Disturbing is the only word that describes the lack of community input at the San Diego County Board of Education’s San Diego County Committee on School District Organization in La Mesa last week. And the Committee was the first to acknowledge that all the input was coming from mostly staff, administrators and teachers. Its lack of public input and the Committee’s concerns in vested interest is encouraging. It shows that the Committee is taking this situation seriously.
Disturbing is the only word that describes the lack of community input at the San Diego County Board of Education’s San Diego County Committee on School District Organization in La Mesa last week. And the Committee was the first to acknowledge that all the input was coming from mostly staff, administrators and teachers. Its lack of public input and the Committee’s concerns in vested interest is encouraging. It shows that the Committee is taking this situation seriously.
It is understandable that parents, students and many of the public might have trouble making it to a 6 p.m. meeting, but in this case, it is well worth the effort. If the community does not get involved in this process, it is likely nothing will change and the Grossmont Union High School District will move forward with its agenda.
In our coverage of the first meeting, it is evident that the Chaldean and Middle Eastern population is being divided up into three separate districts, as well as our local urban Indian population. This is simply a wrong approach to redistricting, unless there are alterative motives behind it.
High school students are old enough to have a say in this and should attend these meetings, as well as their parents. Not only will it make a difference in the decision making for the Committee, it will also introduce our young adults to the Democratic process.
I believe that the GUHSD has alerted the media properly to get the word out, and it is posted on its website (which is a complete disaster to navigate through), but I have heard or seen little on what it has done to educate its students and parents on this issue. Some of our local leaders are speaking out to local media, and for that I am thankful. But more needs to be done to get the community involved.
The next Committee meeting is in El Cajon on March 28 at the East County Regional Educational Center. Being that El Cajon has the second largest Chaldean and Middle Eastern population in the U. S., its leaders need to step up to the plate and get the community involved in this important decision making process. And not just the leaders that represent the community, but our elected officials need to inform the people of what is going on, and what is at stake for their constituents. This needs to be taken further, with all the meetings, and our mayors, city council members, county, state and national representatives need to be involved in this process and not leave it to the minority group leader and the District to spread the word. This decision, when it is final will affect the future of our children’s education, either good or bad.
I understand that many of our leaders cannot make decisions in this matter, but they have an infinite possibility of influencing the Committee’s final decision.
Although the District is planting its roots in the fact that there is no political stimulus here, I honestly just do not believe them. In my opinion, this is purely self-motivated with their own agendas, and boosting out those who do not agree. It is gerrymandering at its best, and that is the worst thing that our children need in receiving a quality education. So get involved. This is a campaign between what is right and what is wrong.
While you are at it, take time to read what the principal of Diego Valley Charter School has to say about the District’s attack on charter schools in our opinion section. Not every student thrives in normal public school settings. My son, went from a failings student to an A student when we made the decision to get him out of his public school and into a charter that fit his needs and learning capabilities. Not all students learn the same way, and now many of our charter schools specialize in current curriculum that gives them a head start in a career that fits today’s world. This shows another side of the District’s motives in education, and another questionable state of the District.
