Editorial
Schools, community face a crucial test Palo Alto schools, city and community together must improve our response to emotional needs and well-being of our young persons
T
he needs of adolescents and the appropriate supporting roles for teachers, parents and professionals may finally be getting the attention they deserve in this high-achievement community.
In a powerful teacher essay published last week, and in a round-table follow-up discussion this week, the Weekly presents several perspectives of the challenges teens face — including the overriding message that all young people need to feel cared for as individuals and to see themselves as worthy in their own right, not just as a reflection of their academic standings. The panelists’ conclusions, plus scores of thoughtful, supportive responses to the essay in the online Town Square forum (www.PaloAltoOnline.com), comprise a forceful statement that the teacher is not alone in the observations in the essay. There have been significant strides this year in the immensely difficult task of re-examining the roots of our high-achievement culture in Palo Alto, asking, “Have we gone too far?” Do we need to correct our course and seek a better balance? The issues raised with eloquence in the essay and discussion do not belong to the schools or school district alone. They are community issues, and they require a community-wide response. Such a response is beginning to take shape. The Project Safety Net group is taking an overview position to help coordinate and suggest areas needing attention. Community volunteers have spent many hours seeking answers, sponsoring forums and outreach efforts, and even volunteering with Track Watch. The community response includes professional counselors and medical organizations. It involves scores of students, parents, teachers, administrators and community leaders. The spirit of caring collaboration has been strong. Both the city and school district have established the well-being of young persons as top priorities, a solid step. Yet unless there is a continuing effort — and organizational backup — the priorities will be only hollow words that sound good but lack substance. One such initiative relates to the “Developmental Assets” for young people, which is being implemented (see below). Another potential resource is the “Challenge Success” program, developed by Denise Clark Pope and others at the Stanford School of Education. This locally grown program is being used in schools nationally — but not effectively in Palo Alto, where it was pioneered more than a half dozen years ago. Building that substance will entail making some hard decisions on school start times and testing times. It will require strong leadership and commitment from school administrators and community leaders, especially from members of the Board of Education. It is a test as important as any academic test administered to our students. It is a test we must not fail.
Building on our assets n important component of assuring the well-being of our youth is about to take place. It is a way for Palo Altans to learn more about ourselves and how we are doing in providing a solid base for our young people.
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The tool is student survey on “Developmental Assets.” With parental consent, it will be given to all 5th and 7th graders and high school students. The survey is intended to measure how well our community is doing in terms of fulfilling 41 assets that years of research show determine behavioral and emotional outcomes of young persons. “Assets” are common-sense items such as family support and communications, connections to other adults, even a feeling that the community values its youth. Research shows that young persons with more than 30 assets do better in life and school than those with fewer. The survey is a collaborative effort of the city, schools and community-based agencies. “It will be a huge milestone” if there is enough participation, according to Greg Hermann, a management specialist in the city manager’s office and coordinator of the “Developmental Assets Initiative.” An overview of the assets is at http://www. projectcornerstone.org/html/assets/index.htm . Parental approval for the survey is required because some federal grant funding is involved — approval that is administratively hard to get. Yet a poor response to the survey will undermine results and hamper the community’s ability to design programs to strengthen its existing assets. Broad participation is key to getting this vital baseline information. If you’re a parent of an eligible student, please return the consent form promptly. Page 14ÊUÊ-i«Ìi LiÀÊ£ä]ÊÓä£äÊUÊ*> Ê Ì Ê7ii Þ
Spectrum Editorials, letters and opinions
Charter school Editor, While we at Stanford University are pleased that Chris Kenrick reported on our improved scores at East Palo Alto Academy Elementary School (“East Palo Alto school test results soar — too late,” Aug. 23), we want to clarify some important points for your readers. First, we would like to correct the record regarding the votes of Ravenswood trustees about our charter renewal. Trustees John Bostic and Marcelino Lopez voted to renew the charter initially, and trustees Sharifa Wilson and Larry Moody voted to renew the charter with modifications when it was returned to the board for consideration. We are grateful for their support of this important work. Second, we want to be clear that the Ravenswood School Board decision in no way dampens our resolve to work cooperatively with the trustees and other organizations to offer high-quality education for the students of East Palo Alto. We wish we could have had more time to show what we could accomplish with our students in the lower grades. But we are pleased that the district saw gains in its test scores this year, and we are proud to be part of that accomplishment. EPA students deserve the best possible learning opportunities and Stanford will partner with Ravenswood in whatever way we can to make sure that happens. Deborah Stipek Stanford University School of Education
High-speed rail Editor, While I’m a strong supporter of public transportation, I enjoyed Mr. Barnby’s column on the high-speed rail (Aug.20). I don’t need to see any studies or surveys to see that this project is doomed even before it is being built. If the average American citizen would be willing to take public transportation, they would take it. We do have an excellent bus system called SamTrans. I do take it occasionally but the few who exit at the airport seem to be working there, not air-passengers. Now, why would a person about to go on a two-day business or pleasure trip to Los Angeles take the plane but not even take the bus to get to the plane? So then why would the average person switch from hopping on a plane to getting on board the train, especially since ticket-prices are virtually the same? Even though flying has lost the appeal it once had, it still is the preferred method of many to get around for long distances. It’s un-
realistic to think, “Let’s build the trains, and the passengers will come.” It certainly has not happened for the BART extension to the airport. So, what exactly is the point of this train? As Mr. Barnby points out, much of the labor involved, plus most likely all the material will bring revenue to foreign countries but not to the people this train is supposed to move around. As I see it, the only reason to build a train is to cut on air-pollution. However, with that much money spent on high tech/ high maintenance project, millions of solar panels could be installed; particularly on the roofs of shopping malls, etc. So even if there might be a 20 percent increase in airplane traffic in the future, pollution in California could be reduced greatly by other energy-projects. The gain for the environment would be gigantic, and the cost minimal. The train just seems to be a project for dreamers and is not helping anyone. Dieter Hurni 8th Avenue Redwood City
Alma Street and rail? Editor, The High Speed Rail Authority is trying to scare Palo Alto into accepting the aerial alternative by claiming the trench (Alternative B1) will force closing of two lanes of Alma Street. Poppycock! I’ve checked the situation at the Churchill/Alma choke point. There is a perfectly straightforward engineering solution that will allow the trenched rail line and a widened Alma Street to co-exist within the 125-foot available width. Temporarily close two lanes of Alma Street while constructing the 80-foot wall-to-wall trench to accommodate four parallel tracks. Then add a shelf about 30 feet wide at the top of the east wall of the trench to support a widened Alma Street, a bike trail and a landscaping strip. This kind of construction is used for streets and highways all over the world. William H. Cutler Park Boulevard Palo Alto
YOUR TURN The Palo Alto Weekly encourages comments on our coverage or on issues of local interest.
What do you think? Do you have any plans to improve your family’s readiness for a disaster during Disaster Preparedness Month? Submit letters to the editor of up to 250 words to letters@paweekly.com. Include your name, address and daytime phone number so we can reach you. We reserve the right to edit contributions for length, objectionable content, libel and factual errors known to us. Anonymous letters will generally not be accepted. You can also participate in our popular interactive online forum, Town Square, at our community website at www.PaloAltoOnline.com. Read blogs, discuss issues, ask questions or express opinions with you neighbors any time, day or night. Submitting a letter to the editor or guest opinion constitutes a granting of permission to the Palo Alto Weekly and Embarcadero Publishing Co. to also publish it online, including in our online archives and as a post on Town Square. For more information contact Editor Jay Thorwaldson or Online Editor Tyler Hanley at editor@paweekly.com or 650-326-8210.