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Speak Out
Thanks for an article that really meant a lot
Thank you for the wonderful article that you wrote about me for the Willow Glen Resident (Volunteer Without Borders, April 18). That you were able to develop a tight article from my rambling conversation is tribute to your writer's skills. But more than that, it was a very kind article, and I felt honored by it. My family was also touched--my mom even started to cry when she called me about it--and that meant a lot to me.
I'm still not sure why The Resident chose to do an article on me, but I am very grateful.
Jamie McLeod
Glen Eyrie Way
Article included incorrect take on Balkan conflicts
Thanks for the insightful article (Volunteer Without Borders, April 18) about the relentless humanitarian efforts of our remarkable neighbor, Jamie McLeod. It is all the more reassuring to know that her worldwide experience is now used to the benefit of our own multicultural community.
However, political opinion, however subtle--as well as factual errors--should stay out of such articles. In particular, that refers to the statement regarding the origins and scale of the Balkan conflict.
In reality, the area slid into civil war--with all the humanitarian consequences that accompany such conflicts--as a result of Germany's 1991 decision to support armed secessionists bent on dismembering the former, multi-ethnic and multicultural, Yugoslavia (a policy that was regrettably later to be seconded by the U.S. government).
Likewise, the often repeated, but nonsensical analogies with "Hitler" are as much a distortion of the facts of the Balkan civil wars as they are disrespectful of victims of much deadlier modern conflicts (particularly in Africa), as well as victims of the real Holocaust.
Radmilo Bozinovic
Fairview Avenue
Cartoonist DeCinzo is uncouth and not even that humorous
DeCinzo has finally confirmed my suspicions and opinion of him. The so-called editorial cartoon of April 25 (Steven DeCinzo...Open Studios) is totally in line with all his other offensive cartoons. I cannot believe you keep him on your staff! He is not funny and he is not controversial. Rather, he is uncouth. It appears his cat is making an obscene gesture. Has the Willow Glen Resident no sense of community or morals? Enough is enough! Please get rid of him.
Suzanne Cistulli
Cheryl Way
Bigot label unfair one to give board member
I find Ms. Fukushima's letter ('Bigotry seems the key to school trustee's attitude,' April 11) puzzling since she seems to be playing the bigot card that is the hallmark of our desegregation attorneys. They play the race card and Ms. Fukushima plays the bigot card. This seems to be the strategy of people who are afraid of discovering the truth, and do not want to discuss the issues concerning desegregation. I can assure Ms. Fukushima that my credibility is very much intact and I will continue to promote an honest, informative and objective dialogue about desegregation.
Perhaps Ms. Fukushima can explain why Leland High School retains 90 percent of its neighborhood students, while Willow Glen High loses 50 percent of our students. Is Leland more community-oriented than Willow Glen? I don't think so. As for the ZIP codes mentioned in her letter, all but 95125 are downtown ZIP codes. How many of these ZIP codes do Leland High or Pioneer have? But the real issue is why are Almaden Valley students not choosing Willow Glen schools. If desegregation is really working, there should be movement south to central and even north, but of course, we know desegregation in its present choice/magnet form is not working, at least not for Willow Glen, because we continue to lose our neighborhood students north to Lincoln High and south to Castillero, Bret Harte and Pioneer. These are schools that have either choice/magnet programs or are perceived as having higher test scores and, therefore, must be better schools. If our Willow Glen families are leaving our schools, wouldn't you want to know why?
The district is applying for a federal magnet grant for several schools, one of which is Steinbeck Middle School in South San Jose. The reason the district gives for their application is that Steinbeck is losing neighborhood students to--guess where--Castillero and Bret Harte. Interesting that the district is concerned about Steinbeck's neighborhood flight, but not about Willow Glen Middle School. I wonder why. Steinbeck's student population is approximately 700 students, of which 49 percent are Hispanic, and of those students, 65 percent are economically disadvantaged. Willow Glen Middle School has about 1,150 students of which 57 percent are Hispanic and 79 percent of those are economically disadvantaged.
Why is it incumbent upon Willow Glen to educate all of the district's students when Leland and other schools participate minimally and, yet, they receive a disproportionate amount of money in relation to their economically disadvantaged Hispanic students. For example, Leland has 59 disadvantaged Hispanic students and they receive $750,000 in desegregation monies. This comes to about $12,712 per student. Willow Glen High has 353 disadvantaged Hispanic students and receives about $900,000 desegregation monies. This comes to about $2,500 per student. Quite a difference!
In addition, $220,000 of Willow Glen High desegregation funds have to be targeted to low-performing Hispanic students scoring below the 20th percentile. Leland has no such restrictions. Leland's overall Hispanic student population is 16 percent and Willow Glen's is 54 percent. Clearly, our students need additional funds and programs which would help them and their teachers do an even better job. And of course, it would be nice to retain our neighborhood students since they, too, can provide diversity.
My husband attends the monthly Booster Club and PTA meetings and it is the same hardworking group of 10--12 parents who are doing more of the work. For a school population of 1,349 we should be able to have greater participation, but, if most of your families live outside the neighborhood and work long hours, it is difficult to have a high level of participation. This is where maintaining a core neighborhood group of families would benefit everyone who attends Willow Glen High.
Carol Myers
SJUSD Trustee Area #3
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
