Saratoga NewsLettersStudents punished by an 'unwritten' rule The high school did not follow through informing the parents about the streaking consequences. Two letters were sent out in 1996 (one in the fall and one in the spring), and there was not a streak. In 1997, for whatever reason, Dr. Skelly failed to notify the parents in writing. Parents were denied the opportunity to discuss this with their children over a written document. For every dance they have the students sign a contract, and this year the students were required to sign an etiquette contract about behavior while using the Internet. If streaking was such a big issue, why were parents not notified? These students are being punished by an "unwritten" rule. What about the U. S. History AP exam cheating incident? It appears nothing is being done to the students. Also, there was a senior arrested on Friday for putting acid in a teacher's drink, but unlike the "streakers," he was allowed to attend the Senior Ball with no penalties.
Mrs. M. Smith Thoughts on the issue of SHS senior streaking From the beginning of time, authority is forced to live among the smartest people in the world, teenagers. From the beginning of time, no one on the face of the earth is smarter than teenagers. Teenagers will forever challenge authority. It is their one mission in life. We hope they will all live long enough to experience this challenge with their own children. Unfortunately, the teens at Saratoga High may have won the battle, but let's not let them win the war. In order for everyone to save "face," as it were, let's approach this matter reasonably. Why not have the high school draw up the rules and regulations that specifically address the matter of senior streaking? Have the class of '98 sign it along with their parents. As they enter their senior year, the matter is clearly signed, sealed and delivered. This will settle the dispute about not being clearly notified about the pending punishment. It also closes any loopholes. Why not have the rebellious seniors write an essay on the problems of challenging authority and dedicate it to the class of '98? Have the seniors admit, which will be humiliating enough, the error of their ways in challenging authority to the rule. Let's have the parents deal with their children on the punishment. Clearly, not admitting them to their long-awaited graduation is a bit too harsh. I am a 1972 Saratoga High School graduate and a mother of two high school kids, one of whom is about to become a high school graduate in a few weeks. As I write this letter of introspection, I do remember my class of '72 and how we thought we were smarter than the previous class on a senior prank. God knows how we put the principal's desk on the roof. We certainly were, without a doubt in our minds, much smarter than our teachers and parents. God knows how those "people" woke up in the morning by themselves! Now the shoe is on the other foot. My parents have lived long enough to see this in print, and know that I do believe that as long as they live, they are certainly much smarter than me. However, I await with patience and perseverance the acknowledgment from my children someday that I may have been smarter than them. The tradition continues. PS: I enjoy the opportunity to read the Saratoga News online.
Deborah Sirvatka Parsons School board shouldn't capitulate to pressure This letter is written in support of the actions taken by Kevin Skelly, principal of Saratoga High School, and the Los Gatos- Saratoga Joint Union High School District board, in response to the streaking incident at Saratoga High School. In the article, published in the Saratoga News on May 14, the argument is made by Allen Ruby that the "cause of their streaking was the lack of a letter," thus the punishment of no participation in graduation ceremonies was unfair. Is Mr. Ruby implying that these graduating seniors, graduates of one of the best high schools in Northern California, many of whom are about to enroll in the finest universities of our country, are incapable of knowing right from wrong unless they read it in writing? The issue is quite simple. These students, by their own admission, knew that streaking was not allowed, and they chose to defy the rule. Now they are being held accountable for their actions and are turning to their parents to excuse their behavior. Pressure is being applied on Mr. Skelly and the board in the form of personal threats and vandalism. If the board succumbs to this pressure, it will send the message to the students of Saratoga High that they are above the law, and their special status and privilege does make a difference and separates them from those with less political and economic influence. I urge the board to hold the line and not capitulate to the pressure being applied. While the students may now feel that they are suffering a grievous injustice, 10 years from now when they are business persons negotiating mergers, attorneys writing briefs or physicians counseling patients, they will look back at this incident as a lesson that taught them about accountability and integrity.
Douglas Fredrick, M.D. Measure D is good for property values A yes vote on Measure D is not only a vote to repair Saratoga's aging schools and construct the new classrooms needed for enrollment growth; it is also a vote to protect the value of your property. As a real estate professional, I know that all real estate offices have ratings for each district in California based on test scores, instructional programs, facilities, graduation rates and quality of teaching. Any real estate broker will also tell you that the No. 1 concern of today's home buyer is finding a home in a district with the highest-quality schools. Buyers evaluate these ratings before they look at properties. Sellers within the Saratoga Union Elementary School District greatly benefit from the district's excellent rating of 98-99 percent. Parents who want an excellent education for their children choose Saratoga and are willing to pay 15 to 20 percent more for their home if it is within the Saratoga Union Elementary School District and the Los Gatos-Saratoga High School District. If you doubt these percentages, ask anyone with a Saratoga address outside these boundaries about the impact these school districts have on values when a house goes on the market. I believe that our entire community will benefit from improving the educational facilities in the Saratoga schools. Each property owner will be asked to pay $39 for each $100,000 of assessed, not market, valuation. This bond will run for 30 years and can only be used for buildings, not teachers' or administrators' salaries. We should all be concerned about the decline in our home values if Measure D does not pass and the district initiates year-round double-session schedules to deal with deteriorating buildings and enrollment growth. That would have a serious impact on the desirability of Saratoga real estate. Measure D is the least expensive but most important insurance policy to ensure a continuing strong demand for property within our school district. Protect your property value and support our schools--vote yes on Measure D.
