Concerned Aromas parent says devil has taken over editor’s seat

This letter is sent in response to Editorial:
”
Devil is at play in the ASJUSD.
”
First, I want to know which editor(s), by name, wrote this
piece. Second, I encourage this
”
editor
”
to read your statement regarding letters to the editor which
states:
”
You may be critical, but please be fair and factual. . . . The
Free Lance does not publish anonymous letters or those that are
potentially libelous.
”
I consider this anonymous editorial both libelous and devoid of
fair or factual information.
 
Dear Editor:

This letter is sent in response to Editorial: “Devil is at play in the ASJUSD.” First, I want to know which editor(s), by name, wrote this piece. Second, I encourage this “editor” to read your statement regarding letters to the editor which states: “You may be critical, but please be fair and factual. . . . The Free Lance does not publish anonymous letters or those that are potentially libelous.” I consider this anonymous editorial both libelous and devoid of fair or factual information. 

First to set the record straight, the “deharmonizing effort” did not start when the board decided not to keep Ms. (Mary-Ann) Tucker (Aromas School principal). This was the straw that broke the camel’s back. There have been constant attempts to get the board to address very large problems facing the district. For example, the board has refused to take action to address the issue of declining enrollment. We have asked the board to take some action to find out why parents are pulling their children from the district. I know many people who have removed their children from our schools and placed them in other schools, when these parents originally planned to have their children stay in the district’s schools.

Do you know how much the loss of one child is to the district? Just under $5,000 per child.  Multiply that number by each year the child would have been in school if they had stayed and you will find one of the biggest reasons that the district is experiencing financial hardship. I asked board members what the board was doing to address this issue and to find out why the parents are pulling their children. The response? Nothing. This is only one of the issues that our current board refuses to deal with. Our effort to get rid of non-responsive board members is driven by our belief that in doing so we will get board members who will address the important issues cited in the editorial and make changes that we need to improve our schools.  

I would like to know the factural basis you have for these statements: 

1. “Trustees did listen about the concerns regarding Tucker and took action, taking the course not popular with one segment of the community.” The true facts are the over 400 parents and teachers signed petitions supporting Ms. Tucker. Since Aromas Elementary only has approximately 500 students, this is a large majority of the affected members of the community. Were you at the board meeting at which over 20 people made statements? I was. The members of the board subject to the recall were disrespectful to those present. They never thanked the public for expressing their concerns.

Rather, they sat, stone-faced and non-responsive. They were not listening and their behavior, comments and body language showed that they had no intention of taking seriously the comments of the community that they purport to serve. 

2. The “residents who oppose the recall effort . . are the ones clinging to common sense.”  What facts do you have that this is true? I see no sense in clinging to old systems and methods that have proved to fail our children.  The board seems entrenched and unwilling to address the problems that all statistics prove exist. I don’t want talk and studies, I want action.

3. “The cost of a recall election could cost the district $45,000, money the ASJUSD cannot afford to spend.” Are you aware that the district and current board plans to give Sylvia Rios-Metcalf lifetime medical benefits if she stays until 2004? This will cause the district to lose millions of dollars for an expense that is not benefitting our children. Are you aware that at Anzar alone, we have been losing over 35 students per year due to removal for interdistrict transfer, private, charter or home schools? This is a loss of almost $175,000 per year to the district just for the high school. I understand that the board has already approved 56 interdistrict transfers by Anzar students for the 2003-2004 school year. This is a loss of $280,000 to the district. 

If we retain nine students in the district due to our efforts to get more responsive board members, the $45,000 for the recall will have been well spent.

I expected facts and fairness from you. You should be ashamed.

Michelle Noble McCain,

attorney at law, parent, Aromas resident for 15 years, and proud member of Community for Better Schools