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Officials of SJUSD say WG High better than perceived
Board member says that doesn't explain why students don't choose to register
By Kate Carter
San Jose Unified School District officials say Willow Glen High School, contrary to its public image, is a good school with much to offer its students and the wider community.
The district recently submitted to The Resident a document outlining the school's successful academic and extracurricular programs.
District spokesman Bill Erlendson said the document refutes what the district sees as negative publicity about the school.
Erlendson said enrollment at the school for next year is down by about 200 students, compared to how many had enrolled by this time last year. He said recent articles in The Resident could have contributed to the fewer students registered for next year.
District demographics specialist Bob Gonzales said the school's enrollment has decreased by about 160 students, compared to last year. He said, however, his office had projected the school's enrollment to drop for the coming school year by about 120 students. He added that enrollment at the school has been down for the past two years; there were just 100 fewer students this year than the year before.
The newspaper articles Erlendson referred to reported school board trustee Carol Myers, who represents Willow Glen, and Willow Glen parents saying Willow Glen Middle and High schools are losing local students to other district schools. Myers and others say those students aren't attending Willow Glen schools, because they have fewer expensive programs and don't have sufficient money to address the academic needs of all their students.
"It's a good document in that it highlights the positive," Myers said. "But if things are so great, why are we losing 50 percent of our neighborhood students? If everything is so wonderful, we should retain at least 75-80 percent. I think we're having a serious problem here."
The document, submitted under signed cover letter by District Superintendent Linda Murray, says about 50 percent each of the Willow Glen area's white and Latino students attend Willow Glen High, 89 percent of whom had attended Willow Glen Middle.
The school's scores for California's Academic Performance Index, based in part on students' performance on the Stanford 9 standardized test, exceeded its target scores last year. Student scores surpassed the state's average Stanford 9 test scores in reading, history, math and history, the document reports.
The school offers accelerated and honors courses in English, history and science and a wide variety of Advanced Placement courses that can prepare students to qualify for college credit in those subjects. San Jose State University and the University of California also hold college classes on the school's campus that students can take for high school and college credit.
Eighty percent of last year's graduating seniors were heading to college, the document reports, citing the 1999-2000 senior exit survey. Students graduating this year are planning to attend the University of California, Santa Clara University, San Jose State and the University of Rochester in New York state, the document reports.
Willow Glen students participate in many different extracurricular activities including sports, fine and performing arts, science and math programs, vocational programs, academic excellence organizations and student clubs, it reports.
Nearly every teacher at Willow Glen High holds a high school or secondary credential, it says, significantly above the average for California's high school teachers. Almost a third of the teachers hold masters degrees, the document reports.
The school's campus is in the midst of a major renovation to improve its labs, technology and classrooms. The school is supported by a variety of parent groups and a fundraising educational foundation.
Myers said parents at Willow Glen High are less involved than in previous years, with only about 10 people attending the joint Parent-Teacher Association and Booster Club meetings.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
