Opinion/Letters to the Editor June 2021

June 3 issue:

Response to SDFA teachers union petition to recall

On May 20, after an 11-hour San Dieguito Union High School District board meeting, I stepped out into a dark parking lot and was ambushed by Duncan Brown, the head of SDFA (the teachers union), who shoved a recall notice into my hand.

Addressing the needs of our schools — and our students — during these times of distress and challenge, turned into a view “behind the curtain” that revealed what became, over years, the norm. Our district lost touch with its purpose — the best interests of the students. Re-opening efforts balanced with safety, and the quality of in-person experiences are but a handful of elements I’ve prioritized with my platform of students and families first.

Absent from Brown or the union, is a clear call to prioritize the students who’ve struggled for so long alone, in what has become a year of isolation, at the precise time in their lives when interpersonal growth is so entwined with peer interaction. This has been shamefully absent from the union’s actions and narratives.

A significant part of my campaign as a trustee was built on the platform to return to the district’s purpose while safeguarding and accommodating our talented faculty. The voters spoke with my election last fall to the board of trustees and I moved with purpose to restore the school district to the children and families. Despite union pushback through the fall and winter, we were finally able to reopen schools for the final quarter of the school year.

I am now concerned that students may be forced to the backseat once again, as the teachers union, in conjunction with the California Teachers Association out of Sacramento, attempts to recall both me and Ty Humes, who was unanimously appointed to the school board to fill a vacant seat. These efforts serve only SDFA, who seems intent on wresting control while saddling the district with the costs of the elections, estimated to be as much as $1.3 million out of the general funds. Our district has been running a deficit for the last five years. This is taxpayer money, and should be used for school, not for the political benefit of the unions.

As our district celebrates in-person graduations at our high schools and middle schools (a development I fought for), I remain resolved. I was elected to ask the tough questions and to advocate for parents, students, and taxpayers. I will continue to be tough. Students and families first — that is my platform and I live it every day.

Michael Allman

Board trustee, SDUHSD

It’s time to put our students over politics

It’s been a difficult year for all of us, but especially for our teenagers who were locked out of public schools for over a year. Our middle and high schools remained closed the majority of this school year, despite overwhelming evidence that schools could be safely reopened. The cost of these school closures to our teenagers in both learning loss and their mental health is vast, and probably won’t be fully understood for years or even decades. The public messaging from our teachers’ union right now should be one of compassion and commitment to their students this fall, but sadly this is not the case.

Instead, the San Dieguito Faculty Association (SDFA) has recently instigated two separate efforts to remove two current members of our SDUHSD school board. Mr. Ty Humes was recently, unanimously appointed to fill a vacancy. This is common practice when an elected board member resigns, and the overwhelming precedent in similar circumstances within our county. Nevertheless, the SDFA quickly mobilized to overturn this unanimous appointment, insisting on a special election that will cost over $500,000 to us, local taxpayers.

They claimed it’s because he wasn’t elected. Now, the same SDFA is seeking to recall trustee Michael Allman, a non union-backed trustee and fierce advocate for school reopening, just six months after his public election in November 2020. So the SDFA is overturning the appointment of Mr. Humes on “principle” because he was appointed and not elected, while simultaneously seeking to recall the duly elected Mr. Allman because they don’t like him and didn’t support him in his initial run for office.

These two actions by the SDFA are obviously in direct contradiction to one another. It’s nearly impossible to see these dual-actions as anything other than an attempt by the SDFA to wrestle control of the school board. Furthermore, these actions only serve to divide our community rather than keep us all focused on the most important thing: the educational recovery of our students.

Neighbors, please don’t sign any petition regarding our SDUHSD school board without thinking carefully about who should represent our community on that body. I believe we all benefit from independent thinkers like Mr. Humes and Mr. Allman who were duly appointed and elected respectively. The SDFA has strong financial and political backing from the CTA and are therefore a formidable force in getting their way. They have already forced a costly special election upon us for Mr. Humes’ seat. Let’s not allow them to also force a costly and divisive recall of Mr. Allman.

Lani Curtis

TPHS Class of 1994 and SDUHSD parent of 3

A special election keeps democracy intact

Ty Humes may be a wonderful addition to SDUHSD’s school board. Humes’ abilities, intentions and qualifications aside, a trustee is an individual elected by the community that they serve. It’s an example of popular sovereignty, one the principles of the constitution, as well as a basic tenet of democracy. Having the four current trustees select a person to fill a vacancy on the board usurps the foundation of democracy.

