This news is so sad. My daughter went to the Montessori preschool across the street from Windrush. At that time, the two schools had an arrangement in which Windrush sent 8th graders over to partner with the preschoolers. My daughter loved her buddy, and I loved that there was this cross-grade connection that contributed to a feeling of community. I hope Windrush can raise the money to keep going--I would be sorry to see it go.

I am sorry for the parents and children who are faced with losing their school only two months into the school year, unless they kick in yet more money in addition to the substantial Windrush tuition. Our daughter attended Windrush for three years until we moved her to a new school after the second grade. The main reason for the school's precipitous drop in enrollment was the Board of Trustees' decision to continually hike tuition, year after year, during the worst recession in three decades without regard to the fact that Windrush simply cannot offer the facilities, academic rigor, and variety of programs to compete with other schools that charge comparable tuition. It is a shame that the Windrush Board of Trustees and Head of School did not have the foresight, three years ago, to realize that maintaining enrollment and family loyalty was more important in the long run than hiking tuition by 8-9% per year.

Our family was so enamored by the Windrush facilities and its staff that we enrolled our child there. After two years it obvious that the promise and potential that drew us in was never going to be realized. We are so sorry for the people we have grown to love there: children, parents and staff. This must be an awful time. That so few can so adversely affect so many in such a devastating way is something I have a hard time grappling with. There is a huge disconnect between the administration and what Windrush is/was. Wow!

I'm a parent at Windrush and our children are thriving. We are very hopeful and inspired to do everything we can to make sure the mission of Windrush stays open. The school does an amazing job of educating, nurturing and inspiring our children to be their best and take care of each other and their community. The tuition at Windrush is the comparable (lower than some) tuition at every other independent accredited school in the Bay Area. Windrush is a non-profit, their only mission is to offer an outstanding education and nurture a love of learning & community in each child. We've been at the school 5 years and my daughters wake up every morning and they can't wait to get to school - if they aren't feeling well they even pretend not to be sick :-) The tuition is purposely kept lower than what it really cost to educate each child with annual giving and support from our community filling in the gap. The school community has always been committed to raising money for financial aid and a large percentage of families receive it. During the years when the recession was at it's worse more aid was given to families that needed help. Windrush has an extremely dedicated caring community of families, teachers and faculty. Thank you for any assistance you can give, any donations and positive words of support, are really appreciated. When there's a will there's a way, and we've got the will, and we hope we can all work together to make a way.

a great school, with a great mission. They say Rome wasn't built in a day, but it wasn't destroyed in 5 years either. Not to parents of independent schools: When you see teachers, students, and administrators leaving like a revolving door, begin to ask questions. If you're given the run-a-round (which the administrator here is great: good lip service), then you may want to look else where. Don't blame the former head of school, the economy, or the recession. EVERY other independent school had the same economic hardship with ONLY at 10-18% drop in enrollment. When you see 40-44% AND families moving to the school right across the street; something is wrong. Congrats Exec board and administrator! You've done things your way and just ruined a great institution.

I think that it is funny that there have been 2 posts that were deleted because of telling people the real reasons behind the declining enrollment. Talk about censorship. PR hard at work!

I suggest the Board and administration be completely prepared to marshall community resources for counseling students and possibly teachers. Also, I hope they reach out to competitor area schools to ascertain the number of spots available & to determine a way to fast-track their students through admission processes at other schools. Someone needs to be addressing the needs of faculty, as well.

Also, if this story is on the El Cerrito patch, it's unlikely the news can be shielded from the students for long. Please, Board & Head, plan now for the emotional consequences to children & how to best help them.

I truly feel bad for the students and faculty at Windrush, they are not to blame here. Unfortunately, Laura, the culprits here have damaged a community and left hundreds of families with nowhere to go. As the two previous posters put it, when you have an average of 10-18% declining enrollment around the bay area and then a 47% declining enrollment at Windrush, something is wrong and you cannot blame it on the economy or recession (all private/independent schools face that problem). I won't say what my opinion is because it got one of my posts deleted.

I am a parent of two at Windrush and we have been completely thrilled with the school until now. The people, the education, and the experience have been everything I wanted my children to have.

This whole situation is a wreck and heartbreak for many, and I am especially upset by the suddenness of it all. The faculty and families had a right to more warning than this.

I read this; Windrush simply cannot offer the facilities, academic rigor, and variety of programs to compete with other schools that charge comparable tuition;"
Having come to Windrush after 13 years of teaching math and science at one of San Francisco's premiere private schools, I can tell you this; I continue to teach a rigorous, exciting, and challenging math and science curriculum to my middle school students. I do this proudly, and with great respect and admiration for my experienced and talented colleagues. Not only are Windrush students well educated, they are indeed deep thinkers, passionate human beings, and well-rounded young people. Don't for one minute think that Windrush doesn't have what it takes to produce amazing. If my own school experience had been anything close to what this place is; I would have loved being a kid.

Aimee,

The academic rigor was there. 2 PhD's, and many teachers with advanced specialized degrees left because they were at odds with the powers that be; unfortunately, students and families followed suit. Again, for the record: the school is a great place for minds to flourish and kids to learn how to independently think. Unfortunately, the powers that be do not realize that kids learn because of the vested interested by the teachers. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. It wasn't broken and fixing was tried and this is the end result.

Doejane...it would also be a good idea to bring in experienced therapists/counselors. These professionals usually donate their expertise and time when a school is in crisis. I'm a Head of School (a different school not in the Bay area) who has a family member attending Windrush & who is there because of my enthusiastic recommendation in 2006.

Does tuition insurance cover this type of closure?

Call the insurer for the best answer.

I know nothing about bonds, board meetings, or teacher/administration conflicts.

what I *do* know is my daughter was at Windrush for 3 years and we loved it. we would have stayed had we been able to afford it. the principles of progressive education, emotional intelligence, social justice, and environmental stewardship were not just empty words in a brochure, the school really LIVED them. there is an incredible community & we consider ourselves lucky to still be a part of it, having maintained many of the friendships we made there.

Windrush will always be the "gold standard" that we judge schools by... have not found another one that even comes close.

There are a couple of things that I don't understand here (and I'm not part of the Windrush community, just very interested given my role at a similar school).

First, I'm confused as to why the bond couldn't be restructured. What exactly is the lender going to do with this property -- it's undoubtedly zoned for a school and I suspect it's not worth anywhere near $13 million. (Any schools out there want to spend $13 million for a new campus in El Cerrito?) It strikes me that a better solution for the lender (and clearly the school) would have been a restructuring of the debt. Was the school simply not credible or realistic in its discussions with the lender? Or are the financials so bad that there's simply no hope of reducing cost and raising some money in the near future to pay down a little debt (lenders love that in distressed situations).

Second, how can the school be $800K to $900K short to finish this year? That's more than the school's $700K annual bond payment. They must have started this year having known for some time that they couldn't get through this year even with a restructuring of the debt. That seems problematic to collect $20K checks from people knowing that you're not going to make it through the year, but maybe I'm missing something.

I'm just a little confused as to what's going on here. Outcome seems like a real shame.

I gave Windrush the 5 stars in August as we were awaiting for the school year to restart. I stand by my opinion of the school. I am the parent who flagged those posts as questionable. They made me very sad to witness someone expressing their anger at our school and ending their post with RIP. We are fighting for our community, our after school staff, our librarian, our art, movement, and spanish teachers, our technology, our music, our specialty classes, our teachers and friends. Our library/middle school building, completed in 2008, is one of only four school buildings in the nation to have a LEED Platinum rating and is one of the issues at hand here. it was daring to make the leap into a green environment especially in this economy. I wish some peace and compassion for all who have walked through these halls, corridors, and hills. We have not given up on our school and no one else should either.

As a happy Windrush parent, I think it's important to separate out the academics from the finances. We have been happy with the quality if the education, but were shocked to hear that the head of school was given a large salary increase during an economic downturn. We have learned that her salary was increased from $140,000 when she started to $250,000 over a period of 4 years. This seems unconscionable during the current crisis. Other administrators are also highly compensated. I hope that the administration will lead by example and cut their salaries. This symbolic move will nspire others to contribute to help save the school.

This salary data is mostly available on their Form 990s.

In the year ended 6/2010, the head of school had a salary of $197K and total other benefits (presumably health care and retirement contribution of $20K).

If you go back a couple of years -- to the year ended 6/2008 -- the salary was $168K and total benefits were $12K.

There's no visibility as to what happened after June 2010, but it would be pretty shocking if there were any increases.

All that said, these numbers are a little light relative to compensation at similar (albeit still solvent) schools. Moreover, the Form 990 lists the finance head as the second most highly compensated employee, with a salary of $120K and benefits of $15K.

I'm not sure that the issue here is the level of the compensation for senior administrators (though pay increases as the wheels come off is unseemly). The real issues are (1) what drove enrollment down so much to create this crisis? and (2) why hasn't the board and administration more actively managed the situation in a financially skilled manner to avoid a catastrophe?

What happened to my comment? All I did was post links to some financial documents.

http://www.eri-nonprofit-salaries.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=NPO.Form990&EIN=942941899&Year=2011

Let me say it simply: G A M E O V E R. The head of school and the board have run this school into the ground. The bondholders are finished and who can really blame them? This train was on a collision course for years! And as K-Man says "why hasn't the board and administration more actively managed the situation in a financially skilled manner to avoid a catastrophe." Was it plain old stupidity? Hey, I'm no CPA and I can tell you that the school's financials haven't made sense for years!! Unfortunately I discovered this as a new parent in a prior year and raised my concerns about the poor financial decisions being made. And then to see NEW administrative positions being created and to learn here in the comments about the lavish salary increases...I'm sorry but you cannot just blame this on the economy and the bondholders. The parents trusted the head of school, the administrators and the board to ensure the longterm viability of the school and they have failed, plain and simple. One board member said in her bio that “I hope that during my time on the board, we can...help secure the school’s financial future.” Well guess what: hope doesn't get the job done. Try intelligence, common sense and a calculator!

Odd, someone from the school posting as doejane last night wrote that the Head & staff were counseling and comforting students yesterday; however, the child who's a member of my family had no idea the school might close until his mother told him last night (which is preferable, anyway). I know at least that his class was not comforted yesterday. This news made me worry about the truth of doejane's other post saying the school was working with peer schools to place their students.

A Head always has the option to lead by insisting the Board freeze his/her salary. The Finance committee of Board could have engaged in stringent belt-tightening. Yet, I'm not sure that necessarily would have made the financial picture sustainable with the 47% drop in enrollment, especially with the bond payments coming due.

Bless you, Jill. My heart is with the students, teachers & parents.

It's a harsh reality some independent schools are closing, and individual circumstances vary. However, there is a pretty clear protocol for how to go about the process. It involves careful financial analysis & announcing in January, thus giving the community a full school year & plenty of time to find new placements. CAIS would have been a source of guidance for school leadership.

As a current Windrush parent I have alot of strong feelings about what has transpired with enrollment and the rest over the past three years, but, for me the bottom line right now is this: A huge number of families, current and former, have lost confidence in the school's leadership, and if there's any chance of raising enough money to take this school through the end of the year and hopefully beyond, then leadership must change. The Head as well as the Board. I don't know the board and this isn't personal. It's just such a pervasive perspective that the current leadership has failed, and I don't think anything will change that. The incredibly competent teachers, kind and caring front office staff, and dedicated and talented parents can manage and rebuild this school should the resources materialize.

Dear Members of the Windrush Community:Faculty, staff and parents are invited to a Windrush community meeting tomorrow, Friday, at the Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut Avenue, North Berkeley in Live Oak Park (cross street Rose) beginning at 6:00 p.m. Please bring a brown-bag supper. There is a park across the street from the Center. Clarence Berger has volunteered to watch up to 15 children for 2.5 hours while parents attend the meeting. Please plan on bringing casual snack foods for the kids to share while they play. If you plan on bringing your kids, please let us know so that we can keep a head count for Clarence. The agenda of the meeting will be to develop a clear alternative to the board's plan of family fundraising, plan for greater transparency, greater faculty, staff and parent involvement, and to discuss ways that faculty, staff and parents can work together as a community to keep the school running through June of 2012--and beyond, hopefully. A small group of us (organizing faculty, staff and parents) have invited several people to speak at the meeting about their visions for how the school can manage during this extremely difficult time. If you have a vision, bring it. There will be an emphasis on mutual respect for different viewpoints.

At some point, I hope our Windrush Community can accept the responsibility and try to be honest with itself. Issues have been brewing for a few years, only to be swept aside by The Board and Head of Schools saying this is not my fault!
How does the Head of Schools get a Board approved large increase in compensation during a recession, decreasing enrollment, decreasing reserve fund, and poor financial outlook. The Head of Schools is, “Fighting for her job too”. 250,000 dollars is a something to fight for I guess, if there weren’t children involved.

Cont:
5)Poor understanding of Basic Economic Principles; The community (I should say half of the community, because Faculty and Staff were not allowed to join the meeting by warrant of the Head of Schools; I am not sure if that means the facility and staff are not part of the community or maybe the financial discussion was to difficult for them to hear, not sure) was told by the Board Chair, during a slide show, presented the idea that increased tuition would have a corresponding increase in enrollment.
I would also like to point out that the tuition increase of 6 or 7 % is misleading. If you add the decrease in tuition assistance, which appeared to be random, real increases far exceeded 6 to 7%.
These are just a few points for thought, I am not looking for a discussion but it appears that there may be structural flaws or underlying issues in the Administration and School Board that are being overlooked or suppressed because they are difficult to discuss. We, as a community, expect our leaders to be upfront and honest with us, If we have to go to alternative web sites and perform in-depth research to understand compensation packages or the financial conditions the leadership has failed in one of the most basic principles of any society, good, clear, and honest communication.

