Nevada County
NAME: Jan Jablecki
GROUP: Administrator (School Director)
SCHOOL: Camptonville Academy charter school
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Grass Valley
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: Nevada
As an educator I have been working with students in the Personalized Learning model for over 10 years. This model takes a student from wherever he may be at the time of enrollment and customizes a curriculum to move him to the next level. Students who have a variety of learning styles are then honored for their abilities and strengths. A mother approached me at one of our learning centers eager to tell me what the program had done for her son. He had been unable to write a paragraph in the 6th grade, had standardized test scores that were so low that he had been excluded from the former school's celebration. He had been with us for 2 years and with the teamwork of parent, student and teacher he is now writing and testing at grade level.

Personalized Learning is not for all students. It takes commitment; commitment from the school, the student and the parent. With this team working together in the best interest of the student we can make a difference for a student where previously success had been elusive at best.

NAME: Sandy McDivitt
GROUP: Administrator (School Director)
SCHOOL: Forest Charter School
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Nevada City
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: Nevada

Having served in public education for over 30 years and in the charter school movement for 9 of those years, I have been enthusiastic to be involved in a kind of innovative education that tailors learning of each student. Forest Charter School is a Personalized Learning Program serving students K- 12 and involves a collaborative approach to identifying both the needs and passions of each student in developing a relevant currriculum that also addresses the standards set by the California Department of Education.

I have observed families that maintain close relationships, that engage in learning together and that go on to serve their greater community. Many students in high school take on mentorships with community businesses. I have watched students take a college prep track and go on to universities such as University of California, Davis to pursue a pre-med degree, or to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University to pursue a degree in Aeronautical Science and a career as an airline pilot (my own son). Others have gone on to work in the solar industry, to pursue teaching degrees in alternative education and permaculture. In most cases, students have told me that they felt prepared, maybe even more prepared than those who came from a traditional school setting, because they had developed self-discipline and good study habits and were "self starters". They were invested in their own education.

The more paradigms of educational approaches available to our young people, the better chance they will have in expressing their unique gifts in a resonant style.

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Placer County
NAME: Donna Ann Dunlap
GROUP: Administrator, parent
SCHOOL: C.O.R.E. @ the Camptonville Academy
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Meadow Vista
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: Placer County
I have worked for Camptonville Academy for the past five years. During that time, I have seen many success stories, but none more critical to me than my own daughter's experience. My daughter, Samantha, was a talented person, who simply was not blossoming in a traditional site-based high school in the way I felt she should be. After having attended private school for most of her life, her experience in public high school was just not quite going click. She did fine while at school, but wasn't interested in participating in the typical weekend social activities, partying, etc, that most of her friends were engaged in. So she enrolled in our school and was able to finish high school in three years, instead of four. During her final year, she also began attending Sierra Community College. She graduated from high school just after her 17th birthday, then continued at Sierra College to finish her AA degree just before her 19th birthday. Since she had a 3.5 grade point average, transferring to UC Davis was actually quite easy. She is currently finishing her BA degree which she will finish before her 21st birthday! Camptonville Academy provided my daughter a chance to proceed at a pace that suited her best rather than being held back by a traditional site-based approach. My thanks to the Legislators of California for allowing this unique approach to education to exist.

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Riverside County

NAME: Sandra Kling
GROUP: Administrator (Riverside County Director)
SCHOOL: Dehesa Charter School
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: Riverside County

I have been implementing the “Personalized Learning” concept in my work since I became an educator over five years ago. This is the only way to work with students! In my view, it does not make sense to force the same curriculum and assessment on every student when they all have different learning styles, academic/developmental levels, and most importantly, unique interests. It is wonderful to see students thrive when they can learn in the manner that best suits him/her and at a level that they can understand. I am a huge supporter of this concept and hope that the State will recognize the benefits of this concept in education our nation's future! My motto has always been “Educating Kids One at a Time.”

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San Bernardino County

NAME: Wendy Brittain
GROUP: Administrator (Computer Technician) and former student
SCHOOL: Excelsior Education Center
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Victorville
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: San Bernardino County
Well, here’s my success story:

The personalized learning program here was so great because I got to complete a lot of my requirements through computers - which are my interest. I got to do PowerPoint presentations for History, completed my Community service through helping in the computer lab, and just in general got a lot of motivation from the school because everybody cares about the students and about what we wanted to do. They work to accommodate us.

Now, I have an excellent job at Excelsior in the computer department, doing what I love to do, and most importantly I have a bright future.

