Publish to Newswire
Add an EventFrom the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
Charter Privatizers and Union Busters Making Play For Total Control of CTA UTR Local
Privatizers and Union Busting Charters are making a play to take total control of the CTA UTR local in West Contra Costa School District. The president Demetrio Gonzalez who was formerly the campaign manager for pro-charter Cuevas is now supporting Mitzi Perez who is on the board of Invictus Academy Charters which has been pushing against the City of Richmond moratorium on new schools and co-locations.
Charter Privatizers and Union Busters Making Play For Total Control of CTA UTR Local
Richmond Preparatory Charter Teacher Tana Monteiro & Invictus Bd Member Pushes Charters & Co-Locations At Richmond City Council
https://youtu.be/gJJm9vso8rU
Tana Monteiro who is a teacher at the non-union Richmond Preparatory Charter School and on the board of Invictus Academy Charter mobilized parents at the Richmond City Council against a permanent moratorium on new schools in Richmond due to the explosion of charters and co-locations.
Also on the Invictus Academy Charter Board is UTR member Mitzi Perez who is running with UTR president Demetrio Gonzalez for CTA State Board Representative. The charter does not pay into the CalSTRS pension play that public school teachers rely on for retirement.
Additional media:
https://youtu.be/k_Hf7FGt_vU
Production of Labor Video Project
http://www.laborvideo.org
Co-location, Charters, Privatization, Resegregation and Union Busting
https://youtu.be/k_Hf7FGt_vU
This forum on 3/10/18 in San Pablo, California looked at the explosive growing of school co-locations under California proposition 39 and the charter school law. Speakers discussed how privatization is re-segregating the schools and setting up a two tier system. They also discussed the failure of the CTA and CFT to oppose the co-locations which break up public schools and unite the struggles against these union busting privatization policies throughout California. It was also reported that the CTA and CFT leadership had worked with Netflix billionaire and California Charter School Association CCSA leader to pass Proposition 39 which he and his supporters wrote.
Speakers included Gail Pavitch of Stand With Ross Valley Schools and a member of UTR, Mary Flanagan of UTR, Carlos Taboada of Defend Public Education NOW and UTR retired, John Irminger, UTR DPEN, Antonio Madrano, past board member of WCCSD and Steve Zeltzer KPFA WorkWeek Radio & Defend Public Education NOW.
Additional media:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lVHOw5fOVQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wny2INE74kQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yum8qjO_uAs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrEQfixF7ek
https://capitalandmain.com/co-location-controversy-in-boyle-heights
For more information
Defend Public Education NOW!
https://www.facebook.com/DefendPublicEducationNOW/
Stand With Ross Valley Schools
https://www.facebook.com/standwithrossvalleyschools/?fref=nf&pnref=story
Production of Labor Video Project
http://www.laborvideo.org
UTR MITZI PEREZ IS ON BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF INVICTUS ACADEMY CHARTER HELPING TO BUST UNIONS
SHE IS ALSO RUNNING ON UTR PRESIDENT DEMETRIO GONZALEZ ELECTION SLATE
UTR MITZI PEREZ IS ON BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF INVICTUS ACADEMY CHARTER
MITZI PEREZ ON BOARD OF INVICTUS
https://www.invictusofrichmond.org/founding-team/
Mitzi Perez is a community advocate with roots in Richmond, CA. Ms. Perez was born and raised in Richmond and is an alumnus of West Contra Costa schools. She is currently the Digital Arts teacher at Kennedy High School, a reporter for the Richmond Pulse, and videographer for Fusion. She has worked in the past as a grassroots organizer centered around education. She is deeply invested in ensuring that students in Richmond and the community at large thrive. Ms. Perez graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies.
Invictus Academy Founding Team
Our team is diverse, experienced, and deeply committed to Richmond.
ABOUT OUR TEAM
All eight members have relevant professional experience in education
Five of the eight members live and/or work in Richmond
Four of the eight members were previously classroom teachers
Our team has professional expertise in education, law, finance, facilities, community outreach, and board governance
All of our team meetings are held in Richmond
FOUNDING TEAM MEMBERS
GAUTAM THAPAR, LEAD FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Mr. Thapar, a Richmond resident, is the Lead Founder and proposed Executive Director of Invictus Academy of Richmond. He is currently a Fellow with Building Excellent Schools, through which he is studying nearly 50 high-performing charter schools across the country to learn best practices. Mr. Thapar joined Teach For America in 2010 and taught for four years, most recently as a U.S. History and Advanced Placement U.S. History teacher at Leadership Public Schools-Richmond. At LPS-Richmond, Mr. Thapar’s 11th grade U.S. History students had the highest proficiency rates of any open-enrollment school in the district. He graduated with honors from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and earned a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Michigan.
JESSE MADWAY
Mr. Madway is in his 25th year working in urban public schools. He is currently the Head of Operations and Facilities, as well as the Testing Coordinator at Leadership Public Schools-Richmond, in Richmond California. From 2007-2016, Mr. Madway was the Dean of Students at LPS-Richmond, and prior to that he was an English teacher at the school. LPS-Richmond is one of the highest performing schools in the nation, having been ranked in the top 1% of all public schools for the past three years in a row. Mr. Madway has worked extensively in several middle schools and high schools as both a teacher and an administrator. Mr. Madway grew up in the Bay Area and attended the University of California, Santa Cruz where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in American Studies.
