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By Thomas Gase
Updated Jul. 23, 2022 08:16 PM

Griffin Technology Academies (GTA) has announced its next round of administrative appointments.

GTA is a local network of four tuition-free charter schools serving the Vallejo community. Founded in 1999, GTA schools now serve 1,250 students, with that amount set to grow to 1,900 by 2023.

“Each new team member brings to GTA a unique wealth of experience in athletics, education, administrative duties, and leadership skills,” said Superintendent Nick Driver. “As we begin a new school year and welcome students back to campus, I am eager to implement our GTA 180 Pathway Forward Plan with this new team. Each has shared their enthusiasm and commitment to guaranteeing transparency, accountability, and a strong academic program.”

Read More in the Times-Herald

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VALLEJO – Looking from within, the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce has tapped former board chair Shawna Gilroy as the organization’s new president/CEO, the chamber announced Thursday.

Gilroy replaces James Cooper who left Vallejo after six years to take a similar position in the city of Pleasanton in May.

“I’m excited to take on this new role and continue to grow the Vallejo Chamber,” Gilroy said in a statement shared by the chamber. “After being on the Board of Directors for years I look forward to continuing to work with our Board members.”

Gilroy served as chair of the board in 2020 and 2021, helping to keep the organization open during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She was recently tapped to serve as chair of the Griffin Technology Academies Board of Directors last month as the charter network attempts to fend off a push to revoke its charter status by the Vallejo school district.

Read More in the Times Herald

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Posted by John Glidden
Jun 23, 2022

VALLEJO – The Griffin Technology Academies Board of Directors announced this week that Nick Driver, who has been serving as acting superintendent since March, will fill the position permanently starting July 1. The board voted to approve his three-year contract during its June 14 meeting.

Driver’s base salary is set at $196,720 for the upcoming 2022-23 school year. He will lead the charter school network, which operates two middle and two high schools. Originally known as Mare Island Technology Academy, GTA became the first to operate as a charter school within the boundaries of the Vallejo City Unified School District in 1999. The network has since expanded and currently has about 1,300 enrolled students.

GTA also announced that Shawna Gilroy was elevated to board chair, while Vivian Wesley was made the board’s vice-chair. The network also announced that Alex Insaurralde will return as chief academic officer.

“I’m very excited about the future of GTA and our new school leadership,” Driver said in a statement the charter network released Wednesday. “I’m incredibly honored to be selected as permanent Superintendent and entrusted to lead our schools forward.”

Read More in the Vallejo Sun

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By Thomas Gase
Updated Jun. 28, 2022 09:41 PM

Continuing with its remedy for being served with a Notice of Violation by the city’s school district, Griffin Technology Academies is appointing new members to its accountability team this week.

Nick Driver, the Vallejo City Unified School District’s new superintendent, named Brent Zionic — an educator and technology expert with a deep background in workflow and compliance processes — as GTA’s new Chief Accountability Officer.

Driver also named Jane Henzerling, charter school founder and educational systems and measurement expert, as a second key member of the new team.

“GTA now has a powerful group of experienced educators and technology professionals that can make good on our promise for the board of directors and the management team to be accountable to our many stakeholders,” said Driver in a news release on Monday afternoon. “Working alongside our newly hired Chief Academic Officer Alex Insaurralde, and new Assistant Director of Learning, Robert Richardson, Brent and Jane are going to ensure that GTA student and system progress is transparent, measurable, and continues to improve.”

Read More in the Times-Herald

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By Thomas Gase
Updated Jul. 23, 2022 08:16 PM

Griffin Technology Academies (GTA) has announced its next round of administrative appointments.

GTA is a local network of four tuition-free charter schools serving the Vallejo community. Founded in 1999, GTA schools now serve 1,250 students, with that amount set to grow to 1,900 by 2023.

“Each new team member brings to GTA a unique wealth of experience in athletics, education, administrative duties, and leadership skills,” said Superintendent Nick Driver. “As we begin a new school year and welcome students back to campus, I am eager to implement our GTA 180 Pathway Forward Plan with this new team. Each has shared their enthusiasm and commitment to guaranteeing transparency, accountability, and a strong academic program.”

Read More in the Times-Herald

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By Thomas Gase
Updated Jun. 13, 2022 09:36 PM

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Griffin Technology Academies says it agrees with school district issues with its four charter schools and is acting in good faith to resolve the concerns.

