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Letters
Tips for safe driving
These are hints for drivers: The speed limit on Sunnyvale streets is 25 mph, except where increased by signs. Keep safely away from the lawsuit/bumper that you are following. When pulled over by police, place both hands in plain view at the top of your steering wheel, for safety. Heap or not, regularly inspect your car. If you insist on driving drunk or speeding or running red lights--be careful. He or she may be armed. Wearing your seat belt could prevent your face from damaging your windshield. With your two attentive hands controlling your car, you could safely hold your cell phone with your teeth.
Robert Thoen
Sunnyvale
In defense of Lee-Hiraoka
A few weeks ago, The Sun interviewed several of us about the demotion case of Fremont High School Asistant Principal Lee-Hiraoka. Later a group of Fremont High newspaper staff students and teachers raised their opinions about this same case.
While we respect their right to express their opinions, we as concerned parents from the FUHSD community must point out that keeping and nurturing good teaching staff should be a concern to all of us in the district community, regardless of which individual school we are from, as our teaching staff are shared by the whole district.
Although the two letters from Fremont expressed their support for the board and district decision, they failed to present any solid facts why they supported such a position. We wonder if any one of them knows the documented official reasons of Mrs. Lee-Hiraoka's demotion by the Fremont principal. We are aware of those reasons, which are not sound and not substantiated.
We (some 450 parents) raised our questions and concerns to the FUHSD and the board in a jointly signed letter on March 31, based on these officially documented reasons of "demotion." This was not a simple "reassignment" as The Sun put it. Demotion is very different from a "reassignment," which involves one's career life, salary, and responsibilities, to name a few.
This is especially damaging to the personal morale as an educator. We hope the paper can clarify this important point.
Based on those specific official reasons, it is a too harsh and unfair punishment to "demote" Mrs. Lee-Hiraoka. Besides, Mrs. Lee-Hiraoka had only been at Fremont High for less than six months (from September 2000 to early February 2001, including winter break) when she got this punishment, while she has earned excellent performance appraisals from Lynbrook and Homestead during her work there from September 1997 to June 2000.
The rationale and decision of the Fremont principal and the superintendent to demote her based on six months of work at Fremont (for unsound reasons) while disregarding her excellent performance of the last three years at other district schools would make any reasonable person suspicious and puzzled.
For example, all those parents we know at Lynbrook--who knew Mrs. Lee-Hiraoka from 1997 to 1999--have nothing but good words to say about her. Parents of various backgrounds (Caucasian, Hispanic, Chinese, Korean, etc.) all liked her for her care of their children. She did not favor students of any particular ethnic background. But did the district treat her fairly and positively?
We question seriously the decision by the Fremont principal and the superintendent. We also question seriously the reasons why the majority of the board supported such a decision.
The key issue of this demotion case is the questionable and unfair management practice of the Fremont principal and the FUHSD superintendent.
Mrs. Lee-Hiraoka has been an enthusiastic and very capable and caring administrator in the district for three years prior to her assignment at Fremont High. The Fremont parents liked her. As The Sun put it, she has really helped immigrant families adjust. (In addition to mainstream culture, she has an intimate understanding of Asian and Latino cultures.)
In any case, if she needs improvement of managerial skills, the district should provide such training and intervention, but not just get rid of her using unsound accusations without listening to the voices of concerned parents.
The community should pay attention to this point, especially if we claim we value diversity. The community should also pay attention to the real supervising responsibility and uninfluenced power of the FUHSD board, whom we the people of this district have entrusted.
Karin Costa, Hyoung, Fred Chao
FUHSD parents
Profiling is a reality
I read your article on racial profiling by the Sunnyvale Public Safety Department. I am a 19-year-old Hispanic and grew up in Sunnyvale. This incident was nothing new to me. I have been stopped by the city's police for years without cause. When the police have stopped me, they have never shown me any respect and have assumed that I am a criminal. I have no criminal record, and therefore I have no prior relationship with these officers.
In one incident I recall very clearly, I was pulled over with my girlfriend for a bad taillight. That was a reasonable excuse for me, but how many people do you know who get pulled over for a very minor traffic violation and get searched? They searched my girlfriend as well. I am used to being harassed by these people, but it is humiliating and degrading to see your girlfriend being searched by a male officer.
Please post my words in your paper so people can have a real understanding of what's going on.
Alex Angeles Ruiz
Sunnyvale
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