At this most basic level where is there a financially viable situation?

Cont:
I do hope Windrush finds enough money to make it through the year, I deeply care for my children’s friends and family. Transition is difficult, chaotic transition can only be more difficult, but Windrush kids have been taught by some of the best teachers and community members, they are confident and will move forward. My family will stand by them in support as they move in different difficult directions.

I am a current employee of Windrush with intimate knowledge of the finances, unlike your self. When George Bush left his Presidency, the country was in a great deal of debt. President Obama was saddled with the burden of getting the country out of debt. This is what occured at Windrush. EVERYONE involved with getting the school in debt to the tune of $13M LEFT as soon as the first interest payment was due. The current administration and board had the tremendous task of trying to figure out a way to pay the debt and keep the school open. Those are the facts. Now some folks may have personal issues with the Head, etc, but that has NOTHING to do with the payments that the bondholder want. John Doe, if you had secured employment before you quit last year, you would have better things to do than to post hurtful comments on this site. There are many children and parents hurting this week, and though you "claim" to care for the school, your posting prove otherwise.

Please excuse my typos, it is very hurtful to current employees to read these comments

Dear john doe with facts-
As a current employlee none of the above comments are hurtful to read because they are all true! There is a HUGE problem with the head of school gets a 27% raise when we have enrollement dropping! While she cries to all her staff telling us no one was getting a raise and no one was getting fired! If you have a problem with all the comments then stop reading - but its time for the school ( and i mean the parents and staff that care about Windrush) to get together and fight for we love- the children! SO HERE IS THE CALL TO ACTION! show up- fight- work together- FOR THE PAST-PRESENT-AND FUTURE STUDENTS OF WINDRUSH!

Here's my free (and probably useless) advice to the Windrush community:

1. Don't attack each other. It's a waste of time and nobody feels good afterwards.

2. Add a few board members who have strong business and finance expertise (with a smaller dose of educational background) and put them in charge of a new restructuring committee which is given broad authority to make finance decisions. The current board has no credibility. A new board has a shot at rebuilding credibility with parents, faculty, and external constituents (like the lender). The board chair needs to immediately take the steps to make this happen. Nobody else can do it.

3. The headmaster needs to be thanked for her service and replaced with an interim head. If enrollment has dropped by 40%+, she has not performed well. This is not an economy issue. A new interim head doesn't have the baggage of the past and has a shot of rebuilding credibility.

4. With the new team in place, the leadership needs to reach out to the lender and negotiate a new plan. Show how the school can break even even at reduced levels of enrollment. Commit to raising some funds for a small pay down of the loan in the summer of 2013. The lender is looking at a disaster here. You just need to come up with a plan that's better than that disaster.

4. Avoid the BK filing. BK is an incredibly expensive process, and if the school files, it's probably over.

Oh yeah, and you probably need to do all this before the end of the weekend.

How did it get to this? As a Windrush parent (and board member from a previous school) I've been spinning my wheels trying to understand how the financial process broke down - and why we received with such short notice.

At the end if the day, however, my thoughts always circle back to our 13 year old son who continues to thrive academically, socially and emotionally at this school. The teachers and staff here are not only academically talented, but have taken the time to understand and support our son personally while building his confidence and self esteem. As such, closing the school mid-stream would be unbelievably disruptive for both the students and the staff - both of whom deserve better.

I agree with the call for a change in leadership, particularly the board, and I feel mixed about the future of the school in light of this situation. In the short run, however, my family will dig into our meager savings to pledge as much as we are able to keep the doors open through the end of the school year - this for the sake of our son and the amazing staff who continue to provide an positive and productive academic environment despite the current situation. Our hope is that others will be able to do the same.

From John Doe: "Head of School and members of the administration are respectfullly asked not to attend this meeting."

It should continue-We would not want anyone to dilute our personal venom and misconceptions with facts or clarifications.

Whomever is to blame, the basic fact remains: The current leadership has failed. The school community needs to give a resounding and unified vote of no confidence to the current leadership. In the private sector, when a company is in financial distress, the leader gets replaced. It's as symbolically important as it is practically important. As a parent who desperately wants to keep the school open for my child's sake, the only way I will contribute more money to the school is if there's an agreed-upon plan to dismantle the current leadership as soon as possible. Yes, add some members to the board who have strong financial and organizational skills. Yes, put in place an interim staffing structure to manage school operations for as long as necessary. It's crystal clear to me that the writing is on the wall. I hope the current leadership sees this writing and offers to step down gracefully.

http://www.eri-nonprofit-salaries.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=NPO.Form990&EIN=942941899&Year=2011

Start Year Revenue Expenses Rev-Exp Net Assets
2005 $3,800,763 $3,755,218 $45,545 $1,674,330
2006 $4,242,106 $3,994,218 $247,888 $1,923,768
2007 $5,216,876 $4,312,764 $904,112 $2,838,270
2008 $4,369,992 $5,526,458 $(1,156,466) $1,681,804
2009 $5,109,604 $6,829,835 $(1,720,231) $(38,427)

This is on Ilana....she has been an unmitigated disaster. She has alienated staff and families and suppressed enrollment, she has damaged her own reputation and the school's in the community, again suppressing enrollment....and yet the Board still protects her. Outrageous. And why was the bond left till now to negotiate? Weak leadership is the issue here, they should fire Ilana, use her outrageous salary of $230,000 to help get to the $900K. Wake up people, the school was wonderful before Ilana dn she has sucked the soul out of it. Fire her and try and save the school.

Wake up people....the problem is Ilana and an Ilana loving Board. She has alienated the staff and many many families and thus hurt WR reputation in the community. More than the economy....Ilana and the Boars's blind management of her have suppressed enrollment. She has mishandled the finances as well. WR should fire Ilana and used her undeserved of salary of $230,000 toward the $900K.....WR cannot move forward with her at the helm, she is damaged goods.

Common, she's not damaged goods, but a revision to the current administration is something that they should look at. Hopefully the administration has learned a lesson from this; I'm sure the board has-or maybe they haven't. They'll get an opportunity at the next school they're at.

There are many ways to staff the operations of the school under a new structure. There are many capable people willing to step up to do this with little or no pay. This will be discussed at tonight's community meeting.

I want to know how we can move on in this place as a school past June. The board has not been able to give hope in that direction.

Remind anyone of SF's Stuart Hall High School's situation last year?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704324304575306973145745884.html

they had to make some big, hard changes... but they pulled through

All POVS aside several facts are utterly reprehensible: 1) the head of school salary is outrageous and an insult esp combined with tuition hikes. So tuition was raised in a recession to pay someone very mediocre more money? 2) The fact that no notice was given until last week about these imminent problems demonstrates total irresponsiblity and only verifies that the Board is ineffective, deceitful, procrastinatory, and unprofessional. 3) This is a progressive school not a corporation. The head of school's only job - as a figurehead - is to bring in more students based on the school's principles.

The bottom line is - this is where we are now. The success of an organization is TOP DOWN. Meaning the leadership is responsible. The other local private schools are not all closing down (Esp not now that they will inherit all the Windrush kids). Usually in these situations, the upper management is replaced, interim leadership is installed (I would nominate David Bond who is ten times more capable then Ilana) and we scrape our through the year while RESPONSIBLE people look for more investment elsewhere.

Or let me put it this way: get it together, and I will bring my kids BACK. Try to keep paying this person 1/4 of a million dollars a year to fail, and neither I nor any of my friends will ever come back.

Thank you for stating that. I think there are more families who may be willing to come back should a miracle happen and we turn this ship around, with new leadership.

Exactly, at this point Ilana is damaged goods whether you like her or not, she has failed and the school has foundered. So fire her and run the school by committee till June, they cannot do a worse job than is currently being done and you put her remaining salary towards the amount needed to keep the school open till June. ANyone who thinks Ilana is not damaged good should check out what other educators and the private school community think about her and now think about WR....that will take years to build its reputation back up, the first step would be fire the source of the problem.

Just got a fundraising letter from WR. I told them that if they fire the source of the problem I would contribute. Fire the Head. Start righting the ship, no matter what the outcome.

Everyone is correct!

1) The kids are getting a terrific education.
2) We should all pull together to raise enough money to get through this year and see if we can re-organize for future years
3) Blame get's us nowhere, still;
4) The Head of School should have her contract terminated immediately and a current administrator (Mercer, Bond, whoever - maybe Bond has time on his hands since there's no need for an Admissions Director if the school is closing) assume those responsibilities. Please have it be someone who doesn't use "progressive blabber-speak" to communicate - good old English would be welcomed back with open arms (heck, Spanish or Chinese would be an improvement).
5) Call all the parents of kids that left in the last few years and invite them back (if under 8th grade)
6) See if some of the great teachers who quit or were forced out are still unemployed and might return with a new direction
7) Pray

With a signed contract, the Head can sue for the remainder of salary. (I'm guessing with Chapter 11, the Head would get in line with other creditors, I guess. Most Heads have multi-year contracts, although I would hope the school wouldn't have done that with the precarious situation.)

I saw the projected budget

There is/was a lack of transparency all the way- Creating a different- real community- approach would be ideal

As a progressive educator I find this a truly heartbreaking story. A quick review of the 990's demonstrates that this was a predictable outcome. It is possible to pay teachers fairly, fund financial aid to ensure an economically diverse community and provide an excellent program. A large administrative budget and pricey LEEDS certified buildings require top dollar tuition and significant philanthropic giving. Without those fundamentals adding all the bells and whistles will spell disaster. It seems that only a financial windfall will enable Windrush to overcome a series of bad decisions and a significant level of giving at this point is unlikely. Few wise investors will throw good money after bad. Perhaps if Windrush reinvents itself with a completely different financial and administrative model the children and families can continue to flourish in a supportive and challenging progressive school. I urge the parent and teacher community to consider reforming as a co-op. It may not be possible to remain in your beautiful facilities but the true mission of this school can be accomplished in simple surroundings. Look to your roots, seek advice from successful co-ops, which do exist even in the Bay Area (Synergy in San Francisco is one) and don't give up. Good luck!

Wow! Read the comment and complete denial of board member Bulkeley, and you'll understand what we're dealing with here. No accountability whatsoever, no apologies.
Unbelievable!

I am a former long-time staff member of Windrush. I know and have worked with dozens of former and current staff members, teachers, and administrative personnel, and I can say this unequivocally and without hesitation:

It was the beginning of the end for Windrush the day Ilana Kaufman stepped onto campus. It is no accident that virtually the entire middle school faculty fled, or were chased out, the year that she came to school.

Seeing the writing on the wall, I left, with a push from Ilana, shortly thereafter (and seriously considered legal action against her). Many others--great teachers and seasoned professionals loved by their students, followed. It was a massive brain drain. Morale plunged. Word got out. Enrollment nosedived. The results are what you see now.

My prediction within two months of her arrival was that this woman, with her toxic personality and destructive management style, was going to run the school into the ground within 3 to 5 years. (Four years into her tenure, it appears that she's right on schedule.)

It is important to note the vast majority of teachers who left did so because of Ilana. Though we could not say so publicly (professional retribution would have been swift), we all agreed privately.

Things were getting so bad, that one former teacher, who came back for a day, observed that the school, formerly so light and cheerful, felt like a POW camp, devastated by Ilana's poisonous methods and unprofessional conduct.

This is a very sad time for Windrush.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2011%2F09%2F29%2FMNUV1LBD96.DTL

The Board, mesmerized by Ilana, refused to take seriously the staff's concerns. Red flags, flashing sirens, the anguished cries of teachers and staff, none of it got the Board's attention.

They fiddled while Rome burned, and now all that will remain, barring a miracle (which would be wonderful), are the charred remains of a proud, once-great, 35-year old teaching institution.

I see that the school filed for chapter 11 protection today.

Only question left is whether the parents want to fund the balance of the year. Really hard to see any future beyond that, unless the employees all move to a new entity, like a co-op.

A real shame. This is a massive governance failure. Perhaps with the right people engaged some time back this could have been avoided. But this team clearly lost credibility with parents (hence enrollment decline) and undoubtedly lost all credibility in negotiating with the lender (who apparently thinks he's better off taking a huge loss than dealing with the people he's dealing with).

It takes a long time to build an institution. A lesson for all of us that mismanagement can destroy one so quickly.

As a former Windrush teacher and am not surprised by this turn of events. It also is not surprising that a board member is placing blame on former administrators. I was not given an exit interview. Also, we (as teachers) were not able nor allowed to do an evaluation of the head of school (something the board had done with the former head of school). Windrush bled teachers and staff after the new head's arrival and yet the board stood by her, didn't ask questions and placed blame on others. I place the responsibility on the head of school and her bosses, the Board of Trustees. I am so sorry this has happened however, it was preventable.

I've visited or evaluated dozens of independent schools across the country. The faculty I observed was one of the best I've ever seen in action when I visited in 2006. Former teachers, you should be very proud of the team you created and they way you educated kids. Nothing and no one can ever take away what you accomplished.

