Letters for December 8, 2011

Letter of the week
Just say no to SoCal

Re “Water grab, part II” by Burt Wilson (SN&R Essay, December 1):

As Protect Our Water and Environmental Rights quantified in its lawsuit against the largest water transfer proposed since the peripheral canal, Southern California could easily reuse 50 percent of its water if they only promoted proven, cost-effective technologies—but they don’t. Instead, they keep trying to sell more fresh water for growth, even when the transfer of that water causes billions of dollars in damage. Either they don’t have a brain, or, more accurately, they hope “the state” will continue to pick up their tab if they just keep doing the same ol’ thing.

It’s time to just say no.

Steve Bilson
Thousand Oaks

Don’t forget Hiram Johnson

Re “Here comes the neighborhood” by Cosmo Garvin (SN&R Bites, November 23):

If East Sac parents are so needy for a public school near their home, there is one: Hiram Johnson High. Are families afraid of Johnson High?

Many families live closer to Johnson than they do Sacramento High. It has space and qualified teachers. St. Hope plans to expand its programs, so it is in the process of fully using its facility. West Campus is filled to capacity and working. Those two schools are working and fulfilling their obligation to the public.

Brian Laird
Sacramento

Unequal resources

Re “No failure here” (SN&R Letters, November 23):

Mr. [Billy] Aydlett, I invite you to come to my school, Ethel Phillips [Elementary]. We are not a priority school; we are one of the other 80-plus schools in the district.

At my school, you, too, will see dedicated teachers, great families and students. We work before and after school, we work on the weekends, and I believe all the schools in our district have such dedicated staff.

Every year teachers are all asked to do more with less. That said, I am concerned when the district gives more funds to less than 1 percent of the schools and cuts funds to the other 99 percent. All of the students in [Sacramento City Unified School District] deserve to be put first, as the district slogan goes, but, looking at the facts, this is not what is happening.

This article brings to light many of the things that are indeed happening in a couple of our schools, but are ignored or allowed under the cloak of “putting students first.” The practices employed by the district’s administration to increase test scores are questionable, and perhaps even warrant an investigation by the [California] Department of Education.

The successes of all schools are the result of the hard-working staff, students and families. This will always be the case in true school reform.

Carlos Rico
Sacramento

Good Thanksgiving

Re “American Thanksgiving in Denmark” by Natasha vonKaenel (SN&R Essay, November 23):

This was amazing, and I appreciate your gesture [of] saying that we as Americans are more than people think. We actually provide for our country and show what is up! I hope you and your Danish friends had a good one!

Lauren Houston
Portland, Ore.

Every child a priority

Re “Fail” by Cosmo Garvin (SN&R Feature, November 17):

It is normal for parents to want the best education for their children. Although school districts have a larger population, their goals should be similar: get the best education for each of their students. Just as it would be unfair to take food from one hungry child to give to another, it is unfair to take funding from one underfunded school to give to another, but that is what is happening under the priority-school program. Resources are taken from non-priority schools and given to priority schools.

This, along with the exemption of priority-school teachers from layoffs, describes the tactics used to support the success of priority schools. This isn’t new; teachers have always believed that job security and adequate funding were reasonable. So what’s wrong with the priority-school program?

Relying on a single test to evaluate students or schools is misleading. That is why no major university looks only at the SAT score. Instead, they rely on grades earned over a period of time. A single test score is too easily influenced: naturally, when a child doesn’t get a good night’s sleep; cheating, as occurred in Washington, D.C., when school officials changed answers; or by gaming the system.

The school [district] appears to be gaming the system. It moves low students out, albeit sometimes for good reasons, but then takes credit for the score increases that can simply be attributed to the removal of low performers. This is not just occurring in priority schools. There are several local schools which do not admit low performers, and then disingenuously take bows for having higher scores.

I appreciate the article and hope readers will appreciate that in every school there are hard-working, dedicated teachers who are willing to work with parents to help their children to succeed. All we ask is that the funding of programs be distributed fairly and that teachers be allowed to teach—not as a competition—but as professionals who consider every child a priority.

Joseph Barnett
Sacramento

What happens to the rest?

Re “Fail” by Cosmo Garvin (SN&R Feature, November 17):

This is the monster that has been created with No Child Left Behind. Our schools face the impossible task of having every child be proficient (above grade level) by 2014. Individual schools that fail to raise test scores to ever higher levels face closure and entire school districts with multiple “failing schools” face state takeover. In the quest for ever-higher test scores, it’s easier to change the student body than raise a student’s scores.

Hiram Johnson now has 300 fewer students this fall than in previous years. Where are the Hiram W. Johnson [High School] students who were sent to credit recovery? Are they sitting in front of a computer screen instead of in the classroom? Are they still in school?

It seems that kids are the losers here in this game of “education reform.”

Kate Lenox
Sacramento

Sexual harassment and power

Re “The shame sensibility” by Rachel Leibrock (SN&R Popsmart, November 17):

I am concerned about your reference to a sitting president, possibly the most powerful man in the world, having sex with a 22-year-old intern as “mutually agreed upon.” The power differential is classic sexual harassment.

And let’s remember, for the record, that four other women came forward to report sexual harassment from [former President Bill] Clinton when he was governor of Arkansas. So, as you say, let’s not condone or celebrate those who take advantage of others!

Peggy Bean
Antelope