rename designer jeans “Female Bottom Armor.” Mr. Burns, Humboldt County is not the Valhalla of progressives. Just look Editor: at our county supervisors. Surprise! There Ryan Burns’ article “Unequal Opportuare racists in Humboldt County. But I nities” (Jan. 2) reads more like a McCarthychallenge anyone to show me a teacher era witch hunt than a researched article in this school district that teaches racism. about discrimination in our public schools. If Mr. Burns would take the time to visit As a substitute teacher of over four years Eureka High or Zane Middle, he would in the district, I know Eureka High has see African-American students socialschool assemblies on stopping racism izing freely with Anglo, Latino and Asian and sexism. In classrooms and hallways students. Racism is learned behavior you will see notices, in prominent places, likely due to family background. Even East against bullying. I’m not saying racism, Coast, ivory towers of education realize sexism doesn’t go on in our schools. But students’ grades and behavior are mostly to hold teachers and the school respona result of home life. sible for students’ behavior anywhere on I could go on picking apart this article or off school but I hope grounds is readers get oppressively my point. Let’s ridiculous. stop bashing I almost those who spit out are expected The heaviness of a chalkboard sky my coffee to be social when I read, workers, With the sharp angles of a pessimistic view cutting “ … students role models, Off every escape I say have gone psycholoScrew it so far as to gists, police, And start anew with a mint leaf assault staff; teachers and … slapped administrators Under the tongue I thought the buttocks doing their A blank approach to life of school best to eduMight not be so bad I mean administracate kids. Let’s Maybe being glad for what tors … female support them teachers, and and start putI have Defendant ting more reAin’t so bad failed to take sponsibility on — Seth M. Smith VI steps to stop the students this behavand their parior.” That’s ents because like saying they are the someone who gets mugged is to blame main influence on their young lives. for not stopping the mugger. Then he Larry Arsenault, Rio Dell wrote, “Female students have taken to wearing rhinestone-encrusted jeans as Editor: armor. … ” Hello? I suppose stores selling I was saddened and embarrassed to be these things by the truck load should a Eurekan after reading your article “Un-
A Blank Approach
QUIET cul-de-sac location
CARTOON BY JOEL MIELKE
School Daze
equal Opportunities.” While I am aware that discrimination and bullying in schools is not only a Eureka/Humboldt County problem, the spotlight is on us right now and we need to do something! No child should feel afraid to go to school, and something is horribly wrong when this kind of treatment toward children in our schools is allowed to continue after kids are brave enough to come forward for help. The superintendent’s quoted response to the problem was appalling in its dismissiveness, and I certainly hope he intends to do something drastic to educate the staff and students of our schools regarding the serious implications of this kind of behavior, and not because they are being sued, but because it is the right thing to do to protect our children! To “Brianna” and “Jessica,” I applaud you (and want to hug you)! Stay strong and know there are many of us in your community who support you, and please know that your efforts will help many other children who are suffering in silence in our schools. And to all of my fellow parents, guardians and relatives of all of our Humboldt County children, please talk to them about bullying and its harmful effects; we all need to work to make our schools and communities safe for our children! Amy Lennox, Eureka
KAREN ORSOLICS
Editor: Your article about the lawsuit against the education system had somewhat negative comments about the Community School system. We at Blue Ox have been working with the Humboldt County Office of Education Community School students for 14 years now, and have found them to be wonderful young people. The students at Blue Ox are caring and compassionate, with a desire to please and be praised for their work. Sounds like most young people, doesn’t it? The reason these students are not a good fit in a standard school setting is because they are “doers” and not sitters; they learn by doing. The idea that students only learn when sitting at a desk in nice neat rows saying, “Yes, Mr. Teacher” or “No, Mrs. Teacher” is simply not the case for everyone. In 2002 the Blue Ox Community School students were invited to make a presentation at the largest conference for handson learning in the world, called “Kids Who Know & Do,” being held in San Francisco. We took the entire class of 18 and gave six demonstrations, including three Native American young men that demonstrated how to make a traditional dug-out canoe on a small four-foot log. All the students did such an incredible job presenting their skills that Blue Ox became the first school continued on next page
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