Please note... the only people defending the head of school or the board in the comments are board members themselves, their spouses or admin personnel... What does that tell you?

This comment was much earlier in the thread, but I want to say to John Doe with Facts: I don't know who you think "John Doe" is, but I have heard from all of the teachers who left Windrush in the last two or three years, and all of them have landed new jobs. Most at schools that are in a state of OVER-enrollment and solid financial management. Imagine that. None were welcome at Windrush anymore, but they all were quickly hired by more successful schools that saw them as highly qualified, competent professionals.

Thank you Laura. We were not made to feel that way with the new head of school and the Board that not only supported her but gave her raise $25,000 every year. Unbelievable!

I wish it could have been otherwise. Kai, Keith, Joanne, Annie..the list of fine professionals goes on and on. Most independent schools would give their eye teeth to have them on staff.

http://elcerrito.patch.com/articles/windrush-school-enters-bankruptcy-gets-250k-matching-pledge

Wonderful news. It would be so much better for all if the school could stay open for the rest of the year. If, in 2 weeks they can find $250k, they may make it. Still a tall order, but now there's real momentum. It's so heartening to read this news.

Yes. One step at a time...

As a person who believes in people's good intentions I have a hard time understanding how this situation got out of hand this way, and when it did (In July's first default payment) ), how come we didn't get properly informed about it (the letter sent July 5th does not reflect our dire straits) just so we could "save ourselves" instead of letting us employees sink with the school on October 28.
Maybe we will raise money to complete the year and I do hope so…. for my own's sake and that of the families and students, but I agree with many in this conversation: many red flags have been up and there is a general unhappiness among how things have been dealt with in the school.

But we, people that work here, LOVE to work with the students and our collegues. Our concentration is on just that. We leave the finantial matters to those who are expert at this. These experts let us down, in my opinion.

We were feeling uncomfortable with staff leaving the school with no clear explanation of why, specially when they were people unlikely to make such a move. We knew finances were difficult but we were assured we are well taken care-of until mayor blow-out on Tuesday night.

Not knowing truly any details of how decisions are made is hard to put the finger onto an specific person, head or board, but from what I can see, it is irresponsible to not have plan B if negotiations didn't work out to re-structure the debt, which is what we've been told happened.

It is hard to ask for money to be donated when you don't totally trust how it will get handled.

Best wishes at your meeting this evening.

I say start calling the media so we can get a balanced story. Not the board and head's "economy" spin!

In response to comments that today’s woes are the fault of a prior board and director, it’s true – the folly of a $13 million building renovation , even in flush times, is indisputable. But it was not that board and director who stood before the onrushing train years later, holding children and their families before them, waiting until the very last minute to cast a plea for help to anyone within earshot. It’s unforgivable what the current crew has done. The letter the board sent to alumni families today said, “Imagine the chaos if your child had been forced to move schools in October.” Yes, too bad the letter’s authors lacked such imagination last January when they scheduled a casual “board chat” to discuss the school’s financial condition at 5 p.m. on first day of school following the winter holidays. Or in the spring when they offered a discount to any family willing to pay the full tuition up front. My heart aches for the dear friends I left behind when I could no longer afford the fare and for the beautiful school my son and I loved and trusted for six years. I hope and pray what Joanne Rubio said to the Chronicle today is true – Windrush will rise again, like a phoenix.

I've read every comment here and not one mentions the possible bright side of this tragic story: how many wonderful (and perhaps wealthy) students and families might, just might, consider joining their local public school system now. As abysmal as the WCCUSD may be at this time, I think the times just might be-a-changin'. As a local public school parent and volunteer, I feel a paradigm shift could be on the horizon. With the new principals at both Portola and ECHS bringing fresh ideas and renewed hope to those schools, with more families and community members volunteering and getting involved, with President Obama's recent loosening of No Child Left Behind mandates, things really do seem to be getting better year by year! Displaced Windrush families and students would be a welcomed addition and would enrich their local public school communities more than they may be able to imagine at this time.

I,m with "local parent"..the"struggle"you experience we local parents deal with almost every day...we chip in where needed to make our neighborhood schools thegood experience it now is for our kids...if you can afford to spend $20,000 per year for your childs tuition maybe it,s time to think of putting that money into your community and give your child a real life lesson to learn..be the best rolemodel you can be...show your child the importance of local community of neigborhoods coming together..what you might not know is that our local schools are doing a great job and have alot of very dedicated teachers every day giving their best for our kids and we all give as much as we can..so stop whining and give your local public school a chance...you just might be surprised

Whether Public or Private schools, it never feels good to be kept in the dark and it doesn't help to call people whiners.

transparency is key

in an earlier post, someone alluded to the braindrain that Ilana Kaufman has created at the school by terminating and/or driving away skilled and talented teachers and administrators. Kevin Jacobson, the assistant head of school the past two years, is one such example. Kevin is an extremely attuned leader and did all he could to connect the school's mission to its practices. He was highly regarded and respected by his colleagues, by students, and by families. He is now the middle school principal at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City, widely known as one of the country's leading indepedent schools. If Kevin were still here, he would know what to do in this situation and he would be the ideal leader to step in upon the removal of Ilana Kaufmon.

I am another ex-teacher who fled. The picture was clear from the moment Ilana began her first meeting with our dedicated faculty. Her first words were, "I am not going to be like Lynn." All too true. She had pulled the wool over everyone's eyes. She led us to believe that she respected Windrush's proud history, philosophy, values and sense of community. No sooner did she take office than she began to dismantle, systematically, many of the special little beauties that had been carefully built over decades. She rejected ideas and requests in meetings both public and private, shut us up, and repeatedly pitted our individual interests against those of the larger school community. Aspects of our work for which we had previously been praised and honored were now just "part of the job" for which we should not expect to be specially recognized or compensated. It was humiliating and infuriating. Yet the board could not or would not see. As I have watched students and faculty leave the school in droves in recent years, it has been clear that most did so out of distaste for what was happening, and only secondarily for economic reasons. Yes, it may be counterproductive to come griping about it now, and I have the utmost respect and sympathy for those fine teachers and families who remain at Windrush. I have found fulfillment elsewhere, yet I cannot help feeling a certain amount of schadenfreude. If ideas could have been exchanged freely all along, I believe this would not be happening.

I wish I would have known this stuff earlier!!!

Speaking of which are there any forums to learn the inside scoop on Tehiyah, Prospect, Berkeley School, and Black Pine, inquiring minds want to know.

Nobody back from the big meeting yet?

As tragic as all this is, I find it sweetly ironic that the school head and the board's relentless quest for secrecy and information control has blown up in so spectacularly its face on the internet -- this most public of forums. Unfortunately, there was no other way for the information to get out. It's just one more symptom of a dysfunctional community, brought on by information-control policies dictated by the head of school. Now, had this been a normally functioning community, with normally functioning paths of open communication, between teachers, parents, etc. with no fear of retribution, all of this would have been discussed within the community and probably dealt with long ago, at open meetings. And, one would hope, the director would have been probably fired. But instead every effort was made to keep parents in the dark about staff leaving and dire finances until tuition money could be collected and contracts signed. Unconscionable. Still, this atmosphere of fear causes people to only post anonymously. And so it is, the dark, ugly truth has not only been revealed to the Windrush parents (who had a right to know all a long and and have been truly betrayed) but to the whole world, on the internet for the general public to see. Let this be a life-lesson to any one of us who attempts to stifle communication and dissent through intimidation. Watch out, it may blow up in your face, spectacularly, in public, for the whole world to see.

So nicely said.

It seems like people on the board are smart, caring people, from what I know of some of them. Only explanation that makes sense to me is that they are dealing with the mess from the Carolyn - Ilana reign of terror that drove so many people out. If Egypt and Libya can free themselves, so should this place. Free Windrush!

When faced with fear and grief, we have several human responses available to us. There is tearing each others' limbs off, one by one, until we are all dismantled. And there is standing together as one community, and even in the midst of our suffering, finding a way to help each other. To the person who put $250K on the table, to the teachers that continue to lead, and to the leaders and board members that continue to slog through this thankless work each day, I appreciate that you get out of bed and take care of our children and families, day after day, after day. Particularly in the midst of a crisis that I believe you did not create and are doing your best to navigate, gratitude comes to mind. Thank you all.

Caroline McCall posted in the comments to the 250k article:

The tuition increase letters sent to all parents in 2008, 2009 and in 2010 included the fact that the school would be operating in a deficit the following year. The board presented the school's financial situation 2 times in early 2011 and told parents when it made the decision not to pay the 7/1/11 bond interest.

http://pinole.patch.com/articles/windrush-school-enters-bankruptcy-gets-250k-matching-pledge#comments

I certainly don't remember being told the school planned to default on the loan interest payment, or operate in the red, do any other parents, staff or teachers remember this?

VOGON CAPTAIN:
There’s no point in acting all surprised about it. All the planning charts and demolition orders have been on display at your local planning department in Alpha Centauri for fifty of your Earth years so you’ve had plenty of time to lodge any formal complaints and its far too late to start making a fuss about it now.

From an email sent out today to Prospect families to reassure them that all is well:

"While we were not immune to the stresses of the economy, we managed the past two years with strict budgeting in order to keep our community of families and staff together. Conservative financial planning has allowed us to preserve and add to our reserve fund annually. We ended the 2010-2011 year in great financial shape, and expect to be in an even stronger position at the end of the fiscal year 2012. Our enrollment is higher than it was before the recession, and we recently refinanced our bond debt to a low 30-year fixed rate loan that provides the school with predictable, manageable debt that will be shared across generations."

It's comforting to know that it's possible for a private school to thrive in this economy, and it's an indication that the blame for WR's situation should be placed elsewhere.

I also have an issue with raising a million dollars for the school to remain open for the rest of the year,...for 165 kids?? And with no guarantees for the years after that?

Does anyone know the terms of the bond? For example, a 30 year bond for $13 million at 5% per year results in annual payments of $850,000. With 165 students that comes to over $5,000 per year per student. With 259 students that comes to about $3,200 per year per student. Did the school ever make a principal payment or did it just make a few interest only payments?

If the bondholder reduced the principal to $10 million, the annual payment would be about $650,000 which comes to about $4,000 per student per year for 165 students or $2500 per student per year if there are 259 students.

We've had kids at Windrush for the last 12 years, and it's our daughter's last year there. It is heartbreaking seeing how some members of the community have responded to the tragic financial problems which face the school. Our son and daughter have thrived at Windrush, and while there have been some challenges at times (just like in life), we've been very satisfied with the school over these many years. Let's see if we can approach the challenges the school is facing with an approach consistent with these words from Windrush's Mission and Philosophy "A Windrush education enables graduates to navigate educational, community and life experiences with determination, optimism, humor and grace. Windrush students approach learning opportunities and challenges with confident, enthusiastic spirits and open minds."

I posted this on the other thread of comments, but it answers some info in terms of the Bond details.

As a fellow East Bay resident and neighbor, I am also concerned for Windrush's community. In this time of immediate crisis, detailed data and financial acuity will need to be guided by compassion, transparency and trust in order to make the difficult and necessary decisions that are awaiting the school.

The Windrush School's Revenue bond (8/2007) and notice of default (7/2011) are public material, and these are accessible by the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (EMMA) http://emma.msrb.org

The Bond default was reported by Submitter's Contact Information
Company: Wells Fargo
Name: TERESA DONOFRIO
Address: 625 MARQUETTE AVE
City, State Zip: MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55402
Phone Number: 6126671229

CALIFORNIA STATEWIDE CMNTYS DEV AUTH REV WINDRUSH SCH (CA)*
CUSIP: 130795JY4 *

Dated Date: 08/15/2007
Maturity Date: 07/01/2037
Interest Rate: 5.5 %
Principal Amount At Issuance: $13,000,000
Initial Offering Price: 100

Is Windrush really in immediate danger of closing, given that it has filed for bankruptcy? The danger may not be immediate.

http://emma.msrb.org/EA464020-EA359676-EA755677.pdf

A payment of interest is due on the Bonds in the amount of $357,500 on July 1, 2011. The purpose of this notice is to advise holders of the Bonds that the Borrower was unable to make the payment due for a payment of interest due on the Bonds on July 1, 2011, but contacted the Trustee and the holders of the Bonds to advise them of the situation in advance. As a result, the Trustee and the holders of the Bonds are working with the Borrower to address current financial issues. The Trustee and the Borrower hope to discuss entering into a forbearance agreement in the near future, which will be intended to establish a framework for the Borrower to investigate possible solutions to its current financial situation. The Trustee does not have any plans to undertake any remedial action against the Borrower during the forbearance period. The Trustee will not take any such action without communication with and direction from the holders of the Bonds, consistent with the indenture.

The notice of failure to pay dated 5 July 2011 did not specify (as the conduit bond for Windrush details) the 3 month "grace period" before the Trustee (Wells Fargo) can go into action. Time is up.
Ultimately, the time line leading up to WR bankruptcy in terms of who is responsible has cast huge doubts on the leadership of the school. I strongly encourage the leadership to secure solid advice and scenario planning for the school.

STOP WHINING??? Are you serious??? You have the audacity to try and sell that sorry line of how great the local public schools are and how much better they would be if we would just chip in? I had a Portola student at my home two weeks ago tell me that he could buy a gun at school for 80$ A GUN. And that while it might be "cool" to have a gun, he wasn't buying it because at that price- LOW at PORTOLA for a gun- it was probably 'hot.' This kid just transferred in from a decent school district after a divorce, but, whew, he is learning faaaast. It must be those great public local schools.

