Out of the classroom, but with lesson plan

Several local students find success with Lodi Unified School District's independent study program

Teacher Kristine Leach wants people to know what Independence School is — or rather, what it's not.

Many probably haven't even heard of Independence School, part of the Lodi Unified School District. Although it shares space with Liberty High School in Lodi and Paso Robles High in Stockton, Independence is not a continuation school. And its students, from kindergarten through 12th grade, aren't "the bad kids," Leach said.

"We have the whole spectrum, just like any other school," she said.

The school's students are often very smart and have never been in trouble at school. The typical classroom environment simply isn't conducive to their learning, or their parents want to keep them out of public school for one reason or another. Maybe it's because of their culture or safety, or the high schoolers just have to work during regular school hours.

Simply put, Independence School is independent study.

The approximately 500-student body has the same curriculum as other LUSD schools. Seniors still have to do senior projects, and all students undergo the same annual state testing as their counterparts at traditional schools.

"But some students get lost in the shuffle," Leach said of a typical public school classroom. "So this one-on-one is important for them."

In Lodi, Independence School meets at Liberty High, although there is no affiliation with that campus. The elementary students from Independence share portable space at Elkhorn.

Between the two grade levels, there are 20 teachers who oversee roughly 35 students each. Leach, for example, splits her week between high school and elementary-middle school.

Until last school year, Independence held its high school graduation with Liberty, the school's home base, which probably added to the confusion over whether Independence School was really independent, Leach said. Last year, the school graduated 70 students with 50 coming from the Lodi site.

She has been asked if students have to pay to attend, and she is quick to point out that this is a public school. But enrollment is voluntary and typically recommended by a parent.

Due to district boundaries, senior Hannah Flores had to move from Franklin to Stagg High. She said that the students at her new school seemed unmotivated. She thought she could be more successful if she enrolled at Independence late last school year.

Each week, students like Flores have a standing appointment with their teachers. During the 45-minute meeting, students receive direction and homework help. Once a week, students also participate in group labs in subjects such as science and art, and there is also a cyber element in which all students can view their tests and curriculum online.

But students still must check-in every week in person. From 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every day, Leach has a steady stream of students stopping by her office.

"They come in. If they need a test, I give them a test," Leach said. "We work on issues they may be having." In a nine-year period, Leach has taught four children of the same family. She knows their parents better than most public teachers would ever have the opportunity know theirs.

"It's a very pure form of teaching. You can give them exactly what they need," Leach said.

Leach says that when she started at Independence 14 years ago, she was a bit concerned that she was solely responsible for a student's education — often from beginning to end.

But her teaching style became known and people recommended her to families like the Vieiras. George Vieira was in the public school system until the fourth grade, when a friend recommended Leach and independent study to his mother, Sheryl.

After a year, Vieira returned to public school, but seemed frustrated that the teacher was never able to finish a textbook because of typical day-to-day interruptions such as school assemblies. He wanted to go back to Independence.

Now a sophomore, Vieira said he feels he can focus more on what he is doing rather than having to worry about other kids.

"You feel better about the teacher. You actually want to do your homework."

And sometimes he takes that homework on family road trips. The flexibility also allows him to volunteer every Friday morning, working in his church garden.

Sheryl Vieira sings the praises of Leach, her son's teacher since he started at Independence.

"What she brings to the table is amazing," she said, adding that when Leach teaches geography or history, she's often been to the sites featured in the textbook.

"The time he's going to get with the teacher is far more than what he's going to get in a traditional classroom," Sheryl Vieira said. And she wants her son to get as much as possible, especially since he only weighed a pound when he was born 15 weeks early, and his parents were concerned about his education from the beginning.



"We watched how he learned (in public school). He struggled to hear in the classroom, so this has been good for him," the Stockton resident added. Her 8-year-old daughter, however, is succeeding in a charterschool setting.

Although she didn't fall into this category, Flores, the twelfth-grader, recommends the alternative school for those who are wanting to drop out. She's planning on attending San Joaquin Delta College in the fall before transferring to California State University, San Francisco.

Until then, between her teacher visits, the Stockton resident fits in a couple hours of homework a day while taking care of her mother and their house.

"I go there once a week, but I have a good teacher," she said. "I get the same homework (as my friends), and I can do it when I have free time."

Contact reporter Jennifer Bonnett at jenniferb@lodinews.com.

(Editor's Note: This story was updated at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 3 to correct the number of students who graduated from Independance and when George Vieira was born.)