NAME: Heather Brown
GROUP: Administrator (Registrar's Assistant)
SCHOOL: Excelsior Education Center
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Apple Valley
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: San Bernardino County
I think personalized learning works very well. As someone who has recently graduated from a traditional public school it is great to work at Excelsior and see the difference that the one on one attention makes in students. The personal attention allows even students with discipline problems to focus on education. These students start to pay attention to their education and get the skills that they will need to either attend college or to get a job after high school. I know this program would have been great for some of the kids I went to school with. It is a wonderful opportunity to see these students excel in their education.

NAME: Stephen Benedict
GROUP: Administrator (Computer Lab Technician)
SCHOOL: Excelsior Education Center
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Victorville
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: San Bernardino County
Personalized learning programs such as the ones offered by Excelsior provide several benefits to students. By combining a customized education with a hands on approach to learning, students gain real world type experiences not offered by any traditional schools or most colleges. Excelsior gives students a chance to pursue their own interests and explore different opportunities not even available at a traditional school. As a result, students have a better chance at finding out what type of career they will pursue before entering college, and will be much better prepared for their future.

NAME: Ken Larson
GROUP: Administrator (Program Director)
SCHOOL: Excelsior Education Center
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Victorville
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: San Bernardino County
It has been my pleasure to work at an independent study (Personalized Learning) charter school for the past five years. Prior to that I taught at a conventional high school and at a community college. As a professional educator I must say that I would have great trouble returning to a conventional educational system. I have seen many students that were failing in a conventional school take charge of their education and graduate with honors through independent study. It is very important that we remember that every student has different modalities by which they learn. Independent study allows students to pursue their education in the way that best befits them. It is exciting for me as a teacher to watch these students that achieve such great success.

NAME: Dorothy Dubose
GROUP: Parent and Staff
SCHOOL: Excelsior Education Center
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Victorville
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: San Bernardino
My name is Dorothy Dubose. I am a parent of Excelsior Education Center also I am an employee. I really enjoy the Excelsior setup. Both of my kids who went here graduated early from Excelsior. My oldest son was on the 1st basketball team that Excelsior ever had. He was one of the best players. That motivated him and also gave him a lot of self esteem. As an employee here I enjoy what I do. I love working with the students.

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San Diego County

NAME: Cobi Campbell
GROUP: Administrator (Counselor)
SCHOOL: Dehesa Charter School
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Carlsbad
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: San Diego County

What I have found in the past months of working as a counselor at a school that utilizes the Personalized Learning Model with it's students is that students have much more latitude to choose to study specific areas of interest while still adhering to the California state standards required for each course. They can receive the required content while focusing on a particular subject area that interests them. I have heard parent and student testimonials that they are much more motivated to complete their work and have renewed interest in learning. In addition, I have seen students who are experiencing success with us where they were close to failing or actually failing in a traditional school. These specific students are earning good grades both in coursework completed with us as well as in advanced community college courses that they are taking to enhance their education.



NAME: Dr. Kathleen Hermsmeyer
GROUP: Administrator (Executive Director)
SCHOOL: Eagles Peak Charter School
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Vista
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: San Diego County
Is it revolutionary to give parents choices they don't have to pay for? Eagles Peak Charter School began in February, 2000 with only 17 students and a mission: Allow parents to direct the course of their children's education. Three years later, Eagles Peak enrollment is over 2300, just by word-of-mouth. Parents are voting with their feet for public school alternatives.

Our personalized learning model demands COMPLETE parent involvement, and our parents have risen to the occasion. Our certificated teachers enter into a collegial relationship with the parents; both working to provide the best personalized education for their student. It is delightful to run a school populated by knowledgeable, caring parents and happy, enthusiastic teachers. What's even better is that we have successful students who enjoy school because they are respected as individuals! Their curriculum is personalized just for them- they get to learn and skip the busywork. (I wish I could, but unfortunately charter schools are not exempt from state-required paperwork!)

NAME: Jennifer Cauzza
GROUP: Director
SCHOOL: Julian Charter School
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: San Diego
I've been in education 17 years and have never been happier than I am now as a Director of a Personalized Learning charter school.

This is the first time in my educational career that I've seen happy teachers who have been empowered to carry out their dreams and truly meet the needs of each student; happy parents who weren't sure that educating their child at home was what they wanted to do, but were thrilled with the experience after they tried it; parents who home-schooled their children from kindergarten on up and are pleased with the support Personalized Learning schools can give parents with credentialed teacher assistance and educational resources; and students who are getting individualized attention and small group instruction with less discipline interruptions compared to the traditional brick-and-mortar schools.