As a lifer of Windrush ( a student who attended from kindergarten to 8th grade) I am so proud to see parents and teachers standing up for whats right! There are many changes that need to be made and people to be replaced. Windrush was and never should be run as a corporation but as the place of education it was created to be. It was started by parents with a wish to educate their children in an enviroment that would fostor creative learning, truly a noble goal and for 31 years it worked. I have seen Windrush rise and fall. I have seen the buildings changed and the land made new. I have seen children become better people because of the lessons they learned at Windrush and I will not stand idle and let it die because of selfish executive decisions. If there is anything I can do to help please let me know. I fully support the teachers and parents in their efforts to save Windriush and will do everything I can to help.

Mr. Groves- Zoo? Who said it was a Zoo? Zoos are fun places that children are generally safe going to. There are rarely guns at Zoos, unlike Portola, apparently! And 'contraband?' Bubblegum is contraband. A cellphone is contraband. A GUN IS A WEAPON. Grow up. This is reality, you don't knowingly send your children where they are exposed to Weapons and violence on a regular basis. Clean up your school, then crow about it. Not the other way around.

Can anyone explain tuition refund plan insurance. Does it cover 50% of unpaid tuition or 50% of the prorated tuition for the period left in the year. As I understand it the insurance coverage was automatic for monthly/semi-annual and optional extra cost for annual payment.

Many, many parents I know at Windrush are seeing it this way: We know our first priority has to be to keep the school open for the rest of the year for our children's sake, and are willing to swallow the bitter pill of giving even more money. However, none of us feel comfortable delivering new dollars, let alone asking other people to give, without a solid indication from the board that they recognize the very serious management issues that have come to light, and have a plan in place to address it. To us, even if the school stays open, the remainder of the year seems quite untenable under its current leadership structure. Confidence and trust have been far too eroded.

My first comment here. I am not a parent at WR, but I have been teaching for more than thirty years.
When public school districts hire a rotten superintendent (because of lack of due diligence, as Albany did a few years back) and that person runs the district into debt, the state takes over. WR and other independent schools do not have that fall-back. Was Ilana vetted as thoroughly as necessary or was it an insider deal that led her to think she could be a tyrant? I watched as the system fell apart, thinking about how many times I had seen it happen before. Too many.

Out of respect for all, let's keep this discussion focused on the tragic news of WR's current situation. It is indeed a tragedy, whether or not you have children who attend the school. It is a school in our community. As for the negative comments about Portola, I respectively ask you to STOP. This is not the place. As the parent of a 7th grader at Portola, I am absolutely thrilled with the safe, welcoming atmosphere, the well behaved students, and the academics. Perfect? By no means. But it is not the Portola of myth and urban legend. It is a new Portola, a new day, and we are proud to be there, just as much as the WR parents are proud of their school, despite the current state of affairs. I wish the WR families and teachers the best during this difficult time.

I'd be very interested in hearing details from the board about their decisions and the timelines. The comments here paint a fairly clear picture of some of the issues going on, but without the board's input, we have just one side of the story.

I have seen some similar issues come up at another small school, but I also see that they made some very wise decisions to help turn things around. They made teacher retention a priority (looking into what made staff want to leave, what makes them want to stay). They hired a professional to work with the board and the head to clearly define roles. They allowed staff representatives to come to board meetings to present staff issues (often these were the same the head presented, but to hear from the staff directly made a difference). They shared the finances more openly with staff and parents. When understanding is in place of the school's financial status, it makes it easier when staff are told the school can't hire another person, or when we don't have enough funds for a scholarship we'd like to give. It has really helped parents and all stakeholders to be more creative in solutions and work together for the betterment of the school.

Mostly - I feel very deeply for all those affected at WR. And the first endeavor is to resolve the imminent crisis. But the next task is to figure out how this happened, to prevent it from happening again - to this school AND to others.

Did people see the excerpt from the letter sent to local private schools?
http://elcerrito.patch.com/articles/windrush-school-enters-bankruptcy-gets-250k-matching-pledge#comment_1526445
Does she have the right to tell other schools what to do and say?

Someone seems to have created an exit survey for Windrush families who have left Windrush. If you'd like to share your thoughts (and/or if you know other parents who have left WR you could send the link to), please do so:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7BKH5SP

There also seems to be an exit survey for teachers and staff who are no longer there:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7H7SRFN

As consumers we are used to having our credit checked. One thing this sad episode points out is that it is just as important to check the financials of your critical vendors whether they are supplying equipment for your factory, support for your infrastructure or education for your children. And it's doubly important when those vendors are prepaid.

I hope, and believe, that parents who put down half or all the tuition for the year would be moved to the front of the creditors' line by the bankruptcy judge.

As a big portion of the WR community works hard to raise the remaining $250K to fulfill the matching pledge, I'm also hopeful the school leadership is taking specific and tangible steps to assist parents in looking for another school and to assist faculty in seeking other jobs--although those may not be teaching jobs at this point in the year (writing recommendation letters, making calls on their behalf) at the same time just in case the goal can't be reached. I hope more than anything it can, but the work for the other path should be begun now rather than delaying.

My research on the tuition refund plan is discouraging so far. I am still trying to get the full contract, but just based on the brochure it lists school closure as excluded from the coverage. Also if you withdraw by choice before the school closes, it says that the insurance funds will pay out to the school as a credit to your school account. So, this is looking very pessimistic. I am sure there will be legal action later on behalf of families, but it will take a lot of time, and besides, the money is gone and the school has secured creditors ahead of us in line.

Ilana's annual salary should allow a lawsuit to help us recoup some of our costs.

Any attorney's out there? If they missed payments in July (and certainly knew they couldn't afford to pay well before July), did they break any rules/laws about notifying the families?

Perhaps NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) can help provide more answers? I would suggest CAIS except somehow she snuck her way onto their board (although this probably won't last as her career should be over in education)

For those doing research, I’d like to again recommend looking at the bond document (posted 08/06/07) I took another very quick look. http://emma.msrb.org/SecurityView/SecurityDetails.aspx?cusip=A5786EDBA85905EB89D21557DF26F88E7
and the IRS 990 forms http://www.eri-nonprofit-salaries.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=NPO.Form990&EIN=942941899&Year=2011
and the notice of nonpayment http://emma.msrb.org/EA464020-EA359676-EA755677.pdf

Bond document, page 53. “The viability of most independent schools is closely linked to the financial management of the institution. Failure to properly manage a school's financial affairs has been the basis for failures of private schools in the past. No assurances can be given that future administrations of the Corporation will properly manage the Corporation's finances.”

The bond document also indicated that Windrush expected to INCREASE enrollment, not decrease it.

The independent auditor’s report of 6/30/2010, which was posted 12/30/2010, shows that Windrush had lost a great deal of money and was at a deficit as of 6/30/2010, I believe.

The previous year’s report, which was posted in 2009, shows a substantial loss.

Trade activity in January 2010 showed that some initial investors took a considerable loss, reflecting the strong possibility of default.

The web can be used to research Windrush’s finances.

Did you read that WR has $930,000 in cash reserves according to the Bond default notice (7-2011).

Now that is an excellent point, and it is down from the previous year’s $1,397,585.

So why didn’t the school make a $357,500 interest payment if it had $971,125 in a reserve fund? I believe the auditor’s called it “restricted cash”.

There are probably lots of good points that can be found in the documents. I hope that someone does a thorough search.

Did anyone save that tuition insurance brochure? If so, I'd love to see a scanned copy so that we can read up on how it works. For instance, if we stop paying tuition now, will the insurance kick in and pay the school anyway? And what about if the school goes under? Are we entitled to get our money back?

I am devastated as a parent of a Windrush student, and as a Windrush employee. I love my job! Working at the place where my daughter has been learning and growing and happily skipping around has been an intense pleasure.

Any hope out there? I want to believe...

I hope people continue to investigate the finances and fraud committed by the Head and the Board. I, once again, am not surprised by what is coming out I'm just sad. Many (now former) employees tried to sound the alarm to many and we were considered bitter. Now the only thing that comes to mind is the final sentence in Martin Niemöller's poem, "Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me."

I would like to help save Windrush School. As a retired Credit Union CEO and Credit Economist for USAID I am available as a resource to a newly formed leadership. My experience in finance goes back 45 years. Let's start thinking positively for a solution. My contacts with major credit union CEOs in the Bay Area may be a good starting place to fund restructuring of the bonds. Good luck, Richard Leigh, anyric2@aol.com

My heart goes out to all the staff, parents and children of Windrush. There is no easy solution if one exists. I certainly don't know it. I do know that when we registered our child at Windrush we thought we were starting a nine-year relationship. After our first year we started having doubts. During our second year we knew we were not staying. Long before the recent announcements it was clear that the school did not have a solid business plan and didn't have qualified personnel to implement one. When our choice not to return was made public we were never asked why. If we had, our answers may have shed a light on the completely inadequate processes that occur at Windrush. To all the teachers, parents and children that will forever be in our hearts we wish only the best. Windrush is not the buildings or the fields or the Hill. It is the wind that carries the spirit of goodness through all of us that at one time chose Windrush.

Has anyone seen the organization's audited financial statements? If there are substantial doubts about an entity's ability to continue as a going concern, the auditor is required to evaluate the issue and communicate those doubts with the governing body.

Another thought on this. The management responses to these audits should also be disclosed to the public. Richard Leigh

I'm so surprised that anyone would consider giving more money to the current leadership. Look at what we know:
--As enrollment declined over the last few years, the school steadily increased Ilana's salary and hired more expensive new administrators.
--Last spring, the school kept it a secret, until after contracts were signed, that several long-time teachers were planning to leave.
--The board ignored the warning signs: a big increase in teachers and families leaving for the last couple of years. They even stopped doing exit interviews. (So when they say people left because of economics, what are they basing their statement on? Looks like at least some families left for other private schools--it wasn't the money.)
--The school defaulted on its bond payment in July and didn't tell parents.
--The school was sued on August 31 and the school didn't tell parents.
--Ilana asked other schools to refuse to talk to Windrush parents.

This is all so sad--If the financial crisis had been aired earlier, the caring and committed Windrush community could have used its considerable talents to work on the problem and get a new management team in place. As it is, it's a stressful emergency, and options are severely limited. But if the school will close at the end of the year, why would you need the whole administration--and couldn't their salaries go a long way toward the money that's needed?

Just started analyzing our initial returns on the Student Exit Survey: 90% of respondents left Windrush for another private or parochial school. The amount of detail provided in the answers to the questions (details about fave teachers and other insider knowledge of the school) make it clear that these respondents really did attend Windrush at some point.

If you are an ex-Windrush family, PLEASE complete this parent-led exit-survey into why we lost so many students. Responses are 100% completely confidential:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7BKH5SP

If you are an ex-Windrush teacher or staff member, please consider replying to the Exit Survey for teachers and staff. Again, I am a Windrush parent who wants to collect data about why we lost so many experienced faculty:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7H7SRFN

http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_19041281
School's closure possible

I am a current WR parent with the intent to pledge. Following is a link to my modified pledge form:

https://skydrive.live.com/P.mvc#!/view.aspx?cid=31E0398257059F1F&resid=31E0398257059F1F%21103

Many in the Windrush community are working hard to keep the school open through June and beyond. My understanding is that the Chapter 11 protection is given so that the school can continue on, with reorganization and a plan for debt reduction. All of this is being worked on with the hopes that Windrush will continue for many more years, as it has for the past 35.

"This was entirely unanticipated news," said Ilana Kaufman, head of school at Windrush. "The impact of the economic crisis has been huge on the school."

Thank you to the person that leaked Ilana’s shameless and unethical letter to the other schools concerning speaking with other parents concerning enrollment. Parents have the right to find alternatives as soon as possible. Can any current teachers and staff verify that they have been asked to hold student records and not write letters of recommendation? I heard that. I hope all the schools know the right thing to do. Someone needs to care for the family and children of WR. They have been screwed left and right.

I'm trying to understand why the public at large seems fascinated by this story. Is it because Windrush seems a microcosm of the Wall Street, Greece, etc. meltdowns? Or because so many are struggling to keep their business or family solvent and have empathy (There but for the grace of God...) for the families, especially the students? Speaking of meltdowns, the head of Tokyo Electric resigned, even though a natural disaster was the root cause. It would seem the current head and board at WR should do the honorable thing also. I'm surprised the creditors and judge didn't insist on removing them from the premises, if only to preserve records.

OMG! that is as communist as you can get in the US. The board and Ilana continue their insane "regime". Nothing is surprise anymore.

Teachers are not currently allowed to fill out any recommendation letters.

Outrageous--and completely consistent with prior behavior.

MomTo7thGrader, what they don't realize is that this anger parents that still have their hearts at Windrush and helping raise money and still would like to stay. Just because they are looking after the best interest of their children does not mean they are abandoning the school. It is what responsible parents do for their children. First lied to, then robed, and then held prisoners.

No matter what happens, the unfolding events at WR will be a case study in what not to do on the independent school national circuit for years. This situation will be dissected and analyzed for the next few years. As someone who knew and treasured Windrush...I believe it deserved better.

