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Speak Out
Association wants to unite and improve Willow Glen area
Thank you so much for your article on the North Willow Glen Neighborhood Association. We are indeed off and running in our goal to unify and improve our portion of the Willow Glen area.
The spruce-up day you mentioned brought out a group of enthusiastic volunteers which managed to completely weed the park-like space at Bird Avenue and Fisk. The effort was especially satisfying when we learned that thisoften-neglected space will receive official city park status.
This has been one of the goals of our association. Our thanks go out to Ken Yeager's office for making this a priority, and to Renee Erez for starting the process, even before the neighborhood association began.
Things are happening in our neighborhood. We'll keep you posted!
Alison England
President
North Willow Glen Neighborhood Association
It takes teachers, parents, a 'village' to raise a child
The Willow Glen Resident featured a column last week about my attempts to ensure my son Brett's continued success at Schallenberger Elementary School.
When your columnist Deborah Taylor-Hollis called after she had seen my ad for Brett's one-on-one aide, her message was one of complete understanding of our situation. Her column was accurate and compassionate.
I felt compelled to add, however, that a huge key component of Brett's successful kindergarten year at Schallenberger is his teachers, Vicki Long and Lori Manske; his one-on-one aide Stacey Johnson; and the other parents and staff at Schallenberger. Brett's ability is determined by a total team approach, the sum of all these individuals' time, energy and grace.
The saying "It takes a village to raise a child" has never been more true or had more meaning for me than since I've had the extraordinary experience of being Brett's mother. Thank you to all the individuals who have touched our lives this past year. I've never been prouder to be a member of the Willow Glen community.
Joanne Cordova
Mayette Avenue
Telling the truth about Willow Glen High School
There have been so many letters and articles going back and forth regarding Willow Glen High School which I feel are confusing to our community and disheartening to the staff at the school.
As a parent of a sophomore and a recent graduate, I feel that I need to speak up about the wonderful education that my kids have received at the school.
Our daughter was fully challenged by her teachers to strive to her highest potential. She had a variety of experiences outside the classroom ranging from team sports, to mock trial, to student government and had wonderful coaching and advising for all of those as well.
She was so academically prepared that she was admitted to every college to which she applied including Berkeley, NYU and UCLA where she now attends.
College has been an easy adjustment for her, and I would imagine if the high school had not fully prepared her that would not be the case.
We are equally pleased with the experience our son is having. Our principal, Mr. Pat Day, is an effective and well trained leader that the kids, parents and staff all greatly respect.
Our school board trustee Carol Myers is also a very hard working diligent person who has the best interests of our neighborhood schools at heart.
She is trying to point out the disparity between school funding and fighting for our fair piece of that pie. I don't hear her saying that Willow Glen is bad. I hear her saying that Willow Glen is a wonderful school which deserves more funding for the job that it is doing.
If the original lawsuit was meant to balance perceived inequities between racial groups, she is only questioning whether the current solution is answering that goal. If Willow Glen has a high ratio of those students without funding following in the same percentages, you have to wonder where the money is going and how that is being decided.
That is not racism; that is politics within the school district. If other schools get desegregation money and use it for enhancement programs, it makes the playing field unlevel. Willow Glen does a great job with fewer funds. All schools should have the same programs and the same number of periods offered. It shouldn't matter what color you are or which school you attend.
I know, as a parent, that my kids have gotten a high quality education at our neighborhood school. It is such a pleasure to help with parent club and booster club events because you get to know your neighbors.
As an active parent as well as an alumni of Willow Glen High school, I want to say to our community, this is a great school, send your kids there, be active; this is your neighborhood school and you can help strengthen your community by joining us.
To the Willow Glen High School staff I want to say thank you for the quality education and caring that you have shown our kids! You do a great job!
Teri Ravel Kane
Thrasher Lane
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
