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Wrong decision on T-shirt incident
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Boo to the Supreme Court, boo to the principal, who under the pretext or anxiety of preventing racial violence ordered kids not to wear t-shirts emblazoned with the American flag. The principal and teachers have failed in their duty to inculcate a spirit of tolerance and value for other ethnicities. If kids had been wearing the Mexican flag, would the principal have made the students turn their shirts inside out? Disguising our flag is asserting capitulation of my concept of a good America. Here’s a better idea: wear a UN flag every day.
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D.P. Neyhart
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Board dialogue has necessary safeguards
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Let me start off by saying I am so glad we are having discussions on how to better communicate and advocate for a better education system for the children of this community. It seems like the last board meeting, which ran over five hours, was not a good example of how the board functions at its best. It started with a board member publicly chastising his one employee and another board member backing him up. The audience had a large number of attendees who were there for the discussion of parent meetings. Board members had some heated exchanges, which were not always related to topics of discussion on the agenda through that long night.
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I support the frank and open discussion with board members from parents and community members, but see many problems related to the “Engage Morgan Hill” forum which was tried at El Toro Elementary School recently. It says a lot about this community that over 60 people showed up to have an open exchange. Parts of it went well but there were public comments voiced which accused an administrator of failing to do their job well.
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While I support the right of free speech and understand how emotional the welfare of our children can become, the problem arises in the public nature of such personnel issue complaints. How is the board to respond to allegations without making private personnel issues public? Is it fair to have individuals so personally attacked in the interest of open dialogue? Would we want to be on the receiving end of such public outcries?
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Open forums do not help solve any issues. They have some informational and at times entertaining value, but they do not have the opportunity to affect real change. Board members are powerless as individuals. The only power they have is in the power of the majority vote. If an issue is important to a board member, he or she must use their skills and persuasion to bring at least three other members to ascertain the value of what they are proposing. One board member can bring your issues forward but cannot promise any action on their own.
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So how does the public share very real concerns about issues and get needed information on what is happening to their public school education system? First, you can start with your home school and work up the chain if you feel your issue is not being addressed. This is your best bet on having your individual concern or grievance addressed. The educational professionals are very often the ones empowered to affect the change you are looking for. If you still are not satisfied or have a system-wide problem, you can then move to the district complaint process.
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It has never been easier to contact the board members and administrators either individually or as a group. Email has made such access readily available and the district website can give you addresses as well as other useful information. Board meetings are another useful tool. If you are just there to give a three-minute speech, drop off a letter or have an item put on the agenda so it can be discussed. Discussions with individual board members should be possible on either break times or at the many public events they all appear at.
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While it would be lovely to have a frank exchange with board members on the topics which interest you or the group with a shared concern the night of the board meeting, the board has a responsibility to hear all sides of an issue and not to assume what you voice is correct. They also need to be respectful and protect the personnel rights of the district employees.
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There is dialogue with the district but it takes time and has safeguards. I think we all can agree something as important as the education of our children is worth the effort to make sure we are all heard and respected.
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Kathleen Sullivan
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Morgan Hill
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Make all charter schools private
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Newspaper reports of 11 charter schools in the K12 California network remind us to use extra diligence in overseeing area charter schools. K12 is a profitable enterprise, rewarding shareholders and executives. K12’s top executive received more than $3 million in salary and bonuses for 2011-12.
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Profitability is achieved by a 36 percent graduation rate, with more dropouts than graduates for 2011 to 2013, paying teachers at least $20,000 less than public school teachers and $47 million taken from public school funds in 2012-13.
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Inadequate oversight insures that amounts spent on advertising, profits and executive pay by K12 remain a mystery.
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Our Legislature should make all charter schools private, with no access to funds for public schools.
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Frank Crosby
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Morgan Hill
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More lunar news, please
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Will you please add a section in your newspaper about the lunar (moon) occasions, like when the next meteor showers, solar eclipses, the phases of the moon happen? This subject is important to me because I am a young boy who is in love with space and I have never witnesses a solar eclipse.
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Austin Fisher, Boy Scouts Troop 709
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Morgan Hill
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Safety at schools is paramount
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We are happy and relieved that the Supreme Court has refused to hear the Dariano v. MHUSD case. We have always believed that school safety must be maintained at all costs. We also believe that Judge O’Scannlain’s dissenting opinion is quite disturbing and raises
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questions about his credibility as a Supreme Court Justice.
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The Supreme Court has confirmed that Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez’s actions were proper and within his authority as a school official.
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Julian Mancias
