Dear Editor:
I am responding to your editorial concerning the proposed
countywide K-12 education initiative.
Dear Editor:
I am responding to your editorial concerning the proposed countywide K-12 education initiative. Not only is it unfortunate that you resorted to attacking the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group, but you have done your readers a great disservice by failing to mention the thrust of the initiative: improving student achievement and literacy and providing every classroom with a credentialed teacher.
Only one-third of Gilroy Unified’s students, for example, scored at “proficient” or above on state English language arts tests. Therefore, if ensuring that all students in our county can read at grade level constitutes a “special interest,” then count us in.
SVMG has a long history of working with key stakeholders to ensure that all of the valley’s students have the best educational opportunities available. This particular effort – which came out of the county K-12 Blue Ribbon Task Force more than two years ago – is no different, and we have been fortunate to work with a broad-based coalition of property owners, educators, parents, and community leaders to develop meaningful and creative local solutions to our K-12 crisis.
Also, the legislation to which you refer does not “change the law to fund teacher salaries.” It merely gives the county the opportunity to consider alternative ways – including a single parcel tax versus 32 individual district taxes – to address important issues locally instead of waiting for Sacramento. Moreover, it is ultimately up to Santa Clara County voters to decide locally (by a 2/3 supermajority vote, which you also failed to mention) what is best for our 251,000 students.
Apparently, though, you not only distrust SVMG, but you distrust local voters, as exhibited by your concerns about this proposal and comments about BART, which incidentally was supported by more than 70 percent of Gilroy voters.
I think your readers deserve better.
Dennis G. Cima, Director of Education and Workforce Preparedness SVMG
Submitted Thursday, July 1 to ed****@****ic.com
