Dear Editor,
I have received phone and e-mail communications from Gilroy High
Principal James Maxwell and staff and would like to thank all of
the staff and police involved in handling the challenging situation
last Friday. While we can never be prepared for every scenario, we
should use this as an opportunity to improve responses and
procedures to make our schools safer for our students in the
future.
GHS needs to do much better in potentially violent circumstances

Dear Editor,

I have received phone and e-mail communications from Gilroy High Principal James Maxwell and staff and would like to thank all of the staff and police involved in handling the challenging situation last Friday. While we can never be prepared for every scenario, we should use this as an opportunity to improve responses and procedures to make our schools safer for our students in the future.

It should be noted that after several recounts from students over the weekend, the events that actually took place on campus last Friday were far more involved that what was communicated to parents. I believe there are some additional thoughts that should be considered such that we are better prepared and ensure the safety of our students in the future:

n On Friday, students were specifically told by GHS staff not to use their phones. When parents contacted the office, they were told everything was under control and students were safely in class. I personally called the office at 2:05pm and was told everything was fine and the incident had been handled earlier in the day. Twenty minutes later students began calling parents urgently requesting an early pick up. Imagine the logistical issues involved for parents who work out of town and were unable to immediately respond to pick up their students. Some students had been planning to stay for sports practice so an early dismissal was three hours ahead of what families had planned. Furthermore, students were released to the front lawn area, an area rumored to be the site of a pending “drive by”. This caused anxiety for both parents and students and was not likely the best place to release the students given the events of the day.

Please clarify a policy to students and staff such that parent-student communication is facilitated in unusual situations. Parents have a reasonable expectation that students should be allowed to use personal cell phones at any time if personal health or safety are ever at issue. Also, if parents are unable to respond to pick up students prematurely for an early dismissal, the school should clearly state a safe alternate waiting place until appropriate transportation can be arranged.

n There seemed to be confusion as to how and where students were to go once violence erupted. As staff attempted to gain control when multiple events occurred across campus, students were told to immediately return to classrooms only to find those classrooms locked and unstaffed. As a result, many students waited in front of classrooms with fights taking place in those very areas. There needs to be consideration that staff members may leave campus during lunch break so returning students to those classrooms is not a safe plan, in fact such release exposes students to higher levels of danger since remote classrooms can not be easily monitored.

Please communicate to students and staff exactly where they should go in an emergency situation and ensure those areas are prepared and ready to safely accommodate students when they get to those places.

n There seems to be great concern in our community that the school’s zero tolerance policy is nothing more then rhetoric. For the safety and security of 95 percent of our students, please ensure that this policy is fully implemented at this time. Since our community is struggling to gain control over the increasing gang violence, we need the school district to not only enforce the policy, but proactively remove those students who are “at risk” of and capable of causing harm either directly or indirectly to other students or staff members.

If students are unable to understand and comply with basic behavioral requirements, we need to insist as a community that they be removed for negatively impacting or disrupting the learning process of other students. Additionally, we have a moral and legal obligation to ensure the safety of those students who do behave in a manner consistent with our policies and expectations.

Please communicate a policy consistent with these obligations and ensure such policy is enforceable and enforcement is transparent. I encourage you to consider these points to ensure the safety of our students now and in the future.

Susan Bassi, Gilroy

Expel every student involved in gangs so the rest get an education

Dear Editor,

I don’t have video or photos, but I do have something to say about the fight. They should expel every student that is involved in gangs and let the rest of the students finish high school. The school has gained a bad reputation and I think they should make the students wear uniforms.

I am a mother of two Gilroy High School students and it upsets me to hear about everything that is going on at school such as a female teacher choking one of her female students, a male teacher taking off his shirt in class and the male teacher who had sex with a minor and now a food fight.

What’s next a fight with knifes and forks and then after a fight with guns.

Gloria Berard, Gilroy

MACSA director: ‘attacking’ the agency is no help to anyone

Dear Editor,

Let me start off by saying that MACSA is not exempt from the economic crisis that our nation is now facing. We, like other non-profit agencies, businesses, and families, have had to make some difficult decisions that have impacted our organization. During this time, one of the highest areas of importance for MACSA has been to keep as many people employed with full benefits.

Earlier, MACSA responded to the Gilroy Dispatch’s inquiry related to the late payments for staff retirement and much to our disappointment, comments were misquoted, inaccurate and critical information was left out. MACSA would like to provide the public the actual status of this issue and present the facts:

-Funds held back were used to prevent from laying off additional staff with the understanding that full payment would be made by June 2009.

-MACSA is communicating and working with CalSTER’s (teacher retirement organization) and was told that staff will not be penalized in any way if payments are late to the system. MACSA will absorb any late fees and penalties if incurred.

-The delay of a refinance and sale of a property asset due to the banking industry debacle has slowed down the sale. Due to this delay, MACSA moved forward with having to lay off some staff and implementing a wage reduction of 25 percent across the board of all administration leadership and directors, including myself, starting in October of 2008.

-Another setback was due to the delay in the approval of the state budget. State funds were not coming in a timely fashion and caused cash flow problems. Once the state budget passed, funds came in and MACSA made a $66,000 payment to CalSTER’s on Feb. 25, 2009. The payment was sent to Gilroy Unified School District’s finance department.

-MACSA is current with this year’s payments to CalSTERS and is committed to catching up with all payment by June of 2009.

-If an employee is retiring or is asking to cash out their retirement prior to this date, MACSA is committed to making that person’s retirement whole to ensure that they are receiving their full benefits.

-MACSA has met with teachers and principals from both schools to address concerns and answer their critical questions. We are doing our very best to stay whole as an organization and working together to get through these difficult times.

Lastly, we do not believe that attacking and discrediting an agency that has for more than 45 years helped hundreds of thousands of people through senior housing, education, job training, after-school programs, recreational and intervention services is of any help to anyone. Difficult decisions are made during difficult times, the intention is always to keep programs providing service and people working. Know that our obligations in the bigger picture are our responsibility and need to be met. We are committed to this.

Let us come together during these turbulent times by showing compassion and understanding. It is good for all people and for our communities.

Olivia Soza-Mendiola, CEO, MACSA

Hello, hello … doesn’t anyone realize that we’re in a drought

Dear Editor,

It’s raining, for crying out loud … plus, we are officially in a drought in the state of California.I drive by a house on Crawford Place that even in the mornings when it’s pouring rain, the sprinklers are sprinkling away. Hello, how much water does that lawn need?

And, on Wednesday, I was at the Las Animas Dog Park and the sprinklers were popping up, trying to go full blast, water squirting out, and then they went back down again. Why, oh why, City of Gilroy aren’t they turned off for the season? Let’s all get a little “water smarts” and remember that we are in a drought, and lawns in the month of February don’t need any more water than what comes out of the clouds.

Susan M. Baker, Gilroy

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