Valley Oaks Charter School Marks 25 Years of Innovation, Family & Growth

This fall, Valley Oaks Charter School (VOCS) is celebrating 25 years of reimagining education in Kern County. What began in 2000 with fewer than two dozen students, two part-time teachers, and a single bamboo table has since grown into one of the most unique and family-centered learning communities in the area.

The idea for VOCS was born out of a group of educators at East High School in the Kern High School District, who were part of statewide school restructuring projects in the 1990s. Among them was Shirley Oesch, who went on to write the original charter and serve as the school’s first principal.

“It has been a blessing to be part of this school,” Oesch said. “Not many people get to create a school that has no established model. We did it.”

With the encouragement of then–Kern County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kelly Blanton, Oesch and her colleagues explored ways to focus on hands-on learning and a more flexible schedule. Plans for a math and science high school tied to the Kern County Museum began to take shape, with 50 students from Bakersfield High School and East High scheduled to attend classes at the museum. When Dr. Blanton later retired, the plans for the school came to a halt. Oesch saw the opportunity to change direction for the charter when local homeschooling families began asking for resources, accountability, and enrichment opportunities for their kids.

“Those early homeschooling families taught me a lot,” Oesch said. “They taught us, and we taught them. It was a symbiotic relationship.”

On September 1, 2000, Valley Oaks Charter School officially opened its doors at its campus on North Chester Avenue, sharing office space with the Community Connection for Child Care and serving just a handful of families. From the very beginning, the school’s mission centered on honoring parent choice and tailoring education to each child. By the end of the first year, enrollment had grown to 150. By the time Oesch retired in 2007, the school served more than 900 students. Oesch says the steady growth came solely from word of mouth. 

The school’s growth mirrored its expanding facilities. Early staff and families worked side by side to transform a patchwork of buildings into classrooms and hands-on learning spaces. Retired Teaching Vice Principal Daran Francis was on the team that served the school’s first students. He helped to revitalize the former industrial buildings that became the backbone of the school. With the help of students, VOCS planted the first valley oak trees on campus, built school facilities that are still in use to this day, and created a series of gardens, animal pens, and greenhouses that later became known as Hokit Farm.

“It was a three-year process to get everything built. We built it with students in classes, and kids learned how to weld by building the school farm,” Francis said. “We accomplished a lot because we had the license to be creative.”

Oesch and Francis said that none of the success of Valley Oaks would have been possible without the help of beloved agriculture teacher Lloyd Hokit. Hokit came to VOCS on a part-time basis after retiring from his position as the head of the agriculture department at Bakersfield College. Oesch recalled that Hokit, her friend from church, came to her and said, “Give me something to do.” Oesch said Hokit turned out to be a great hands-on teacher with the ability to reach students where they were.

“He could take a student who was having behavioral or academic problems and work with them outside, teaching them to love science,” she added. “They didn’t know they were being taught. They just learned. He was by his very nature a true teacher.”

Oesch recalls Hokit became a beloved figure to everyone at VOCS, instrumental in the building of the school itself, as well as an early resource and advocate for students. When he was diagnosed with cancer, he would still come in to work whenever he could. 

“Mostly he just lifted our spirits, he was such an amazing guy,” said Oesch. “We were so happy to name the farm after him.”

Today, VOCS serves more than a thousand students across Kern County through sites in Bakersfield, Tehachapi, Taft, Frazier Park, and the Kern River Valley. Its independent study model, supported by credentialed teachers, combines the flexibility of homeschooling with the benefits of a school community. VOCS Senior Director Becky Bartz says she feels privileged to see how Valley Oaks has evolved over the years into the thriving community it is today. 

VOCS supports students K-12 across five sites in Kern County.

“We’ve built a community that meets students where they are and supports them in growing — whether they’re with us for a year, several years, or throughout their entire education,” Bartz added. “Knowing that we’ve created a place where students and families feel supported and proud to belong is what makes me proudest.”

Francis reflected on the time when the staff and students planted the first valley oak saplings on the campus, and is proud to see how they have grown into mature trees over the past 25 years. When discussing what he’s most proud of, Francis became emotional, holding back tears for the students who still reach out to him whenever they achieve success or milestones in their lives and careers. 

“My very favorite thing is that I still get text messages from past students. They share their projects, they share their wins,” he said. “That touches my heart, because I know that the time we all put in here was worthy time.”

Oesch agreed, saying her own grandchildren went to VOCS, and she is very proud whenever she sees students go on to thrive in college and their careers. Oesch also mentioned she was proud of the freedom she gave teachers to be innovative. 

“I let teachers do what they do best, be creative, go their own direction, and a lot of times they would take an idea and just take it to the next level,” she noted. 

From a single bamboo table to a thriving, multi-site program, Valley Oaks Charter School continues its mission of doing what is best for kids.

“Everything we offer today has grown out of the spirit of teamwork and creativity,” Bartz said. “As we celebrate 25 years, I feel incredibly grateful and blessed to be part of such a unique and wonderful community.”