Dear Editor, The poll published about the Charter School of
Morgan Hill lottery system is confusing, unfair and misleading.
Online web poll was confusing, unfair and misleading
Dear Editor,
The poll published about the Charter School of Morgan Hill lottery system is confusing, unfair and misleading. You asked the question “Would you enroll your child in Charter School if admission was not determined by lottery?” Well of course you would! And the opposite question is equally confusing, unfair and misleading (“Would you enroll your child in Charter School if admission was determined by lottery?”) Again, of course you would! The fact that there is or is not a lottery, doesn’t make the school any better or worse.
A clearer question would have been “Do you think the Charter School of Morgan Hill lottery system is fair?” or “Do you think the Charter School of Morgan Hill lottery system is unfair?” They are very clear Yes/No choices, as opposed to the way the current poll is worded.
Like many others, I am not sure why there is any negative perception toward Charter School – other than it is difficult to get into – but that’s the price of being such a good, popular school. It seems most of the negativity is “hearsay,” and many people really don’t know anything about the school, its staff, or its mission, but are quite happy to latch onto someone else’s opinion, and make it their own.
Maybe the Charter School should become private and make people pay. Maybe they should make their decisions based on ethnic background. Maybe it should be based on religion. Would that be fairer? No, the lottery system is by far the fairest way of deciding who attends the school, rather than leaving it to any small disgruntled group of people to make the determination.
Brian Sarll, Morgan Hill
Editor’s Note: The final tally was 60 percent of 366 voters said they would enroll their child in Charter School if admission was not set by lottery, meaning about 150 people said even if there was no lottery, they would not enroll their child.
Help needed to keep flood control project moving forward
Dear Editor:
I want to thank the Times for writing a timely article in support of a much-needed flood project in Morgan Hill – the Llagas Creek Flood Protection Project (Local section: “Property needed to divert flooding”, Jan. 25, 2010).
The Upper Llagas Flood Protection project will provide flood protection to communities along the East Little Llagas Creek, West Little Llagas Creek and Llagas Creek in San Martin and Morgan Hill. Total cost: $120 million – Federal share $80 million, local share $40 million.
While the local share of the cost is a challenge, the Santa Clara Valley Water District, the city of Morgan Hill and the State of California are attempting to meet the challenge by getting adequate funding from the federal government to provide long term flood protection for Morgan Hill.
Currently, the water district has acquired about half of the property required for the project. As local sponsor for the federal project, the water district’s responsibility is for land acquisition and constructing culverts under road crossings. Santa Clara County voters overwhelmingly approved in November 2000 when the Clean, Safe Creeks and Natural Flood Protection Plan passed with a two-thirds majority; however, it only generates the local share of $17M total, which is not sufficient to build the entire project. Consequently, $80 million in federal funding is still needed to construct the project.
For years the federal government has not appropriated enough money for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete the design or the environmental documents. Without adequate federal funding, progress on the project has moved slowly. However, the good news is that in September of 2009, the water district and the city of Morgan Hill signed a cost share agreement to fund the design, and if federal funds are not appropriated, the environmental documents. Morgan Hill will contribute $3 million and the water district will contribute $7 million. This will keep the project moving. The consultant selection process for the design is underway and we plan to have the consultant on board by March.
Here are two things you can do to keep this project moving forward at http://www.valleywater.org/Services/UpperLlagas.aspx:
n Register your support for the Upper Llagas Project by visiting the water district Web site and clicking on the Upper Llagas Project Web page.
n Write letters to our congressional delegation – Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and Congressmen Mike Honda and Jerry McNerney – in Washington seeking their support for the project. Keep talking to your friends and neighbors and ask them to contact their elected leaders about this vital issue. (Sample letter posted under Related Information section.)
Thank you for your commitment. Together, we can make it happen.
Rosemary Kamei, Board Member, Santa Clara Valley Water District
