 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Letters to the Editor
Don’t take away our right to choose
The Community Voice:
I’m writing regarding changes to the Inter-district Transfer policy in the school district. We are RP residents with a daughter in first grade outside the district and a son not yet in school.
Our original plan was for them tp attend Cross & Crown school. When that school closed, we considered our home school but found test scores were sadly lacking, enrichment programs were either non-existent or paltry, and class sizes were large.
We then considered applying for an intra-district transfer to another school (within our district). Our first choice was to stay in our district.
However, when trying to open a discussion with the district about it, we were summarily refused any communication, discussion or consideration at all. Nobody was willing to speak with us about our options. The people we dealt with in the district office were rude and unprofessional.
As a result, we went outside the district to provide our daughter with the education she deserves, since CRPUSD was unable or unwilling to provide it.
We were fortunate to be accepted into a GATE program in another district and our daughter has flourished for two years. She’s in a school with excellent test scores that provides her with a full breadth of enrichment classes. She’s receiving quality education we don’t want to interrupt, and we looked forward to her brother receiving the same education.
Now CRPUSD wants to sacrifice the continuity and quality of her education to solve their own fiscal failings.
I can’t fathom why this seems an appropriate way to address students continuing to leave due to the inability of our schools to provide quality education.
CRPUSD: Instead of focusing your efforts to keep students who don’t want to be here, consider expending the same energy to make our schools a place students want to be.
I can only speak for our family, but I give you my word - our child will not attend school in this district now or in the future unless something raises the bar. We will go to private school, seek a charter school, or home school, but our ADA money will not stay in this district if you eliminate our right to choose the education we want for our children.
Putting a cap on transfers only ensures continuity of our child’s education will be disrupted. Disallowing siblings to attend school together places an undue burden on parents who will be forced to reconcile multiple vacation schedules, school carpools, teaching practices and social groups. Children with siblings already established should be allowed to attend the same school, if we choose.
Seriously reflect on the outcome of these actions. They will force hundreds of families to leave CRPUSD, taking their money (your budget) to other avenues of education.
Re-consider taking away our right to choose and focus on improving your schools so we want to come back. My child’s education shouldn’t be the price paid for your financial failings.
Curtis & Rebekah Schmitt
Rohnert Park
I’m writing regarding changes to the Inter-district Transfer policy in the school district. We are RP residents with a daughter in first grade outside the district and a son not yet in school.
Our original plan was for them tp attend Cross & Crown school. When that school closed, we considered our home school but found test scores were sadly lacking, enrichment programs were either non-existent or paltry, and class sizes were large.
We then considered applying for an intra-district transfer to another school (within our district). Our first choice was to stay in our district.
However, when trying to open a discussion with the district about it, we were summarily refused any communication, discussion or consideration at all. Nobody was willing to speak with us about our options. The people we dealt with in the district office were rude and unprofessional.
As a result, we went outside the district to provide our daughter with the education she deserves, since CRPUSD was unable or unwilling to provide it.
We were fortunate to be accepted into a GATE program in another district and our daughter has flourished for two years. She’s in a school with excellent test scores that provides her with a full breadth of enrichment classes. She’s receiving quality education we don’t want to interrupt, and we looked forward to her brother receiving the same education.
Now CRPUSD wants to sacrifice the continuity and quality of her education to solve their own fiscal failings.
I can’t fathom why this seems an appropriate way to address students continuing to leave due to the inability of our schools to provide quality education.
CRPUSD: Instead of focusing your efforts to keep students who don’t want to be here, consider expending the same energy to make our schools a place students want to be.
I can only speak for our family, but I give you my word - our child will not attend school in this district now or in the future unless something raises the bar. We will go to private school, seek a charter school, or home school, but our ADA money will not stay in this district if you eliminate our right to choose the education we want for our children.
Putting a cap on transfers only ensures continuity of our child’s education will be disrupted. Disallowing siblings to attend school together places an undue burden on parents who will be forced to reconcile multiple vacation schedules, school carpools, teaching practices and social groups. Children with siblings already established should be allowed to attend the same school, if we choose.
Seriously reflect on the outcome of these actions. They will force hundreds of families to leave CRPUSD, taking their money (your budget) to other avenues of education.
Re-consider taking away our right to choose and focus on improving your schools so we want to come back. My child’s education shouldn’t be the price paid for your financial failings.
Curtis & Rebekah Schmitt
Rohnert Park
Bloodsuckers won’t be caught dead here
The Community Voice:
The proposed annexation of 275 acres of Sonoma County land would be a huge mistake. The proposed plan on 122 acres of patches of land within another 152 acres looks wart hog ugly. In six years these developers cannot decide if 1,114 units are to be built or more than 1,114 units. Seems like sloppy thinking, doesn’t it?
The developers will not be living in this Northeast Specific Plan Area; I doubt if they would be caught dead in it. Rohnert Park has had one predator developer pass away, now a carload of bloodsuckers want everything they can grab. One thing you can bet upon, if this ogre goes into effect, then the values of our homes decrease.
Joe Boyle
Rohnert Park
The proposed annexation of 275 acres of Sonoma County land would be a huge mistake. The proposed plan on 122 acres of patches of land within another 152 acres looks wart hog ugly. In six years these developers cannot decide if 1,114 units are to be built or more than 1,114 units. Seems like sloppy thinking, doesn’t it?
The developers will not be living in this Northeast Specific Plan Area; I doubt if they would be caught dead in it. Rohnert Park has had one predator developer pass away, now a carload of bloodsuckers want everything they can grab. One thing you can bet upon, if this ogre goes into effect, then the values of our homes decrease.
