The Man Who Opened His Own High School

So this is the final paper I turned in for my class for JMS 310W in July/August 2011. I had to write a paper about someone connected to SDSU. I wrote about Mr.Tarr. I hope I got all the facts and quotes correct and whatnot. If I didn't, you'll understand when I fail the class. I had fun writing it regardless. Enjoy!

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The man who opened his own high school.

Sitting at his dining room table on a Friday afternoon, David Tarr reflected on the jobs he had in the past. One particular job stood out in his mind. That job was being principal of Sun Valley Charter High School.

After getting his master’s degree in history from San Diego State University, Tarr was a substitute teacher for different high schools in San Diego County. He started to feel that there were some serious flaws in the education system.

“The high schools weren’t technologically advanced. A classroom would have only two computers in it and students weren’t even allowed to use them,” Tarr said.

Tarr didn’t think the teaching methods used in high school were effective in helping students learn. He felt that high schools were being run like machines. People kept suggesting that he open his own charter school. Tarr liked the idea. He said he didn’t think it would be that hard to do.

 “Opening a charter school and running it as a principal requires some knowledge (about charter school laws and requirements) that are not needed in non-charter schools,” said Nancy Farnan, who is director of the SDSU School of Teacher Education.

According to the PBS website, a charter school is a public school that operates independently from the district board of education. A group of people such as educators, parents, community leaders and others write the charter plan that describes the school’s guiding principles, governance structure, and applicable accountability. 

A variety of people can start a charter school. According to the U.S. charter school website, parents, community leaders, businesses, teachers, school districts and municipalities can submit a charter school proposal to their state's charter authorizing entity.

“I wanted to teach hands-on stuff and not just give students a test that they would fail. I didn’t know the mechanics of running a school but I knew what should be in a classroom,” Tarr said.

After Tarr gathered petitions to open Sun Valley Charter High School in Ramona, he had to work on getting money to fund it. He eventually got a $200,000 loan from the state and the school opened in August 2002.

Then the battles began. From the start the school had little to no money to work with, a lack of support from the Ramona Unified School District and only 63 kids enrolled.

“The school was open for five and a half years and it was an uphill battle from day one. Running Sun Valley Charter High School was like that quote from ‘A Tale of Two Cities,’ ‘It was the best of times; it was the worst of times,’” Tarr said.

Diane Smith, who worked as a teacher and counselor at Sun Valley Charter High School, said her experience teaching there was rewarding but there were constant challenges.

“The biggest challenge was the pressure imposed on us by the local school district officials, who did not support our efforts, even though they authorized our school. This difficult situation continued for the entire five and a half years our school was in operation,” Smith said.

These challenges did not stop Tarr from his original goal, which was providing a better education for students.

“This school was not about surface learning. I wanted to get people to think deeper,” Tarr said.

“The school only had around 120 students at any given time. But Tarr helped fight for their rights to compete in multiple sports such as football, cross country, basketball, robotics and a drama class. It proved that he was open to students learning about all walks and careers in life,” said Ryan Kiernan, who is a graduate from Sun Valley Charter High School.

 “Mr. Tarr was a focused, driven, no-nonsense professional with a mission to provide the best learning environment possible,” Smith said.

One of Tarr’s priorities was making sure students understood the value in learning.

 “I wanted them to not only know how to do something but know why they were doing it. I wanted them to read to learn as opposed to reading to find a specific answer,” Tarr said.

“Mr.Tarr turned learning into an experience. That was what the charter school was all about,” said Kiernan.

Another aspect of the school that Tarr carefully considered was the teachers that would be hired.

“It was important that the teachers knew their subject. It was just as important that they could make a connection with their students,” Tarr said.

The hard work from Tarr and the teachers paid off when Sun Valley Charter High School had its first class graduate in June 2006. A second class was able to graduate in 2007 before the school closed down in January 2008 due to low enrollment.

According to an online article in the North County Times, “Under state law, a charter school operates mostly independent from its sponsoring school district, although the parent district retains ultimate oversight. Additionally, charter schools, like all public schools, rely on funding from the state that is based on student enrollment.”

The Sun Valley trustees had based their budget on a 140-student enrollment. Only about 120 students enrolled which resulted in less state funds, according to an online article in the North County Times.

“Mr.Tarr’s sensitivity to the tears of every student, parent and teacher who cried in front of him over the course of nearly six years made it all the more touching when at the closing of the school, it was his tears we had to endure,” Smith said.

 “There are so many glamorous words I could use to describe Mr.Tarr, but the one I would say that fits him the best is ‘leader,’” Kiernan said.

Tarr quoted William Lowe Bryan saying, “Education is one of the few things a person is willing to pay for and not get.”

 “I didn’t see great education being given. Schools were being run like factories. I wanted to do something different,” Tarr said.

Tarr is currently working at another local charter school.

“Mr.Tarr wants the future generations of America to be educated. He is doing his part to make that happen,” Kiernan said.