When the school district decided to move from the magnet school
model to the attendance area model, many parents were concerned and
some were furious.
But the district assured the parents that every school would
provide the same curriculum and level of services. Living in one
neighborhood would not give any child a distinct advantage.
When the school district decided to move from the magnet school model to the attendance area model, many parents were concerned and some were furious.
But the district assured the parents that every school would provide the same curriculum and level of services. Living in one neighborhood would not give any child a distinct advantage.
That was then and this is now. As anyone who has been at our new middle school can ascertain, the facilities there are far superior to those of the other two middle schools. New buildings can’t be mitigated, so the parents expect the programs to be on par when the facilities aren’t. When it comes to academic classes, there must be parity. If Spanish is offered as an elective course at one middle school, it must be offered at all middle schools.
I am not willing to accept the latest “district think” which plagues our school board. Here is where they lost me:
“You’re talking $1.8 million for the track (to be resurfaced this summer), in comparison to $2 million for the opportunity to provide additional time for instruction,” Diaz said punching his calculator. “We’re talking 270 more hours of instruction a year. That’s pretty significant.”
Pretty significant indeed. So vital is all-day kindergarten, that we are implementing the program at two of our eight elementary schools. The fact that less than 25 percent of incoming kindergarten students will be partaking in 270 additional hours of instruction tends to significantly detract from the significance of the program.
The main problem with all-day kindergarten is that it is exactly the kind of program that begs for choice, an option which is no longer available in GUSD.
According to plan, Glen View, Las Animas and Rucker are scheduled to offer full-day kindergarten by 2009. By 2015, Luigi Aprea, Antonio Del Buono and El Roble should have full-day programs. How comforting it must be to an El Roble parent that full-day kindergarten will be available to their incoming kindergarten student only when that student will already be enrolled at Gilroy High.
The truth is some parents want a say in the programs which are offered. This plan was rushed through against the advice of the teachers union and without consulting residents. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to sell programs which MIGHT benefit a small segment of the community.
Finally, I will speak from my experience as a parent. I have three children who attended traditional half-day kindergarten in Gilroy. Of the three, only one might have benefited from full-day kindergarten, but was not emotionally ready to be gone all day.
Sharon Albert taught two of my three children in kindergarten, one of them before class size reduction. I consider her an extraordinary teacher. According to the Dispatch story, here is her expert opinion:
“I would like extended day to be a consideration,” said Sharon Albert who teaches at Rucker School. “It’s not the quantity of time, but the quality of time that makes a difference,” she told the school board.
If Sharon’s extended day students test as high as Rod Kelley students in full day, what are we to conclude?
Is it possible that extended day is an option at all schools sooner than full day will be possible at all sites?
The Board did not put enough thought into making this decision. The plan to phase this program in over 10 years is an example of the kind of inequity that continues to thrive in our district since the magnet school program was replaced with the equitable attendance area program.