Think of it this way: Depending on where you live, Mike Levin or Scott Peters was elected to represent your ideas in Congress. The people in your district voted him in. He resigns. Now the other 434 members of Congress, also elected to represent the people in their own districts, post a vacancy, interview candidates, and select a replacement on your district’s behalf. Your voice is no longer part of that equation.

Four people, who were elected to represent their individual districts should not get to make that choice for the constituents of Area 5. The board of trustees are elected to represent the voice of the community/area they represent. The remaining trustees don’t get to choose who they think is the best candidate on behalf of the constituents in Area 5. Giving those four individuals the power to bypass this democratic process is setting a treacherous precedent.

Ty Humes may be an excellent candidate. That’s not the point. The point is that the board’s decision to make him a trustee is silencing the voice of the people in Area 5. As a constituent of Area 5, I want to be able to make that determination myself. A special election is the right thing to do and keeps democracy intact.

Stacy Salz

Carmel Valley

Adults riding bicycles on the sidewalk is dangerous, inconsiderate and illegal in Solana Beach

I am a “senior” who enjoys walking in our lovely city every day, 3 miles at a time to be exact. Lately, I have been confronted during those walks by adults riding their (sometimes electric) bicycles on the sidewalk, forcing me over to the side. Many don’t even have the courtesy to stop and walk the bicycle past me, so as to make it a safe crossing. Others have come from behind with little or no warning. Now, I understand why a child would do this as a means to be safe, but when an adult does it (for whatever reason) it is both dangerous, inconsiderate and specifically prohibited in the Solana Beach Municipal Code. Perhaps awareness is the issue, so here is the code section and its specific verbiage:

“10.44.010 Riding bicycles on sidewalks prohibited. It is unlawful for any person to ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk in a business district or on any street with a designated bicycle path or way.”

It should be noted that all of the encounters I’ve experienced have taken place where specific bicycle lanes are already in existence.

Norman Silverman

Solana Beach

One View

Del Mar Community Connections turns 21

By Gordon Clanton

Established in 2000, Del Mar Community Connections is a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization providing programs and services that help Del Mar seniors live safely, vibrantly, and independently in the homes they love.

DMCC was founded by long-time Del Mar resident Nancy Weare and several friends following the illness and death of her father in New England.

I became involved with DMCC several years ago when I volunteered as a back-up driver of the then-new Sprinter van and, later, to be a volunteer driver, using my own car to provide rides to medical appointments and shopping for folks who no longer drive. In short order, I was invited to join the DMCC board of directors where I have served since 2016 – a most rewarding experience.

With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, DMCC has faced unprecedented challenges in serving our senior community and keeping them safe.

Our weekly shopping trips in the van have been suspended, but DMCC shopped for and delivered more than 1,000 grocery orders in the past year. Thanks to Amanda Allen, DMCC’s pandemic response delivery driver.

Our Tuesday Lunch Connection programs at DMCC HQ on 9th Street have been suspended, but in 2020 DMCC delivered 450 in-home lunches.

Several continuing programs have been moved online, including a monthly sing-along group Singing Together (now Singing Apart), Page Turners Book Talk, How the Internet Can Work for You, and ROMEO (Retired Older Men Eating Out).

New online programs and activities include Remarkable Del Mar History with Historical Society President Larry Brooks, Qigong with Ali, Sweet Hour with Carly, and DMCC Happy Hour.

DMCC hosted special Zoom programs on the history of pandemics, fall prevention, the American economy, tax preparation, and other topics.

During the past year DMCC vaccinated 80 seniors against the flu, distributed 650 cotton face masks, assisted 45 seniors in getting Covid-19 vaccinations, initiated the Health and Wellness Premiere Speaker Series, and computer tutor Klaus Gubernator taught 100 seniors to use Zoom. DMCC enjoys broad support from the Del Mar community with 65 donors contributing $1,500 or more last year and 70 more contributing $100 or more. Scores of the local people volunteer every year to help with the work of supporting and serving Del Mar seniors.

To learn more about Del Mar Community Connections, contact Program Director Ashley Simpkins or Assistant Program Director Kara Adams at 858-792-7565 or dmcc@dmcc.cc.