TANA MONTEIRO
Ms. Monteiro, a Richmond resident, is currently the Parent Engagement Coordinator at Richmond College Preparatory School, where she builds and maintains connections with parents and families, involving them in the broader school community. Ms. Monteiro loves working with families and strives to make their voices heard as they work together to make a safer, healthier, and happier community. Ms. Monteiro has lived in Richmond and nearby San Pablo for the past 19 years and is raising four sons, all of whom have attended public schools. Previously, Ms. Monteiro served as the Community Wellness Coordinator at YES Families from 2013 to 2016 after serving as a parent organizer and community liaison at Richmond College Preparatory School for seven years. Ms. Monteiro led YES’s Wellness Program and coordinated 15-20 adult Wellness Navigators annually to advocate for health and wellness in their communities. Ms. Monteiro received professional certifications in healthcare Healthcare Administration and Culinary Arts from Chabot College and Contra Costa Community College, respectively. As evidenced by her extensive professional experience, Ms. Monteiro is committed to working with families and strives to make their voices heard as they work together to make a safer, healthier, and happier community.
KAREN NORWOOD
Ms. Norwood currently serves as the Facilities Services Manager for Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences in Richmond, CA. She is responsible for providing daily leadership in facility operations for the school. Ms. Norwood has always had a passion for working in health care to eliminate health disparities in California, and has been active in the community to create positive change. She serves on the Board of Directors for Rubicon Programs, Inc. and the Hercules Academic Athletic Board. Ms. Norwood is also a member of the Kaiser Permanente African American Professional Association, and is a Kaiser Permanente Care Volunteer. She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Education and earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Aspen University.
CHARLES OSHINUGA
Mr. Oshinuga, a Richmond resident, was born in Louisiana to Nigerian immigrant parents and raised primarily in the Mojave Desert. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a double major in Molecular Cell Biology and Legal Studies, he worked with youth, including teaching for a year at a charter school in Southern California. Charles then went on to the UC Davis King Hall Law School where he focused on public interest law. After graduation, Mr. Oshinuga applied his skills at the Mendocino Public Defender's Office where he realized that many clients were in the system due to unstable housing situations. As a result, Mr. Oshinuga decided to work on housing issues, joining the Eviction Defense Collaborative and later Bay Area Legal Aid. Both jobs have allowed him to keep finger on the pulse of pertinent housing issues and to advocate for low-income, disabled tenants, as well as tenants in Public Housing, and to educate the general public about landlord/tenant issues.
MITZI PEREZ
Mitzi Perez is a community advocate with roots in Richmond, CA. Ms. Perez was born and raised in Richmond and is an alumnus of West Contra Costa schools. She is currently the Digital Arts teacher at Kennedy High School, a reporter for the Richmond Pulse, and videographer for Fusion. She has worked in the past as a grassroots organizer centered around education. She is deeply invested in ensuring that students in Richmond and the community at large thrive. Ms. Perez graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies.
ASHWIN RAVI
Mr. Ravi is an experienced technology leader and financial analyst, with a commitment to improving educational opportunity and outcomes at a community level. A Detroit native, Mr. Ravi managed growth at Lumosity, the leading online program to train core cognitive abilities, helping reach over 75 million users. He previously worked as an investor at Norwest Venture Partners with a focus on supporting high-potential education services companies. Mr. Ravi has held several roles on the leadership team of Minds Matter of San Francisco, a volunteer run mentorship organization helping low-income, high-achieving students in the Bay Area reach college success. Mr. Ravi graduated from the Honors College at the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics.
JULIA WASSERMAN
Ms. Wasserman, a Berkeley native, works with the Google for Education Solutions Team, driven by a commitment to improving educational outcomes for students everywhere. In the two years before Ms. Wasserman joined Google for Education, she worked to shift her focus from a career in finance where she was a Senior Portfolio Management Analyst at a fund of hedge funds towards a career in education due to her deeply held belief that a great education is a most fundamental human right. During that time, she worked as a Summer Associate and Education Pioneers Summer Fellow for AltSchool in San Francisco, helping them develop their micro-schools model. She has held volunteer positions with Junior Achievement and spent a semester helping loveLife, a South African youth organization develop online, skills-based, certificate-granting programs for young people across South Africa. She holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Berkeley-Haas Business School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Virginia.
LETTER AGREEMENT
THIS LETTER AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of_______________, 2017, by and between Building Excellent Schools (“BES”), and Invictus Academy (the “School”), with reference to the following:
WHEREAS, BES and the School are parties to that certain Building Excellent Schools Follow-On Support Agreement dated as of_______________, 2017, by and among BES, and the School (the “FOSA”);
WHEREAS, BES and the School desire to alter certain provisions of the FOSA as between BES and the School;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing recitals and the promises contained herein, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:
1. Term. As between BES and the School, the Section titled “Term” of the FOSA shall be replaced in its entirety and read in full as follows:
TERM AND TERMINATION
The term of this agreement shall be three (3) years, commencing on January 1, 2017, and ending June 30, 2020, unless earlier terminated as provided herein. Either party may terminate this agreement by providing written notice of termination to the other party at least thirty (30) days prior to June 30 of the then current year. Such termination shall be effective as of June 30 of the then current year. Either party may immediately terminate this agreement at any time for cause (defined as immoral, unethical, or illegal behavior or a material breach of the terms of this agreement), effective upon written notice to the other party; provided, however, that in the case of termination for an alleged material breach, termination shall be effective upon a failure of the breaching party to cure such breach within fifteen (15) days’ notice. The obligations of both parties shall cease upon termination of this agreement, except as specified herein.