Jerry Houston The children need our financial support I am writing as a longtime Saratoga resident, in support of Measure D, a local bond to invest in Saratoga's future. Saratoga has a tradition of support for schools and a desire to maintain high standards in our city. In the past, forward-thinking Saratogans built the schools for our children by passing local bonds. Now it is our turn to look to the future and to do our part to ensure that Saratoga has the school buildings needed to support the excellent teaching and learning in our schools for the next 30 years. The need is great. I know because my granddaughter is now attending Redwood Middle School. It is virtually unchanged since her father sat in the same classrooms in the '60s. It is time to repair the heating and plumbing after 40 years. The old electrical system cannot handle the computers the kids need in the classroom today. And because so many of my neighbors and friends have sold their homes to younger families, more classrooms are needed for the growing numbers of students. As senior citizens, most of us live in homes with low, pre-Proposition 13 assessed valuation, and we will pay $39 for each $100,000 of assessed, not market, valuation. Saratoga's children need our support. It is the right thing to do. Vote yes on Measure D.
Kathleen C. Soderstrom Correction to Commentary A correction needs to be made to last week's Commentary, "Voters need to look at the hard facts." Because state legislators break budget amounts out in the million dollar category and rarely report any budget figures in thebillion-dollar category, my Commentary identified all budget figures by the millions rather than the billions. I caught the mistake after submitting my article to the Saratoga News, but it was too late to correct the error. California's total state budget for 1996-97 was $62.7 billion (not million). Funding for the K-12 educational system was $24.7 billion, and funding for the state's higher education programs, $32 billion, with the other 49 states' total budgets averaging only $6.6 billion, and it does not appear we have a "destitute educational system." Last week's Commentary by Chip Florence on how an educational system should not operate like a business needs a response. One of the reasons three of our American presidents stated "the educational system is broke" is because of the huge amount of costly bureaucracy that controls it. California has a layer of educational staffing at the state level, another layer of staffing at the county level, and state colleges/universities and many school districts have large departments providing staff service. How does all this bureaucracy equate into the number of nonteachers (overhead) supporting each class teacher? Those opposing Prop. 203, the $3 billion Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 1996, stated in the ballot pamphlet that there were 127 nonteachers for every in-class teacher. Those supporting Prop. 203 did not contradict the 127 figure. To try to ascertain how accurate the 127 nonteacher figure actually was, I contacted educational representatives and elected legislative representatives, but no one could provide me with two simple figures, i.e., the total number of teachers and the total number of nonteachers on the California payroll. This experience did teach me just how huge the educational bureaucracy is in California. My question to Chip Florence is, does your company have 127 staff people to oversee each of your workers?
M. Elaine Hocker Boundary change would cause fiscal damage I feel compelled to respond to Rolandus Roosenboom's Commentary in the Saratoga News regarding the redrawing of school district boundaries between Campbell Union School District and Saratoga Union School District. Essentially, Saratoga residents want to be included in the SUSD instead of CUSD. There's no denying that redrawing school district boundaries by keeping San Jose, Campbell, Santa Clara and Los Gatos residents out of Saratoga will increase the property values of some Saratoga residents. However, if tacit approval is given to redraw the boundary, I fear we will be faced with far more serious repercussions. Approval would in essence have a domino effect, giving a green light to residents anywhere in the state to petition the redrawing of school district boundaries--solely for economic gain. The fiscal and psychological damage from an unwise decision would be devastating. In addition to having a paralyzing fiscal impact on school districts, putting up boundaries based on property values creates a chilling effect that smacks of socioeconomic discrimination. Is this truly the direction we want to take as a community, and does it reflect the values we want to instill in our children?
Steven T. Fukuda Perhaps it's not too late for Claravale? I was so sad to read in the Saratoga News of May 14 that Claravale Dairy is finally having to leave its site in Monte Sereno. When I discovered this little gem a few years ago, seeking it out after having been told of its existence by an English friend, I could hardly believe what I was seeing. It was a beautiful warm spring day, so the grass was still lush and green in the pasture, and the healthy-looking, gentle Jersey cows were waiting patiently to be milked. I thought I had been transported back to a hidden corner of England. Later I bought and sampled the thick Jersey cream, a taste I'd almost forgotten. I find it hard to believe that we do not consider this to be part of our heritage worth saving. Although I note there has been a group trying to save the dairy, I have seen no publicity for this in Saratoga. I think if this had been more widely publicized, there would be many people who feel as I do, and would have liked to do something to help preserve this little piece of history. Perhaps it is not too late?
Margaret Magill
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This article appeared in the Saratoga News, May 28, 1997. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||