The following was sent to the Orange County Board of Education regarding concerns about curriculum being taught at OPA and parent involvement in OPA Decision-making.
Dear OCBE Trustees,
Oxford Preparatory Academy definitely takes all parent concerns very seriously and works hard to address any issue immediately. We also never want to give the perception that we are doing things that may make our community uncomfortable, like teaching CRT or promoting particular political views.
I want to assure the Board that we are not teaching CRT or Marxism. We also do not teach gender pronouns to elementary students. We have worked extremely hard over the past several years to assure that all of our teachers are using the State Board of Education adopted or recommended curriculum in all classes and that our teachers adhere to that curriculum. If a parent has questions about anything taught at OPA, we discuss the concerns with the parent, and take action immediately to remedy any issues. We also have many avenues for our parents to get involved in our schools and our decision-making process. Being south Orange County schools, we are very lucky to have an incredibly involved parent community, with parents participating on our School Site Councils, LCAP Committees, Safety Committees, Honour Society, 3 members of our Board of Directors, Academic Outcomes Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, and many other school level groups. We also put out an annual LCAP survey to all parents, students in grade 5-8, and staff to gain feedback on school climate, curriculum, safety, communication, instruction, and overall satisfaction, as well as several other surveys throughout the year regarding various other topics as needed, such as uniforms, parent education opportunities, and field trips.
I would love to have a conversation to clarify any other concerns you may have. I would also like to invite each of you, if you are able, to come walk one or both of our campuses. We are extremely proud of everything we have going on at OPA and want to make sure that you do not have the wrong impression about our schools or our curriculum. Thank you for your hard work and diligence in assuring that OC charter schools are providing the best possible education for our students. We want to continue to provide a high-quality educational choice to the Orange County community, and I want to make sure that there are no misconceptions about our programs that could hinder our ability to serve our community. Thank you for your time and consideration of our Middle School charter petition. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Have a wonderful afternoon.
Sincerely,
Amy Kernan
Executive Director