2. Confidentiality. As between BES and the School, a Section titled “Confidentiality” shall be added to the FOSA after the Section titled “Payment” and shall, in its entirety, read in full as follows:
CONFIDENTIALITY
Building Excellent Schools agrees that at all times during the term of this agreement and following the conclusion of this agreement, whether voluntary or involuntary, Building Excellent Schools will hold in strictest confidence and not disclose “Confidential Information” (as defined below) to anyone who is not also an employee of School or to any employee of School who does not also have access to such Confidential Information, without express written authorization of the School Leader or his/her designee.
"Confidential Information" shall mean any proprietary or confidential information relating to the operation of School and its students and families, including, but not limited to, information protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and California Education Code section 49060 et seq., education and instructional techniques, processes, formulas, student or family lists, inventions, experimental developments, research projects, operating methods, cost, financial data, data and information School receives in confidence from any other party, or any other private or confidential matters of School and its students. Additionally, Building Excellent Schools will not use any Confidential Information for its own benefit or to the detriment of School during the term of this agreement or thereafter.
3. Modification. This Agreement shall be deemed an amendment or modification of the FOSA between BES and the School. Except as otherwise expressly modified herein, the FOSA shall remain in full force and effect. In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions of this Agreement and any provision of the FOSA, the provisions of this Agreement shall govern and control.
4. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (including via email with scan attachment or facsimile), each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which when taken together shall constitute this Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed and delivered this Agreement as of the date first above written.
Building Excellent Schools
By: __________________________________ Name: Sue Walsh
Title: Chief Academic Officer
Invictus Academy
By: __________________________________ Name: Gautam Thapar
Title: Executive Director
DocuSign Envelope ID: 2774FCC3-392D-49FF-8F5A-5BB1D0D66C6C
BUILDING EXCELLENT SCHOOLS FOLLOW-ON SUPPORT AGREEMENT
This letter will serve as the agreement between the undersigned School Leader and Building Excellent Schools for Follow-On Support Services in Y0, the year following the BES Fellowship also known as the planning year, in addition to the subsequent two years, Y1 and Y2. Building Excellent Schools and the School agree to the following:
SCOPE
A BES Director of Leadership Development (DLD) will provide the support described in the document FOS Explained. Further details will be provided to the School Leader upon request. It is understood by both parties that the schedule will be subject to modification based on the needs of the School. In addition, Building Excellent Schools will provide the School with regularly scheduled cohort-based training sessions aligned to the planning year’s (Y0) implementation needs through an online platform.
TERM
FOS will be provided from July 1st, 2017 through June 30, 2020 unless extended by written agreement between BES and the School prior to the termination date.
PAYMENT
The cost of BES Follow-On Support is $12,500* for Y0, and 10,000 for Y1 and Y2 for a total of $32,500 over the three-year term.
Building Excellent Schools provides the services outlined in this agreement and ancillary documents as an independent contractor. The School is aware that, as an independent contractor, Building Excellent Schools provides similar services to other schools. The services outlined in this agreement cover the general needs for opening a charter school. It does not provide the specific details or regulatory requirements for states, local or authorizer requirements.
BES offers the following payment options for schools in each year, from the planning year (Y0) to Y2. Please mark the box of the option of your choice:
If the School requests additional DLD visits beyond those in the FOS Explained document, the School will be billed for any travel costs incurred by the DLD as a result.
This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Massachusetts. This agreement constitutes the final and entire agreement between Building Excellent Schools and School, replacing any prior agreement with respect to Follow-On Support Services.
OPTION 1
OPTION 2
$12,500 due November 15th, 2017 $10,000 due November 15th, 2018-19
$6,125 due November 15th, 2017
$6,125 due May 15th, 2018 $5,000 due November 15th, 2018-19 $5,000 due May 15th, 2019-20
School Leader: ____________________________ Linda Brown
Gautam Thapar
Invictus Academy
School: __________________________________ CEO, Building Excellent Schools Signature: ________________________________
*California Fellows are assessed an additional $2,500 as repayment for ExEd or EdTec services made by BES on behalf of the Fellow and proposed school (See Fellowship MOU 2016-17).
https://www.invictusofrichmond.org/founding-team/
Invictus Academy Founding Team
Our team is diverse, experienced, and deeply committed to Richmond.
ABOUT OUR TEAM
All eight members have relevant professional experience in education
Five of the eight members live and/or work in Richmond
Four of the eight members were previously classroom teachers
Our team has professional expertise in education, law, finance, facilities, community outreach, and board governance
All of our team meetings are held in Richmond
Richmond Preparatory Charter Teacher Tana Monteiro & Invictus Bd Member Pushes Charters & Co-Locations At Richmond City Council
https://youtu.be/gJJm9vso8rU
Tana Monteiro who is a teacher at the non-union Richmond Preparatory Charter School and on the board of Invictus Academy Charter mobilized parents at the Richmond City Council against a permanent moratorium on new schools in Richmond due to the explosion of charters and co-locations.
Also on the Invictus Academy Charter Board is UTR member Mitzi Perez who is running with UTR president Demetrio Gonzalez for CTA State Board Representative. The charter does not pay into the CalSTRS pension play that public school teachers rely on for retirement.
