Brentwood Press - Index

Brentwood Press - AntiochPress_08.22.08 - Index

14A | brentwoodpress.com education AUGUST 22, 2008
Siz-AntiochPress_Lunch_Ad.indd 1 8/12/08 12:59:46 PM
RAAMP from page 6A
and ingraining in them that education is a
value and it’s important.
“We’ll be giving them some other alternative
than the streets and hanging out and
joining gangs and that lifestyle that they
have succumbed to because they have no
model of the right thing to do. We want to
give them a different choice.”
Branch and Rasheed plan to submit
their charter school petition to the AUSD
board later this month or in early September.
If approved, they plan to open the
school in the fall of 2009. AUSD Board
President Walter Ruehlig, who has met with
the two educators, welcomes the proposal.
“If it were anybody else, I’d be skeptical
of the odds,” Ruehlig said via e-mail. “Getting
a charter application to pass the muster
is a herculean task. It’s akin to a doctoral
thesis; you get challenged at each step of the
way. Karla and Rasheed are two smart and
tough cookies, though, and I don’t see them
tossing in the towel as the application, inevitably,
gets scrutinized to death.
“Our board has demonstrated a partiality
to charter schools, magnet schools
and academies within schools. It’s a com-
Boosters from page 9A
feel about the school.
“There’s a lot of pride in this school,”
he said. “People are still involved, even if
their kids no longer go here. You come to
games, and the stands are full. Sometimes
there are more Liberty people at away games
than the home team has. I’d like to continue
that pride” by helping supply facilities that
are up to par with other schools.
“We’re not saying the district is doing
anything wrong, but as time goes on, things
deteriorate more and more, and they just
can’t do anything right now. We’d like to see
people have the same pride that (the longtime
residents of the raffle list) have.”
Only 125 of the $275 tickets are sold
each year for the raffle, the prize for which is
a new Ford Ranger pickup from Bill Brandt
Buy or Sell
with Experience
Renny Russell, Broker/Realtor
CA Re. Lic #00368594
Russell
Real Estate
& Mortgage Services
1518 A Street • Antioch
754-2220
GRIMES LAW
Joan M. Grimes - Attorney at Law
mitment to innovation and the philosophy
that one size doesn’t fit all.
“This charter takes on special urgency
because there have been far too few
national success stories at closing the gap
with the African-American demographic.
As a district, we are in the middle of a reform
movement that we expect will address
many of the problems that were previously
seen as intractable.
“We want people to have confidence
in our direction, but while our reform
movement takes hold, I can’t stop people
from saying they want to take destiny in
their own hands. How can I fault impatience
when our kids are at stake? We all
need more of it.
“Actually, school districts should not
be threatened by healthy competition.
They can learn from smaller, innovative
models, because it is easier to turn around
a tug boat than it is an ocean liner. I applaud
these two and wish them all the luck
in the world.”
For more information, go online to
www.raamp.com, call Karla Branch at
510-914-7092 or e-mail her at ranchbeg@
earthlink.net.
Ford or $10,000 in cash. The tickets include
dinner (catered by Brentwood Fine Meats)
and a gift basket on drawing night – Sept.
6 this year – as well as free admission to all
Liberty sporting events for the year.
In past years, there has been a waiting
list to buy tickets. The result, Stone said, is
that people who know about the raffle assume
they can’t get a ticket, while others
simply haven’t heard about it. This year,
however, there are a few tickets available,
and if demand exceeds the supply, the waiting
list will begin again.
To purchase a ticket, or learn more
about the raffle – or the Boosters’ Nov. 2
golf tournament – call Stone at 925-858-
1418 and carry on the Liberty tradition.
Said Borland, “Let’s make it another good
100 years.”
Bankruptcy • Foreclosure • Debt Collectors • STOP! • Foreclosure • Wage Garnishment
BRENTWOOD • ANTIOCH • WALNUT CREEK
Call: 888-77BKLAW FREE Consultation 925/323-7772