Frequently Asked Questions
Highlands is one of California’s largest public charter schools offering second-chance high school diploma programs that include career training. More than 10,000 students every year — most of whom are immigrants, refugees, working parents, or returning citizens.
Highlands exists for people too often left behind. It offers second chances, not just education — and in many cases, a path to stability, employment, and community belonging.
Build Highlands Back Better is a growing, statewide movement made up of Highlands students, alumni, teachers, immigrant and refugee advocates, reentry providers, faith leaders, educators, public safety officials, and community-based organizations.
The campaign was launched in response to a highly critical state audit. Our movement acknowledges past failures, but we believe strongly in reform — not abandonment. We are here to save a vital institution by building something better and more accountable.
The audit by the California State Auditor revealed serious compliance issues related to staffing credentials, attendance reporting, financial oversight, and governance. These findings reflect real mistakes made under previous leadership — and the audit demands real reform.
Highlands is not running from these findings. Under new leadership, it is actively implementing sweeping changes to address every issue and rebuild trust.
Highlands has already launched a major reform effort. Key changes underway include:
New Leadership: Jonathan Raymond, former Sacramento City Unified Superintendent and nationally respected crisis leader, is now Executive Director.
Credentialing Overhaul: Hundreds of teachers have been laid off and replaced or recredentialed to meet new state guidance.
Attendance Reform: Class structures have been redesigned so attendance is now taken five times per day, with clearer scheduling and tracking protocols.
Site Consolidation: Right-sizing facilities by evaluating closure of nearly two-dozen sites to improve oversight and ensure full compliance.
Governance Changes: A new board of directors, restructured and downsized, with new executive leadership and policy governance in place.
Financial Controls: New spending policies and third-party audits are now standard, along with a zero-tolerance policy on misuse of funds.
Transparency: A new public campaign has been launched to share reforms, progress, and impact stories openly and regularly.
This issue stems from a long-standing lack of clarity from state credentialing authorities.
For over a decade, Highlands used adult education credentials. The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) only clarified in 2025 that teachers needed K–12 multiple-subject credentials — not adult ed credentials — even when teaching adults.
Once this shift was communicated, Highlands immediately began recredentialing and restructuring staff. Hundreds of employees were let go, causing major disruption to students and services, but it was necessary to bring the school into compliance.
Highlands operates differently from K–12 schools. Its adult learners attend voluntarily and often have unpredictable schedules due to parenting, work, or trauma.
Historically, Highlands took attendance once per day — a practice not flagged by any oversight agency until 2025. Under new reforms, attendance is now recorded every class period, and class schedules have been standardized and tightened.
Yes. Highlands is fully operational and currently educating thousands of students — including 1,300 graduates in June 2025 alone. The school remains a vital lifeline for immigrants, refugees, reentry citizens, and working families.
Jonathan Raymond was appointed Executive Director in June 2025. He is a nationally respected education leader who has turned around large public school systems during times of crisis — including Sacramento City Unified during the Great Recession and the City School District of New Rochelle through COVID-19 recovery.
Raymond is known for rebuilding public confidence, ensuring accountability, and putting students first.
Highlands is taking serious action to improve fiscal controls. New policies and practices now prohibit lavish travel, enforce strict contract approval thresholds, require Board oversight for all large purchases, and mandate regular independent audits. Misuse of funds under prior leadership is no longer tolerated, and safeguards are in place to ensure full transparency.
- Thousands of adult students will be cut off from life-changing education and job training.
- Immigrant and refugee families will lose access to diplomas and career pathways.
- Reentry citizens will be denied the second chances they’ve fought for.
- Local employers will lose a pipeline of qualified workers.
- Sacramento’s most vulnerable communities will be pushed further to the margins.
Because this is about people — not politics. Highlands is making real changes under new leadership. We don’t deny the past. We are fixing it.
To punish the school now is to punish the students who did nothing wrong — immigrants, working parents, low-income adults, returning citizens. They need this school. California needs this school.
If we care about redemption, equity, and opportunity — we must stand with Highlands.
Yes! Highlands is sponsoring the Build Highlands Back Better campaign as part of its commitment to transparency, public accountability, and stakeholder engagement.
This effort is about more than just communications — it’s about restoring trust. The campaign exists to inform the public about the reforms underway, to highlight the impact Highlands has had on tens of thousands of lives, and to elevate the voices of those most directly affected by the school’s mission: immigrants, refugees, returning citizens, working parents, and underserved adult learners.
These are the people with the most at stake — and they deserve to be heard.
Highlands is also responding to widespread public interest and scrutiny following the state audit. Ensuring that the public, lawmakers, regulators, and the media have accurate, timely, and complete information is part of our obligation as a public charter school committed to reform.
