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Classifieds

Issue date: August 18, 2000

Morale low at Graham Middle School

I commend the two Graham Middle School parents (Letters to the Editor, July 28) who went into great detail to put forth their concerns regarding the Mountain View School District and Graham Middle School.

I simply wish to add that the obvious lack of leadership is not new to this district, at least from what I have read, seen, and, as a parent with two school-age children, experienced at Graham Middle School.

I am gravely concerned that there is unprecedented exodus of Graham Middle School teachers; at least 15 had resigned as of June. Let me just remind you that this is not happening at other schools.

This past year, I witnessed the lack of sensitivity from the Graham Middle School administration towards this teaching staff in the name of bringing the school "up to academic standard." I was especially revolted by the ongoing lack of responsiveness toward and cooperation with parents, teachers, and community agencies attempting to complement the educational experience of children at Graham.

The school's modus operandi is "one size fits all." However, the reality is that some children are better prepared to learn, and others need additional support. Somehow, the teachers know this and can't fathom being disconnected from the needs of their students, academically and socially, especially in a school where cultural diversity and disparities in income are significant. The atmosphere at Graham Middle School is undoubtedly inhospitable.

I wrote a letter to the superintendent back in March about witnessing students involved in an after-school program eating their snacks outside the cafeteria. I was informed that the cafeteria needed to be locked because pigeons posed a health issue. It was obvious to me that the the concern for cleanliness took precedence over making our under-utilized school campus accessible to community programs, especially those trying to serve at-risk youth. This is an example of the unresponsiveness in a very simple matter.

Obviously, teachers are making a strong statement; in essence it is a silent but powerful call to action to the Graham Middle School community to remedy the conditions in which our children are being educated.

The school board and the superintendent bear equal responsibility for this. There is no reason why one administration must be retained at the expense of some truly wonderful wonderful and experienced educators.

As parents we must recognize that we are jeopardizing our children's education by allowing the school district to hire temporary help that may include uncredentialed teachers, long-term substitutes, and, more alarmingly, the "school site" administration team to teach our children!

Mrs. Didi Graham

Grant Road

Hidden environmental benefits of Home Depot

Using Mountain View's Environmental Planning Commission's data, traffic extrapolations can be made concerning the proposed location of Home Depot at the old Emporium site at Route 85 and El Camino Real. These show that Mountain View residents will save about $1,453,000 per year and the Palo Alto to Sunnyvale corridor residents will save about $1,729,000 per year on auto expenses alone if the proposal is accepted. In addition, it will reduce gasoline consumption in the corridor by 261,000 gallons per year and save Mountain View residents 219,000 gallons per year. This will reduce contamination in the air and ground water by cutting the consumption of MTBE gasoline additive by 39,000 gallons per year, a real health benefit.

These items have not been considered or mentioned by the Environmental Planning Commission and are an "unseen" benefit a new Home Depot at this location. They are based on Mountain View's impact sciences consultant's projection of 5082 trips per day to the new site.

All past and possible other uses suggested for this site would do exactly the opposite to increase traffic in the corridor and make the environment worse and not accomplish the above savings.

We, as 37-year Mountain View residents and home owners, will be urging the Environmental Planning Commission and the city council to approve the Home Depot plan and get this project started.

Marv and Gladys Anderson Van Buren Circle

Termination of Proyecto CHAC a tragedy

I am the parent of two children who attend Proyecto CHAC. One of our children was in the program for three years and the younger one for the last two. Both my husband and I work full-time. We are blessed that we have our good health to work; however, between the two of us we earn just over minimum wage and bring home about $29,000 a year.

We were very blessed to have Proyecto CHAC because we knew our children were supervised daily, received help with their homework, participated in an almost full-time eight-week summer program, and received many services that helped them feel that they belonged in school and believe that they could do something in life, all this free of cost.

My children's grades are acceptable, and this is fine with me, because my children have benefited in so many other ways by the help, support, and nurturing they received at Proyecto CHAC. Ultimately, I see that they believe they can aspire to be something in life.

I saw how my children struggled in elementary school, and how they continued to struggle at Graham Middle School, yet they felt that there were people in Proyecto CHAC's programs who were there for them all year and were concerned for their education, but most of all for their well being so that they could focus on their education.

I am in the process of learning English at the insistence and encouragement of the staff at Proyecto. Someday I hope to know enough English so that I am the one writing a letter and not my daughter, but for now I am grateful that Proyecto CHAC did not punish me or my children for my slow learning of a foreign language as an adult.

Proyecto CHAC made school information as well as information about my children's progress, especially the one with special needs, understandable and guided my husband and me to help him do better in school and to access the services in the community to meet his needs.

This was the very first time--at Proyecto CHAC--that I felt connected to my children's education. This program has meant a great deal to my children and my family.

