Sandy Sims asks, "Why are we so focused on the test scores?" I'll tell you why. It is because a vocal subset of administrators, teachers, parents, newspaper editors and politicians will not stop complaining. They complain that "teachers will teach to the test" or they complain that "testing emphasizes knowing the 'right' answers" (wait--this is a bad thing?).

On the other hand, there are thousands of administrators and teachers, and millions of parents and students, who are not focused on the test scores and who are not complaining. These people see testing for what it is: one tool among many that helps us understand how students are learning and how learning can be improved. They don't let the tests rule their schools or their kids' education. They take tests in stride, work to improve where improvement is needed, and move on.

Louise Christy

Sunnyvale

City flip-flops on naming
telecom as quasi-public

The city has not been forthright in the council's vote on March 29 to uphold the approval of a Sprint 55 foot-tall tree pole (called a 50-foot monopine) at 800 Carlisle Way.

Planning report 2004-0863 stated "The applicant identified a possible candidate on an existing light standard in [Ortega Park.] ...The parks department currently discourages private telecommunications facilities on city park properties."

Noting that the planning staff had classified telecom as "quasi-public" in the same report, we suggested in our appeal letter that "quasi-public" telecom sites should be allowed in Ortega Park. Subsequently, appeal report RTC-05-092 substituted the statement quoted above with: "the applicant did not submit materials for review by the Parks and Recreation Department."

Furthermore, it stated the city did not have a policy prohibiting the use of city parks for wireless services, but park staff's concern was space for ground equipment.

We suggested solutions for ground equipment at the hearing and in our appeal letter. We were caught by surprise when, in response to the mayor, the park staff reverted to the position that telecom was commercial. The mayor readily accepted this flip-flop.

We gave reasons why Ortega Park could be the least intrusive yet most capable telecom location in the super-block. At the hearing, I learned for the first time how Sprint's attempts to contact park staff had been ignored. In rushing to put away Ortega Park as history, the council's majority vote was both irresponsible and shortsighted.

Mei-Ling Shek-Stefan

Sunnyvale

Letters about public safety
don't make any sense at all

Easter has come and gone but apparently funny-bunny logic about the administration of justice in Sunnyvale remains in full play. The transition from Rich Shapiro's alarmist rhetoric about police "brutality" and "horror stories" in The Sun's March 23 article "Shapiro sentenced to 50 days in jail" to Ronn Ward's claim (letters March 30) that "police want to arrest everyone at least once," does nothing more than substitute one rotten egg for another.

Ward's contradictions are funny, but unfortunately serve no worthwhile purpose. If the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety is arresting everyone, then how is it possible that, "... Sunnyvale is not what its residents think it is?" According to Ward Sunnyvale will "coming crashing down hard."

Since he has informed us that we are apparently blind and deaf, his dire prophecy is wasted on us. We'll probably be unable to notice the crash anyway. Ward is "sure a lot of cases were bogus" when he refers to his own and other peoples' arrests. That certainly sounds very self-important--in a bogus kind of way.

John Kacergis

Sunnyvale

Encounters between the police
and the public should be taped

While I find The Sun' March 23 article "Shapiro sentenced to 50 days in county jail" somewhat objective and factual, it fails to point out that Richard Shapiro was convicted entirely on the word of the police officer who confronted him. What readers need to keep in mind is that police corruption has been shown lately to be quite prevalent in our society. I am quite hesitant to draw any conclusions based on the word of one police officer.

The Rodney King incident comes to mind. If there had not been someone filming that day, King would be in jail and the police officers that beat him senseless would still be patrolling the streets and breaking the law.

There is a court case pending in Palo Alto that parallels this premise. Not to mention that the Sunnyvale Public Safety Officers Association has shown willingness to bury anyone who does not agree with their views (i.e. Tim Risch, the incumbent city councilman who was defeated in the 2003 election). I believe we need more people like Risch and Shapiro who have the courage to stand up to the police. The Risch incident still leaves me cold.

As a remedy, Shapiro proposes that all encounters between police officers and the public be taped. I can't think of any good reason why the police would object to this. Presently, when an attempt is made to record an encounter with police, the recorder is taken away before the taping can begin.

Peter Carmel

Sunnyvale

Senior center rule is causing
its popular classes to close

As a resident of Sunnyvale I recently experienced what feels like discrimination at the hands of the Sunnyvale Senior Center when the parks and recreation class that I have been taking for nearly four years was closed to half of its members. Soon after the senior center opened, our "Personalized Fitness" class and all of our equipment was moved from the Indoor Sports Complex to the fitness room in the new facility.

All was well until the most recent activity guide came out, and I learned that our class would, from now on, be offered only to members of the center. Apparently the staff enacted a hard rule that no one under the age of 50 is to use the facility between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. My class meets at 5:15 p.m.

Yes, my teacher and I and several of my classmates spoke to Patricia Lord, the recreation supervisor, and John Lawrence, the recreation superintendent, to see if an exception could be made for this class. It seemed reasonable that the class could be offered first to seniors and then, space permitting, to younger adults, but they are inflexible.

This rule discriminates against fully half of the class, and it is now under-enrolled for the current session.

The teacher has already received a notice that if her enrollment isn't up for the next session, the class will be canceled. She has been teaching classes for our parks and recreation department for 25 years. One among many ironies of this situation is that the fitness room closes at 4 p.m.--a full hour and 15 minutes before our class starts--so it will sit there dark and unused.

The seniors currently enrolled will lose their class, and the center will lose the substantial course fees that we have been paying every two months. If we cannot appeal to the staff on the grounds of human courtesy, can they not be persuaded by fiscal responsibility?

Cheryl Cavanaugh

Sunnyvale Senior