Bringing back lost school days

Yesterday I was forwarded an email by LCUSD Supt. Wendy Sinnette in which she called our teaching staff’s activities on the first pupil-free collaboration day “highly productive.”

I am a working parent and I had to take the day off. During the day our children went to the library, where we were greeted by other parents. In the afternoon some of the neighborhood kids went to the movies. Do you think children between the ages of 9-12 learn more from watching a movie or from having an in-school day with an hour of math, science, history and English?

I have learned the school board has just eliminated another half day from the calendar: On March 22, LCHS will have early dismissal due to open house that evening. On May 24, the elementary schools will have early dismissal due to open houses in the evening. This additional half day off was approved by the school board despite the statements of its members at the July meeting that they would take greater efforts to communicate with the PTAs, site council, parent and students. Did anyone receive an email, letter, or any notice whatsoever from the LCUSD stating that they intended to eliminate an additional half day from the school calendar? I didn’t.

I am voting for Andrew Blumenfeld and Ernest Koeppen because they are the only candidates to publicly state that they are against the elimination of the four (now 4.5) school days from the LCUSD school calendar. We are already at the California state minimum for school days — 175.5 days for the students of the LCUSD. We desperately need those 4.5 days back and we need school board members who will get those days back for us. Andrew Blumenfeld will bring us the knowledge he gained from working in education reform. Ernest Koeppen has worked extensively with LCUSD students to bring them technical, mechanical, and scientific experience with which to prepare them for their future.

If you believe that our students deserve a school year that is longer than the 175.5 days and a board that will work for and with the students and parents of La Cañada, please join me in voting for Andrew Blumenfeld and Ernest Koeppen.

Brooke A. Wharton

La Cañada Flintridge