Might as well be frank, Monsieur...

Larry Page Elementary

Hopper all the way

I think the school should be named after a hero/educator that has had a positive impact on the local community

Kim Thompson Elementary School

Larry Page Elementary.. now that was funny.

We should name it Donald J. Trump Elementary. He is President during it's construction and opening. Maybe we could invite him to speak at the first day of school? That would be something.

You should learn from the Palo Alto renaming middle school fiasco. Apart from the idea of taking away names now deemed not suitable (who knows what present day norms will sometime in the future be deemed not admirable), but the choices and the neglecting to choose one name in particular very definitely upset some people in the community.

All people have flaws. All of us are likely to do things that at some stage in the future are up for criticisms. Don't name after people and most definitely do not name after someone still alive. They still have a long time to do something sinful.

Schooly McSchoolface.
Inspired by the "Boaty McBoatface" kerfluffle - Google it.

Grace Hopper would be fantastic.
There's a great quote from her:
The most important thing I've accomplished, other than building the compiler, is training young people. They come to me, you know, and say, 'Do you think we can do this?' I say, "Try it." And I back 'em up. They need that. I keep track of them as they get older and I stir 'em up at intervals so they don't forget to take chances.

-- Particular Passions: Grace Murray Hopper. Women of Wisdom Series

[Post removed due to disrespectful comment or offensive language]

Stevenson Elementary is named after Adlai Stevenson, a guy from Illinois who ran for president and lost. Maybe we should name the new school after a non-local failed presidential candidate.

Slater Gators! Not sure if any of those Gators can afford to live in the neighborhood now, but o well.. Love it! Thanks for letting MV build in the back of the day care center. I'm sure it's going to cost a fortune to dig out the Rotten Robbie underground tanks, but maybe better things are going to come... Maybe they can even build dormitories for the Teachers on the campus! I do miss the Wagon Wheel...

Call it Rudolph Elementary. The superintenden will think it is named after him. The rest of us will know it is named for RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED RAINDEER. And the new mascot/ nickname: raindeer, of course. The superintendent will never catch on

Can we adults model the type of language we would expect from the students?

Critique of policy or decisions of public institutions are proper and necessary. But teasing of educators, superintendents on down, isn't the kind of speech we want students to see when they excitingly open an article about the new school coming to their neighborhood.

I am rooting for Grace Hopper. Not only is it wiser to choose not living individuals for school names. Ms. Hopper is among the greatest contributors to the computer industry. What an inspiring message her life story transmits to children at the gateway to the Silicon Valley.

Grace Hopper would be the best choice among these 6 options. A strong female figure contributor in the navy and computer science worlds, perfect for a Silicon Valley school, as well as someone who has already passed.

@Christopher Chiang

You helped put this district in the mess it's in.

Should we call it Christopher Chiang Elementary?

Steven Nelson Elementary?

I went to MVHS with Jose! That would be cool. I wish they would have considered Mountain View alumni who passed away while serving in the military. I went to Crittenden with Lakeina Francis, who passed away in the USS Cole bombing and went to MVHS with Kyle Wieland, who passed away from injuries in Afghanistan.

Winnebago Elementary

How about “The Phoenix”? Arising from the ashes of Slater School. Comes with a ready-made mascot, and costumes.
(Rats, too late to enter naming contest.)

Web Link

Agree with @Christopher Chaing (again, ain't that odd? Nah)

Now, a quote from a woman who knew "compilers". Maybe one of the two names to consider. I'm glad that the Superintendent (what's-his-name :) is running this administrative process without Opacity, and with a clear process, clear goal, and clear time-time. I sure as heck don't need this neighborhood school named after ME! Heck - for some of us POLITICOs the proof is in the pudding, not the name of the pudding. (the informal Obama Care :)

For the more whimsical suggestions/suggesters, those are all good for a chuckle! Thanks, this is not really all that educationally.serious.an.issue (IMO).

Ken Ballard Elementary School, named after a Mountain View resident and MVHS/Graham alum who served our country and died in Iraq in 2004. If I remember correctly, he actually lived in the Whisman neighborhood, may have even attended Slater.

Maria Loya was an excellent principal,loved by staff,students, parents.

see this is why the Pact Isn't good for our children. You only know your program and what it does for You. Self serving program. You reveal the l lack of integrity. Comes out loud and clear. I remember very well what The pact did at Slater.
So back to renaming or adding another name to Castro that it self has a history that you don't care about clearly.
Back in the days when we were one there was a kind principal .
Maria Loya Maria Loya, former principal at Slater School in Mountain View, died May 24 at her home in Tracy. She was 61. Ms. Loya, who retired in February after serving in the school district for 19 1/2 years, worked with Headstart Migrant Education of Santa Clara County and juvenile court and served on the board of YMCA and scouts.
Over the years, she instituted the In-School Scouting Program, which teaches children how to make healthy snacks and deal with strangers and emergencies; and wrote a grant to start a child-care program, called Kid's Place, which is implemented in all Mountain View elementary schools.
"I can't say this strong enough: Kids came first with her. She was always concerned with their well being," said Joanne Brown, Slater special programs coordinator and longtime friend and co-worker of Loya's. "If they needed shoes, she'd get them; if their family needed food, she'd find a source; if they wanted to go to summer camp, she'd work something out."
A nun for 23 years at Holy Sisters Family in Fremont, Ms. Loya received the first "Year of the Child" award and the "Women of the Year" award from the local Business and Professional Women's Club. she stood for all children and parents. Consider her Loya School. Many of you old timers may remember her.