Additional media:
https://youtu.be/k_Hf7FGt_vU
Production of Labor Video Project
http://www.laborvideo.org
Co-location, Charters, Privatization, Resegregation and Union Busting
https://youtu.be/k_Hf7FGt_vU
This forum on 3/10/18 in San Pablo, California looked at the explosive growing of school co-locations under California proposition 39 and the charter school law. Speakers discussed how privatization is re-segregating the schools and setting up a two tier system. They also discussed the failure of the CTA and CFT to oppose the co-locations which break up public schools and unite the struggles against these union busting privatization policies throughout California. It was also reported that the CTA and CFT leadership had worked with Netflix billionaire and California Charter School Association CCSA leader to pass Proposition 39 which he and his supporters wrote.
Speakers included Gail Pavitch of Stand With Ross Valley Schools and a member of UTR, Mary Flanagan of UTR, Carlos Taboada of Defend Public Education NOW and UTR retired, John Irminger, UTR DPEN, Antonio Madrano, past board member of WCCSD and Steve Zeltzer KPFA WorkWeek Radio & Defend Public Education NOW.
Additional media:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lVHOw5fOVQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wny2INE74kQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yum8qjO_uAs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrEQfixF7ek
https://capitalandmain.com/co-location-controversy-in-boyle-heights
For more information
Defend Public Education NOW!
https://www.facebook.com/DefendPublicEducationNOW/
Stand With Ross Valley Schools
https://www.facebook.com/standwithrossvalleyschools/?fref=nf&pnref=story
Production of Labor Video Project
http://www.laborvideo.org
UTR MITZI PEREZ IS ON BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF INVICTUS ACADEMY CHARTER HELPING TO BUST UNIONS
SHE IS ALSO RUNNING ON UTR PRESIDENT DEMETRIO GONZALEZ ELECTION SLATE
UTR MITZI PEREZ IS ON BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF INVICTUS ACADEMY CHARTER
MITZI PEREZ ON BOARD OF INVICTUS
https://www.invictusofrichmond.org/founding-team/
Mitzi Perez is a community advocate with roots in Richmond, CA. Ms. Perez was born and raised in Richmond and is an alumnus of West Contra Costa schools. She is currently the Digital Arts teacher at Kennedy High School, a reporter for the Richmond Pulse, and videographer for Fusion. She has worked in the past as a grassroots organizer centered around education. She is deeply invested in ensuring that students in Richmond and the community at large thrive. Ms. Perez graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies.
Invictus Academy Founding Team
Our team is diverse, experienced, and deeply committed to Richmond.
ABOUT OUR TEAM
All eight members have relevant professional experience in education
Five of the eight members live and/or work in Richmond
Four of the eight members were previously classroom teachers
Our team has professional expertise in education, law, finance, facilities, community outreach, and board governance
All of our team meetings are held in Richmond
FOUNDING TEAM MEMBERS
GAUTAM THAPAR, LEAD FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Mr. Thapar, a Richmond resident, is the Lead Founder and proposed Executive Director of Invictus Academy of Richmond. He is currently a Fellow with Building Excellent Schools, through which he is studying nearly 50 high-performing charter schools across the country to learn best practices. Mr. Thapar joined Teach For America in 2010 and taught for four years, most recently as a U.S. History and Advanced Placement U.S. History teacher at Leadership Public Schools-Richmond. At LPS-Richmond, Mr. Thapar’s 11th grade U.S. History students had the highest proficiency rates of any open-enrollment school in the district. He graduated with honors from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and earned a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Michigan.
JESSE MADWAY
Mr. Madway is in his 25th year working in urban public schools. He is currently the Head of Operations and Facilities, as well as the Testing Coordinator at Leadership Public Schools-Richmond, in Richmond California. From 2007-2016, Mr. Madway was the Dean of Students at LPS-Richmond, and prior to that he was an English teacher at the school. LPS-Richmond is one of the highest performing schools in the nation, having been ranked in the top 1% of all public schools for the past three years in a row. Mr. Madway has worked extensively in several middle schools and high schools as both a teacher and an administrator. Mr. Madway grew up in the Bay Area and attended the University of California, Santa Cruz where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in American Studies.
TANA MONTEIRO
Ms. Monteiro, a Richmond resident, is currently the Parent Engagement Coordinator at Richmond College Preparatory School, where she builds and maintains connections with parents and families, involving them in the broader school community. Ms. Monteiro loves working with families and strives to make their voices heard as they work together to make a safer, healthier, and happier community. Ms. Monteiro has lived in Richmond and nearby San Pablo for the past 19 years and is raising four sons, all of whom have attended public schools. Previously, Ms. Monteiro served as the Community Wellness Coordinator at YES Families from 2013 to 2016 after serving as a parent organizer and community liaison at Richmond College Preparatory School for seven years. Ms. Monteiro led YES’s Wellness Program and coordinated 15-20 adult Wellness Navigators annually to advocate for health and wellness in their communities. Ms. Monteiro received professional certifications in healthcare Healthcare Administration and Culinary Arts from Chabot College and Contra Costa Community College, respectively. As evidenced by her extensive professional experience, Ms. Monteiro is committed to working with families and strives to make their voices heard as they work together to make a safer, healthier, and happier community.