Joe Boyle
Rohnert Park
Lacking vision to fix problems
The Community Voice:
The proposed inter-district transfer policy the CRPUSD has come up with will severely impact a parent’s right to choose a school for their children. If the school District would try fixing the problems within the district rather than strong arm people into the district, they might see their numbers rise.
The school board of trustees needs to ask tough questions of district Superintendent Vrankovich and CFO Wade Roach. Why do families leave? Has the district administrative staff ever met with parents who choose to send their children to other school districts? What has the superintendent and CFO done to address the concerns of parents and students who transfer out?
After seeing the proposed restrictions on inter-district transfers, it’s apparent the superintendent and CFO lack vision to fix what’s broken. Instead of offering solutions and creativity to win transfer students into the district, they choose to force families into the CRPUSD with punitive policy changes and scare tactics.
To the school board trustees, please require more from the superintendent and reject these changes to the inter-district transfer policy. As for the unintended consequences, home values are reflective of the school district which serves its community. A school district in constant turmoil and restrictive inter-district transfer policies will not attract new families to the community or the CRPUSD.
Cordi and Sandi Sullivan
Cotati
The proposed inter-district transfer policy the CRPUSD has come up with will severely impact a parent’s right to choose a school for their children. If the school District would try fixing the problems within the district rather than strong arm people into the district, they might see their numbers rise.
The school board of trustees needs to ask tough questions of district Superintendent Vrankovich and CFO Wade Roach. Why do families leave? Has the district administrative staff ever met with parents who choose to send their children to other school districts? What has the superintendent and CFO done to address the concerns of parents and students who transfer out?
After seeing the proposed restrictions on inter-district transfers, it’s apparent the superintendent and CFO lack vision to fix what’s broken. Instead of offering solutions and creativity to win transfer students into the district, they choose to force families into the CRPUSD with punitive policy changes and scare tactics.
To the school board trustees, please require more from the superintendent and reject these changes to the inter-district transfer policy. As for the unintended consequences, home values are reflective of the school district which serves its community. A school district in constant turmoil and restrictive inter-district transfer policies will not attract new families to the community or the CRPUSD.
Cordi and Sandi Sullivan
Cotati
Save the money
The Community Voice:
I was not surprised one of the two Middle Schools needed to be closed, not due to the number of students enrolled, but due to the economy and all the cuts needed. We now need to fit students from two schools into one that was not built to hold that many students...OK. But, due to the economy, why change the name? Why change the colors? Why change the mascot? I can see no logical reason that this would be “needed”.
What is the reasoning behind this decision? Save the money that would be used to make these changes and keep a teacher employed.
Carolyn Ponikvar
Rohnert Park
I was not surprised one of the two Middle Schools needed to be closed, not due to the number of students enrolled, but due to the economy and all the cuts needed. We now need to fit students from two schools into one that was not built to hold that many students...OK. But, due to the economy, why change the name? Why change the colors? Why change the mascot? I can see no logical reason that this would be “needed”.
What is the reasoning behind this decision? Save the money that would be used to make these changes and keep a teacher employed.
Carolyn Ponikvar
Rohnert Park
What about what’s best for our children?
The Community Voice:
As parents we want what’s best for our children. Isn’t having the freedom to choose which school our children would do best part of that freedom?
Apparently, CRPUSD doesn’t feel this way. They feel holding our children hostage in their district is what’s best for them. I understand the schools are loosing money due to budget cuts, but all the schools all over are hurting just as bad. Isn’t there a better way to help with the budget deficits without holding us hostage? I know if I were to pull my children from the school they are to attend in fall, it would make them hate school. They’ve had the same friends since kindergarten. Once you get into the upper grades such as Middle School and High School, your social life is just as important as the classroom education you receive.
Continuing with your graduating class should be a good reason to transfer out of the CRPUSD. Do they care that those of us who have moved to Rohnert Park or Cotati wish to keep our children in the schools they’re in? Have they thought maybe the schools we’re transferring into is what we feel is best for our child? The middle school my oldest is currently attending doesn’t offer things like wood shop or metal shop, it’s a very small school with small class sizes. When she attends High School in the fall the class sizes will continue to remain small.
Can CRPUSD say they have a class size with under 30 students? Are their STAR testing scores comparable to the schools where we want our children to attend? These are all things we as parents look at when we’re choosing a school. I know if my inter-district transfer is denied, I will be moving out of Rohnert Park. I want to live in a city that shares the same views when it comes to choosing a school.
Erin O’Hara
Rohnert Park
As parents we want what’s best for our children. Isn’t having the freedom to choose which school our children would do best part of that freedom?
Apparently, CRPUSD doesn’t feel this way. They feel holding our children hostage in their district is what’s best for them. I understand the schools are loosing money due to budget cuts, but all the schools all over are hurting just as bad. Isn’t there a better way to help with the budget deficits without holding us hostage? I know if I were to pull my children from the school they are to attend in fall, it would make them hate school. They’ve had the same friends since kindergarten. Once you get into the upper grades such as Middle School and High School, your social life is just as important as the classroom education you receive.
Continuing with your graduating class should be a good reason to transfer out of the CRPUSD. Do they care that those of us who have moved to Rohnert Park or Cotati wish to keep our children in the schools they’re in? Have they thought maybe the schools we’re transferring into is what we feel is best for our child? The middle school my oldest is currently attending doesn’t offer things like wood shop or metal shop, it’s a very small school with small class sizes. When she attends High School in the fall the class sizes will continue to remain small.
Can CRPUSD say they have a class size with under 30 students? Are their STAR testing scores comparable to the schools where we want our children to attend? These are all things we as parents look at when we’re choosing a school. I know if my inter-district transfer is denied, I will be moving out of Rohnert Park. I want to live in a city that shares the same views when it comes to choosing a school.
Erin O’Hara
Rohnert Park
Search
