Parent, Teacher and Students Uphold Valencia High Virtues

I can’t help but conclude that those who believe that Valencia is an unsafe, gang-infested school are simply unwilling to learn the truth or they automatically equate “40% Latino” with unsafe conditions and gangs. If their negative opinion of Valencia is based purely on ethnicity, I think of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech almost 30 years ago when he said that a day would come when people would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

Apparently, that day has not come yet. Some people judge Valencia High School on its ethnic composition, not on the excellence of its teachers, the character of its students or the quality of its education.

Having taught for five years at El Dorado High School and for 15 years at Valencia High School, I may be able to offer some insights into the two schools. Both offer outstanding opportunities for students; both have talented, dedicated teachers who care about their students, their school and their community.

The only real difference between these two schools is that Valencia’s population is more ethnically diverse, thereby offering students the important opportunity to interact with and learn from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

I hope that students who attend El Dorado will one day have the same opportunity that Valencia students have.

KAREN CLABORN

Brea

Karen Claborn is chair of the social science department and a U.S. history teacher at Valencia High School.