In Personalized Learning schools, curriculum is matched with each child's individual learning style to create the best educational package available for that student. With the researched proven partnership between parent, student, and teacher, Personalized Learning schools are the successful new wave of California's educational reform movement!

Everyday I witness the positive results of this powerful educational program.

NAME: Coral Bergman
GROUP: Administrator
SCHOOL: Julian Charter School
CITY OF RESIDENCE: San Diego
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: San Diego

Sometimes students come to us at the independent study school to get them through a hard time, and then return to the traditional school as better students. There's nothing like that one-on-one education to make a child pay attention and learn.

Roger was a new first grader whose mother put him on home study because, after kindergarten, he still didn't know the alphabet. Roger and his mother worked very hard on his reading skills, and at the end of the first semester, when his mother had to go back to work and he had to return to traditional school, Roger read a book to me and showed me that he had become a reader.

Jude left the traditional school after 6th grade because his teacher told him he would never advance because he didn't know his multiplication tables. Jude's self confidence was at the lowest ebb, and he felt himself to be a failure. He worked for two years with his teacher and his very enthusiastic mother, who was suffering from Hepatitis C. When he entered Julian Charter School, he could barely write a legible sentence. At the end of two years, his reading was approaching grade level. He could write a paragraph which was legible and coherent. He knew most of his multiplication facts (we discovered he was a kinetic learner) and all of his basic addition and subtraction facts. He enjoyed science, and he scored an A on his 8th grade Constitution Test. He had regained his self-esteem and self confidence. In the ninth grade, he returned to the traditional school because his mother's health was worsening. He still had a way to go in math, but he was a happy and functioning member of his 9th grade class.

Troy came to Julian Charter School in sixth grade because his mother was tired of his constant detentions for work not done. He would spend hours each night crying about doing homework, and then not get it done. For two years in Julian Charter School, he worked a little bit with his mother, but he did a lot of work independently. He did not advance rapidly, but he learned to study and to complete the tasks he was assigned. At the end of his 7th grade year in Julian Charter School, he wanted to return to the traditional school, but it was his request that he repeat the 7th grade. We were all in agreement, and he returned to his former school, but in a lower grade than he had been. It was clear that he had turned the corner in his maturity level and that he knew how to study and to work independently. The last time I spoke with his middle school principal, she said that Troy was doing just fine and was a very good student. His two years away from a stressful situation had given him the break he needed and the skills he needed to succeed.

At our recent Julian Charter School graduation, we heard from two student speakers who had spent most or all of their school years in a home study program. Matt praised his home study program and the maturity that it had given him, as well as the opportunities for growth and advancement. He was a high scorer on the PSAT and received several scholarship offers from major universities, but decided to take the almost full ride scholarship offered to him by Cal Tech. Joyce had been home schooled all of her life, and came to Julian Charter School when we first opened. In addition to being very active in church work and in community service, she also scored very high on her college entrance tests and she applied to several small private and Christian colleges in Southern California. She received major scholarship offers from every school where she applied, and was able then to choose the college and scholarships which best suited her future plans. Both of these students praised the opportunities offered to them in a home school program -- an education which was not "one size fits all."

NAME: Cameron Curry
GROUP: Administrator
SCHOOL: The Classical Academy
SCHOOL: Coastal Academy of Oceanside, CA
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Escondido
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: San Diego
Having had the opportunity to establish a successful charter school, The Classical Academy, and later founded a new charter school, Coastal Academy, has provided me with a unique perspective that few in education share. In reviewing all that has been accomplished over the past few years for the students and parents that we served, personalized learning has been at the forefront of our educational mission. Individualizing an academics plan for each student is what we do best.

Our business model is one that embraces the goal of providing each parent in our program the support that they need to address the individual educational needs of their children. Providing quality academics, resources, and materials has led our parents to expect the best when enrolling their children into our charter school program. Charter school’s embracing the personalized learning model is improving the educational landscape of the communities that they serve.

Making educational choices that are individually based, verses choices that impact an entire group of students is why we are so successful as a charter school. Being a part of this organization has been rewarding professionally as well as personally. I have directly experienced the benefits that our program has had on my three children. Personalized learning works!

Name: Jalyn Hall
Group: Administrator
School: The Classical Academy
City of Residence: Escondido
County of Residence: San Diego
My experience in education has been varied. I have taught in both private and public. I have taught in both regular and special education. I have taught in the United States as well as overseas. My current position as principal in a personalized learning program has been one of my most rewarding experiences.

