Dear Editor:
As I read the article regarding former Gilroy High teacher
Kristen Porter, it only confirmed my perception of GUSD.
Dear Editor:
As I read the article regarding former Gilroy High teacher Kristen Porter, it only confirmed my perception of GUSD. Since I was taught “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all,” I’ll just stick to my personal experiences with the school district. A GHS male teacher physically pushed my son. My son didn’t provoke him, the teacher just simply didn’t appreciate the fact that my son wouldn’t allow the teacher to humiliate him in front of the class, he spoke up.
This physical attack was done in front of the entire class. My son pushed him back and left the classroom. I brought this to Principal Bob Bravo’s attention and to the counselor Mr. Rios. Although Mr. Rios shared my concern and agreed that this teacher was (to say the least) “out of line,” Mr. Bravo didn’t seem to think it was such a big deal. I don’t know, I just thought that if a teacher ever became physical with another student, that it would be grounds for termination. Silly me.
Just recently, a bus yard duty at Glen View Elementary yelled at my 10-year-old daughter for playing with her cousin on the grass. My daughter told her cousin that the yard duty shouldn’t be yelling like that. The yard duty then yelled across the parking lot “If you have something to say, say it to my face!”
We’re talking about an adult challenging a 10-year-old girl. Gosh, do you think she meant to scare the kid? I confronted her asking if there was a problem with my children earlier. This simple question seemed to give her the green light to begin yelling at me – we’re talking about an angry individual here! I immediately brought the matter to Principal Marilyn Ayala. Allow me to add that this is the second such problem with the same yard duty attendant. Obviously she held a grudge against my daughter because she was “talked to” about her prior behavior.
I never had the pleasure of meeting this yard duty before but I used to observe her 10 years ago and I was appalled at how she used to speak to the kids back then and I would wonder why she was allowed to treat the children in that manner. I never said anything because her screaming was never directed towards my children until now. I would think that in challenging a student to come up to your face and say something, it would be considered a threat. Silly, silly me. I am going to file a formal complaint with the school district but I’m sure I’ll just be “spinning my wheels” in doing so. Oh yeah, and I guess I should be writing this letter anonymously lest my children be “moving targets” within their schools!
Lisa M. Shingu, Gilroy
Submitted Friday, April 2 to ed****@****ic.com
