San Diego Unified officials have recently alerted Albert Einstein Academies, a local charter school, to multiple violations regarding its charter agreement.
This notification follows months of protests from parents expressing their frustration over the school’s lack of transparency regarding its programming.
Since its inception, Einstein Academies has marketed itself as offering a 50/50 German immersion program, a feature that is also distinctly stated in the school’s charter.
However, after conducting their own investigations, parents discovered that the charter school has not provided a functioning 50/50 German immersion program for several years.
The inconsistency and challenges in delivering the German instruction across various grade levels have led to significant unrest among parents who prioritize the language immersion aspect.
David Sciaretta, the superintendent of Einstein Academies, acknowledged the absence of a functional immersion program, admitting that the school was indeed not compliant with its charter regarding this element.
The ongoing tension began to escalate in April when San Diego Unified, the charter’s authorizer and overseer, began taking notice of the situation.
Their officials conducted a site visit on April 29, shortly after an article by Voice reporting on the protests was published.
Following this visit, Tiffany DeGraffenreid, the manager of San Diego Unified’s Office of Charter Schools, sent a ‘notice to cure violations of charter’ on May 12, pointing out two main issues.
The notice stated that classroom observations and interviews revealed that the implementation of the dual language program—specifically the English/German component—has been inconsistent across grade levels.
This concern echoed the complaints that numerous parents had voiced at recent board meetings.
Additionally, district officials noted compliance issues regarding the school’s implementation of English language development instruction aimed at English language learners, a problem previously addressed during a site visit last year.
In her letter, DeGraffenreid indicated that she could not confirm the school’s compliance with its charter based on the findings from the site visit.
A response was required by June 2, detailing how Einstein officials planned to rectify the identified issues, particularly relating to its English language development instruction.
Furthermore, the notice requested a corrective action plan outlining how Einstein would reinstate the German immersion program as outlined in its charter.
This shift in district oversight appears to reflect a broader trend in which the number of similar concern letters has increased; notably, the San Diego Unified district has issued 11 out of 12 such letters in just the past three years during the 2024-25 school year alone.
In response, Sciaretta provided a plan for improvements on June 2, detailing steps the school would take to address the district’s concerns.
He indicated that Einstein’s leadership is collaborating with the San Diego County Office of Education to explore a variety of curriculum options, with plans to select one by July.
In regards to the immersion program, he conceded that the execution has not been consistent from kindergarten through fifth grade for several years.
To address these challenges, Sciaretta informed that a focus group had been initiated to explore solutions for the upcoming 2023-24 school year.
During a board meeting earlier this year, he proposed moving away from the immersion model in favor of a structure where German is taught daily as a foreign language instead.
Sciaretta also claimed that 82 percent of the teaching staff supported this new model.
The proposal will require a charter revision, which Sciaretta mentioned he plans to present to the board in the fall of 2025.
If approved by the school’s board, it will also need the endorsement from San Diego Unified’s board, as well as the approval of the teachers’ union.
According to James Canning, a spokesperson for San Diego Unified, Sciaretta’s letter was satisfactory to the district, which intends to continue monitoring Einstein’s progress towards compliance.
Despite the reassurance in the letter, Sciaretta noted that the elimination of Einstein’s immersion program isn’t a final decision.
The school is engaging parents in this discussion, seeking their input for a new model and assistance in recruiting German teachers for the staffing shortages contributing to the immersion program’s decline.
Sciaretta emphasized, ‘It would be disingenuous to say no matter what the group comes up with it’s a foregone conclusion.’
Moreover, he acknowledged a strong sentiment among staff, indicating that a change is necessary to ensure alignment between policies and actual practices.
However, the parents’ trust in school leadership remains fragile, with concerns around transparency dominating discussions.
Despite Sciaretta’s assurance that the school will provide clearer information in the future, many parents are still dissatisfied with the lack of communication regarding the German program.
Stephanie Measures, an active parent at Einstein, has been at the forefront of organizing recent protests and believes that there are still unresolved issues.
She questioned the timeline of the focus group’s meetings and expressed skepticism towards the reported support from staff, pointing out that they weren’t specifically asked for feedback on a new German program model.
Additionally, Measures does not fully accept the explanation that a shortage of German-speaking teachers is solely responsible for the issues with the immersion program.
She emphasized that the school’s leadership appears to be focused on growth at the expense of the longstanding German program, which has been essential since the school’s establishment.
This perception has cultivated a lack of trust among parents who cherish the German immersion aspect of Einstein Academies.
As summer approaches, Measures noted that some parents are already considering pulling their children out of the program.
While Sciaretta insists that the final decision regarding the immersion program is not yet made, skepticism remains about the administration’s intentions.
Measures concluded, ‘It almost seems like they’re trying to cover up deficiencies in the German program.’
Amid this brewing discontent, parents continue to rally for clarity and accountability, insisting on their commitment to preserving the immersion model that drew them to the school in the first place.
image source from：https://voiceofsandiego.org/2025/06/10/san-diego-unified-demands-albert-einstein-academies-fix-violations-of-charter/
