Dear Editor,
I read the article concerning Brownell Academy and I completely
disagree with Monica Chipman.
Dear Editor,
I read the article concerning Brownell Academy and I completely disagree with Monica Chipman. I am 14 years old and a soon-to-be sophomore at GHS. I am a former student of Brownell Academy and I had the time of my life there. I still go back to visit some of my favorite teachers. I actually asked my parents to send me to Brownell instead of South Valley when I was going into middle school. My parents never had a problem with the school.
” … Staff disciplinary measures consisted of screaming at students …”
No it did not! In my three years I witnessed many things that a normal person on the street would have screamed at if confronted with. But no, they didn’t scream. A perfect example of this would be in my 6th grade year when a student kicked my history teacher in the shin. What did my teacher do? She called campus security and had him taken to the office. No screaming. She may have raised her voice somewhat, but not to the extent of screaming.
Chipman said referring to (Principal Suzanne) Damm, “Consequently her staff didn’t respect her and the children didn’t either …”
Yes they did respect her! Suzanne Damm was one of the sweetest principals I have had. She was always smiling and had something nice to say to everyone. She was very involved with the school functions and everyone loved her for it. She would participate in spirit days and join in the lunch time activities. I don’t know how many staff members that would come to school in a witch costume and as the devil. I have total and complete respect for her.
“The issue was further cemented by a recent survey revealing that 65 percent of respondents don’t receive timely responses from the school and only 79 percent think it’s easy to contact teachers.”
Make it 80 percent. It isn’t that difficult to get in contact with the teachers. You can: one, call the teacher; two, e-mail the teacher with the address they give you on a sheet of paper on the first day of school; or three, go to the school and talk to the teacher in person. A teacher has so much to do and such little time to do it in. If you give them a little time, they can get to you.
“Brownell is the only school in the Gilroy Unified School District … without a Web site.”
That isn’t entirely their fault. The Web site was created and maintained by the computer class. Once the class was discontinued, the Web site was stopped as well.
I was friends with Karin van Herk’s daughter Lauren, one of the smartest students at Brownell. She excelled in all of the classes the school had to offer. She was an excellent basketball player as well. Obviously, her daughter didn’t have a problem in the school. Why else would she is sending her son to Brownell too?
If you really want to know what the school is like, ask the students. Parents don’t know what the school is like unless they attend it everyday for years at a time like us students. We live it. Why don’t you ask the alumni attending the high school what they think of their former middle schools?
Brownell is a very respectable school with highly respected teachers. In fact, one of my favorite teachers, Charla Mittman, was nominated for teacher of the year. I think that if you interview more people, you find that many people and students love Brownell and would recommend that every child should attend it. I would.
Kimberly Johnson, Gilroy
