Kairos deemed `high-performing school'
Kairos Public Schools has been identified by state officials as one of only two Solano County charter schools deemed “highperforming.”
Executive Director Jared Austin made the announcement in a news release and also identified Dixon Montessori Charter School as the other similarly designated school.
He said the California Department of Education recently released the Charter School
Performance Indicator, a highstakes assessment determining the effectiveness of charter schools.
Such data plays a key role in the decision-making process by a charter school's “authorizer,” typically a local school district, when it comes time for charter renewal and a determination whether it should stay open or closed.
Kairos' authorizer is Vacaville Unified School District, to which it is aligned.
As a independent charter school, Kairos, a TK-8 school with 615 students, is governed by its own board and is largely subject to CDE oversight. However, VUSD provides some administrative and financial services for a nominal fee.
In the press statement, Austin called his school's achievement, as measured by the state's School Dashboard — data on the school's progress and other information so parents can participate in decisions to improve student learning — “a testament to its commitment to academic excellence and closing the achievement gap for historically disadvantaged subgroups.” They include Blacks, Latinos, American Indians and the homeless, among others.
He credited his teachers, staff and parents for the state's latest designation.
“The school's vision for the future is grounded in a solid foundation of educational excellence, providing students with opportunities for growth and learning,” said Austin, a co-founder of the 129 Elm St. school, now in its 10th academic year.