Helping All Kids to Learn

As Santa Paula’s Class of 1997 valedictorian, I was quite pleased by the education I received for most of my four years. There could be no better time to graduate. The changes that are scheduled for next year, I fear, could undermine all the progress achieved in the honors program ever since it began years ago.

Our new superintendent, William Brand, has made so many detrimental changes to the program that I wonder if it could ever be called “honors” again.

First, the top two English teachers with the most seniority in the honors program have been denied their Honors 9, 11 and 12 positions for next year. One has to wonder about the administration’s intentions in doing this, since these two excellent teachers have also been the most vociferous opponents to the change.

Administrators also claim that standards will not be lowered for this new system, but it is already too late for that. The new English honors teachers have been advised not to assign summer reading--not even one single book as homework and preparation for the upcoming school year.

When asked why, Brand responded that the summer assignment was being used as a teacher’s tool for eliminating students and that kids should go play ball because, after all, they are kids.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but does learning really now start in September and end in June?

Our administrators just don’t understand the fundamental problem of our high school: motivation. SPHS gives each child a chance, but the real question is, do these kids they’re trying to improve take that chance?

The answer is no. Not every child has a good home life, not every child wants to go to college and, ultimately, not every child wants to go to school at all. If some students don’t do their homework now in the standard classes, what makes the administrators think they’ll do double the work in college prep?

It’s also funny that “standard track” kids who failed their classes last year are now upgraded to college-prep classes. The administration and school board obviously can’t go to each student’s home and drag them off to class.

There is a reason there were only 12 students in my advanced-placement government class: Students don’t want a lot of homework, so they opt for easier classes. Does the school board really expect a sudden miraculous phenomenon where students can now do two times the work that they have never done in the first place, just by changing the labels? How do they account for variations in skill levels, motivation, work ethic, etc.?

Their goals are quite admirable and reforms are necessary to the lower levels, but their tactics are unsuitable with merely three months’ preparation.

I offer a different approach:

First, raise the standards of education in the “standard track” and college-prep classes before you go contaminating the whole system. Second, reinstate the two honors teachers because they have the experience for these classes.

Then let the higher standards bubble up to the top so that everyone is achieving at his or her appropriate abilities.