@Martin

"Stevenson Elementary is named after Adlai Stevenson,"

Correct, he died very unexpectedly on July 14th 1965 just as the new elementary school that was being built on Monticito and would be opened just a month later. The school only had a working name of "School on Monticito", so when the highly respected Mr. Stevenson died, the Whisman school district chose to name this new school after him.

That version of Stevenson Elementary ran for about 20 years and was then closed for maybe 20 years before being reopened in 2009 for 2million when PACT was moved out of Castro to solve the severe overcrowding at Castro.
Now, the only thing left of the original Stevenson is the old Library building, which will become the new Library.

"a guy from Illinois who ran for president and lost."

If you dig into anyone in public life, you will always find something to complain about viewing the person against today's feelings about what "perfection" should have been back then.

Actually, he was nominated by the Democrats as their candidate, but against the hero of WWII, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Stevenson had no chance. He ran again the next election, but again, no chance.

Coming in second to a war hero hardly makes him a loser.

Stevenson was also very important as our ambassador to the UN and he was an advisor to JFK on things like improving race relations and he was a major force in increasing education funding and pushing for equity in schools for all kids.

When he was Governor, he doubled the funding of public schools.

In the UN he convinced JFK to fully engage in the UN as the proper forum for settling international disputes. He also pushed hard for the above ground nuclear test ban treaty, that was finally signed by JFK.

In 1965, it was not at all controversial to name schools and colleges after Stevenson and many were.

"Maybe we should name the new school after a non-local failed presidential candidate."

Certainly I would never choose a living person to name a school after. As we have seen, when the spotlight gets shined into every corner of a person's life, you can always find reasons to shame them, so living persons still have plenty of time to do something very worthy of shame.

It would be nice if a choice was made for non-political reasons, but I wouldn't put money on it.

Question for Kevin and Dr. Rudolph...

You say that the well-loved name Slater cannot be re-used because the old Slater buildings are still present and even though they have been modified over the years, they are basically on the same spot and thus, the name is stuck to that exact location.

OK, then why is it that the Castro school will retain it's original name when the Castro school is being totally rebuilt from scratch and re-positioned on a different corner of the site and the old Castro buildings are being reused to make the new Mistral school exactly where the old Castro school was and in the same buildings too.

So, If the Castro school can move across the property and be fully rebuilt and keep it's name, why can't the same be done for Slater?

Seems like an inconsistent policy to me.

So, my vote, if I had one, would be:
1) Slater The name we all know and love.
2) Maria Loya For her connection to Slater and kids.
3) Grace Hopper An excellent resume for Silicon Valley education.

Of course, only the opinion of 3 of the Board matters.

I strongly suggest the MVWSD research Ms. Loya. Her dedication to all the children was amazing I remember her memorial was well attended and many that spoke had nothing but wonderful stories to share.

ST Parent of Rex Manor - good question. One thing to keep in mind is that Castro School has never been closed. If it is just physically sifted, but keeps the same students, no problem. The Feds (US Dept. of Education - National Center for Educational Statistics - "Instructions for Completing The Non-Fiscal Surveys of the CORE OF COMMON DATA) do not want states or districts doing any funny-business for school accountability data accountability.

I also do not see any problem with Slater- let us use the example of ST. Closed for number of years, then reopened with the same name! If the PK converted classrooms of old Slater - are ever reopened as K-6 elementary, or pK-K only, it could obviously get a new name and code from the Feds.

Now, if the Superintendent made a public mistake - would he EVER PUBLICLY ADMIT it? I don't know, but it seems with the entire species of school administrators, or a large subspecies, they NEVER ADMIT A PUBLIC MISTAKE. Too bad, it breeds rampant public distrust in an organization.

What is crystal clear ST Parent, the CDE requires a new "School Code Assignment" for Slater Elementary.
California Department of Education web-page.
condition 5 applies, closed more than 365 days, "a new school code"
(so Stevenson kept the name, but should have gotten a new code to go with the old name)

Web Link

condition 6 does not apply- new is on the same legal parcel as the old.
"New Slater Elementary" gee, that is even a different name isn't it?

As I'd said though; "Thanks, this is not really all that educationally.serious.an.issue (IMO).

There was a meeting at Theuerkauf, on March 20, to discuss the selection of Theuerkauf's new principal. I had an after-meeting discussion with Superintendent Ayinde Rudolph regarding Slater School, where my son would go. Dr. Rudolph explained to me the "quirks" as far as why we couldn't keep the Slater name. But then Dr. Rudolph later stated Slater could be used with some sort of filing with the CDE. There have been previous comments (in other related articles) that the school could, in fact, keep the Slater name. I went to Slater and my son would go to Slater. There are thousands of people who went to Slater in its years of existence. Slater is Mountain View history and goes way back with many Mountain View past and present residents. I think it would be worth re-visiting whether the Slater name could, in fact, be kept or not.

Nice to post and bring forward this earlier article and posts. But bureaucrats often manipulate elected officials by falsely defining their choices. I see online that Slater opened in 1980 and closed more than a decade ago. No one seems to know who "Kenneth N. Slater" is or was. Most board members have bought into naming the mini-school to be erected next to Google Day Care after a former former intern at the Mountain View Voice. It is a DONE DEAL. Nothing will change at the June 14 school board meeting. Run for school board if you don't like it. The filing deadline is early August.

Just a friendly correction to Yolinda above. Slater opened well before 1980. I went to Slater K-6 in the 1960's. My sisters 4 and 8 years older than me, before that. Slater was one of the early residents of Mountain View similar to Castro, Whisman, Landels, Cooper, Huff, Bubb, Klein, etc.. Similar to many of the street names in Mountain View who were named after early Mountain View residents and early settlers. Lots of Mountain View history.