Full Context of Letter to the Editor of the Modesto Bee September 29, 1999

By Robert Serpa

On September 29, 1999 Robert Serpa wrote this and has distributed this as an open letter to the voters of the Stanislaus Union School District

To the Editors of the Modesto Bee;

As a candidate for the Stanislaus Union School Board, I am pleased to see the Modesto Bee article on September 27 regarding Prescott Junior High. However, I am disappointed by the implication of the closing quote from Board Member Carolyn Killeen, which at the very least implies that parents have not been willing to be "part of the solution". These issues are only at the forefront because these concerned parents have persisted in the face of being dismissed out of hand, diminished in import, and disparaged by implying that their motives are some how less than honorable. Also, this was not the first or even second time the Board has stated "it takes time" to fix these same problems. It is also not the first time that their discussion has been cut short because the Board had heard enough, regardless of the other people that wanted to speak. I did not know any of these parents until a few weeks ago. These are parents who still continue to help and are still volunteering time at schools and making suggestions. But they have also persisted in asking the Board to recognize and respond to questions with simple answers, which the Board has not chosen to do, on so many occasions. The parents have been told that their questions are repetitive or not relevant and did not deserve an answer. These are informed parents who are at the school daily in some cases. To say that these parents are not willing to be part of the solution is ludicrous. It should not take 100, 60, or even 10 people to bring attention to an issue. One concern, even poorly stated, should be enough to receive proper consideration by the Board. Any system that demonstrates this kind of contempt for the participants needs to be fixed.

There are more problems at Prescott, including girls' bathrooms that are unsafe and unusable, an absence of discipline, class schedules that remain unresolved five weeks into the school year, and the list goes on. The statement that teachers, students, staff and parents do not wish to come forward is absolutely correct. Morale, confidence, and trust have suffered as a result of actions and a situation that defy explanation.

The board just last week thanked the parents for pointing out issues, which they had not recognized, but the issues were not new. They stated this week that they had no idea what the after-school program really cost, even though the instructor in charge reported all of the expenditures for the program. The parents concerns are a legitimate response to this confusion.

I knew that the Stanislaus Union School District Board and the District could improve. I had no idea that I would find the District in its current state of turmoil. This situation is disheartening, to say the least. Yet, teachers are still teaching and students are still learning, in most cases. Both should be commended. But this District is not about some, or even most of children doing well, it is about ALL children doing well! For this reason, running for a seat on this Board is a critical challenge that must be met. I look forward to working with the parents, teachers and students of the Stanislaus Union School District.

I hope your reporter will continue to attend our meetings and become familiar with our progress.

Robert Serpa Candidate, Stanislaus Union School District Governing Board