Why can't we say yes?

By Peter Attwood

The district culture now is to ask, "How can we say no?" It would be cheaper and more effective to say, "How can we say yes?"

The district litigated a claim for payment of an assessment in which they actually admitted in their failing motion to dismiss that they owed the money! The hearing office was not sympathetic. As of this month, several due process cases are in progress with more to be filed.

When the district gets what it wants because the parents are intimidated or don't know their rights, it should not be amazed that the fruit of their success is that the kids fail and the schools wind up in Program Improvement - 8 schools at this moment. And that's what they get when they win!

As long as the district has the money to act this way, it has too much money. From the superintendent on down, every employee must be held to account, when he wants to refuse something, to first answer this: "Why can't we say yes?"