 |
|
|
|
|
Speak Out
SJUSD isn't telling the truth about testing
The San Jose Unified School District administration does not want to be held accountable, they do not want anyone telling them that they are grossly underperforming for our children. The SAT-9 test may have slightly higher test scores. What they do not tell you is that the test is the exact same test as the year before! Don't you think that you would do well on a test that you had prior knowledge of and that you practiced the week before?
San Jose Unified leadership has 21 out of 29 schools underperforming [compared to] the national average. I have a lot of concern about the impact of having an unaccredited school district. The state Board of Education offered San Jose Unified $50,000 for each underperforming school and the district would have had to match these grants. These grants total $1.1 million. More importantly, it tells the state board to get lost! The district thumbed their noses at the state Board of Education. The district responded by saying that we don't need outside evaluators to get in our business.
In my opinion, the district over a period of time has lost the notion of what their accountability is. The focus was never on performance of our children. It is about programs, integration, building commercial endorsements, such as the Pepsi contract and money!
What schooling is all about is how our children perform, what they know and are able to do and whether they will be successful when they leave school. What the district does is get copies of the exact same test as the year before and then go over the test a week prior to the test.
I call that cheating. It does not test our children accurately! I intend to push the envelope on performance and achievement for all children of the San Jose Unified School District. More money needs to go for books, sports, arts and technology for our children, rather than 83 percent to salaries. I believe that it can be done in the district, but it is going to take new leadership. If the state takes over San Jose Unified, then the current leadership is to blame.
Michael Johnson
Jonathan Ave.
Yeager will stand up for neighborhoods
I have known Ken Yeager for the 15 years I have lived in Willow Glen. He is in tune with our district and would never cave in to special interests. Ken is a leader who will stand up for our neighborhoods.
I remember Ken's forthrightness in responding to public concerns regarding the enforcement of court-ordered child support when he was an aide to Supervisor Susanne Wilson. His advocacy for community concerns continues to this day. He is to be commended for his being fair and honest in working with families, government workers and the public.
I strongly support Ken Yeager because he is the most qualified candidate for District 6. Ken has the knowledge and experience to represent Willow Glen and the rest of the district.
Bruce Thurman
Laurie Ave
|
|
|
|
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