KAREN NORWOOD
Ms. Norwood currently serves as the Facilities Services Manager for Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences in Richmond, CA. She is responsible for providing daily leadership in facility operations for the school. Ms. Norwood has always had a passion for working in health care to eliminate health disparities in California, and has been active in the community to create positive change. She serves on the Board of Directors for Rubicon Programs, Inc. and the Hercules Academic Athletic Board. Ms. Norwood is also a member of the Kaiser Permanente African American Professional Association, and is a Kaiser Permanente Care Volunteer. She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Education and earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Aspen University.
CHARLES OSHINUGA
Mr. Oshinuga, a Richmond resident, was born in Louisiana to Nigerian immigrant parents and raised primarily in the Mojave Desert. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a double major in Molecular Cell Biology and Legal Studies, he worked with youth, including teaching for a year at a charter school in Southern California. Charles then went on to the UC Davis King Hall Law School where he focused on public interest law. After graduation, Mr. Oshinuga applied his skills at the Mendocino Public Defender's Office where he realized that many clients were in the system due to unstable housing situations. As a result, Mr. Oshinuga decided to work on housing issues, joining the Eviction Defense Collaborative and later Bay Area Legal Aid. Both jobs have allowed him to keep finger on the pulse of pertinent housing issues and to advocate for low-income, disabled tenants, as well as tenants in Public Housing, and to educate the general public about landlord/tenant issues.
MITZI PEREZ
Mitzi Perez is a community advocate with roots in Richmond, CA. Ms. Perez was born and raised in Richmond and is an alumnus of West Contra Costa schools. She is currently the Digital Arts teacher at Kennedy High School, a reporter for the Richmond Pulse, and videographer for Fusion. She has worked in the past as a grassroots organizer centered around education. She is deeply invested in ensuring that students in Richmond and the community at large thrive. Ms. Perez graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies.
ASHWIN RAVI
Mr. Ravi is an experienced technology leader and financial analyst, with a commitment to improving educational opportunity and outcomes at a community level. A Detroit native, Mr. Ravi managed growth at Lumosity, the leading online program to train core cognitive abilities, helping reach over 75 million users. He previously worked as an investor at Norwest Venture Partners with a focus on supporting high-potential education services companies. Mr. Ravi has held several roles on the leadership team of Minds Matter of San Francisco, a volunteer run mentorship organization helping low-income, high-achieving students in the Bay Area reach college success. Mr. Ravi graduated from the Honors College at the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics.
JULIA WASSERMAN
Ms. Wasserman, a Berkeley native, works with the Google for Education Solutions Team, driven by a commitment to improving educational outcomes for students everywhere. In the two years before Ms. Wasserman joined Google for Education, she worked to shift her focus from a career in finance where she was a Senior Portfolio Management Analyst at a fund of hedge funds towards a career in education due to her deeply held belief that a great education is a most fundamental human right. During that time, she worked as a Summer Associate and Education Pioneers Summer Fellow for AltSchool in San Francisco, helping them develop their micro-schools model. She has held volunteer positions with Junior Achievement and spent a semester helping loveLife, a South African youth organization develop online, skills-based, certificate-granting programs for young people across South Africa. She holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Berkeley-Haas Business School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Virginia.
LETTER AGREEMENT
THIS LETTER AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of_______________, 2017, by and between Building Excellent Schools (“BES”), and Invictus Academy (the “School”), with reference to the following:
WHEREAS, BES and the School are parties to that certain Building Excellent Schools Follow-On Support Agreement dated as of_______________, 2017, by and among BES, and the School (the “FOSA”);
WHEREAS, BES and the School desire to alter certain provisions of the FOSA as between BES and the School;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing recitals and the promises contained herein, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:
1. Term. As between BES and the School, the Section titled “Term” of the FOSA shall be replaced in its entirety and read in full as follows:
TERM AND TERMINATION
The term of this agreement shall be three (3) years, commencing on January 1, 2017, and ending June 30, 2020, unless earlier terminated as provided herein. Either party may terminate this agreement by providing written notice of termination to the other party at least thirty (30) days prior to June 30 of the then current year. Such termination shall be effective as of June 30 of the then current year. Either party may immediately terminate this agreement at any time for cause (defined as immoral, unethical, or illegal behavior or a material breach of the terms of this agreement), effective upon written notice to the other party; provided, however, that in the case of termination for an alleged material breach, termination shall be effective upon a failure of the breaching party to cure such breach within fifteen (15) days’ notice. The obligations of both parties shall cease upon termination of this agreement, except as specified herein.
2. Confidentiality. As between BES and the School, a Section titled “Confidentiality” shall be added to the FOSA after the Section titled “Payment” and shall, in its entirety, read in full as follows:
CONFIDENTIALITY
Building Excellent Schools agrees that at all times during the term of this agreement and following the conclusion of this agreement, whether voluntary or involuntary, Building Excellent Schools will hold in strictest confidence and not disclose “Confidential Information” (as defined below) to anyone who is not also an employee of School or to any employee of School who does not also have access to such Confidential Information, without express written authorization of the School Leader or his/her designee.
"Confidential Information" shall mean any proprietary or confidential information relating to the operation of School and its students and families, including, but not limited to, information protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and California Education Code section 49060 et seq., education and instructional techniques, processes, formulas, student or family lists, inventions, experimental developments, research projects, operating methods, cost, financial data, data and information School receives in confidence from any other party, or any other private or confidential matters of School and its students. Additionally, Building Excellent Schools will not use any Confidential Information for its own benefit or to the detriment of School during the term of this agreement or thereafter.