— Gordon Clanton teaches sociology at San Diego State University. He welcomes comments at gclanton@sdsu.edu.

June 17 issue:

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy: My letter to the Solana Beach School Board

Despite the consensus on the current draft by the Policy Subcommittee on which I served, I feel my concerns are important and should be addressed before adoption.

First, what data proves inequities exist within the Solana Beach School District necessitating adoption of this Policy 0415 (not SD County or State of CA data, but data specific to this district)?

Second, which specific inequities will this Policy address that are not covered by the existing CA Education Codes that provide all students equitable access to education programs (51007) and guarantee all students an education free from discrimination and harassment (201 and 220)?

Third, this Policy echoes the tenets of the controversial teachings in Critical Race Theory (CRT) espousing that inequities exist because everyone is either an oppressor (racist) or an oppressed (victim of racism.) CRT judges people according to the color of their skin, not the content of their character.

CRT’s roots are in neo-Marxist “Critical Theory” and teaches that Western society is racist by nature and must be deconstructed and dismantled to remedy it.

CRT will be used to justify the distribution of resources in an effort to achieve equity. According to the San Diego County Office of Education’s 2019 Focus on Equity Progress Report, “equity must be addressed through a critical race perspective” (p. 12).

How will these ideas not promote hatred, division and a victim-mentality to students? CRT and its revisionist pseudo-history are currently being rejected by twenty Attorneys General across the country.

Lastly, this Policy will be used to guarantee “equal outcomes” instead of “equal access to opportunity” regardless of effort or merit. To achieve equity, equal outcomes will be used as justification to rethink, update, and modernize math, resulting in the elimination of advanced math courses (CSBA Math Policy 6152).

How will this prepare students in the Solana Beach School District for future careers in STEM fields, such as engineering, where there is already a shortage of qualified workers from the United States?

Individual freedom, liberty, justice and personal autonomy are cherished American values that should not be undermined by this Policy. America is home of the Free and the Brave. But, we cannot be free if we are not brave enough to stand against that which divides and seeks to destroy us.

What is “Best for Kids” is helping them learn important lessons from the things done well and the things done poorly in our Nation’s history without compromising academics, confusing gender or teaching fear of authority or hate for one another and the United States of America.

Diana Baldwin

Carmel Valley

Two public safety issues to be addressed

With the pandemic ebbing, it’s time for the powers that be to consider two other public safety issues. Del Mar Heights Road is increasingly used as a drag strip, particularly on the weekend and overnight. Do something. Next, E-bikes on the beach are also increasing and can be lethal. Ban them. Thank you.

Joe Azzinaro

Del Mar

Asphalt resurfacing for Via de la Valle should be separated from SDG&E’s undergrounding project

I recently came across an article in the Carmel Valley News that described both a project by SDG&E to underground close to a mile of utility lines, and the resurfacing/refurbishment of the roads and medians on Via de la Valle (”Overhead lines to go underground on Via de la Valle”, June 10, 2021).

The article highlighted a resident of the area, Mel Satterburg, who was disgruntled with the delayed project, as it won’t allow for roads to be repaved as is needed right now. The condition of the road that Satterburg described is a far more important issue than the effort to make Via de la Valle visually appealing.

As a new driver, my concern with the condition of the roads in the Carmel Valley area is great, which is why I think that asphalt resurfacing should have much priority over this undergrounding project. It is completely viable that resurfacing takes place before its commencement.

If the project reschedules as it has two times before to another year later, that’s one more year that the roads of Via de la Valle remain unkempt and hazardous.

Cort Peters

Life Scout at Troop 713

Open the school tennis courts

Tennis is one of the most popular sports that we enjoy as a community here, and both casual and competitive players can recognize the need for courts. As a student at Canyon Crest Academy, I can see how much our students and teams value our tennis courts, but I can also see how much of the time they are left unused. Given this scenario of supply and demand, the obvious option is to open up the tennis courts, even just on the weekends, so that everyone in the community has easy access to this wonderful sport.

As I drive to the Carmel Valley tennis club’s courts, I pass by not one, but two different bare empty tennis courts at the Canyon Crest and Torrey Pines high schools. Compare this to the Westview campus, whose open facilities have given me and other families opportunities to play a variety of sports. As the taxpayers that fund the construction and maintenance of our schools, the members of our community deserve to see some of the benefits of our amazing education infrastructure, and one of the easiest and safest ways for this to happen will be for the courts to be open to us all.