There are many independent school state accreditation organizations which now require a yearly copy of a school's audit if the school is experiencing financial difficulty. WR certainly would have qualified. These organizations have considerable expertise and resources to assist schools each step of the way, even if the school has to close. There are now accepted best practices in how to advise and assist schools in these situations, but these practices may not yet be consistently used from state-to-state. I am not pointing fingers at CAIS, but I'm wondering where they were in this process. WR would have had to provide detailed financial information as part of their accreditation process, and it depends on where they were in the accreditation cycle, but some state organizations require detailed financial information yearly. This financial information then cues a host of responses from the state organization if it looks dicey.

Wow, that's a stunning irony. Nevertheless, CAIS should have a process that is independent of personalities or positions.

Notice to readers: A comment posted on this article today could have been construed as promoting violence and has been removed. I was informed that it has been reported to El Cerrito police. I ask that all readers please abide by our Terms of Use, which all Patch users agreed to uphold when registering. They forbid promotion of violence and abusive comments. We encourage mutual respect and civil dialogue.

I know the school chose Ilana as Head because of the many ways she represented the diversity of the community. I understood and embraced this decision at the time, and I, more than anyone, wanted and expected to see her succeed for this reason. Someone earlier stated that the consultant for the Head search didn't understand the school. It was pretty clear to me that he did--completely-- at the time. He himself was a longtime & successful founding Head in Washington or Oregon. The school made it a priority to select an ambassador who embodied the value of diversity. It appears, though, that Ilana didn't have the "soft" skill set nor the "hard" skill set to steer the Board and the school through the past several years. At the time of the search, the school had not yet signed the bond, although they were likely to do so. It seems so many wrong turns were taken.

As treasurer of CAIS, Ilana would have only tracked dues of member schools and association expenses. This has nothing to do with reviewing financial audits or reports of member schools--just to clarify.

I question the decision to go with LEED certification. There are energy efficient ways to build without pursuing the pricey LEED path.

I have a great desire to see increased diversity at upper levels of independent school administration--but we as an industry have to be poised with processes and expertise to ensure these leaders can succeed. I'm not sure we're yet doing a good job at that.

Hey, let’s all be chill. I apologize for posting something that could be misconstrued. I made a parenthetical reference to the French revolution (the women of Paris marching on Versailles) which perhaps was not the brightest idea. What I meant to express was only my outrage that the administration was apparently trying to keep parents out of tonight’s board meeting and, if they did attend, swear them to secrecy. I certainly wasn’t suggesting violence. No guillotines, etc. please. Really. Let’s all be chill. In fact I have been inspired and impressed at how level-headed this discussion has been, and how useful this open forum has been. Peace.

http://www.scoreknox.org/library/serving.htm

The Role and Functions of the Board

While the role of the top executive is to manage the organization, the role of the board is to govern it. Inherent in the board’s governance role are two functions:

Protect the Public’s Interest
The first function of the board is to protect the public’s interest. Nonprofits receive preferential tax treatment because they provide a “public” service that would not otherwise be available without subsidy. The board’s job is to represent the public’s interest in assuring that the agency serves effectively.

The board accomplishes this oversight and evaluation function by keeping well informed about the activities of the organization and communicating appropriate information to the public.

The board must make decisions that will guide the organization beyond concern for mere survival of the organization, the reputation of board members, or the jobs of employees.

Scenario analysis.

I think there are at least three main groups of players – Windrush families, Windrush management, and the bondholders. Each group is going to look after its own self-interest.

The most likely scenario is that Windrush does not exist beyond this school year. Families would like to keep the school going, but under new management.

How can current management be forced out?
How can the debt be reduced, as the school cannot possibly pay off a $13 million loan (payments will go up once principal payments are required and the enrollment is about half of what was projected).

In a default, how much is the property worth to the bondholders? Can it be as low as $5 million?

Can a new group of investors, perhaps in conjunction with an existing school, buy the property from the bondholders, but at a very favorable price?

I am in no position to answer my questions, but I think they are relevant to those who would like to see Windrush continue its operations indefinitely.

I feel so sad that a good school is going through such hard times and we students have to hear it. This is the internet everyone could access it!!! don't put mean comments
(children read this).
P.S Thanks for the nice comments!
Elementary student.

This is certainly a sad situation. But perhaps this will cause some WR families to make the responsible choice and place their children in their local public school. Funnel some portion of that $30K per year into your PTA and school foundations and, voila, everyone has access to the stellar educational experience you are seeking for your kids. Feeling pity for people with kids at WR is a bit like feeling sorry for someone when their butler calls in sick. Welcome to the real world the rest of us inhabit.

While I will also do all I can to avoid sending my kids to public school in EC, I know plenty of kids who do fine in public school. That doesn't make it the only "responsible thing to do." To say so is close-minded and just plain silly.

I agree that "voila" was a poor word choice - there are entrenched problems in public schools of course, but there are problems at independents as well, as the current situation demonstrates. Money does indeed go a long way in addressing issues in public schools - aides for teachers with overflowing classrooms, materials, enrichment opportunities, the list is long. Attending WR is indeed a luxury - families may struggle to pay the tuition, but many could not pay it, no matter how much they struggled. The reality is that parents who opt to put their energy and money into private schools do not support the wider community of families who do not have the same option. It is of course their right to do so. I am just hoping that some may opt in to their public schools and help to make them great.

I am an ex-Windrush teacher wishing to extend my sympathy to the community during this tumultuous week of uncertainty, particularly to the children, parents, teachers, and staff. I only wish that I had been able to give an exit interview upon my departure to protect those that remained behind. Based on my own experience- which included being treated with absolute contempt by the administration and an almost desperate desire to dominate- I fully support all of the comments which call for a new temporary head, and a complete restructuring of the board. They have obviously run the school aground, ignoring the mass exodus of educators and families, with disastrous results. Windrush is a treasure, and for many years, has been a safe harbor where teachers and staff designed imaginative lesson plans day in and day out for their classes, succeeding in shaping articulate, compassionate, well-educated youth in our community. Something ineffable, precious, and worth preserving…

Continued: Those who have taught, know how extraordinarily demanding it is to give the gift of one’s knowledge and inspiration. Organizing a lesson that meets the needs of an entire class is an art that requires intelligence, deep knowledge of the subject matter, psychological insight, and equal portions of patience, love, and creativity. The students and teachers deserve much more than they have been getting from this board and this head of school. My advice to Windrush is to rise up and restructure! Talk to Richard Leigh who has offered help in financial reorganizing. This school was built on volunteer power and the vision of educators and parents working together. Demand transparency and work together to rebuild.

I too question why the school chose to build a Leeds platinum certified addition. With a 13m price tag, this was a huge luxury. The decision makers were too narrow mindedly focused on their green initiative and ended up overspending rather than focusing on the basics like teachers salaries.

Does anyone know where the emergency fundraising stands as of today? Has the deadline for reaching $900K been delayed since the judge is making a ruling Oct. 28th now?

Over a week has passed since this article was posted, so it might be a good idea to look at what is known.

On July 5, 2011 Wells Fargo Bank had posted a statement of nonpayment.

On a document with a March 29, 2011 signature, the school’s IRS 990 form showed a huge operating deficit (for the second straight year) and apparently a negative balance.

On a document with a February 5, 2010 signature, the previous year’s IRS 990 form showed a huge operating loss.

The 2007 bond documents made it clear that the school was living way beyond its means. It assumed that enrollment would sharply increase, but the economic crisis hit and enrollment sharply decreased. The debt service payments are about to go up to about $970,000 per year, which is over $5,000 per student per year, but tuition apparently did not go up that much.

So months ago there was public notice on the web that the school was in very bad financial condition and clearly the school had lost a large number of students (and apparently many faculty had also left). However, people continued to have faith in the administration and paid tuition. Remarkably, many families are contributing to the current fundraising effort. Why? If the current head was really such a bad person/leader, why did people keep their children in the school?

For the more affluent, your children will go to another private school. For others, your children were going to go to ECHS or Berkeley HS anyway (and Albany accepts many EC students). Your neighbors’ children are going to public schools and your children will be welcomed into those schools. You can always send them to another private school next year.

Frankly as someone who went to public schools, including college and grad school, I don’t think this is the worst catastrophe one could have and maybe some will learn a bit about due diligence.

It is not even a minor catastrophy...what I have learned in my 4 years inEl Cerrito with3 of them at our local public school and most neighborhood kids being driven every day to private schools(talk about the environment here) is that most of the parents I know haven,t even looked into thbeir public school...they haven,t been to any open houses ,haven,t seen the school or talked to parents and teachers...they don,t know that my children ae happy at their school and have a staff of very dedicated teachers and a strong parent community....they don,t care finding out...they just assume it must not be good

Of course they looked at their public schools. Many of us looked us them seriously and perhaps more than one. But we also looked at multiple private ones, and had a sense of all the choices before making ours. How many private schools have you toured and looked into so you could compare?

Actually I shouldn,t say most fo the kids...it,s probably 50/50 this year....we are seeing a change

@Astrid: I can't speak for all, but I know that we toured pretty much every public and private school in the area, twice (once for each child), and spent a lot of time and thought as to what is the best fit for each individual child. The public schools do a great job for many children, but not for all. There are even some parents who end up having children in both public and private, because that was the best choice for their child in their opinion.

This situation is about children who were placed in a school by their parents for a certain purpose, and who now are - through no fault of their own - being potentially disrupted and sent into a strange environment. It's just as tragic as when a public school campus is closed mid-year. To use this as an excuse to question the existence of private schools seems, well, a bit off-topic.

If you want to check out prior year financials for private schools you can search using this site: http://foundationcenter.org/findfunders/990finder/

I can only tell from my neighbors and the people I know so obviously I don,t know you or what
You have looked into right? And obviously you don,t know me and what I have looked into
I was talking about my experience and was not making a generalisation about all people
In El Cerrito

Any news on the recommendations for budget cuts that IK made to the board last night?

I do not question the existence of private schools and yes I believe there are kids that would not do well in the public schools and I am happy to hear that we have parents out there that do look..as I just mentioned I can only speak from my experience and the people I know

One of the reasons we sent our kids to Windrush, after looking long and hard at our public school choices, was that it was founded on progressive principles, by working families, who tried to keep tuition at a lower level than comparable schools, maintaining high levels of financial aid across the spectrum (rather than a more typical private school with lots of wealthy families and a bunch on scholarship, and you always knew who was who).

In fact Windrush has struggled over the years financially, even before the building project and IK's headship, because most families there did not have the kinds of deep pockets you might see at some of the more elite schools. Most Windrush parents were themselves public school kids, and most gave a really close look at their public schools. Some private schools often have populations of 2nd and 3rd generation private school families of substantial means. That was not true of Windrush. A typical Windrush parent works for a non-profit organization, and/or is not making a huge salary. Often resources came from a grandparent who paid the tuition, or two working parents who scrimped and saved to make that choice. Many parents there, like me, volunteer at their local public school, while at the same time making the financial sacrifice of tuition to give their children the gift of the attention that a school like Windrush could give. Most Windrush graduates go to public high school.

Peace.

Keep in mind that despite the egregious errors of this administration and board- this is an institution many years in the making and worth saving. The parents who are donating recognize this and are not dupes, just aware of the magnitude of the potential loss of the school. They have been misinformed thus far, but I encourage the community to gather in the Windrush tradition. Demand transparency, take control of the situation and regroup for the future. With appropriate leadership the school could potentially survive beyond this year. The staff is inhibited by the powers that be, but parents can step in and right this horrific wrong done to the
Windrush community.

Has there been an articulation of why $800K is needed? There has not been, in the email pleas, any rationale for the number.

I made a pledge today to support and honor the many teachers, past and present, who really made a difference in my children's lives.

Jill, who made the library a cool place to be, encourage a love of literature, and is a lovely person. Dede and Jeff, who made the art room and the afterschool a place of inspiration and camaraderie for kids across the school. Keith, who inspired kids to think of science and something awesome and fun and worth thinking about. Kai, who really knows how to teach writing, who made To Kill a Mockingbird a central experience in my kids' education. Teresa, who was always there for the kid who needed soothing, with bandaids, a cool hand to a fevered brow, or warm voice. Mike and Amrit, who taught true sportsmanship, and welcomed all kids to develop skills and go for it. Lisa, with her energy and spark for teaching drama, and thereby giving kids skills in public speaking and presentation, and confidence! Señor David, a great Spanish teacher and fine musician.

To all of the Windrush middle school faculty who understood and embraced that difficult transition time from childhood to adolescent, nurtured the evolving mind and spirit...thank you. Our kids graduated several years ago, so if I don't mention someone I probably just didn't get to know you! And elementary school teachers, I didn't know you as well, but I thank you for all you gave and continue to give to the young ones who are fortunate to be in your care. Hugs all around.

Look carefully at that invitation: I, I, I., I (one you). Where's the "we"?

Maybe more than one "you", but still mostly "I" and "me"..and no sense of "we".

"I am availing myself...".

By contrast, Anna's explanation if why she's donating is warm, heartfelt, sincere, honest & true.

Humility in a leader goes a long way. If WR makes it, I hope they find a humble, skilled leader who sees his/ her role as serving the community.

To Make Demands--I think she was rushed through or missed some important administrative experiences on her fairly meteoric rise to a Headship. I think she was moved along quickly because she offered diversity.