3. Modification. This Agreement shall be deemed an amendment or modification of the FOSA between BES and the School. Except as otherwise expressly modified herein, the FOSA shall remain in full force and effect. In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions of this Agreement and any provision of the FOSA, the provisions of this Agreement shall govern and control.
4. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (including via email with scan attachment or facsimile), each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which when taken together shall constitute this Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed and delivered this Agreement as of the date first above written.
Building Excellent Schools
By: __________________________________ Name: Sue Walsh
Title: Chief Academic Officer
Invictus Academy
By: __________________________________ Name: Gautam Thapar
Title: Executive Director
DocuSign Envelope ID: 2774FCC3-392D-49FF-8F5A-5BB1D0D66C6C
BUILDING EXCELLENT SCHOOLS FOLLOW-ON SUPPORT AGREEMENT
This letter will serve as the agreement between the undersigned School Leader and Building Excellent Schools for Follow-On Support Services in Y0, the year following the BES Fellowship also known as the planning year, in addition to the subsequent two years, Y1 and Y2. Building Excellent Schools and the School agree to the following:
SCOPE
A BES Director of Leadership Development (DLD) will provide the support described in the document FOS Explained. Further details will be provided to the School Leader upon request. It is understood by both parties that the schedule will be subject to modification based on the needs of the School. In addition, Building Excellent Schools will provide the School with regularly scheduled cohort-based training sessions aligned to the planning year’s (Y0) implementation needs through an online platform.
TERM
FOS will be provided from July 1st, 2017 through June 30, 2020 unless extended by written agreement between BES and the School prior to the termination date.
PAYMENT
The cost of BES Follow-On Support is $12,500* for Y0, and 10,000 for Y1 and Y2 for a total of $32,500 over the three-year term.
Building Excellent Schools provides the services outlined in this agreement and ancillary documents as an independent contractor. The School is aware that, as an independent contractor, Building Excellent Schools provides similar services to other schools. The services outlined in this agreement cover the general needs for opening a charter school. It does not provide the specific details or regulatory requirements for states, local or authorizer requirements.
BES offers the following payment options for schools in each year, from the planning year (Y0) to Y2. Please mark the box of the option of your choice:
If the School requests additional DLD visits beyond those in the FOS Explained document, the School will be billed for any travel costs incurred by the DLD as a result.
This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Massachusetts. This agreement constitutes the final and entire agreement between Building Excellent Schools and School, replacing any prior agreement with respect to Follow-On Support Services.
OPTION 1
OPTION 2
$12,500 due November 15th, 2017 $10,000 due November 15th, 2018-19
$6,125 due November 15th, 2017
$6,125 due May 15th, 2018 $5,000 due November 15th, 2018-19 $5,000 due May 15th, 2019-20
School Leader: ____________________________ Linda Brown
Gautam Thapar
Invictus Academy
School: __________________________________ CEO, Building Excellent Schools Signature: ________________________________
*California Fellows are assessed an additional $2,500 as repayment for ExEd or EdTec services made by BES on behalf of the Fellow and proposed school (See Fellowship MOU 2016-17).
https://www.invictusofrichmond.org/founding-team/
Invictus Academy Founding Team
Our team is diverse, experienced, and deeply committed to Richmond.
ABOUT OUR TEAM
All eight members have relevant professional experience in education
Five of the eight members live and/or work in Richmond
Four of the eight members were previously classroom teachers
Our team has professional expertise in education, law, finance, facilities, community outreach, and board governance
All of our team meetings are held in Richmond
For more information:
https://youtu.be/gJJm9vso8rU
Add Your Comments
Comments
(Hide Comments)
Largest Charter School Chain in L.A. Raises Millions in Dark Money to Fight Union Drive, State Auditor Finds
Union busting has long been a national goal of the K-12 privatization movement.
https://www.alternet.org/education/largest-charter-school-chain-la-raises-millions-dark-money-fight-teacher-union
By Steven Rosenfeld / AlterNetApril 20, 2017, 1:04 PM GMT
Photo Credit: http://www.utla.net/news
The extraordinary lengths that Los Angeles’ largest charter school chain will go to defeat a union drive were revealed in a new California State Auditor report that found the chain raised nearly $1 million for the effort and broke federal privacy law by giving alumni information to industry lobbyists to augment their union-busting campaign.
The efforts by Alliance College-Ready Public Schools to stop the union drive that began in March 2015, when 67 teachers and counselors said they wanted to join United Teachers Los Angeles, also included $2.2 million in donated legal fees, hiring an array of campaign consultants routinely seen in political fights and coordinating with the California Charter School Association (CCSA), which used the private alumni files to recruit former students to their side.
The audit report did not say who gave the money or legal work worth $3.2 million to Alliance, which operates 25 schools in the L.A. region with 12,000 students and has more than 600 teachers and counselors. The state auditor's goal was to "identify the source and amount" of anti-union funds spent by Alliance and "determine whether public and private funds are comingled." It concluded Alliance set up separate accounts and had not dipped into the $157 million it got from state, federal and local sources in fiscal year 2015-'16.While that finding sparked the “did not use public funds to fight unions” headline in local news that Alliance wanted, the audit noted that Alliance’s anti-union effort clearly violated federal privacy laws by giving information about former students to CCSA, which in turn, recruited and paid some to deliver scripted messages. The report also stated that California law permits union drives at public schools, noting Alliance and UTLA have been in court where the chain has been ordered to cease illegal intimidation and threats.
