Friday, May 30, 2014

IT'S OFFICIAL...or is it?

The reason CWC is not returning to Stoner is that CWC failed to comply with the law and respond in writing to LAUSD's sapce offer by the May 1st deadline.
   Yesterday, a lawyer for CWC sent a letter to LAUSD contesting CWC's failure to respond by the deadline and instead asserts that CWC did respond  a timely manner. A copy of the letter is available on LA School Report at http://laschoolreport.com/cwc-charter-tells-lausd-stay-stoner-elementary-school/

   In the letter CWC's counsel contends that CWC did respond and gives many different dates in which verbal and written "confirmation" were given. However, analyzing the dates and claims, it is clear that CWC failed to responded to LAUSD's April 1st final offer in writing by the May 1st deadline.

    CWC counsel claims that in a March 14 email, Director Held accepted the offer in writing. How could she have possibly accepted the offer on this date, if the final offer wasn't presented until two weeks later on April 1? Also, looking at the language of the March 14 email quoted in the letter, it says "On CWC MV at Stoner - this is all set with the caveat that..." If there is a caveat, then no, it is not all set and nothing was confirmed.
    CWC counsel reaches back further in to the past and claims that CWC gave notice as far back as February 28 that it was accepting the offer. Except, even the language of "acceptance" clearly shows that they had not yet accepted the offer "the Charter School anticipates accepting the space that the District has offered, conditional upon a slight modification to the offer..." Anticipate, conditional, modification to the offer...none of that could possibly be interpreted as accepting the offer, an offer that wasn't made until a month later.

   This is just another example of CWC's privileged, elitist and entitled mentally. CWC administration acts as if it believes that it is above the law and that rules don't apply to them. CWC counsel claims that "The later letter was merely a formality..." Following the law is not a "formality," it's a requirement. Any good citizen would know that the law is not a mere formality.
    We have seen this flouting of rules and regulations by CWC over and over again during the school year: first, there was the combination lock, then the gate being left open; the segregated rock concert, CWC parents and teachers entering the students only bathroom, and hosing down naked students on campus, just to name a few.
    CWC has repeatedly show that they believe they are above the law and should be given special consideration. CWC's lack of respect for the rule of law should not be rewarded. What kind of message will this send to other charters, that rules don't matter and that they can do whatever they want? What would this do to the space allocation procedure if charters could respond to offers whenever they wanted to?

    CWC administration made a huge mistake, and now the CWC community will suffer because of it.
It's not LAUSD's fault, it's not a Benitez's fault...It is the fault of CWC administration and some should be Held responsible.




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