On June 18, the Santa Clara County Board of Education voted unanimously to overturn the decision of the Alum Rock School Board and approve Rocketship #9. Under the guise of parental choice, county trustees have further endorsed and supported what amounts to a hostile takeover of a local education agency. Ignoring the valid concerns of ARUSD, they have succeeded in undermining local control – a key element in the state’s new funding system. While condescendingly praising Alum Rock’s significant improvement over the past several years in raising achievement, they’ve actually crippled its ability to continue this promising trend by virtually ensuring a steady reduction in funding through the loss of ADA (average daily attendance) for years to come. I’m sure the individuals and corporations behind the movement to privatize public education will rejoice over this misguided decision.
The November election will be our next opportunity to influence and alter this alarming pattern of behavior. Here in wealthy Silicon Valley, the real causes of the achievement gap are poverty and inequality. Together we must work to educate the community and government officials about this fundamental truth, and not allow the message to be twisted by those interested in personal gain and corporate profits. Their narrative is public education is failing. In reality, our local public schools have made impressive progress towards implementing the new Common Core standards and 21st century skills to better prepare students for college and career. Unfortunately, we are all guilty of failing to adequately fund these institutions so crucial to the future of our democratic society.
Read my comments from the ill-fated SCCOE board meeting below. (I was given 1 minute)
Good Evening,
My name is Brian Wheatley – President of Evergreen Teachers, and Chair of Mt. Hamilton Council. Together, we assist nearly 4000 teachers & educate close to 100,000 students in East San Jose. I’m not here to speak against the charter school movement or even demand you put a stop to unbridled corporate expansion. I simply ask you to support a local school district’s decision to do what’s best for its students.
Rocketship asserts it is a better choice than Alum Rock, but is there cause to doubt such a claim? There are numerous reasons to question the efficacy of voting to approve this petition, especially with Common Core implementation underway. Is it educationally appropriate to sit students, particularly the young ones, in front of a computer for hours at a time? Economically acceptable to send tax payer dollars across county and state lines? Extraordinarily risky to contradict a local education agency while being sued? Ethically proper for a board member to meet with Rocketship management in closed session?
As Trustees, your job is to support and regulate all schools in Santa Clara County. The best way to accomplish this goal is to vote, “No,” on the petition before you.
Thank you.
Brian Wheatley is President of the Evergreen Teachers Association and Chair of the Mt. Hamilton Council of the California Teachers Association,
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