Our View: The cause may be worthy, but ‘teaching silently’ robs
Gilroy students, and it’s necessary for the school board to make it
clear that political protest does not trump education in the
classroom
Two hundred sixty days ago we called for the Gilroy Unified School Board to remove the highly unusual “creative freedom” clause from the high school contract. The clause remains; Day of Silence draws near, and already some teachers are stating publicly that they intend to observe the Day by remaining silent, even while drawing a salary for teaching in the classroom.
Even if a talented teacher, by expending an enormous quantity of effort and time, can craft a lesson that conveys information to students silently, that effort would be better spent using the teacher’s full talents in math, global studies or whatever the teacher’s subject material is.
Gilroy High School faces many academic challenges. Only 10.7 percent of our high school students are proficient or advanced in mathematics. Our average SAT score is, well, significantly below average. Fifteen percent of seniors have yet to pass the state exit exam in English; an overlapping 15 percent have yet to pass it in math; most of the material on the test requires a good solid eighth-grade education.
We can ill afford to impair even one instructional day.
Two hundred ninety-five days ago, we lauded the GUSD school board, because every member present at the April 21, 2005 meeting spoke against harassment of gays or anyone else. Every member agreed that students have a right to engage in political protest, such as Day of Silence. And every member agreed that teachers should be teaching during class time, with all their modalities.
And now Trustee Jim Rogers weakly utters, “We’re going to try to encourage that they do speak.” Gilroy High School Principal James Maxwell says, “I’m hoping that they (the teachers) don’t take a Day of Silence.” And teacher Sally Enriquez says, “We’re still gonna do it.”
The Gilroy School Board will consider a policy soon that will make it clear that Ms. Enriquez’s actions, if carried through as promised, would qualify as rank insubordination. That policy should be passed swiftly.
The time for encouragement and hope is long past. We need some direction and some leadership from the school board and from the high school administration.
Parents entrust their children to the school district so that they will be educated. Citizens pay school taxes for the same purpose. It is not appropriate for teachers to take a day-long vow of silence to protest anything, no matter how worthy, during class time. Too much is at stake.