Justin Luo

Who runs our schools?

Parents, taxpayers and school boards should run our schools. Teachers unions should not control school districts. San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD) is an excellent district with excellent teachers. However, I fear for the future of these schools and schools across the nation.

I am a grandfather of a child attending a SDUHSD school. There have been four generations of teachers in my family. My parents insisted on respect for teachers. There are limits on my respect for people and organizations that do not value my concerns. We must change things right now.

Let me go straight to the bottom line. It is not appropriate to silence parents, board members and friends of the school district. When you disagree with someone, the proper way to approach the disagreement is to discuss the issues. Creating myths and then spreading false information to strengthen the myths is dangerous to the democracy. The constant attacks by the San Dieguito Faculty Association on the school board makes it difficult for me to understand how this district can provide the education that all our children need.

There are five board members (trustees) at SDUHSD. It is possible that there may be less than five members soon. Over the last two years there have been four board members threatened with either recalls or a special election. It is almost certain that one member will be recalled and another subject to a special election. The cost to the school district for these elections will be as much as $1,300,000. We have an interim superintendent now. We need a new superintendent and a stable school board.

I will support all board members and faculty who work toward the improvement of the schools. I will not support anything that wastes large amounts of money. After-school activities should be encouraged and provided money for them to continue. I understand there is not enough money right now for some after-school activities.

Finally, the union and others are setting a bad example for students. I want our future adults to see how democracy and fair negotiations should be done.

Bill Graham

Carlsbad

June 24 issue:

Guest Commentary:

Mental health action: The time is now

By Ethan Fitzgerald
A few months ago, student leaders from each of the high schools within the San Dieguito Union High School District came together around a common goal: addressing the mental health needs of all students. Meetings occurred weekly with feedback considered from counselors, parents, and other students. From this, we put together an array of ways to best utilize existing resources, and we have come up with a list of essential expansions in terms of additional resources.

One positive note from the previous year is that of increased focus on the subject of mental health. Talk is crucial as an important first step, but most consequential is action. We cannot allow this issue to drift into the wind; it’s far too important. If we fail to meet this moment, it would represent an unforgivable lack of care and support for those who need it most. We tend to treat mental health as a taboo, and even though it can be uncomfortable to discuss, it’s something we must.

Nearly everyone struggles with their mental health at some point, some more intensely. Either way, people can understand from their own experiences and others that it’s crucial to our well-being. Without sound mental health, everything about who we are can be at risk, exemplifying why it’s not a stand alone issue. Addressing and treating mental health means better performance in school, stronger relationships, and a better collective atmosphere.

Discussion and action should be able to unify us all. When such a significant issue is being further acknowledged, it is of utmost importance to respond. That is why we are asking for appropriate action from the SDUHSD school board. “Sleep-Friendly” start times for students have already been shut down for the time-being, but we must persist to do all we can to best use the time we have to act prior to the 2021-2022 school year.

Furthermore, we must not put a band-aid over this issue and simply act like that’s enough. We must focus on comprehensive and long-term solutions. One example is later school start times. We still believe this is essential to student performance throughout the day. Ask any student whether they want more or less sleep, you can presume the answer. Additionally, we need more counselors. According to the American School Counselor Association, schools should “maintain a ratio of 250 students per school counselor,” a figure we must strive for, but are presently nowhere near.

Other solutions include having a PALs program at each school, which means a student-counselor partnered support initiative to promote wellness and connectivity among all students. This is something that some schools in the district have while others do not, which is inherently inequitable. Obviously, each school site is different, but that does not mean one should lack a crucial resource, while another has it. Upon evaluating our district’s mental health resources, we have seen that issue arise time and time again.

For further information on our many other solutions, our presentation will be linked at the bottom of this commentary, which we would encourage everyone to look over and hopefully support. Overall, we are not naive to the fact that what we’re asking requires time and resources, but with something as important as mental health, the stakes are too high not to act in a meaningful manner. Thank you.

Link to Mental Health presentation: bit.ly/35VVUBD

— Ethan Fitzgerald is the Student Body President of San Dieguito Academy