GILROY
– The effectiveness of the Reading Literature Advisory Group was
again called into question after two parents – who are also
employed at Gilroy Unified School District – were added to the
group last week by Gilroy High School officials.
By Lori Stuenkel
GILROY – The effectiveness of the Reading Literature Advisory Group was again called into question after two parents – who are also employed at Gilroy Unified School District – were added to the group last week by Gilroy High School officials.
The eyebrow raising began when audience members recognized the parents as being employees of GUSD, causing some members in the audience to question whether those parents would be participating in the group solely as parent stakeholders.
“There’s an obvious conflict of interest where, while they are parents of students and they do have right to participate, I don’t think there’s as much freedom for them to be critical of staff or reading list criteria,” said parent Mark Zappa, who in September submitted an application to participate in the group but has received no response. “If you really want a fair and open and equitable exchange of ideas, you can’t have people who are tied to the organization.”
Gilroy High School Principal Bob Bravo would not confirm or deny that either parent is employed by GUSD but did say that neither is a classroom teacher. However, Julie Varner, one of the group’s new parents, is a classroom teacher: Brownell Academy Middle School confirmed that she is a math teacher there. The other parent, Rose Harmon, told The Dispatch she is a specialist assistant for the Regional Occupational Program at GHS.
Members of the Alliance for Academic Excellence, who have pushed for a more rigorous reading list and educational program at GHS, questioned whether the district employees will feel open to challenging the current list and providing the group with new ideas. The Reading List Advisory Group was established this fall to analyze and make changes to the reading list.
Harmon said her position at GHS is unrelated to the group’s work.
“I don’t think that it would be any problem at all,” said Harmon, whose daughter is a sophomore at GHS. “I don’t see that it is because the concerns are for the English program. I don’t teach English, I’m not a part of the English program.”
Bravo said he was confident that the parents’ ties to GUSD would not hinder their ability to bring a parent’s voice to the advisory group.
The advisory group consists of four parents – two with students in honors or AP classes and two without; two students; and five teachers. School board member TJ Owens participated in the first meeting but was absent last Wednesday.
At GHS’s Curriculum Night in early September, interested parents were asked to fill out applications to be in the group. Bravo said that very few applications were received, so when two parents were absent from the first meeting, Assistant Principal Joni Madolora had to find replacements. Madolora was unavailable before deadline and Bravo was unsure how she selected Harmon and Varner.
The other two GHS parents in the group also have backgrounds in education, but no direct ties to GUSD: Rhona Lee is currently a dental hygienist but used to work as a curriculum developer for the Lawrence Hall of Science and Debbie Strunk, an attorney in Gilroy, holds multiple teaching credentials.
Alliance parents first questioned the make-up of the advisory group following the first meeting in late September, when two parents failed to show up. Alliance members were also unsure whether students should be included in the group.
