Dear Editor,
I would like to reply to Mr. Zappa’s
”
duh
”
letter about the Gilroy Unified School District Board not voting
for an alternative diploma for students who did not pass the CAHSEE
test.
Dear Editor,
I would like to reply to Mr. Zappa’s “duh” letter about the Gilroy Unified School District Board not voting for an alternative diploma for students who did not pass the CAHSEE test.
I, too, was pleased with their decision. I teach the English Language Arts CAHSEE class at Gilroy High School. This class is approximately half language learners, and half RSP, or Special-Ed students. In November, when they took the exam (some for the fourth time), we anxiously awaited for the results in January. Out of 20 students, six passed and were removed from this preparation class. The best day of my teaching career this year was the day I told those six students that they could graduate. One student passed both sections and was so jubilant that he begged to call his parents immediately. The grin on his face could not be erased and he was the visible reason why I didn’t want to compromise this diploma.
However, the remaining students, some who missed the mark by only two points, were obviously stunned. I felt for them, and realized again how difficult this seemingly “duh” test is for them. It is a test of endurance and stamina in English literacy for them for their various reasons, and it isn’t always a matter of not trying hard enough.
Therefore, I bristle at attitudes such as Mr. Zappa’s, as it seems that he is proposing that his viewpoint is the “norm” just because he feels this way about an issue that isn’t an issue for him. It is for many others.
Valerie Hunt, Gilroy
