Photograph by George Sakkestad
Christy O'Dell of Homestead and Melissa Mallery of Cupertino High are part of a group of 10 student leaders who met with the Fremont Union High School District board of trustees.
By LESTER CHANG
Amanda Lee, a student member of the Fremont Union High School District board of trustees, plans to attend college and doesn't worry about her future.
But she is worried about classmates who don't know how to set up checking counts, get their cars fixed and look for a job.
"The school district has to help them develop these life skills," Lee told board members recently.
Helping students prepare for the future was one of the topics that Lee and nine other top students from the district's five high schools took up with the school board and administrators on Jan. 22.
The idea behind the meeting was for both sides to explore ways to improve instruction and daily school operation.
Some topics they discussed: contract proposals for about 400 teachers and psychologists, harassment of students, reduction of class sizes and the creation of more classes.
Trustees, who met in a training center near the district administration office in Sunnyvale, hosted a dinner and were eager to field questions.
But they were momentarily stumped when students asked about the ongoing contract negotiations between the district and the Fremont Education Association.
Although federal and state labor laws bar trustees from freely talking about it, they noted the district's proposals were generous.
Trustee Nancy Newton was skeptical about quickly wrapping up the negotiations. "It is a complex proposal," she said. "It will take a lot of discussion." Both sides hope to reach an agreement by August, when the current three-year contract expires.
Trustee Randy Okamura and other trustees said they valued the efforts of teachers.
Regardless of the effort, teachers must do a better job of preparing students who plan to enter the work world after graduation, said David Martin, a Lynbrook High School student. He said it is important for those students to prepare now if they want to make a decent living as adults.
"If they plan to find work in the immediate area [Silicon Valley], they should be comfortable with computers and have skills to meet the demands of the high-tech world," he said.
Other students touched on other topics:
* Harassment. They said students don't discriminate against other students.
* Emergency drills. Fremont Union School District Superinten-dent Mary Panucci said law-enforcement agencies and city governments developed the drills for the safety of the students and that students should take them seriously. (The discussion was prompted by the closing of Homestead High School and surrounding areas on Jan. 11 during a police search that last about eight hours.)
* Redesign of the curriculum at Fremont High School. The district is looking at the option of dividing the school year into three segments to encourage learning. Another option is to increase the length of time for classes and reduce the number or days students attend school, a system used in colleges and universities.
* Reduce class sizes. The average class size is 32 students, but school officials said reducing the class size by even one student is cost prohibitive.
* Students participating in the evaluation of teachers. The current teacher contract doesn't allow students to do that, although some teachers have voluntarily allowed students to evaluate them.
At least three of the students said they wanted to be elected to the board one day.
Trustee President G. Franklin Pelkey said he was impressed by the students who attended the meeting.
"You make us know, whether we get paid or not, that what we do is worth it," Pelkey said. "We are proud of each and every one of you."
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, February 14, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.