says his background in education helps inform his opinions about the school.
“For students to really learn, teachers must provide quality teaching and that’s what I’ve seen at this school. The bad publicity is just that: bad publicity,” he says. “The parents here are very involved in the process and I haven’t had any issues with the teachers or the principal. The quality here is very good.”
Padilla translates for another parent, Jorge Gomez, whose son and daughter are both current Oasis students. He talks about the 10-page book his daughter wrote and a classmate illustrated about kids being lost in a world of candy – a book they then read at the school’s annual festival.
“I am totally pleased with the way the kids are educated in this school. The staff and teachers are involved, and they are against bullying and they teach respect. My daughter has matured, in a good way,” he says. “I would ask people to use their own judgment on what’s going on and not to be led by the negativity that’s come from outside the school.”
It’s unclear what AUSD’s next move is in terms of the charter revocation, because they’re not talking about it. A group of Oasis parents was scheduled to meet with AUSD Superintendent Héctor Rico on May 15, after this column’s deadline, and they expected to meet with the media on May 16 after this issue has gone to press.
They’re not dead yet.