Hello OCSCS Supporters,

Again, we would like to thank you all for your support for OCSCS!  We believe this is an amazing school and a fantastic opportunity for bringing more kids into our district! 

We have tried to mostly focus this petition on the amazing work that the OCSCS teachers have put towards building a school to serve kids of all abilities and help them all grow.  Unfortunately, the PYLUSD school board has taken steps to minimize our community's voice and we now need to show them that OCSCS is important to our community and is what we need.  

PYLUSD has rehired a law firm who, as came out in the December 19th special school board meeting, has been reported to the District Attorney's office for possible code violations from working with PYLUSD in 2023.  Additionally, we have heard that the lawyer being used by the school board, Sukhi Ahluwalia, is specifically known as a "charter school slayer."  The board's actions are showing that they are not acting in good faith and intend to do anything and everything they possibly can to destroy OCSCS and possibly without regards for ethical or legal behaviors. 

The December 19th meeting is also the same emergency board meeting where the board placed seven administrators on leave, including Superintendent Cherniss.  This meeting was scheduled for December 19th within hours of Dr. Cherniss filing a defamation hostile work environment lawsuit against Marilyn Anderson on December 18th.  This action has opened up PYLUSD to significant liability due to the appearance of retaliation for the filing Dr. Cherniss's hostile work environment suit, which is prohibited under the Fair Employment and Housing Act in California.

Yesterday, the PYLUSD school board released their agenda for the upcoming Tuesday meeting (agenda can be found here).  As an apparent effort to silence the community's voice, the charter amendment was moved to closed session at 3:30PM after public comments.  They cite anticipated litigation as the reason for moving it behind closed doors.  However, the more likely explanation is that they are using that as an excuse to have public comments coincide with normal pickup at OCSCS so parents have a more difficult time attending and providing comment prior to discussion and a possible vote in closed session.

Now is the time for action!  Please distribute this petition as broadly as you can and please show up for Tuesday's meeting during the two opportunities for public comment at 3:30PM prior to closed session and 6:00PM prior to public session.  Also, please send emails to the five board members to tell them how important OCSCS is to our community, that we want them to approve the OCSCS charter amendment, and that we as a community will not tolerate unethical or illegal activities coming from our board members and we, as voters, have recourse.  We do NOT want the quality of OCSCS to suffer for this apparent political war that some of the school board members are currently waging!

The board members are listed below:

• Marilyn Anderson - maanderson@pylusd.org
• Carrie Buck - cbuck@pylusd.org
• Todd Frazier - tfrazier@pylusd.org
• Tricia Quintero - tquintero@pylusd.org
• Leandra Blades - lblades@pylusd.org

Thank you for helping to make a difference!