I continue to be made aware of community concerns regarding student’s stress levels and social and emotional needs from parents, community leaders, district employees and students. Yet I hear little regarding the calendar start date as the cause. Subjects including marijuana and drug use, social media and gaming abuse, pressure to get into “quality” universities deemed worthy to attend, how many AP’s are enough, and students vaping on campus, are some of the biggest stressors I hear about. The calendar change as a stress reducer is a mainstream solution to today’s current issues, without proven results, that could potentially add more stress leading to the holidays than it solves.
I’ve heard positive comments about summer’s end and the “soft start” school year. Athletics and practices have begun, teachers had a week of training, and students had the benefit of being on campus getting materials, books, identification, etc. Some families took one last vacation, and many took advantage of the “make up” Waverider days at Thurston based on the number of cars that lined Park last Friday. The District posted exciting learning opportunities teachers experienced without disrupting student learning. “Welcome Back” lunches hosted by PTA’s welcomed teachers and staff. When school began, teachers and students hit the ground running, relaxed and ready to make it a great year.
This soft start seems like great solutions to ease into the school year. A solution for the AP concerns? A reverse classroom option perhaps. Contract the AP teachers similarly to the GATE teachers, club teachers, and athletics that have stipends to their contracts. Utilize technology.
Certainly, ending the school year earlier requires our board to find alternatives to status quo solutions. Think outside the box like the famous quote many love: “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The ones who sees things differently. They’re not fond of rules and no respect for status quo. They can change things. The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
Don’t we want to be the district that changes things? We should. We do. It’s one of the reasons we live here and hired the best of the best. To keep things fresh and forward thinking. The board shouldn’t vote for the status quo. Step back and be genius and a round peg in a square hole.
Sheri Morgan, Laguna Beach
Rep Dan Rohrabacher: Enemy of Undocumented Migrant!
First I want to say some words about myself to put my words so white people can understand. My parents were undocumented when they came into this country. I was too young to remember much, but I was too. Our family is part of a larger family were mostly everyone is undocumented and proud. My father got involved in an organization called “La Raza” which some of you might know about. We have the support of most of the Latinos in Southern California. He taught me about Chicano Park and the Chicano movement and now I am a part of La Raza too.
I did not graduate high school but I learned how to write by reading. I have written a lot of stuff that hasn’t got published, but this is my first time writing a blog. Because it’s the right time for me to step up and make my voice heard.
I live in Orange County California. Our representative here is called Dana Rohrabacher. The people here love him which sucks for me because he is hater and refers to people like us as “illegal immigration”. That’s a racist terminology. The fact is the native people we are simply taking back our homeland. My last name, Garcia. Did you know that is the most popular name in all of California? This Rohrabacher he went to all the city council meetings in his district to hate on they call now “Sanctuary Cities”. He wants to build a wall to keep us out. So why does the people of Orange County keep electing racist?
Orange County was once the result of so-called “White Flight” from Los Angeles. White people I know down here, I talk to their parents and they say they left LA to get away from the overcrowding and the crime. But I’m woke. I know that is just code for “I wanted to get away from all the Blacks and Mexicans”. I post here on this site because I hope white people are already woke. A lot of white people don’t even know they’re racist, until they learn the facts. And there is a lot of them who are not woke down here. And they support this Rohrabacher they say because he kept the area “nice” but we all know that is a code for “keep the illegals out”. Nothing about me is illegal. And that goes for all my people.
Anyways I wanted to bring national attention to the Institutionalized racism that this Rohrabacher supports. I don’t have to tell him my citizen status this a free country. And when he holds his re election events and what not I hope to see my Latin brothers and sisters and the proud members and those who support La Raza showing up. Bring your Mexican flag and wave it proudly. You took this land from us and we are taking it back so best learn to live with it. We are Mexicans and this land has always belonged to us. Read your history.
White people going to be a minority in what they thought was their land. But they stole their land. Their empire is coming to an end. Brown people, if you reading this, this is our time to rise up and take back what was taken from us. Viva La Raza!