11th anniversary book 114 FINAL online - Flipbook - Page 31
Our office staff scurried into action, handing us papers and a hole puncher as we still were compiling the
finishing touches to the binders. We had over five boxes filled with four-inch binders of the application. Gil
Bernardino drove to Albany in record time while Sarah put the final papers in the binders while sitting in the
back seat in the car. Somehow, we arrived just at 5:00 pm. Building security would not let Sarah go upstairs
to help Gil carry the boxes of binders with the proposal because in her rush to leave the office she left her
identification back at Círculo in Long Beach. Gil carried the five boxes himself with copies of the proposal
and submitted them to the Office of Public School Choice in time for consideration for the June submission.
Círculo was informed that its application was being considered by the Office of Public School Choice over the
summer. As part of the submission and review process, Círculo had to respond to over 100 questions about
its application and make modifications to its curriculum. Modifications were made in the late summer so that
when Círculo submitted its final application, it was over 3,600 pages.
Hearing with the Hempstead School Board Summer of 2008
As part of the process to seek a charter, Círculo had to request a hearing from the Hempstead School District
for its school, Evergreen. This was procedural and required of all charter schools. The hearing was scheduled
during the late summer. Representatives from Círculo and from the Academy, a second charter school in
Hempstead, spoke and voiced their support, with many parents coming to the microphone to share their
enthusiasm and excitement for the schools. There were over eighty parents and community members voicing
their support for Charter Schools in Hempstead.
A month later, representatives from Círculo were told that they had to hold a second hearing at the Hempstead
School District. When Círculo asked why, as this was unprecedented, no explanation was given other than the
district required this. In conversations with the Office of Public School Choice, Círculo was recommended
to follow Hempstead’s request. At the second hearing, there were over two hundred individuals present.
Someone had given blue t-shirts to all the attendees that were not representing the charter schools. The t-shirts
were printed with the name of a popular teacher’s union. One by one, individuals representing the union
went to the microphone to voice their opposition about Círculo and Academy obtaining permission for their
respective charter schools.
Círculo was also required to submit copies of its charter application to the District. The first time Círculo
went, two of our staff members signed off that they had distributed the application to the district personnel.
Several months later, Círculo received a call from the Office of Public School Choice that the District had not
received Círculo’s application. Círculo showed the certified letter that its staff had signed when they delivered
the application to the school. Nevertheless, the District requested a second copy stating that they could not
find the binders. A second copy of the application was delivered to the Hempstead School District. Gil
Bernardino personally delivered the application and waited while district personnel typed a letter indicating
that this second application had, in fact, been submitted.
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