On June 2nd, the Orange County Board of Education held its monthly meeting, during which several parents of students at The Irvine International Academy (IIA) voiced concerns about the recent changes in the leadership, such as the replacement of sex education curriculum materials, lack of transparency, and alleged retaliation against parents with differing opinions. In response to these complaints, the school’s administration was approached for comments.
Established in 2021, the IIA is one of the 28 directly managed public charter schools authorized by the Orange County Board of Education. The school offers bilingual education with a 50-50 split between Chinese and English language instruction and was awarded the California Distinguished School Award last year. According to the 2024 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), IIA ranked first in science, fourth in English Language Arts (ELA), and ninth in math among over four hundred elementary and TK-8 schools in Orange County, with 87%, 89%, and 82% of students meeting standards in these subjects.
This is not the first time parents at the school have raised concerns during a meeting. Following last month’s session where their voices were heard, the Chair of the Orange County Board of Education expressed a high level of concern in a letter to the parents, while the local education board contacted the school administration seeking responses to eight specific complaints.
Three years ago, Tiffany Craft felt that her child was falling behind in reading, writing, and math, leading her to transfer to IIA in search of a quality education. Craft dedicated herself to volunteer service, believing it was a way to give back.
With Dr. Stefan Bean taking over as the Director of Orange County Schools last June, Amy Kernan assumed the role of Executive Director at IIA. Craft, witnessing discrepancies between the school’s practices and its charter, has been voicing concerns to the school board since the change in leadership.
“The problems have not been resolved; in fact, another parent and I have been targeted by the school. Three teachers anonymously emailed the school board, accusing us of manipulation, disruption, and sabotage,” she said. As the Financial Manager for the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO), her concerns about the organization’s finances were labeled as “spreading conspiracy theories.”
Another teacher in the emails stated, “A small group of parents led by Craft and Anh Lilly has created a very harmful and hostile environment at the school… pushing for unapproved sex education curriculum — which does not mention non-heterosexual and transgender identities, disregarding state sexual health education standards.”
Lilly, who trusted Dr. Bean and enrolled her child at IIA, recalled a time when the school was transparent, easy to understand, and had a strong accountability system. She expressed disappointment in recent developments, citing sudden accusations against her without prior communication or opportunity to clarify or respond. Lilly found the brief conversations she had with two teachers this year to be dismissive, with one claiming the district’s previous sex education curriculum was more “comprehensive.”
“Children mimic adults. What message are we sending to our kids when parents defending the ethos, truth, and transparency of a charter school are attacked by teachers?” Craft questioned. She emphasized that if the administration allows such actions, no one would dare to speak up.
During the meeting, parent Darren Parker thanked Orange County Board Director Jorge Valdes and IIA Board Chair Brett Freeman for engaging with parents and urged the county’s education board to take action. Parker highlighted the need for guidance to avoid potential lawsuits from organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and demanded a transparent investigation into the retaliation against parents.
Deborah Cam, Chair of the Administrative Hearing Office Special Education Advisory Committee, expressed alarm at the attacks on two parents by the IIA school board. She denounced baseless allegations made against them and warned that unfounded accusations could lead to character defamation, biased investigations, legal action, and even contact with child protection agencies.
Retired librarian Ellen Strasma has volunteered at IIA for the past two and a half years. Reflecting on the school’s remarkable achievements and unprecedented growth since its establishment four years ago, she credited Dr. Bean for fostering a collaborative team environment and hard work.
“New rules and policies were set by the administration last fall,” Strasma noted, elaborating that she had heard concerns from students, teachers, and parents. She clarified that the delays in responses to parents’ inquiries were due to transparency issues and not a reflection of strained relations between teachers and parents, emphasizing the crucial role of the PTO in the school community.
Parent Geneva Bailey expressed solidarity with retaliated parents at IIA, sharing her own legal battles with the Irvine Unified School District, forced settlements, and calls from child protective services. Bailey criticized the misuse of taxpayer money for such actions.
Currently, Craft and Lilly are under investigation by the school administration. Lilly articulated in an email, “The unsettling unethical behaviors, lack of transparency, and ideological shifts by the current administration have compromised the core values on which the school was founded.”