The Bay area definitely has more diversity at the top level, HOS, than other regions. But generally speaking, Heads as a group don't include many people of color, etc. This is more slowly changing than the student demographics.

Still no word on what will be cut - it's been 24 hours. We deserve to know. We have one day left to pledge and we deserve to know.

Everyone who has been served so poorly by the admin at WR should remember that there is a welcoming community of schools out here waiting to make you and your children feel safe, comfortable, and completely a part of the new schools you choose.

The Board of Trustees bears the final responsibility here, in my view, because they ultimately bear fiduciary responsibility for the School and also had responsibility for overseeing the Head of School. Instead, they appeared to be so star-struck and wanting to be so politically correct, that they just allowed her to do anything without providing the guidance and monitoring they were supposed to be doing. A clear case of non-feasance, in my opinion-- just did not do the job they were entrusted to do. Whatever Ilana did, they should have stepped in and stopped it. And should still be doing that. I don't know if they have D&O (Directors and Officers) insurance but I would bet anything Ilana is going to try to place this completely on them to save herself; if I were them, I would seek counsel (as someone else said earlier). But they really deserve the anger being directed towards them.

My deepest thanks to the teachers, staff and families thus far who have filled out the surveys. I appreciate the thoughtful, in-depth answers you've taken the time to share. Most Windrush parents are just trying to uncover the truth buried in all the rhetoric and obfuscation. However, no amount of shouting (or writing in all caps) will tell us the truth about why WR had such high turnover and why so many families left. The only way to really untangle that answer is to ask the teachers and staff themselves why they left; ask the families who did not re-enroll about their reasoning. That's why I created these surveys, and I want to share the preliminary results with all of you.

TEACHERS:
Of the 11 ex-Windrush teachers who have completed the survey, 10 say they left due to bullying, an oppressive atmosphere, and other symptoms of a dysfunctional administration. Only 1 of the 11 did not directly mention the HOS as the primary cause for their departure. This 1 teacher said that he or she needed new challenges and a new curriculum to explore. Every single one of the other 10 respondents shared compelling (albeit horrifying) evidence of a broken systme and an unresponsive school board.

The survey was completed with the assurance that details would be kept private, so I cannot share potentially identifying aspects of the stories that were shared, but the teachers' thoughtful, articulate paragraphs describing their working environment the last few years overlapped in their use of words like "fear," "authoritarianism," "intimidation," "secrecy," "threatening," "mean," "bully," "lack of communication" and more.

If it were just one or two ex-teachers, we could probably chalk it up to a minor personality conflict, but 10 people (whom I personally consider entirely credible), independently have stories that corroborate one another. This cannot be an accident.

FAMILIES:
25 ex-Windrush families have filled out the survey. The results for this one are much harder to quantify. The questions asked were necessarily open-ended, but every family’s situation is unique. In some cases, families left who had multiple children at Windrush, and their reason varied from child to child.

When asked what factors contributed to their decision not to re-enroll, there were a number of families who mentioned finances:

“Ultimately, it was the cost relative to value,” “elementary school costs were doable but the difference between it and middle school was prohibitive,” “a steep decline in financial aid with no warning,” and finally, “I'm sure Ilana and the board are counting us as a family who left for economic reasons, but I don't see it that way.”

A few families shared stories about the current administration’s unwillingness or inability to address their son or daughter’s unique situation/learning challenge/personality/aptitude addressed. For example, “Ilana informed me that the school was not willing to accommodate our child’s [potentially identifying details omitted] and she invited us to look elsewhere.”

Other answers included:

“We withdrew our child because we moved to a new house in a good school district.”

“Departures of some of the best teachers”, “rumors of financial problems,” an atmosphere of intimidation and secrecy,” “unhappy teachers, unresponsive board, dictator like leadership, and ”we didn't think the school was acting in the best interests of the students.”

“When the board stood by and did nothing--actually refused to even admit there was any problem--as the best teachers announced they were leaving and families started to leave in droves.”

“The final piece, though, was the departure of various faculty members. Dede had been the art teacher for years, but was phased out for reasons that seemed unclear. Then there was the sudden exodus of some of the most talented middle school teachers: Chris (math teacher who founded the Mathletes Club), Keith (science teacher extraordinaire, with a gift for understated empathy), Kai (language arts maven). We were grateful that Lisa Hayle (probably the best middle school teacher I've ever met) remained, but it was clear that the writing was on the wall. Something was very wrong at Windrush, and it was time to get out.”

“An emerging sense that the culture of kindness at WR was under attack and the board, if not culpable, was turning a blind eye. We had chosen WR because it was a deeply caring place, and felt it was only a matter of time before the administration's violation of the school's core values would trickle down to the students.”

“The board's refusal to acknowledge that there were major, major problems with Ilana Kaufman and the finances at the school.”

“I personally witnessed the behavior of the head of school toward dissenting parents in a meeting--my impression was that she did not handle conflict/disagreement skillfully. I know a number of parents who left because they felt HOS was hostile/unsympathetic to their concerns and feelings. When employees resign, they are asked to write a letter to the community--this is submitted to HOS, who edits as she pleases before releasing to community--employees do not have final say over their own communication. No exit interviews with parents.”

“When we realized that teachers had been removed from the board and that more high-priced administrators were being hired while teachers didn't get raises. We didn't want to support their tactics and didn't trust them to spend our money wisely.”

As a final (for now) note, 75% of respondents left Windrush for a private or parochial school. Of the 25% who left Windrush for the public school system, half specified that the transition was not due to finances.

When asked what factors would encourage them to return to WR, 84% said nothing:

"None - they shoot horses don't they?," "Too late now; our child is happy at the new school," We won't return to the school. The damage can not be undone. It's very, very sad," "At this point, nothing, but getting rid of Ilana and the board would be a start."

Of the four (16% of) families who said they would consider returning, here were their answers:

"Greater stability in its finances and financial aid comparable to what we received the first year."

"If Ilana resigned or was fired, and if the members of the board stepped down."

"It is primarily about money- FINANCIAL AID!!!!"

"Increased emphasis on academic, complete change in leadership of the school, promise to hold down future tuition increases."

@Make Demands - What you're saying is pure BS. There are enough difficulties without having people spout unpleasant and bogus assertions about the motivations of a bunch of dedicated volunteers (the board) trying to keep an institution - already in deep trouble 2 years ago - from failing.The previous board chair met Ilana when Ilana came to WR, and they were hardly "close friends". And Ilana did not "put {the board members] there". There is a board search team that works hard to find community members who are willing to devote the time, then presents their names for a vote. It's one thing to be upset, another entirely to make up lies to disparage well-intentioned volunteers.

The items gleaned by "Gathering Data" are interesting - two of the four responders who would return said they needed more aid, and one said keep tuition down. So here you have it: people want the product, but they don't want to pay what it costs. That's the larger problem in a nutshell.

PS - I personally had conflicts with Ilana, and I'm not making any excuses for her. But let's stick to facts, OK?

OK - I agree. The board can answer to the parents about their motivations as well as any possible personal conflict of interest that may have stopped otherwise well meaning people from taking an interest in the school's problems or using their collective expertise and power to intervene. Families are angry about that and it should be addressed. It is frustrating that the board will not answer these simple questions as people try to help the school, give money, lose money, etc. It doesn't have to be collusion or malice, just a foggy picture that made them myopic. I'm sure families will ask all the right questions and the board can answer them directly. Maybe they just liked her too much to listen to all the people who appealed to them politely, in earnest and with the best of intentions . Did they listen to teachers or families? I don't know. The bottom line has become financial, but accountability is an issue and people are really confused. The party line just doesn't make sense, frankly - so we speculate.

I stand corrected on the evidence of "not willing to pay," though I believe that a considerable amount of last year's dissatisfaction came from financial aid reductions as echoed in some of these comments. With its history as more of a working class private school, ability to pay has always been a bigger issue for WR than for many of its peers.

I'm not sure where this "too many administrators" meme came from. The administration of WR is as lean now as it was 8 years ago. It's not run like a co op any more, when parent volunteers did marketing and a lot of other stuff that should have been done by a full time professional, but the place is not full of idle layabouts. What administrators are you referring to?

A dean of students, heads of both the middle and elementary schools, a personal assistant for Ilana, etc.... for a tiny school like Windrush? Compare it to other schools and you'll see. And what about the salary increases? T. Fox appears to be a board member, so please share some numbers. We know Ilana makes over $200K. How much does the new head of the middle school make?

Summary.

Many Windrush parents say:

1. Windrush management is incompetent
2. Windrush management is untrustworthy
3. Windrush management is not transparent
4. Windrush management bankrupted the school

So how can current Windrush parents then ask people to contribute close to $100,000 for Windrush management, especially when the campaign is not providing a lot of details as to how the money will be spent and how it can be protected from the bondholders?

Are public schools really that bad?

If so many families and faculty determined that Windrush had changed for the worse and left, why did the remaining families stay? Why were they surprised by the recent events?

Is there a clearly identifiable group which is working to keep Windrush in business beyond the end of the school year? How are they going to do it? Does bankruptcy help them or hurt them? Who decides who is on the board and how can the current board be replaced?

As far as I can tell, the fundraising process, which only has hours to go, comes down to raising money so that affluent children do not have to attend public schools for part of a school year.

I have to agree that such a large administrative staff for a relatively small school seems untenable. My family is affiliated with both a large public and a small independent school; both get by with a mere fraction of Windrush's staff.

After a week of reading all of these comments, my feeling is that Windrush has the soul of a small, caring, down-to-earth progressive school with the infrastructure of a large, expensive, fancy private school. Trying to meld the two clearly isn't working.

If Windrush is going to survive, I think it is going to have to retool, rebrand, rename, and do what so many new schools do--rent some unused sunday school rooms from a church and create a special learning environment in a really modest space.

Nicely put El Richmondo - and back to their roots. Whether accountability is ever reached or not, there are hardworking teachers and a long history of excellent leadership and wonderful alumni that may prevail over this (insert whatever adjective that suits you) story. Whether public or private, parent involvement and informed families really make a school work. Go families and teachers! Solidarity.

Did anyone go for the snack & chat with the Head today? I imagine this was a barrel of fun. She might have been a little distracted, as she & the Board now need to figure out if the $827k raised thanks to the goodness of the community can really keep the school afloat for the rest of the academic year.

One other little oddity about that invitation to chat with the HOS is that for faculty, it's a "compensated day off". Thanks so much. What about their jobs for the rest of the year?

Believe it or not, the current Board is still claiming competence. I guess they don't read the Patch or respect the many families and staff who've voted with their feet. Perhaps they also are still being hoodwinked by Ilana Kaufman's "unique" perspective on the world of Windrush. They and Ms. Kaufman can blame the previous administration all they want. Granted, the previous administration and previous Board members took a risk--a very calculated one--when they moved forward with the new building. But what they trusted in was this--that investing in a facility that matched the talents, dedication, and enormous spirit of the entire Windrush community would lead to gains in enrollment. Afterall, Windrush up to that point in time had much to be proud of! Including 30 + years of growth and accomplishment! However, what the previous Board did not foresee was this: how devastating the performance of the current head would be, that the current Board would grant Ms. Kaufman unprecedented authoritarian power, that systems of checks and balances would be dismantled. Enrollment has not declined; it has plummeted. Teachers have not left; they've fled. What's left to be said? The truth hurts. And perhaps one small, but significant thing more--that the only forum for the truth has turned out to be an anonymous one.

Windrush raised over $800,000, but now what?

The administration has not announced any reforms, it is not resigning, and it refused to speak to the media during the fundraising effort.

Salaries of top administrators went up while enrollment went down. Many teachers left even though it is a tough economy and they were apparently given higher salaries, and a substantial number of families left.

Surely many families will leave by the second semester, so is $800,000 going to be enough? And there is the contested Chapter 11 filing.

Given the mass exodus of top teachers and families, is Windrush still a top learning environment?

It is remarkable that administrators that many labeled as untrustworthy have just been given $800,000+ so that 150 children do not have to go to El Cerrito schools. But given that has happened, what does that say about El Cerrito? People live in El Cerrito but send their kids to schools in Albany, Berkeley, Acalanes or to private schools. Interesting that Portola is about 18% white with half the students having parents with a high school education or less and with ECHS having similar demographics. According to the census El Cerrito is 53% white.

Should El Cerrito and Kensington withdraw from the Richmond school district and form a new district? What would be the impact on home values and on the viability of private schools?

What would we gain by leaving WCCUSD? Would that new district still educate Richmond children? Is an exclusive school district the vision being offered? I've worked with hundreds of rich and poor students from every local public and private school, and conclude the following: private schools aren't making better children; and, public schools must provide richer learning opportunities.
I pose this challenge to the greater El Cerrito community, For the same $800K provided to the 150 students WR, we can and will transform learning for the nearly 2000 kids in Portola and ECHS. Give the same to the West County Ed Fund http://www.edfundwest.org/index.html, and you will reach even more. We already are making great progress on scant discretionary funding. Give us these resources, and we can lift learning for all.

I was just tossing out an idea. Unlike Contra Costa County, in Alameda County, each community has its own school district. Albany seems to exist for its school district and they claim that their above average school has helped them retain high property values. EC is part of a larger district. It has lower property values and cheaper rents than Albany. I have watched Albany school board meetings where WCCUSD parents have begged the board to admit their children. I guess they could not afford Windrush and they were desperate to get out of WCCUSD. The current system has not worked well, so I think there needs to be a discussion that gathers the facts, lays out the problems, and then seeks solutions.

