Dear Editor, I always enjoy reading Dina Campeau
’s columns and the recent ones concerning public schools versus
private schools were particularly interesting.
Dear Editor,
I always enjoy reading Dina Campeau’s columns and the recent ones concerning public schools versus private schools were particularly interesting. If my daughter had not graduated from Live Oak last year I believe we would be joining Campeau and many more who are making the move from public to private school. At this point, we would even consider home school or another district.
My daughter’s last year at Live Oak was marred by many incidents, including counselors who did not counsel, unacceptable behavior on the part of some coaches and officials and school board meetings full of bickering where students were forgotten in favor of test scores, statistics and placing blame for financial and construction problems.
But the fact that it took literally a year to get some response to a problem that happened in January 2004 was the final straw. I naively thought that with each phone call, note or even letter, that I would get answers to my problem. I did not. Even a complaint with the district had to be filed twice to get any response.
My daughter and I were made to feel that we were at fault when in fact, it was the misconduct of school employees which was the problem. To clarify, this was not about the teachers at Live Oak. For the most part they were excellent and went out of their way for the students.
However, those working in leadership positions with students need to be extremely aware of how their words and actions will affect the students they come in contact with. The loss of trust in school leaders when they do not take responsibility for their own actions or when they are caught in lies is devastating to students.
I sincerely hope a new year, new school board members and eventually a new superintendent will help to improve communication problems. A quick response to parents and students who have questions or concerns which need explanation would go far in preventing problems. My daughter has gone off to college, yet the disappointments of her senior year linger. I can only agree with Doug Lowery, an award-winning principal who said, “Kids may forget what we taught them but they will never forget how we treated them.”
Kathy Stevens, Morgan Hill