Being able to work with parents who are interested and committed to their child’s success is wonderful. As I meet with the new families coming to our school I hear about their struggles with the traditional school setting. I listen as they share their goals for their children. The parents are committed to being involved in their child’s education at a level that up until now many of them may have never been. It is great to have parents leave our meeting knowing we can work together to help their students achieve their goals.

Another component to personalized learning is tailoring the program to the student’s individual needs. As a special education teacher I know that being able to communicate to the student in a way that they understand is key to their success. You can’t beat one-on-one instruction for meeting the needs of students. Being able to individualize for the struggling student or for the high achieving student, is a natural part of our program. The students aren’t limited by their “grade level”, but are able to achieve at their performance level and make progress from there.

This form of education is meeting a need in our community. Each year we have continued to grow as more families hear about us. Each year our students are achieving and learning. Each year our program is getting better as we listen to the needs of our families. Everyone involved in the program is experiencing success, from staff to students, to parents. It is an important educational alternative that works!

Name: Lori Perez
Group: Administrator (Principal)
School: Coastal Academy of Oceanside, CA
City of Residence: Escondido
County of Residence: San Diego
Twenty-four years of public education service and parenting have taught me that there is a better way to educate a child, through the idea of “personalized learning.”

Facing up to the rigidities of education is fiercely difficult work, often met with negative responses from those who have lived in our present public schooling system throughout their lives. It is not that most educators do not know that "whole school change” is compellingly needed. It is because everything important in a school affects everything else that may be just as important. When schools attempt to refashion one part, most other parts unravel. As a result, most reform efforts avoid that prospect and settle for tinkering, often very imaginatively, at the margins—a revised course here, an alternative program there, and of course, more professional development. However, such tinkering never gets to the heart of the matter, especially if the goal is to know each student well and to use that knowledge in shaping and directing the child’s education.

Coastal Academy has the vision, as a newly formed charter school, of personalized learning by crafting its program to meet the needs of students and their learning styles. It is not “lip-service” traditionally given to the romantic notion of “individualized learning” that we have strived for, personalized learning is at the core of our program, it is the reality of the school.

Celebrating academic and social growth within all children gives us reason to believe our future is in capable hands. Personalized learning has awakened the spirit of education within me that I held as a brand new teacher in 1979. It is no less amazing to others with whom I share my passion.

NAME: Robert Goode
GROUP: Administrator (Executive Director)
SCHOOL: The Classical Academy of Escondido and Coastal Academy of Oceanside
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Oceanside
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: San Diego
When one considers the idea of “personalized learning”, the concept is at first so attractive, that the next thought is the doubt that such a notion can become a reality. For thirteen years I worked in private school education. While it is very rewarding to work in such highly respected institutions, it becomes clear that what is being offered is a solid educational structure, which catapults to success those students who fit “the mold”. But, what about those who don’t? As they move on, they will hopefully find another discipline, which will meet their particular learning needs. The odds of that happening are not always in their favor. As I have become involved in the “personalized learning” movement over the past four years, I have seen amazing results as the “solid educational structure” of the institution bends to the personal learning needs of the individual, and the notion does become a reality.

The idea of testing also takes on a new purpose. While testing was once used to discover which students “fit” and which did not, now the testing creates a “baseline” for the individual to measure his or her success as each new educational objective is achieved.

Education comes alive as it is personalized. But it does not take on a life of its own. Instead, it is the student who is being served, not the institution. And that is worthy of the support of the public school system… indeed, that is worthy of celebration!

NAME: Kathy Bass
GROUP: Administrator (Director)
SCHOOL: Greater San Diego Academy
CITY OF RESIDENCE: San Diego
COUNTY OF RESIDENCE: San Diego
After 20 years of being a public school teacher, I questioned the ability of parents to do the quality of instruction as well as the "professional" educators. I visited other home schools, conducted research and attended conferences and I began to believe it was possible. It took only three months of first-hand experience to see that not only can they do as well; students often surpass anything they could have in a public classroom!

Over our first five years of existence as a charter, GSDA has evolved into a Personalized Learning School that offers more assistance and learning opportunities including school libraries, classes for students, quality curriculum, parent workshops, staff development and family consultations.

I am so proud to be part of the APLUS+ organization, formed as a consortium of other Personalized Learning Charters of Choice, dedicated to providing flexible, high quality educational services.