An East San Jose charter school serving immigrant families is at risk of closure.<\/p>\n
Escuela Popular, a bilingual and bicultural school, could close its doors after serving the community for almost 40 years due to a state law that requires all charter school teachers to be fully credentialed. The school, part of the East Side Union High School District<\/a>, still needs 12 of its 40 teachers to complete the credential process. After lengthy discussion at an Oct. 17 district board meeting, trustees unanimously approved<\/a> the issuance of notices of violation to the school. The board did so in an effort to push the school toward compliance.<\/p>\n The board is requiring Escuela Popular to provide a plan that will achieve fully qualified and credentialed teachers, and to reform its operations, business and governance practices to ensure transparency and sound fiscal practices. It\u2019s the district\u2019s responsibility to ensure all charter schools are in compliance.<\/p>\n Trustee J. Manuel Herrera said he wants the school to succeed.<\/p>\n \u201cCrisis represents both danger and opportunity,\u201d he said at the meeting. \u201cI want this to be an opportunity when we all come out of this as the partners that we\u2019ve been and the partners that we can still be. Escuela Popular is well equipped to respond and basically chart the path forward.\u201d<\/p>\n The state law requiring certification went into effect Jan. 1, 2020. It gave teachers employed by charter schools during the 2019-20 school year until July 1, 2025 to be certified. Escuela Popular was asked to create a program improvement plan when it submitted its charter petition in the fall of 2024.<\/p>\n Escuela Popular Executive Director Patricia Reguerin said when the law changed, the school notified staff and worked to identify a path to fulfill the requirements. But the process requires significant time and commitment \u2014 typically four or more years to complete a bachelor\u2019s degree, followed by an additional two to three years for a credentialing program. The pandemic further delayed the process.<\/p>\n The school was given until Nov. 17 to submit a detailed, written response addressing each identified violation with a solution, Reguerin said. She hopes to partner with the district to resolve the issue.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were put on probation. They asked us to write an action plan, so we did, submitted it at the deadline and then didn\u2019t get any feedback. The next letter we received was a notice of violation,\u201d Reguerin told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cIf there\u2019s a discrepancy with something \u2026 we can resolve it. No one has to be living under this uncertainty and stress, including the district, because I know this isn\u2019t easy for them either.\u201d<\/p>\n Reguerin\u2019s mother Lidia founded Escuela Popular in 1986 to teach English and U.S. citizen classes to Latino students. The grassroots school serves 800 students from transitional kindergarten to adult learners. Free child care is provided for children of teachers and students, and a case manager connects people in need with housing, food, legal, health and mental health services.<\/p>\n Van Le, board vice president of the East Side Union High School District, told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight the district is reviewing the information provided by Escuela Popular and will present an analysis and recommendation to the board in the future. She said no action is being taken to close the school at this time.<\/p>\n