But because auditors are state government accountants, their report mostly stuck to fiscal and privacy issues. As the audit parsed Alliance’s $3.2 million in anti-union expenses, it withheld a lot of details, such as names of donors, who did the pro bono legal work or whether these contributions were tax-deductible as the chain is a non-profit corporation.
However, UTLA officials have said Alliance retained Proskauer Rose LLP, a firm whose anti-union work has been documented at T-Mobile, major league sports and Columbia, Yale and Duke universities. Some of the “$426,000 in consulting fees for public relations and other services” described in the audit went to Mercury LLC, UTLA said, the PR firm with many anti-union clients from Michigan GOP Gov. Rick Snyder to David Koch.
While the state auditor's report said Alliance kept anti-union funds separate from academics, it did note that of the $914,759 “Alliance Home Office” funds paid out that $204,540 was for reimbursements to schools “for expenses related to the time spent by school personnel in response to the unionization effort, and a $3,000 grant to each school for any future response to unionization efforts.” The report also said that Alliance senior management held anti-union conference calls with principals and other staff.
“I am glad that this audit has been completed, but additional clarification is needed,” California Sen. Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia, a former Los Angeles teacher who requested the state audit last May, said in a statement. “I would like more information on the reimbursement of school employees, specifically if anti-unionization activities took place during school hours.”
Stepping back, it is remarkable that the largest charter chain in California’s largest school district, which last year received 94 percent of its funding from taxpayers, was raising millions in dark money to undermine a legal activity—union organizing. This is not money for computers, libraries or learning centers. This is not business as usual unless you’re in the business of union busting, which has long been a national goal of the K-12 privatization movement.
As you might expect, Alliance’s spokespeople and UTLA officials talked past each other when commenting on the report.
The chain all but denied it had done anything wrong, even as the audit report stiffly noted its anti-union bias, saying, “Alliance expressed its opinion that UTLA has been funding and supporting efforts to interfere with the freedom and flexibility that charter schools like Alliance have in tailoring programs for the needs of their students.”
“There’s no there there,” Alliance spokeswoman Catherine Suitor toldLAschoolreport.com, speaking of the ongoing litigation around the chain's anti-union organizing tactics and the state auditor’s report. “Our goal again is to stay focused on educating kids, running great schools and making Alliance a really great place to work for our educators.”
Needless to say, those supporting the Alliance union drive see things very differently.
Report Advertisement
“Alliance is spending resources to run a campaign against their own teachers and counselors,” UTLA president Alex Caputo-Pearl said in a statement. “Raising funds for a war chest to fight your own employees is just plain wrong. Operators of publicly funded schools should be working to see that every available dollar is spent to further quality education for students.”
“All we want is a fair, neutral process so we can make up our own minds about forming a union without our employer interfering, and violating our rights under the law,” Alisha Mernick, an Alliance Teacher, said in a UTLA article on the audit report. “When your employer is raising and spending millions of dollars to try to prevent you from having a union rather than working with teachers through collective bargaining to improve our students’ education—that’s a pretty good sign you need a union.”
Steven Rosenfeld covers national political issues for AlterNet. He is the author of several books on elections, most recently Democracy Betrayed: How Superdelegates, Redistricting, Party Insiders, and the Electoral College Rigged the 2016 Election (March 2018, Hot Books).
Union busting has long been a national goal of the K-12 privatization movement.
https://www.alternet.org/education/largest-charter-school-chain-la-raises-millions-dark-money-fight-teacher-union
By Steven Rosenfeld / AlterNetApril 20, 2017, 1:04 PM GMT
Photo Credit: http://www.utla.net/news
The extraordinary lengths that Los Angeles’ largest charter school chain will go to defeat a union drive were revealed in a new California State Auditor report that found the chain raised nearly $1 million for the effort and broke federal privacy law by giving alumni information to industry lobbyists to augment their union-busting campaign.
The efforts by Alliance College-Ready Public Schools to stop the union drive that began in March 2015, when 67 teachers and counselors said they wanted to join United Teachers Los Angeles, also included $2.2 million in donated legal fees, hiring an array of campaign consultants routinely seen in political fights and coordinating with the California Charter School Association (CCSA), which used the private alumni files to recruit former students to their side.
The audit report did not say who gave the money or legal work worth $3.2 million to Alliance, which operates 25 schools in the L.A. region with 12,000 students and has more than 600 teachers and counselors. The state auditor's goal was to "identify the source and amount" of anti-union funds spent by Alliance and "determine whether public and private funds are comingled." It concluded Alliance set up separate accounts and had not dipped into the $157 million it got from state, federal and local sources in fiscal year 2015-'16.While that finding sparked the “did not use public funds to fight unions” headline in local news that Alliance wanted, the audit noted that Alliance’s anti-union effort clearly violated federal privacy laws by giving information about former students to CCSA, which in turn, recruited and paid some to deliver scripted messages. The report also stated that California law permits union drives at public schools, noting Alliance and UTLA have been in court where the chain has been ordered to cease illegal intimidation and threats.
But because auditors are state government accountants, their report mostly stuck to fiscal and privacy issues. As the audit parsed Alliance’s $3.2 million in anti-union expenses, it withheld a lot of details, such as names of donors, who did the pro bono legal work or whether these contributions were tax-deductible as the chain is a non-profit corporation.
