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SJUSD board approves a new statement on desegregation
By Kate Carter
A majority of the San Jose Unified School District board approved a position statement last week in support of the district's desegregation policies. Only Board Trustee Carol Myers, who represents Willow Glen, opposed the statement.
The board used the statement to reaffirm a resolution it approved in November. Both the resolution and recent statement expressed the board's commitment to the two components of the district's court-ordered desegregation. Those include using school choice programs to end racial isolation in district schools, and improving academic opportunities for the district's Hispanic students.
Myers, who supported the November resolution, said she opposed the March 1 statement, because it denounced criticisms from the Willow Glen community about the unfairness of choice and the negative impact choice has had on its schools as "not factually based."
"I would like to know the positive things choice has done for Willow Glen Middle School and High School," Myers said. She also said she wanted to discuss the statement with the Willow Glen community before she could support it.
Other board members voiced their support for the statement and several said they were dismayed by Myers' continued criticism. Trustee Veronica Lewis said she was offended by suggestions Myers made that the district was not being honest about how desegregation money is spent. She referred to a recent memo that shows Willow Glen High getting the second-highest amount of desegregation dollars of all the district's six high schools.
"I really resent the fact that people are saying we're trying to hide things," Lewis said.
Myers said that $770,000 of the $900,000 Willow Glen High gets is used to pay for a sixth period which other schools receive through other funding sources. District Superintendent Linda Murray said they would soon be moving all the costs for a six-period day to the district's general fund.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
