Carolyn's Corner

November 4, 2004

Now that the 2004 election is behind us, it's a good time to look back and reflect on what did and didn't happen on Election Day. First, let's look at some of the successes for all of us. The three candidates for the school board that PVFT endorsed were elected, so hopefully, we now have union friendly trustees we can count on in the future. Also, Bersamin and Rios, who were endorsed by the Central Labor Council, were elected to the Watsonville City Council. These changes to both boards could bring positive change to the direction of the city and the district. And even though Prop. 72 was defeated, the 49.1% support was a clear indication that in spite of the misinformation of its well heeled opponents, the citizens of California realize that healthcare is in crisis and something critical needs to be done to fix it. Wal-Mart, fast food franchises, Macy's and Sears topped the contribution list with millions of dollars. Maybe next time, the people rather than the corporations will prevail.

Now that we know that Bush will be around for the next four years, the continuing harassment by NCLB will most likely escalate. His domestic agenda includes more improvements to the schools, so the pressure will most likely not go away. One breath of fresh air is a lawsuit against the federal and state governments that Coachella Valley Unified School District is considering claiming that the district is being held to unreachable goals. Other districts across the nation have also filed suits, mainly surrounding the unreasonable expectations for English language learners. I have forwarded a copy of this information to Dr. Mays hoping perhaps the Coachella lawsuit could become a class action suit from the many districts across the state that are dealing with the unreasonable reading and math requirements expected of English language learners. Something must be done, and done soon. Students in 31 percent of all U. S. public schools are already failing at math and reading under the rigid rules of NCLB. I don't believe we are doing a bad job as educators, and I certainly know how hard everyone is working to achieve the unachievable. Somehow the Feds need to learn this truth also. More to come on NCLB and on a regular basis I am sure.

I do need to silence one of the rumors that is racing around the district regarding NCLB. Although we have four Year 4 schools and three Year 3 schools, none of our schools have been taken over by the state, nor have any of the schools been closed because of it. Each of the year 3 & 4 schools are working hard at restructuring their programs to improve student achievement, and PVFT is very much involved with what some of the restructuring will look like. I'll keep you informed as changes occur.

Carolyn Savino