Orange County charter school says it's exempt from state laws, free speech doesn't apply to charters

OC Charter School Retaliates Against Journalism Teacher, Violates State Law Again

SACRAMENTO – Nine months after the Orange County High School of the Arts may have violated state law that protects student speech rights, the school administration may have another legal battle on their hands after firing the school´s journalism advisor in possible retaliation.

State law explicitly protects student publications from prior restraint and from retaliation by administrators. In 2008, Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) authored a law that extended the protection to school employees, including journalism advisors.

In September 2009, the Orange County charter school halted printing of the student newspaper after administrators objected to a story about the school´s cafeteria service provider. The administration claimed that as a charter school they were exempt from state law, despite the fact that they are taxpayer-funded and that the student speech protection law clearly applies to both public and private schools. After the incident, Yee immediately introduced legislation to clarify that charter schools must also adhere to the law.

The latest saga of the award-winning student publication involves the newspaper and yearbook advisor, Konnie Krislock, who recently learned she has been fired from the position despite a satisfactory review earlier this month and over 30 years of experience advising student publications...Prior to her dismissal, the school hired a new journalism teacher, who Krislock was told does not have a valid high school teaching credential...

http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/view/167359

...how is it possible that taxpayers can be paying for it?

and the law applies to ALL schools.

and to tie teacher pay to student performance, I think we can expect more of this.

For my entire adult life I have seen this assault on public education...from the John Birch Society in the 60's to Reagan and Bush.
And they are slowly undermining the public education system. and the reason seems to be the same....to control what we know and how we think.

it is more about the money.

How much money is generated for the running of public education in the US?? It is a way for a very few to make gobs of money. They are setting it as a business and run like an assembly line.
This country will end up with people that can not think for themselves and they will be lucky to be able compete against 3rd world countries.

It was all idealogical anti comunist....so they found a way.....make it pay.

brought to you by your friendly democrats!

change we can believe in!.....not

More proof why this meme is dead wrong. Why is it all the "rules and regulations" that are supposedly the ones "holding the teachers back from innovation" in public schools are the pesky ones like Freedom of Speech? Things that make you go, hmmmm....

Thanks for posting.:)

Charter schools are exempt from state Board of Education rules as long as they fulfill the obligations laid out in their State-approved charter. But they are not exempt from State Law.

He's gonna lose, big-time.