The Vallejo City Unified School District sent out draft Notices of Violations and Opportunity to Cure to GTA last month. A Notice of Violations is the first step in initiating charter revocation proceedings against the four charter schools. If not corrected, the VCUSD Board can consider the action of sending a Notice of Intent to Revoke to one or more of the four schools — Mare Island Technology Academy middle and high schools as well as Griffin Academy middle and high schools.

Read More in the Times-Herald

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By Thomas Gase
Updated Jun. 09, 2022 09:19 PM

When keynote speaker and former Vallejo Mayor Bob Sampayan addressed the crowd at Beverly Hills Elementary School in Vallejo, he began by reciting the definition of the world “resilient.” Someone who is resilient is someone able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.

Or in this case the 2022 graduating class at Mare Island Technology Academy in Vallejo.

Family and friends cheered on 104 students receiving their diplomas on Wednesday night after four years of studying during difficult times in the world.

“The Class of 2022 has had its share of difficulties,” Sampayan said. “It began with the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 when schools throughout the country were shut down and students began the difficult task of remote learning. The loss of in-person, one-on-one instruction caused some students to suffer. It was also the loss of high school activities or the events that are so important to a high schooler’s experience. The dances, sporting events and day-to-day camaraderie — these are all the high school experiences they missed and can’t relive.

“But the Class of 2022 showed up,” Sampayan continued. “And you did it because you’re proud, strong but most of all you are resilient,” Sampayan said.

Read More in the Times Herald

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Posted by John Glidden
Jun 08, 2022

VALLEJO – The Griffin Technology Academies (GTA) Board of Directors formally responded this week to allegations of wrongdoing levied by the Vallejo school board in late April.

The Vallejo City Unified School District Board of Education voted on April 28 to send a notice of violations to each of the four charter schools operated by GTA – paving the way for the district to strip the charters of their status. The district alleged the charter board committed numerous violations, including failing to protect students, mismanaging the network’s finances, allowing mold to flourish inside school facilities, and violating the state’s open meeting law.

In a 179-page response the charter network released on Monday, GTA said it was in the process of remedying or had already fixed many of the allegations. That includes creating a chief accountability officer position, who will ensure GTA complies with the state’s open meeting law, completes facility condition audits and completes COVID-19 safety audits. The compliance officer will also track oversight requests from the district, ensure GTA complies with all independent study requirements, and make sure financial audits are submitted on a timely basis.

The charter network also admonished the tone of the district’s notice of violations, saying the verbiage was “irresponsible, unwarranted indictments on the character and motives of the people of GTA who devote their time to serving the children of Vallejo.”

Read More in the Vallejo Sun

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We are pleased to re-introduce our Before and After School Program. Griffin Technology

Academies offer Before and After School Program at both Griffin Academy and Mare Island Academy.

The Before School Program operates from 6:30am to the start of the school day, Monday through Friday.  The After School Program operates from the end of the school day through 6:00pm. Both programs are offered to all our students at no charge.

Students are encouraged to join the Before and After School Program if they need a safe place before school starts and after school ends. We provide trained staff who encourage students to work on homework before school and/or the first hour of the After School Program.

Additionally, students are offered recreational activities to keep them occupied and engaged with their classmates.

Students are offered daily breakfast, snacks and supper at no charge.

https://forms.gle/Y3MuxbWiP9vzrR9u5

SPANISH:

Estimados Padres y Tutores,

Nos complace volver a presentarles nuestro Programa de Antes y Después de Escuela. Griffin Technology Academies ofrece el Programa de Antes y Después de Escuela tanto en Griffin Academy como en Mare Island Academy.

El Programa de Antes de Escuela opera desde las 6:30am hasta el comienzo del día escolar, de lunes a viernes. El Programa de Después de Escuela opera desde el fin del día escolar hasta las 6:00pm.

Los programas se ofrecen a todos nuestros estudiantes sin costo alguno. Invitamos a los estudiantes a unirse al Programa de Antes y Después de Escuela si necesitan un lugar seguro antes que comience la escuela y después de que termine la escuela. Brindamos personal capacitado que anima a los estudiantes a trabajar en su tarea antes de escuela y/o la primera hora del Programa de Después de Escuela.

Además, a los estudiantes se les ofrecen actividades recreativas para mantenerlos ocupados y que formen nuevos compañeros de escuela o que mantengan las amistades que ya tienen.

A los estudiantes se les proporciona diariamente desayuno, refrigerios y cena sin costo alguno.

https://forms.gle/4SyXyeypfd353e3u5

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