June 2, 2006

Evergreen SchoolScene

Diplomas hang in the balance

Students struggle while courts decide on exit exam

By Daniel DeBolt
Staff writer

Students of the 2006 graduating class thought they would get a free pass on the high school exit exam thanks to an Alameda County Superior Court ruling on May 12, but two weeks later, a state superior court judge overturned that decision. Now it will take more than just passing grades to graduate.

Another decision from a state appeals court is expected in July, but until then some students won’t be getting their diplomas if they can’t pass the exam, and that means some won’t be walking with their class’ graduation ceremony. There are reportedly 15 students at Silver Creek High School who have the grades to graduate but haven’t passed the exam.

Students met in the Californians for Justice office last week near Independence High School to watch a student film about the lack of resources in some east side schools -- examples of the state’s inability to equally equip all schools in the state as ordered in the settlement of the Williams lawsuit, which was settled in 2004, forcing the state to pass legislation to give more resources to schools lacking them. Students talked about a lack of textbooks, facilities in decay and bathrooms with no toilet paper and soap. Until all schools have acceptable resources, these students say the exit exam is an unfair obstacle to a diploma and a better life.

“The court (in Williams) ruled in favor of equality and fairness,” said Antonio Swancy, a senior at Independence High School at a May 17 rally. “Now the state needs to provide an equal education for all of us. Every student should attend a school with enough textbooks, with qualified teachers and with a healthy learning environment.”

At a rally at the county building May 17, students spoke about the difficult work there is to come in making sure every student gets a quality education in California. And until that monumental task is achieved, they want to make sure students who attend schools lacking in resources will have another exit exam made available that isn’t as difficult, just as they do in other states.

While critics would say these students want to cheapen the value of their diploma, the students point to statistics that show many schools don’t have enough qualified teachers, textbooks, and other resources for them to gain the skills necessary to pass the test. In a society that gives so much more to its high school graduates, it’s not fair to be held to the same standard, the students said.

One young man who spoke said his motivation to be in school was to stay out of trouble and out of jail. It wasn’t just about diplomas, he said, it was about saving lives. In the face of the exam, some have given up.

“There are so few who are motivated,” he said. “Once they do try and they get past high school, maybe they can be saved. Keeping them from that takes away all hope.”

Speakers talked about students they knew who got decent grades but were kept from graduating after failing the test. A boy who attended a good school said his dyslexia made the test extremely difficult. An English as a second language student said that even if an ESL student knew everything on the test, he could be failed for not understanding the questions well enough.

Despite the landmark settlement of the 2004 Williams lawsuit, the revolution has just begun, said Sanjeev Bery, San Jose director of the ACLU. “Now it’s the hard work of implementing everything.”

The decision made by Robert Freed of the Alameda County Court was made because it was obvious that the Williams settlement has a long way to go in making schools equal, or at least in raising the “minimum floor” for acceptably qualified teachers, textbooks, classroom sizes and other resources, Bery said.

Californians for Justice, the organizers of the event, conducted a poll of 1600 students in East San Jose that found two
out of five students thought they had inadequate textbooks.

According to a poll released in April by the public policy institute, 72 percent of Californians would support having small classes taught by fully credentialed teachers made available to students who initially fail the exit exam, even if it costs taxpayers more money.

“Why should students be held responsible for problems with the system?” said Jenny Pearlman, and attorney for Public Advocates.

Pearlman will be filing an appeal to a suit that was recently struck down that would have given students at certain high schools an alternative exam to take. She said the judge thought there were no alternatives, but Pearlman said other states do it, so why can’t California?

ESUHSD to hold Public Hearings on Proposed Boundary Changes

Under the direction of the Board of Trustees, the East Side Union High School District administration is conducting public meetings to gather stakeholder input on the proposed student attendance boundary changes.

Several high schools throughout the district will host the meetings over the next several months so that stakeholders including parents, students, staff and community members will have the opportunity to offer comment, concerns and input.

Each meeting will focus on a different boundary change and its potential impact on a specific high school. Listed below are the meeting dates, times, locations and the schools affected.

For additional information on these meetings contact Jerry Kurr, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services at (408) 347-5050

June 13 at 6:30 p.m.: Evergreen Valley High School, Mt. Pleasant High School and Silver Creek High School sites will be discussed at the Mt. Pleasant High Gymnasium

July 18 at 6:30 p.m.: Evergreen Valley High School, Mt. Pleasant High School and Silver Creek High School sites will be discussed at the Evergreen Valley High Gymnasium

Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m.: James Lick High School, Mt. Pleasant High School and W.C. Overfelt High School sites will be discussed at the James Lick High School Gymnasium

East Side Union / Eastridge 20-year tradition continues with high school art show

About 20 years ago, art students from schools in the East Side Union High School District began showcasing their work at the Eastridge Mall. When officials began the Eastridge renovations, the art show took a brief sabbatical, although it did appear once at Oakridge. This year marks the return of the East Side Union show, with 40 teachers bringing 240 pieces of art from the 12 high schools that make up the district. Works includes oils, acrylics, painted chairs, computer generated art, chalk, sculpture and even duct tape fashions. Although the show was free, the public was encouraged to make a donation to a specific school's art program. A few of the student pieces were even available for purchase.

Somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 people viewed the exhibit. Evergreen resident John Mora (above), the art department chair at Yerba Buena High School, noted that virtually every kind of art was available. Most of the projects are designed to be "fun, and formulated to get students interested in art." He and Eastridge official Alice Lam said the show will be back next spring. In mid-August, the mall is planning a back to school contest where students buy jeans from any store in the mall and decorate them. Art teachers from ESUHSD will judge the contest. Pictured with Mora is artwork from Evergreen Valley High School. – By Carol Rosen

11th annual Silver Oak Educational Partnership Fundraiser raises $115,000

As the 2005/2006 school year comes to a close, the Silver Oak Educational Partnership would like to say thank you to the parents, teachers and business community of Silver Oak Elementary School for going above and beyond to make it another successful school year.

The support and generosity the parents, teachers and business community have provided through financial contributions and volunteering for SOEP (Silver Oak Educational Partnership) activities has been remarkable. As a result of the support for SOEP, the students of Silver Oak will continue to experience and enjoy many educational enrichment programs in the areas of art, science, technology, theater, conflict resolution and writing.

The 11th annual SOEP Dinner, Dance and Auction Fundraiser held in March at the Silver Creek Valley Country Club (SCVCC) was a huge success. As the theme “Above & Beyond…The Sky’s the Limit for Silver Oak Students” set the tone for the evening, 330 parents and community members really went above and beyond, raising over $115,000 for SOEP, a non-profit foundation benefiting the school, which hosted the event.

The hefty sum did not include one more item, the Great Commission Giveaway donated by Grant, Griffith & Jones of Windermere Silicon Valley Properties. Grant, Griffith & Jones is still accepting bids, so please contact them for more information.

Doors opened at 5:30 pm at the Silver Creek Valley Country Club with a champagne and cocktail reception and a silent auction, followed by a sit down dinner, a video presentation, the live auction and dancing to cap off the evening. Guests also enjoyed glasses of fine wine from the Premium Wine Bar.

With the help of a professional videographer, John Barrett of John Barrett Video, the auctioneer, Rob Slawinski, and the band, the Hitmen, the evening moved along so smoothly that people didn’t want the music to stop at midnight! The SCVCC staff and management were very helpful, accommodating and professional. Chef Elliott Boggs and his talented staff prepared and served delicious appetizers and a superb dinner.

Highlights of the live auction included beautiful and unique classroom art projects such as snowboards, a puppet theater, copper fire pit, paintings and quilts.

Auctioned dinners were a big hit this year. A catered dinner by Chef Boggs, two dinners by Rosalie Cartwright and Anise Café, and a Greek dinner by Anthony Pappas raised $35,500. Dr. Stepovich and Dr. Tillmans, once again, donated full orthodontia treatment for a student. The silent auction included one-of-a-kind classroom baskets, beautiful handmade jewelry, sports memorabilia, travel packages and much more.

The evening was a success…the school year was a success…and as a result of the support and generosity of the Silver Oak parents and community, the sky is the limit for Silver Oak students.

—Photos by Steve Maslanka

Masters of Montgomery Perform at PACT Mayoral Forum

With after school programs being an important topic at the PACT (People Acting in Community Together) Mayoral forum on May 21, it was only fitting that the Montgomery Elementary sixth graders were the headlining act.

Prior to the forum, the “Masters of Montgomery” treated the audience with a performance developed from an after-school enrichment program. Through a partnership with Unity Care’s Hip-Hop 360, Montgomery Elementary established a creative arts after-school program with their sixth graders, now known as the “Masters of Montgomery.”

Through a partnership with Unity Care’s Hip-Hop 360, Montgomery Elementary established a creative arts after-school program with their sixth graders, now known as the “Masters of Montgomery.”

For nine weeks, the students practiced various break dance movements taught by instructors Rene Abalos and Raymond Mora from Hip-Hop 360. Performance after performance, the after-school program became an instant success. “I have been amazed with my students’ artistic and creative growth over the nine-weeks,” said Howard Chan, their sixth grade teacher.

The stage was set on May 21 for the students to strut their stuff. Although the troupe had performed in front of classmates and parents, the “Masters of Montgomery” would now perform for the first time in front of a huge crowd of new faces.

The Parkside Hall in Downtown San Jose was filled to capacity. While the audience waited for the mayoral forum to begin, the kids sat nervously in another room anticipating their cue. They were scheduled to be the last act before the forum began. After the clergy finished their musical performance, the “Masters of Montgomery” were ready to get the crowd up and grooving. As they ran out, the students saw a room filled with hundreds of anxious onlookers ready for their performance. It was their time to shine.

Dancing to the remixed beats of James Brown, the students dazzled the audience with their urban moves. The students didn’t skip a beat, and their nervousness quickly dissipated. The “Masters of Montgomery” let loose with their individual and collective style that wowed the crowd. By the time the performance was over, the audience was up on their feet, clapping away.

The performance was a complete success. Hip-Hop 360 Program Manager Gilbert Chaidez said, “The students took the foundation breakdancing moves that they were taught and added their own unique style. It really demonstrates what Hip Hop 360 represents, creative expression through various artistic avenues.”

Many were pleasantly surprised with the energetic performance from the sixth graders. One audience member, Elizabeth de Guzman, thought the performance was “a perfect illustration of why after school enrichment programs such as dancing, are vital to a student’s educational experience.”

Local student wins 1st Place in 6th grade IMTA 2006 International Math Evaluation Test and Contest

Congratulations to Lexing Tong, a 5th grader of J.F. Smith Elementary School, who was awarded the 1st Place in 6th grade from the IMTA 2006 International Math Evaluation Test and Contest.