However, UTLA officials have said Alliance retained Proskauer Rose LLP, a firm whose anti-union work has been documented at T-Mobile, major league sports and Columbia, Yale and Duke universities. Some of the “$426,000 in consulting fees for public relations and other services” described in the audit went to Mercury LLC, UTLA said, the PR firm with many anti-union clients from Michigan GOP Gov. Rick Snyder to David Koch.
While the state auditor's report said Alliance kept anti-union funds separate from academics, it did note that of the $914,759 “Alliance Home Office” funds paid out that $204,540 was for reimbursements to schools “for expenses related to the time spent by school personnel in response to the unionization effort, and a $3,000 grant to each school for any future response to unionization efforts.” The report also said that Alliance senior management held anti-union conference calls with principals and other staff.
“I am glad that this audit has been completed, but additional clarification is needed,” California Sen. Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia, a former Los Angeles teacher who requested the state audit last May, said in a statement. “I would like more information on the reimbursement of school employees, specifically if anti-unionization activities took place during school hours.”
Stepping back, it is remarkable that the largest charter chain in California’s largest school district, which last year received 94 percent of its funding from taxpayers, was raising millions in dark money to undermine a legal activity—union organizing. This is not money for computers, libraries or learning centers. This is not business as usual unless you’re in the business of union busting, which has long been a national goal of the K-12 privatization movement.
As you might expect, Alliance’s spokespeople and UTLA officials talked past each other when commenting on the report.
The chain all but denied it had done anything wrong, even as the audit report stiffly noted its anti-union bias, saying, “Alliance expressed its opinion that UTLA has been funding and supporting efforts to interfere with the freedom and flexibility that charter schools like Alliance have in tailoring programs for the needs of their students.”
“There’s no there there,” Alliance spokeswoman Catherine Suitor toldLAschoolreport.com, speaking of the ongoing litigation around the chain's anti-union organizing tactics and the state auditor’s report. “Our goal again is to stay focused on educating kids, running great schools and making Alliance a really great place to work for our educators.”
Needless to say, those supporting the Alliance union drive see things very differently.
Report Advertisement
“Alliance is spending resources to run a campaign against their own teachers and counselors,” UTLA president Alex Caputo-Pearl said in a statement. “Raising funds for a war chest to fight your own employees is just plain wrong. Operators of publicly funded schools should be working to see that every available dollar is spent to further quality education for students.”
“All we want is a fair, neutral process so we can make up our own minds about forming a union without our employer interfering, and violating our rights under the law,” Alisha Mernick, an Alliance Teacher, said in a UTLA article on the audit report. “When your employer is raising and spending millions of dollars to try to prevent you from having a union rather than working with teachers through collective bargaining to improve our students’ education—that’s a pretty good sign you need a union.”
Steven Rosenfeld covers national political issues for AlterNet. He is the author of several books on elections, most recently Democracy Betrayed: How Superdelegates, Redistricting, Party Insiders, and the Electoral College Rigged the 2016 Election (March 2018, Hot Books).
For more information:
http://Union busting has long been a natio...
MITZI PEREZ who is running with UTR president Demetrio Gonzalez as a candidate for the CTA State Council conveniently leaves out on your bio for her Invictus Academy Charter as a board director of the non-union anti-labor charter school operation.
Mitzi Perez is a community advocate with roots in Richmond, CA. Ms. Perez was born and raised in Richmond and is an alumnus of West Contra Costa schools. She is currently the Digital Arts teacher at Kennedy High School, a reporter for the Richmond Pulse, and videographer for Fusion. She has worked in the past as a grassroots organizer centered around education. She is deeply invested in ensuring that students in Richmond and the community at large thrive. Ms. Perez graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies.
Mitzi Perez is a community advocate with roots in Richmond, CA. Ms. Perez was born and raised in Richmond and is an alumnus of West Contra Costa schools. She is currently the Digital Arts teacher at Kennedy High School, a reporter for the Richmond Pulse, and videographer for Fusion. She has worked in the past as a grassroots organizer centered around education. She is deeply invested in ensuring that students in Richmond and the community at large thrive. Ms. Perez graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies.
For more information:
https://www.invictusofrichmond.org/foundin...
UTR President Demetrio Gonzalez's STEALTH Candidate Mitzi Perez
UTR President Demetrio Gonzalez's CTA State Council Candidate Mitzi Perez In UTR Campaign Video Leaves Out That She Is On Board Of Union Busting Charter Invictus Aacademy Charter
In a video made by UTR President Demetrio Gonzalez, his candidate for CWA State Council Mitzi Perez leaves out that she is on the board of the union busting anti-labor Invictus Academy Charter.
Mitzi Perez - Candidate for CTA State Council - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkevx58wKcs
5 days ago - Uploaded by UTR President Demetrio Perez
UTR President Demetrio Gonzalez's CTA State Council Candidate Mitzi Perez In UTR Campaign Video Leaves Out That She Is On Board Of Union Busting Charter Invictus Aacademy Charter
In a video made by UTR President Demetrio Gonzalez, his candidate for CWA State Council Mitzi Perez leaves out that she is on the board of the union busting anti-labor Invictus Academy Charter.
Mitzi Perez - Candidate for CTA State Council - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkevx58wKcs
5 days ago - Uploaded by UTR President Demetrio Perez
For more information:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkevx58wKcs
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Donate
$65.00 donated
in the past month
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network