We spoke with Ms. April Wright, CA Dept of Social Services (CDSS), Licensing Program Analyst, October 14, 2024, at 10:30AM for 18 minutes. Her team, "Oakland Southeast Regional Office 52" is responsible for zip code 94538.
Ms. Wright patiently explained there are two separate and very different state licensing agencies responsible for the "Little Apples's Team", Sharon Chu and investors.
1. Little Apples "Preschool" - Ms. Wright, her team and CA Dept of Social Services, only have authority over the "Preschool" portion of Little Apples business. However, since our daughter was NEVER part of the Preschool program, Ms. Wright has no authority to investigate. Until a parent with a child in the "Preschool" submits a complaint to her agency, Ms. Wright's only option was to close our claim as "unfounded" because there was no other option in the software to close the case, except "unfounded".
2. Little Apples Afterschool "Heritage School" - Our daughter attended the Afterschool portion of the Little Apples business, which is administrated under the "Heritage School" program of CA Department of Education; not Social Services. As a result, Ms. Wright does not have authority to investigate this side of Little Apples business. Ms. Wright referred us to file a complaint with the CA Dept of Education.
As the "Little Apples Team", Sharon Chu and investors, have always known, Ms. Wright cannot investigate our claims because our daughter was NEVER in the Preschool program.
Which also means the "Little Apples Team", Sharon Chu and investors, repeated another attempt, but this time in public, in writing, to deceive the public and new parents like us by stating in writing the CA Dept of Social Services conducted a comprehensive investigation into our complaint against their afterschool program.
Again, Ms. Wright's agency could not investigate our complaint since our daughter was never in the Preschool side of the business for Little Apples.
I do not know why Ms. Wright and the agency authorized an investigation and I do not know all of their legal authorities and obligations to investigate. Another but anonymous family?
However, our complaint will remain on file with Ms. Wright's agency since it is still relevant to Little Apples and maybe relevant for future possible investigations on the "Preschool" side of the Little Apples business.
Later we will share how our experience with the Department of Education team, that supervises the Afterschool portion of the Little Apples business.
Most important to us, as advocates for our daughter, please note, Sharon Chu decided to take time to respond to our social media post, but STILL REFUSES to respond to our questions regarding:
1) How many minutes each day our daughter sat alone, at her desk, by the table next to the "play kitchen"? (Kinder Enrichment, Homework, Wed. lunch time and Wed Quiet time, etc.:)
2) Why did our daughter continue to sit alone at her desk for so many months, for so many minutes each day, when we had written daily reports from Sharon Chu's subordinates, that our daughter was doing well?
3) We ONLY consented to training our daughter to maintain a 5-min attention span, as documented by Sharon Chu's 2/8/24 Zoom call notes. If our daughter ever sat alone for more than 5 mins, how come Sharon Chu did not notify us and did not obtain our consent? Particularly, as anything more than 10 minutes separation from the rest of the class, is expressly prohibited, in the training that California teachers go through and must follow.
4) Sharon Chu STILL REFUSES to provide us with our daughter's Afterschool records.
Another California state agency confirmed in writing we have a legal right to this information, which the "Little Apples Team" knows we have a right to, as our daughters parents, and knows they have to do as the "Little Apples Team", per California law... a law in which "The Little Apples Team" are openly violating... and implicitly publicly confessing to.
In our opinion, as "still learning" parents, Little Apple's actions do not demonstrate transparency, ethics, integrity nor accountability; what every parent expects of those entrusted with the care of their children.
From this experience, we much more appreciate public servants, public teachers, public schools and the "checks and balances" enforcement, from our tax funded Agencies. And much more appreciate the professionally led and professionally supervised for profit programs that our daughter was previously part of. In contrast to mismanaged companies, like Little Apples, led by Sharon Chu and the investors; "Little Apples Team".
Again, what the "Little Apples Team" did to our daughter and other children in other classrooms, is expressly prohibited by California public schools and public teachers.
Very Respectfully (V/R),
Marvin Kau, father and advocate for my daughter
PS - This is the free market at work. And a root cause comparative analysis. Not vengefulness. read more