The Vallejo school board in California held a public hearing to consider a proposal from Caliber Schools, a charter management organization, to open a new charter school. Over 20 community members spoke in support of the proposal, citing Caliber's unique academic model and potential benefits. Representatives from Caliber described the school's rigorous blended learning curriculum, personalized education, and emphasis on skills like coding and computational thinking. They also shared positive results from Caliber's existing school in Richmond.

1. Support Shown for
Caliber Schools at Vallejo
School Board Meeting

2. The Vallejo school board in California held a
public hearing on May 6, 2015 to gather
information on a new charter school proposed
by Caliber Schools. A charter management
organization based in Richmond, California,
Caliber Schools seeks to transform the
education experience of Bay Area students by
providing a free, nonselective college
preparatory education.

3. Caliber currently operates one charter school in
Richmond, where it utilizes blended learning,
personalized curricula, and innovative
technologies to emphasize valuable skills such
as computational thinking and analysis.

4. At the hearing, more than 20 Vallejo community
members offered statements of support for the
proposed charter school. The group of
supporters, which included parents, students,
and local residents, advocated for Caliber’s
unique academic model and its potential merits,
with one parent noting that a Caliber school
would likely provide an improved learning
environment for her daughter with attention
deficit disorder.

5. Caliber Schools co-founder Jennifer Moses
expressed the organization’s admiration for the
Vallejo community, citing its diversity and
eagerness to improve its school system, while
Natalie Walchuk, the founding leader of
Caliber: Beta Academy in Richmond, provided
an overview of the activities that comprise a
typical day at a Caliber charter school.

6. She explained Caliber’s rigorous curriculum,
describing how students explore topics such as
coding and robotics, in addition to traditional
subjects. The school leaders also reported on
the success they have observed during the
Beta Academy’s inaugural school year, drawing
on third-party research and student test results
to provide evidence of Caliber’s effectiveness.