Dear Editor:
I was reading Dennis Taylor’s latest column, nodding in
agreement, and then I got to the last paragraph.
Dear Editor:
I was reading Dennis Taylor’s latest column, nodding in agreement, and then I got to the last paragraph. Wow! Calling the Gilroy High School Parent Club “a punch line waiting for a joke” is truly pathetic. Mr. Taylor has taken on the role of GUSD operative on numerous issues over the past few months. Usually he lacks a basic understanding of the facts, but this time he is really clueless about his target. I”m here to help.
The sole purpose of the GHS Parent Club is to support the staff and students of Gilroy High. Parent clubs are not political organizations. Officers and members of the GHS Parent Club are the parents of students enrolled at Gilroy High. As co-president of the GHS Parent Club, I don‚t have the right to exclude any parent from joining or running for office. All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend our monthly meetings. The fact that some members of the GHS Parent Club are also members of the Academic Alliance should not be surprising. It makes sense that parents who advocate for academic excellence would also want to be supportive of their school community.
The parent club agenda never includes discussion of the past employment of our parent members, nor does it allow time for parents to share information on their personal political philosophy. I have sat on the board at three different school parent clubs, and they all focus on the students and staff at their school. I urge Mr. Taylor to attend any parent club meeting in Gilroy to see what a parent club is all about, since he obviously has no idea what their mission is.
The school district calls parent engagement a top priority but I have a strong suspicion that there are some parents they would prefer not to engage. The district is now burdened with an enthusiastic group of parents whose children attend Gilroy High School. These parents believe that they need to be involved in the education of their children.
In its inaugural year, the Gilroy High School Parent Club has raised more than $2,000 to date which will be used to buy supplies for all the teachers at the school. The parent club exists to support and enhance the academic experience for the students at Gilroy High School. The Gilroy High School Parent Club has no hidden agenda. After reading Mr. Taylor’s comments, I’m not sure I could say the same for him.
Denise Baer Apuzzo, Co-president GHS Parent Club
Submitted Thursday, April 15 to ed****@ga****.com
