School kids returning from winter break were greeted by
something new in their classrooms
– notices telling them they are entitled to things like quality
textbooks, flushing toilets and qualified teachers, as well as
where they can complain if they find a problem.
Hollister – School kids returning from winter break were greeted by something new in their classrooms – notices telling them they are entitled to things like quality textbooks, flushing toilets and qualified teachers, as well as where they can complain if they find a problem.
The notices are a first at schools throughout the state and are the result of the Williams case, a legal fight initiated by several students in California schools with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union. The students, including one who attended the San Francisco Unified School District, claimed they could not be expected to do well in schools that were overcrowded, lacked adequate materials and not staffed with certificated teachers.
Although the settlement was reached in August – with the state agreeing to spend almost $1 billion to bring all California schools up to standard – San Benito has not received any money and probably won’t see a dime until April, after the money is approved at a settlement hearing, San Benito County Superintendent of Schools Tim Foley said.
Once funds are received, Foley will conduct walk-throughs at each of the 11 school districts to make sure all are compliant with the provisions of the settlement, he said.
Foley said he did not know how much the county is poised to get, but also stressed that all county schools are in compliance and would not really benefit from the settlement.
“This is a lawyer’s solution (to the crisis facing schools), not an educational one,” he said.
Four San Benito County schools qualify for money under the settlement because they ranked the lowest on the Academic Performance Index (API) which measures student academic performance and school growth. However, despite their students’ low scores, everything is up to standard at Gabilan Hills, R.O. Hardin, Calaveras and San Juan elementary schools, which means the ruling will not bring about any changes there, Foley said.
Individual school districts will probably conduct their own checks to ensure their students have updated textbooks and there are no safety hazards on campus, before the final compliance checks are done, said Peter Gutierrez, assistant superintendent of the Hollister School District, which has three of the four under-performing schools in the county. However, the checks will be formal because all of the district facilities are up to par, he said.
“Being very objective, I don’t think any of our schools have to worry about textbooks or facilities,” said Gutierrez. “At the same time, if parents or students walk into the classroom and see something they are worried about, we definitely want them to report it.”
Under the new law, parents and teachers can file complaints to the school principal who has up to 30 days to fix the problem.
The notices are the first in a series of numerous new education laws expected to come out of the settlement, whose provisions will be finalized at a settlement hearing Mar. 23 in San Francisco Superior Court.
Karina Ioffee covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at (831)637-5566 ext. 335 or [email protected]
