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CALIFORNIA MONTESSORI PROJECT
» Legal Compliance Scoring
» Customer Service Scoring
» Auditor Narrative
» CalAware Reaction

Legal Compliance

Deduct the following from 100 points :

Was the requester denied the ability to make the request? No (-0 points)
Explanation: When the agency refuses to receive the request or pass it along to the appropriate party.
Did the agency deny access to any of the Form 700s? (not applicable)
Explanation: When the agency refuses to allow access to any of the completed Form 700s for any reason.
Was photo ID required? No (-0 points)
Explanation: When the agency requires the requester to produce photo ID as a condition of the access.
Was the requester's name required? No (-0 points)
Explanation: When the agency requires the requester to provide their name as a condition of the access.  
Was the requester's affiliation required? No (-0 points)
Explanation: When the agency requires the requester to provide their affiliation as a condition of the access.
Was the requester required to state their purpose? No (-0 points)
Explanation: When the agency requires the requester to explain the reason they are making the request and/or what they will do with the materials produced as a condition of the access.
Was a written request required? No (-0 points)
Explanation:When the agency requires that requests be made in writing (refuse to acknowledge oral requests).
Were the Form 700s produced by the legally compliant deadline (within 48 after making the request)? Never Produced
(-20 points)
Was the requester only allowed to view (not copy) the Form 700s? (not applicable)
Was the requester charged a fee to view the Form 700s? (not applicable)
Was the copy fee for the Form 700s within the legally compliant maximum
(10¢ per page)?
(not applicable)
Was the letter of determination received within 10 days (or 24 days, if a 14 day extension was requested)? Never Received
(-35 points)
Did the agency deny access to any of the items in the written request? (not applicable)
Explanation: The score is reduced by 5 points for each item unjustifiably denied, up to -35 points.  
Total Points Deducted : 55
Final Score : 45
Grade : F

Customer Service

Deduct the following from 100 points :

Was agency staff courteous? Yes (-0 points)
Explanation:When agency staff are polite and professional
Was agency staff helpful? Yes (-0 points)
Explanation:When agency staff try to help the requester succeed with his or her request.
Was the requester referred to another agency altogether? No (-0 points)
Explanation: When the agency refuses to fulfill the request, and instead sends the requester to another agency.
BONUS! Did the agency have any public records request guidelines (or policy) posted? No (+0 points)
Explanation: When the agency conspicuously posts procedural guidelines in its main lobby area to help the public navigate their agency when making public record requests (worth 10 extra credit points).
Total Points Deducted : 0
Final Score : 100
Grade : A+
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Auditor Narrative (auditor Chloe Daley):


I walked into the agency at around 3:45 p.m. and talked to the woman at the front desk. I asked her if I could speak with the person who dealt with public records and she seemed a little confused by what I meant. I said I was looking for the forms 700 and the most recent ethics training records. She asked me what this was for, I said a study. Then she said I would have to come back after 8:30 the next day to talk to a woman named Elizabeth. She was helpful and courteous. I asked her for a business card but there were none for the whole organization. Then I walked out and immediately walked back in, remembering to ask if I could leave my information and request. She gave me a piece of paper to write down my request and number. I walked out of the agency around 3:50.

Elizabeth left a voice message on my phone the next day asking me to call her back with more details. I left a message and we played phone tag the next few days, the director Gary Bowman called me back to find out more about my request. He was extremely helpful and courteous and said he would be passing on my request to the attorney to process it. He asked why I was requesting the information but said he was just curious since they did not normally receive public record requests. He did not offer to allow me to come in to see the oral request I made. By the time we talked, they had already received my written request in the mail. I received a letter of determination on April 3 from their attorney Sarah J. Kollman.

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CalAware Reaction (Terry Francke, General Counsel):


Twenty-five days after being asked for the Form 700s for its board and administrators - which the law requires to be provided within two days - this charter school had not responded. As to other information sought - records of staff discipline, litigation claims or settlements, expense reimbursement claims, etc.- no determination letter or even an announcement of extension had been provided 25 days later either.

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