I am scared for the other children who will not have this benefit, especially in a school where the needs of poor Latino students are often overlooked. How can Graham School and the school district afford to have more than 15 teacher positions open and face the loss of Proyecto CHAC, whose staff has worked so hard to complement school services for our children and bring parents into the school?

Carol Fisher, the Mountain View School Board president, said that another program, Healthy Start, was going to provide services. But if Healthy Start is to replace Proyecto CHAC, Mrs. Fisher and the school district really lack the sensitivity to understand that it is not about services, but about the relationships that Proyecto CHAC created with the parents and the children and the work they did to secure that we had the support, understanding, and self-confidence to access those services.

This district and Graham School lack the leadership, tools, and sensitivity to serve the full spectrum of needs of children, from poor families to rich ones, and from children in advanced classes to children who are failing in their education.

Not everyone in this district is fortunate to have high incomes, and some of us must work to survive--not to sustain a standard of comfortable living in this valley, but to survive, and for this our children will be punished.

The district, the school, and the city need to work at addressing these needs effectively by supporting programs that have established a close relationship with our community and are better prepared to support and help our children--programs like Proyecto CHAC.

Maria Garcia

Mountain View

Please!

(loosely, from "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer)

We hope that we shall never see

Home Depot--industrially ugly.

A blight whose parking lot is pressed

against our neighborhood's sweet rest;

A hive that swarms and sells all day

And sends trucks rumbling every which way;

Oh yes--it's true that all year long

Cash registers will sing their song,

But sales tax cannot pay the dues

of souls whose greed obscured their views.

Our town is made by me and you

A NO to Home Depot is a YES for Mountain View!

Natalie Panfili

Cuernavaca Circulo

I am the parent of two children who attend Proyecto CHAC. One of our children was in the program for three years and the younger one for the last two. Both my husband and I work full-time, like most parents. We are blessed that we have our good health to work, however, between the two of us we earn just over minimum wage and bring home about $29,000 a year. We work to survive. We were very blessed to have Proyecto CHAC because we know our children are supervised daily, receive help with their homework, participate in an almost full-time eight week summer program, and receive many services that help our children feel that they belonged in school and to believe that they could do something in life, all this free of cost. My children's grades are acceptable, and this is fine with me, because my children have benefited in so many other ways by the help, the support, and the nuturing they receive at Proyecto CHAC. Ultimately, I see that my children believe that they can aspire to be something in life. I see how my children stuggled in elementary school, and how they continued to struggle at Graham Middle School, yet they felt that there were people in Proyecto CHAC's programs that were there for them all year and that were concerned for their education, but most of all for their well being so that they could focus on their education. I am in the process of learning English at the insistence and encouragement of the staff at Proyecto. Someday I hope to know enough English so that I am the one writing a letter and not my daughter, but for now I am grateful that Proyecto CHAC did not punish me or my children for my slow learning of a foreign language as an adult. Proyecto CHAC made school information as well as information about my children's progress, especially the one with special needs, understandable and guided my husband and me to help him do better in school and to access the services in the community to meet his needs. Since my childen started primary school, this was the very first time-at Proyecto CHAC, that I felt connected to my children's education. This program has meant a great deal to my children and my family. I am scared for the other children who will not have this benefit, especailly in a school where the needs of poor Latino students are often overlooked. How can Graham School and the School District afford to have over fifteen teacher positions open and face the loss of the services of Proyecto CHAC who has worked so hard to complement school services to our children and bring parents into the school. Carol Fisher said that another program, Healthy Start, was going to provide services. But if Healthy Start is to replace Proyecto CHAC, Mrs. Fisher and the school district, really lack the sensitivity to understand that it is not about services, but about the relationships that Proyecto CHAC crated with the parents and the children and the work that they did to secure that we had the support, understanding, and self-confidence to access those services for our children. It is a tragedy that those who are in power are to removed from the needs of our children. In June, I was present at a school board meeting where the school board and the superintendent received lists with over 1,500 signatures in support of Proyecto CHAC and in support of our children. Now my child tells me the Healthy Start is what the district has to offer? Yes, this district and Graham School really lack the leadership, tools, and sensitivity to serve the full spectrum of needs of children from poor families to children from high incomes, and children in advanced classes to children who are not getting educated in the district. Not everyone in this district is fortunate to have high incomes and some of us must work to survive--not to sustain a standard of comfortable living in this valley, but to survive, and for this our children will be punished. Where will my children receive the support when they are running with the wrong crowd or are showing signs of bad behavior, who will provide the on-going motivation and guidance our children need to finish their homework, who will work tirelessly to make parents understand the value of education and the value in prevention, who will provide opportunities and expose our children to places and events that we as parents cannot afford, and who will work to secure that they understand their homework when they do not understand their teachers. The district, the school, and the city need to work at addressing these needs effectively - by supporting programs who have established a close relationship with our community and are better prepared to support and help our children-like Proyecto CHAC. Proyecto CHAC is and investment in our community not a financial burden as Mrs. Fisher has made it out to be.

Maria Garcia