You raise good points. It will be interesting to see to what extent El Cerrito Patch readers will engage you in discussions. So far it seems there is much more interest in making sure 150 students can stay in a declining private school.

Do you know why WCCUSD teachers on average earn about $10,000 less per year in salary and benefits than Albany or Acalanes teachers? WCCUSD is underfunded by many millions of dollars or else an incredible amount of money is being wasted. Perhaps someone can write an opinion piece and we can move the discussion there.

If El Cerrito separated out, it might be able to pass parcel taxes or otherwise enhance its schools in ways that voters in other parts of WCCUSD are unwilling to do.

These are just my ideas.

Folks it has been nice to vent but what are you going to actually **DO** about this situation?

I am a former parent but if I were a current parent, I would take the arguments so cogently analyzed here, do a petition asking for ilana's resignation or firing, find out when the board meeting is and march down there in drOves. Demand to be heard, that he school be kept open, restructure the board and spent the rest of the year trying to reconstitute the school. You want more enrollments? It is not gong to happen under current conditions. Go down and demand changes!

Sorry for the typos, I wrote that on my phone...

I hope that Windrush is able to rise from this crisis. I also hope that the energy and passion for fundraising seen here can be applied to other efforts. It is remarkable that the school was able to raise close to $1 Million in just a few short weeks. Imagine what else *this* community can do with that sort of focus. What could *we* do to helping the Portola middle school, for example?

One interesting observation. In reading this thread, one is left with the impression that the school is run by a dictator that no one, and I mean NO ONE, likes. Yet, when one searches the reviews on other sites, you have to go back several years to find any negative (or even neutral) comments. In fact, a few of those reviews praised the transition to IK, and paint a negative picture of her predecessor. I'm wondering why some of the concerns or criticisms voiced here weren't shared earlier, as parents were pulling their students and teachers were leaving. All of the comments shared in this thread about the administration and the teacher exodus would be good information for remaining parents or parents considering the school to know about.

I got this from the school's website:

"Ilana has served as a California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS)/Western Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation visiting team member; attended the Harvard Graduate School of Education Programs in Professional Education; and is a founding and long-time faculty member of National Association of Independent Schools/CAIS Developing and Mentoring Leaders of Color seminars. She currently serves on the CAIS Board of Trustees and is viewed as an expert in organizational and leadership development, multicultural and global education, and progressive education."

One thing I am thinking is which prospective private school parent will in their right mind want to enroll thei child at WR after the this financial crisis...great teachers and community or not...after all there are plenty of other privat schools with great teachers and community apparently...
And wth stronger finances....and I wonder how middle-working class a private school really isthat can get together more than $800,000 in les then a week? And @todd thanks for posting,,I,ll look into that fund to pledge since that,s the way we.re going

What is global education? The expert thing is very silly. I agree that focus should be on the BOT and their blatant ongoing refusal to do what is right for the school. How could they take all that tuition and then do this? Isn't the money they have raised just fresh meat for Wells Fargo? Who was negotiating with the bondholders? Three big questions that remain unanswered. Anyone?

I did a quick search. I thought that people might be interested in some of these articles.

http://www.sanfranmag.com/story/schools-gone-wild
Schools gone wild
Bay Area private schools used to be mellow compared to places like L.A. and New York. Not anymore. We go inside a new world of hyper-frenetic building campaigns, over-the-top curricula, and relentlessly well-meaning parents at the mercy of market forces no one seems able (or willing) to control.

http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/4685

http://www.windrush.org/files/content/AR_0.pdf

http://info.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek08/1031/1031p_windrush.cfm
http://www.edcmag.com/articles/print/84832

http://www.allnewsnoblues.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59:windrush-school-is-one-of-four-schools-nationwide-to-earn-highest-green-building-award-&catid=35:business-milestones&Itemid=55

http://www.bestplaces.net/schools/california/el_cerrito/windrush_school

http://www.kidsforthebay.org/site/about-us/advisory-board.shtml

http://california.14thstory.com/windrush-school.html

http://lettuceeatkale.com/2009/feed-a-family-fund-a-farmer-support-a-school/

http://www.edsuite.com/beta/el_cerrito/previous_recipients.php

People need to stop naysaying our school, WR. We raised a granslam of cash because we love the place and the teachers and staff, the philosophy and the vision. Our kids are happy there, and so are we. We found out some ugly stuff about the finances and poor treatment of teachers and, trust me, we are making sure it gets addressed. You have no idea what a population with an aroused sense of democratic outrage can accomplish in a small community. We are handling it, we value people over profit and will find a way to stay a community if at all possible, even if we have to downsize or share the space with newly released prisoners from the overcroweded state jails (I joke, kind of). Only 4-6 families are gone or leaving for sure. We don't jump ships like rats, we have soul:) So send us some good vibes and wait and see, you never know....it is a teaching moment for our kids, maybe for all of you, too! Absolute Peace and Blessings

Pablo'sw, You want people to "stop naysaying WR", yet you have made some nasty and inaccurate generalizations about WCCUSD schools in this thread. How about practicing what you preach?

You called WCCUSD teachers "authoritarian and unsophisticated". What a horrible thing to say. Our experience has been exactly the opposite. My kids' school is hardly perfect, but the love and attention and excellent teaching they experience daily makes my heart sing.

Good luck with your school.

Obviously (to most anyway) that was a joke. Do you honestly think that was a strategic partnership we were considering? Wow.

Practice what you preach, if you love educaton so much stop spending your time putting out gloom and doom about this one.

To Part of the Solution,
Windrush was once a very open place and I believe it could be again with the right leadership. For a long time, the warmth, the soul, and spirit of the place was quite palpable. It is almost unbelievable that one person could wreak so much damage, but I can attest that it happened. No one wants to burn bridges, especially in one's profession, so the teachers went fairly quietly. Although it was untenable for me to work there any longer, I didn’t want to harm the reputation of the school I had loved. The BOD is particularly culpable here, since exit-interviews were in the by-laws. Without confidential staff and family exit-interviews and of course director evaluations, how can the BOD remain informed? Ultimately the numbers tell the story, but only if you are willing to listen. Rationally speaking, using any definition of failure, the current HOS must go. Contrast that with the dedication and successes of the teachers... Cut costs all around and let volunteers step in for a year to right the ship and save this great institution.

To pablo'sw: Reading your comments after reading IK's letters, I must say, your use of misspelled words, odd syntax, and the word 'peace' makes me think you may be one and the same. Regardless, I must respond to the charge that this discussion should be *exclusive* to "YOUR" school. I take great exception to this! I know for a fact that many parents of WR kids agonized over the decision initially and spent many hours researching the choices both public and private. To try to exclude the community members who pass by your school everyday, personally know WR kids and families, have previously toured WR and keep it (kept?) as a possibility for the future if needed, reeks of elitism. I'm sure you'd extend a far reaching hand for a donation of cash from a concerned community member, but to their opinions and suggestions a snub -- real nice. Sounds familiar...

There is elitism and favoritism with both public and private schools. These comments are an example of that. I grew up going to public schools and understand the squeeze of finances, but is it fair to be diverting a large amount of this discussion towards: 1) supporting -solely- public or private, and 2) private versus public? A school closing is an immediate problem. It affects their daily lives and livelihoods and makes it difficult to refocus more energy on long range goals. I would not hesitate to say that most of you would be working diligently to save your own schools first were they in danger of being closed before looking at bigger picture plans.

This is what I hear from these forums: 1) It's a sinking ship, 2) Maybe we can use your buildings for our schools, 3) Since that school is going to close, you should focus on public schools.

Is it really fair to ask that of people at this time? These are all viable ideas, but what I do observe has not been said from many is, "What can I do to help save this school?" Does it matter if it's public or private if that school is closing and kids are losing it?

People were just as sad when Castro closed, and I would hate to have heard from private school families or any other public school families discuss how to use the building before everything was finished. For kids, it is a meaningful place, not just empty space to be used.

We need to regain perspective that many of the kids and faculty are losing a place they love and count on being there. I am all for supporting public school funding. I also see that a school closing is a more immediate priority. This community doesn't know where they will be next year or where their paycheck will come from.

We already lost Castro. What El Cerrito needs is solutions and actions. This debate of public versus private only detracts from that.

Unfortunately, in this case "help" = $. I concur that this debate has had a pretty wide focus. However, considering the disturbing charges of concealment and malfeasance made against the WR HOS and BOT, can you blame the community at large for standing on the sidelines? One reason for the outpouring of passion for the public vs. private debate may be that, in the face of what appears to be a possible end of WR (with some families already leaving not sticking around to find out what happens, and now the bankruptcy filing), we public school families know how much of an asset these displaced WR kids and families would be to our schools and we're just trying to make a case for their consideration. Please stop trying to quell this dialogue as it is both relevant and worthy of discussion.

I fully encourage the dialogue because I strongly believe that the public schools are inadequately funded. I also believe we should prioritize. If ECHS was in danger of being closed I would say the same thing. I myself am not sure if monetary help is entirely beneficial at this point because of the many reasons listed here. By help I was referring to developing a viable Plan B for the many kids who would be displaced. This seems entirely possible to do, whatever a plan may mean to these families. Please do not misplace my intentions. I feel this dialogue is entirely relevant. I also feel developing solutions as many people have said is an equally valid goal. It seems many people want one or the other only. It also seems like some people are becoming divided over the debate instead of more connected.

Keeping perspective: An event of this proportion is bound to stir up strong reactions.
Everyone is entitled to his or her own thoughts on the matter. Remember that this is a community forum in response to very public Windrush events. Personal circumstances inevitably and necessarily shade opinions. Our public schools are much neglected and any time a community focuses on the improvement of education of children, it works the betterment of all. Let's remain respectful of other viewpoints, (even if you happen to disagree) and refrain from personal attacks. Public school children do benefit from the creation of jobs within community, and the taxes paid by employees residing here. Also, the parents and the school pay taxes on their many El Cerrito purchases, a not insignificant sum. It would be unfortunate to add to the unemployment rolls in our town, and diminish the local economy, so working towards a solution makes sense to me.

The only reason I've felt the need to justify the value of private school is because other have challenged that or set it up that private school is opting out of a civic duty to fund public or participate. FIrst, we do fund public school- it is called TAX MONEY. You have it from all the parents that go to WR, and I've never heard anyone suggest that is something they think is inappropriate. Secondly, you can't rag on private school choice in this thread and then be outraged that the opinions that underlie that choice are expressed. It is childish.

We don't actually need more donations, maybe we don't want our school ragged on because it isn't constructive. Sorry if the Holy Cows of Public Schools were disresepcted in the process of fighting back against this becoming a discussion of the merits of our educational choice even existing. The things I've read in the newspaper about Portola, like children beating their own teacher to a bloody pulp or been told by students, like the availability of weapons, or seen in parent reviews on various websites regarding the level of bullying, are real problems. That you don't see that is sad. People to go to lots of great public schools. Local WCCCSD schools are simply not among them. I attended these schools into the 90's and I woudl never, in a million years, repeat the experience with my child. That is a simple fact. No scare tactics.

And, bTW, we are entering into restructuring planning so we can tell the court how we will move the school forward. Taht hearing is on the 28th. Between our board meeting tonight and then, the future direction of WR will be our total focus. We had a few things to deal with in the TWO WEEKS since we've found out- like addressing concerns among teachers adn staff,dealing with how to tell our kids in a cohesive way, securing enough $ that a future is even possible. Sorry, those took prioity over communicating anything else.

BTW, pablo'sw, you sound like a WR insider so I suggest you are being quite insincere when you proclaim to have only found out about this debacle two weeks ago. The local community has a great deal of compassion for the many WR families and kids who must suffer the consequences of a few irresponsible, out of touch, narrow minded administrators. I think what you sense is an overwhelming lack of compassion or support for the HOS and BOT which may explain your propensity for defensiveness.

To the person who said 8 WR families have already come to your school - can you say which one? thanks!

Thank you, EClover, for making it clear that you do, indeed, have a vested interest in discouraging displaced WR families from considering their local public school since, as you state, it would benefit you economically if they ended up at your private school. I'd bet most of the WR families still left are scrambling to find alternative schools -- even if they've donated money to this most recent fundraising effort. What is the harm in promoting one of those alternatives, especially when the only solution provided by WR thus far has been to throw good money after bad?

Local parent, I sense hostility, and I'm sorry if you feel that you need to resort to that. You can take my admission of a connection however you like, but I assure you that I'm not out to discourage people from considering public schools, and it's insulting to suggest that. If that were true, I'd never admit my affiliation. Let's keep it civil, okay? We may have a difference of opinion, but we're all on the same side in one respect: we want our children to be in the best place for them. Can we shake on it?

Yes and that the local public schools are not houses of horror as some posts like to make them out to be.....they are by no means perfect and there are problemsbut..I don,t think it,s wrong to let people/parents know that also at the public schools we have great communities that care about the kids that attend...nothing wrong with providing an alternitiv view form parents that actually are there

Astrid, you're right, there is nothing wrong with that. No one is saying that there is, but the question has been raised rightly as to whether it's a bit like sharks circling a dying whale (my analogy). If your intent is purely selfless, that's great. I have to say that I don't see your intent as selfless, based on some of your posts (one which has since been edited). But I apologize if that's inaccurate.

