This is so misleading. I just heard from teachers yesterday that the school district plans on cutting back the Dual Immersion program next year at Castro! How can this be if the program is so popular and high performing and the parents are so interested? Come on Voice, try to get the story straight next time. Do you ever talk to teachers (plural) to get their side of the story. I am so sick of the lies and miscommuication from the school district. Can't you just pose a simple question to the school district and get a straight answer? Why all spin all the time!

The board has just began talking about transfers and has not yet decided what programs will be cut back under the new state budget. Although board members cannot discuss these issues outside the room, they will address the transfers and dual immersion programs in next the next several meetings.

The Voice decided to write more about the parcel tax, since the board just voted on it, but I will be covering the transfers and dual immersion in more detail as board discussions continue.

Look for an article soon in the Voice.

-Casey Weiss
Voice Staff Reporter

Wow, in all sincerity, this paper has improved if that's the case. Keep up the good work, and try to get the teacher's perspective equally represented. They affect the children the most.

Resident,

You cannot lazily accept a few words from a teacher or a reporter without using some critical thinking skills to determine its truthfulness. Go ask directors and administrators within the district as a respectful member of the community and put aside the hasty judgments.

Non-Resident:

The teachers I talked to at length said it was the superintendants themselves who made a special trip to the dual immersion school on Wednesday to interrupt their class meetings to put the spin on cutting down the program. I trust the opinions of my daughter's teachers. I actively stay informed when it comes to her education, so keep your opinion of my critical thinking skills to yourself.

Here we go again dual-immersion, PACT. Why not send these two programs to Palo Alto. Mountain View Whisman School District made a big mistake handing Slater to Google BIG MISTAKE Mr.Superintendant.

Elliot,
Can you please expand on your post?

Whats there to expand on you get enough pact and dual immersion parents to comment on any topic just watch them go at each other. These programs help no one they created a division.

Isn't the problem here a board and school administration that only knows how to make short term changes and has no concept of long term plans or leadership. You watch how long the ridiculous Countinous Improvement fad lasts. I'll give it two years, and then all the hype will disappear and they'll throw it out the window just like it appears they plan to do with these programs. Look at cities around us. Their boards are made up of some seriously qualified people with business experience. From what I can tell, our board has mostly been made up of under-employed house wifes with kids in schools. (Yeah, I know that sounds harsh, but get over it.) They run for board and get in long enough to pave the way for their kids and then they're gone. What kind of business could make a profit with that kind of a board. And then there's the superintendent. Google the guy and you'll find he claims to have 25 years experience in leadership, and then you find out it's been almost entirely in public schools at the secondary level. He counts plenty of time as a classroom teacher and assistant principal as well. Talk about padding the resume. Worse however, it that the guy has never even taught elementary school. Google the other superintendants and its the same, one even bailed out from Redwood City schools, a district which nose dived while she was there. Seriously people, maybe I'm going out on a limb here, but do you think any of this chaos in the schools has anything to do with poor leadership. And I'm not looking for a counterattack here from defenders of the realm trolling the posts for hostile comments, just some alternative opinions on how to move forward. Otherwise we won't be able to keep quality programs like Dual Immersion and Pact and all the involved parents with money that are willing to get involved and stay involved.

Sometimes one needs to take a step back to move forward. I couldn't argree more "enough" but you lost me with your last sentence. You sound like a pact parent. Always pattting yourself's on the back for everything.

Rex:

I'm no Pact or dual immersion parent, but I do recognize that parents in these programs tend to be more involved which is a good thing. If you get rid of programs like these, you get rid of any say so in the district and leave its direction to the bureaucrats. I'd run for board, but my travels for work don't allow it.

Enough!

You are eerily on-target regarding Continuous Improvement and the superintendent. Continuous Improvement has no pedagogical basis and there is no research showing any direct positive effect on student achievement. It is a retread from popular off-the-shelf books on business. It is not a fad, just a glaring indication of the educational intelligence level of the leadership.