In my opinion, the best story in Gilroy in 2006 is the Velladao
trailer park sewage spill and clean up saga.
In my opinion, the best story in Gilroy in 2006 is the Velladao trailer park sewage spill and clean up saga.
Initially, park owner Thomas Velladao blamed the tenants for the spill since they took the caps off the sewer lines when the toilets overflowed in their trailers. Later, he blamed The Dispatch (me, in particular) for calling him a slumlord.
But in the end, he spent $100,000 on repairs and a week personally painting, pruning and making dump runs to clean up his property.
Velladao said, “I got involved with the park for the first time in years. I’d been relying on a property manager. I got to know all the tenants there and that’s good. I’m going to be more involved with the management of the park from here on out because I don’t want the bad press and I want to know what’s going on with the property.”
This is my favorite story because a man, pricked by his conscience, took responsibility and effected a positive transformation: specifically, he positively transformed his trailer park.
I earnestly hope that next year I will be writing about a positive transformation at Gilroy Unified School District. We have an unparalleled opportunity right now. Dr. Jackie Horejs has left; Dr. Olivia Schad is retiring; Superintendent Edwin Diaz is deserting us to take the helm in Pasadena.
Pasadena will benefit from hiring Mr. Diaz. Their previous superintendent was of the Alvarez variety. Edwin is a decent man and a good husband, and works well with others. He will not inflict more scandals on PUSD.
I hope that Gilroy also can hire an even better superintendent. It might be hard. It would surely seem that we could find a superintendent and some assistant supes who know what a good education is and can work toward improving ours, but the pool of possible applicants is shallow.
One factor that works against us is what is called in educational circles the March of the Lemons. See, thanks to the unions, it is next to impossible to fire an incompetent teacher. Parents after a while learn which are the good teachers and request them.
They also learn who the incompetent or reprehensible teachers are and refuse to allow their kids to be placed with them. At this point, the March of the Lemons occurs: each school transfers its bad teachers to another school in the district.
Next year, parents who request Mrs. Goodteacher are told sorry, her class is full. No, you don’t have to have Miss Lemon; she no longer works here. But we have a new teacher, Mr. Meringue, who comes highly recommended. Would that work?
At the higher levels, the Peter Principle comes into play. You can’t fire an incompetent principal, but you can promote her beyond her level of competence to, say, math and professional development coach. She teaches fuzzy math workshops at Asilomar on “Mathematics in Problem-Based Classrooms.” Eventually, if she sticks it out and no one blows her cover, she is hired as a consultant or an assistant superintendent and her fortune is made.
The point is that it is harder than it might appear to find a good superintendent or assistant superintendent. I think we should hire Jaime Escalante. We can but try.
Remember the movie Mary Poppins? When the Banks family is looking for a new nanny, the children write an advertisement listing their requirements. In the spirit of hope, then, I list mine.
If you want this choice employment
Focus on academic achievement.
Don’t be fooled by stupid programs
Like Noyce and Stupski.
Never be afraid of unions.
Never betray your spouse.
Love the students as your sons and daughters.
Choose assistants who know good education.
If you bring up our AYP and API
We will never give you cause to hate and cry.
We won’t slam you in editorials,
Picket the district office,
Or fire you for cause.
Hurry, Superintendent!
Many thanks, sincerely,
Cynthia Walker, et al.
Happy New Year.
Cynthia Anne Walker is a homeschooling mother of three and former engineer. Her column is published in The Dispatch weekly.