EClover: Exactly what part of which post do you perceive as hostile? This is yet more hyperbole. You're attempting to show compassion and concern but only if the discussion remains narrowly focused. Perhaps what you see as hostility is really a relentless push back to the incessant exclusivity trying to be practiced by a couple of people here.

LP, since you ask, I get sarcasm ("a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark") here: "Thank you, EClover, for making it clear that you do, indeed, have a vested interest in discouraging displaced WR families from considering their local public school since, as you state, it would benefit you economically if they ended up at your private school." That's where I sensed hostility. And I advocate compassion especially when people are not narrowly focused. ;o)

You've made it clear that for you, it's about the exclusivity of private schools. And I know that many people here agree with you. It's hard to argue against it because of the cost and the selection process, but as you hope for us not to assume the worst of the public schools, I'd hope for the same from you with regard to private schools. Private school parents are just like you in at least one respect: we love our kids and want them to be happy and healthy and succeed in school.

@EClover..I took that posting down myself since I didn,t feel comfortable with pablo'sw tone of language...I am not anonymous here and his tone has been slightly on th aggressive side so I did that myself...just to clear that up....I feel personally nothing wrong wth having a little hope that this sad situation might bring a litte bit of good for the public schools...there...said it

What was aggressive? Someone mentioned I said "bloody"= I was referencing the physical attack on a teacher at Portola three years back, and the fact that there has been a lot of problems with fighting and physical bullying at that school. Not sure how reality became "offensive" "inappropriate" or "aggressive." This isn't a children's book, it is an adult discussion thread.

omg, just saw the posts suggesting I am a WR "insider" and even "IK" Ilana Kaufman. I so needed that laugh right now:) You have no idea my opinon of the admin or IK, nor do most at the school, know why? Cause it doesn't MATTER. What matters is using a grassroots methodology to gather community input and make needed Changes; we are doing that, so proud of our community, so hopeful and inspired for and by all of us. Our family makes deep, deep sacrifices to go to this school and I don't care how much nicer my friend's cars, or trips or lifestyles might be, if I could pay more for this education for my kids, I would, on top of the taxes I pay with good cheer and blessings for the schools we don't even use.

While the WR board meeting article was well-written, I did not see a lot of new news in it. The administration and board had to act in order to stave off an adverse finding by the bankruptcy court. Hopefully, the 150 or so students will not be further inconvenienced.

On the other hand, not all issues impacting El Cerrito school children are getting the same level of attention. For example I just received an email from Assembly Member Nancy Skinner stating that AB 402, Hunger Free Kids Act, was signed into law. According to Nancy, it increases access of kids and families eligible for federally funded food assistance by allowing school districts to coordinate with county human services departments. Now more children will have food to eat.

Also the California budget was passed on the basis of optimistic assumptions. I do not think those assumptions are going to be met, so public schools, such as the ones in El Cerrito, may have to make significant cuts. This will impact thousands of children.

I have not seen much public discussion on either of these issues.

Notice of bankruptcy filed by borrower (October 10, 2011)

http://emma.msrb.org/IssueView/IssueDetails.aspx?id=MS211396

http://emma.msrb.org/EP581411-EP455330-EP855334.pdf

I think this document will be of interest to people participating in this discussion.

Forming a new school district for El Cerrito?

I spoke to someone in school fiscal services for the California Department of Education about El Cerrito forming a new district or joining with Albany.

The process is not easy. One way is to get approval of the WCCUSD governing board. There would also have to be several other approvals. If WCCUSD refused to go along, then there could be a petition of 25% of registered voters and then a vote.

Combining with Kensington would not make the process much different.

Joining with an existing adjoining school district such as Albany, might make the process a little easier.

The good news is that the school buildings currently in El Cerrito would become part of the newly created El Cerrito district.

http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/lr/do/
See chapter 5, primarily

Ten students have left WR since the news was announced in late September.

@Make Demands- my point exactly, the children of Portola do deserve better, you said it. And yes, our parents were enraged, maybe a healthy dose of righteous outrage at the conditions many public school children endure would be a good thing in the WCCSD. As for gloating when our parents are "trying to topple" the administration: we have moved from enraged, to fully engaged, created a structure to work together and use our collective pride to make changes. Those we want to see in the world at large. Maybe you should do the same. Your welcome for the tax money.

@ Mary, just read your post. I'm so happy to hear that it is a new day at Portola, I wish you well with all you do to inspire children and protect their right to be safe and happy at school (which is a big part of their lives day to day). My anger at the WCCSD schools come an experience of feeling that the children have been given the short end of the stick, that I was not able to feel safe sending my kids there and that-even if you say three years is dated- the public school reality was abysmal compared to schools even five minutes away. I really wish all the best for you and the kids, a rising tide lifts all ships.

@pablo'sw - sorry but I meant they (public school families) deserve more than your scorn. Your anger is misplaced. No one wants to see WR in so much pain, but as a very defensive member of that community- did you ever do anything to help them avoid this totally unnecessary "crisis" that was years in the making? rhetorical question, btw.

But don,t you think that a situation that happened at portola 3yrs ago was a reason to make changes just like the current situation that WR is in now...don,t get me wrong here now...I am not trying to compare them or say it the same or something..just think like this...in 3 yrs when WR is maybe back on it,s feet you don,t want people to comment like..ohI would not send my kids to WR that,s the school that,s bankrupt...even though that was 3 yrs ago

The fact is though that it is still a handpicked,selected group of kids..according to the webside there is an admission process and that the school even goes to he preschools to evaluate the prospective students....is that right...if I am wrong I apologize......what about little emily from down the street who has a slight learning ability...does she have a chance to join your excellent education? I am curious..for the money....I know in our public school we have speach therapists,special reading groups for kids that are behind..we have a group ofchildren with hearing dissabilities and students in wheelchairs

It's simply not appropriate to compare private schools to public schools, period. There's no need to bash one or the other (or both). Private schools select who they want to teach - public schools have no such luxury. Private schools are selective and therefore elite - there's no way around it. Do private schools accept a random cross-section of students from the community? They have "diversity programs" to ensure diversity, because without them diversity would not exist. But I fully suspect that even those "diverse" students are selected for a reason. There's nothing wrong with that, but you have to call it what it is - selective. Public schools are a whole different ball game. There's no selection process and diversity programs aren't necessary. I wish public schools were better - and I'm doing all I can to make them so - it's critically important that we, as a society, make public education a priority, because by definition, not all of our children can enjoy the benefits of private schools. The other reason private schools and public schools can't be compared - money. WCCUSD's annual operating budget is somewhere in the ballpark of $10,000 to $11,000 per child. Windrush's budget appears to be between $20,000 to $25,000 per child. Money isn't everything, but when you've got more than twice as much per child, it must make a difference.

The chair of the finance committee (part of the board of trustees) at Windrush was seen yesterday, Thursday, 10/13, touring The Berkeley School. Reassuring, huh?

It's a lockdown! There are many behind the scenes maneuvering that makes it difficult for teachers and families to leave.

Fraud and anticipatory breach are the arguments that would likely protect parents should WR go after them for leaving the school without paying the rest of the tuition. The Board knew they were going to default in July but did not inform the parents. Also, they cannot at this time promise that they can keep the school open until June (the language in the pledges make that clear) --hence anticipatory breach. Additionally, call the tuition insurance company--if you have been paying month to month, you now have enough in so that the insurance company will cover the remainder (you may have to pay a small amount). File a claim immediately if you decide it would be in your child's best interest to leave.

I feel deeply for the faculty and staff. If what we are hearing is true, they can't leave because HOS tells prospective employers that the WR employee is under contract and yet she is unable to guarantee for them any job security. Does anyone have any ideas how to approach this problem?

@solution- what country do you live in????If you don't pay your taxes you go to Jail quite easily, thank you very much. And, yes, parents may have defenses to their breach, but it is a breach nonetheless and the people they are hurting are their fellow parents, the children who are still trying to finish the school year and the teachers they claim to so care about. Even if WR broke the law it doesn't excuse you doing it, too. And while I don't support the decision to default, it isn't exactly the same (1) renegotiations are common in these types of business deals, they didnt' think it woudl become a default, and (2) WR's breach happened to be to one of the 10 largest holders in Haliburton stocks, a multi-billion $ corporation. Double standard only if you are a true corporatist, i.e. corporations are just like us regular human people, too.

@jane: there were many aspects of that plan that people voiced a desire for information about, or were vocal in criticizing, that was the culmination of a conversation, not the starting point, and she said if you can't get behind the "plan" not "Ilana" which is what Mary said, and is flat out not true, and this type of misinformation is a double standard by this truth loving community of posters who so revile the misinformation they place at the feet of the admin or the board.

WR's HOS and Board does not get to bully the parents in the same way HOS has been bullying the teachers and staff. WR does not get to commit fraud and/or be fiscally incompetent to the detriment of the school an then be rewarded with more money to play with from parents forced to remain because of a contract signed in bad faith. That is NOT the Windrush way.

Well I'm not sure about 'we,' unless that is the Royal We, Mary. I think you, clearly, do have some processing issues considering your blatant misrepresentation of what was said at the meeting. Moreover, the only thing that is being done here by slamming WR in a public forum is to undermine our ability to get back on our feet, which seems to be the real goal- since you are all so filled with anger and disgust and self-righteousness. You are hurting our children because you don't like the way some adults operated. We are trying desperately to fix things internally and you are continually undermining us externally. Disgusting. Was that a clear enough for you?

The board knew they would default on the loan payment due 7/1/11 and did not tell the parents.
The board/WR defaulted on the loan payment on 7/1/11 and did not tell the parents.
The board/WR was sued by Wells Fargo on 8/30/11 and did not tell the parents. (The school year started 8/31/11.)
The board/WR retained counsel and determined a course of bankruptcy before telling the parents of the plan 3 days before they filed 9/30.
Now the board/WR says that the parents are on the hook for the remainder of their tuition and will pursue the parents for the balance. I don't think so. The school committed fraud in their dealings with the parents. If parents were informed of the default by 7/1/11 and then left the school, they would only be responsible for a small portion of the tuition- the 1st deposit. Instead, the school waited until 3 weeks into the school year to advise of the default and subsequent suit (per the tuition insurance, the parents on required to pay 50% of the tuition if they dis-enroll after 14 continuous days of school attendance....just the amount the school waited to inform us)
The HOS is the main reason for the enrollment problems and therefore the financial problem: the HOS has bullied, intimidated, threatened numerous teachers and parents into leaving/fleeing the school. The enrollment decline of 40% is in no way the result of the economy; other private schools in the area have declines in the range of 15%, with some schools maintaining flat enrollment.

@ Part- don't pick and choose what you respond to up there on the highroad. I stated that I don't agree with the decision to default; but reality is that large businesses frequently renegotiate. And I'm sorry but there is simply not a parallel to killing all chances of a school surviving by failing to pay tuition and not paying a few hundred thousand dollars to a multi-billion dollar corporation. If you are that didactic, that you can't see any difference, there is no point in discussing it further.

@ Part- I'm beginning to suspect you may be trolling this site for Wells Fargo. Your comments are only negative and read like a 'Danger!' warning, while you acknowledge that such comments will be the worst problem for us. If they are not paying you now, they should be. Obviously this comment thread is a problem; why do you think I bother to try to pose some alternative viewpoints. So parents won't only find your miserable take on everything. This thread has become an emotional morass. None of you are actually interested in anything, you just want to bash uninterrupted and argue down anyone who has anything postive to say. Go to it, haters. The little kids thank you so much. I'm out.

@ Mary- Ah! It is A-lana, AAAAAA; jeez...you don't know what was said, you don't know the name of name of the person who said it...just give it up. That just sums up this thread.

Yesterday, after picking up our child at WR afterschool, we learned that at least three afterschool teachers had their pay cut. They were distraught and said that they didn't know about the cuts until opening their paychecks.

I understand that our school will need to make substantial cuts to survive. However, this ambush without notice shows that the administration is continuing on the same path of secretive back door decision making. The people affected should have been told in advance that their pay would be cut. Likewise the school community should be updated regarding the programs that will receive cuts.

Now we are left to wonder what other programs will receive cuts. How about the administration? Are they taking their share of the cuts? Transparency is critical to rebuild trust.

****

worth stating here that the fate of windrush school was sealed the day ilana kaufman was hired. she is the definition of a tragic figure. in addition to the truthful allegations that ilana bullies and threatens (in some cases illegally) faculty and families, she also is a creepy presence around children. for the folks who have been posting that the number one priority should be the interests of the children, this would be the number one reason for the school to terminate ilana kaufman. details of her creepy interactions with children will be spared on this posting, but check in with windrush current employees for the scoop.

what i think is going on for the board at this point is that they know it's a lose-lose to fire her. it would reveal its own wrongdoing and myopia in selecting a leader simply because she filled superficial categories of "diversity." further, and probably more to the point, the board members know that ilana looks out for herself first and foremost, no questions asked. and should the board try to move on her, she will invoke her status as a member of multiple legally protected groups, and trump up a lawsuit against them (she's probably got it cooked up and at the ready on a jump drive somewhere). let's also not forget that all but one of the board members was there prior to ilana, so these are folks she had a hand in picking, including the interim? board chair, a longtime recreational pal of hers.

Charles,
What happened to 'Part of the Solution's' postings? Were they flagged?