More Than 70% Flip Their Opinion?
The Tattler conducted a two week reader's poll, finished today, on the imminent closure of Emeryville's Anna Yates School. The question put to the readers was "Should Anna Yates Elementary School be closed?" The final vote was:
- No 46 (76%)
- YES 12 (20%)
- NO OPINION 2 (3%)
Several parents of Anna Yates students have publicly noted a great deal of ignorance about the closure of the elementary school among their fellow parents despite Measure J and a decade of work on the Center of Community Life, of which the new school is a part. Some have indicated the ignorance of the school closure on the part of some parents is due to a (possibly purposefully) inadequate community engagement and disclosure on the part of the School District.
Some citizens are calling on the School District to reconfigure the Center of Community Life to allow Anna Yates to be saved.
Good Work, Brian. Your conclusion is obvious to any clear thinking constituent; but, it needs to be publicized. Thank you for what you do. Perhaps someone influential is tuned in, and might be willing to do something about this upcoming "mistake". We need all the exposure we can get.
ReplyDeleteSeveral statements in this article are not entirely accurate. There is absolutely nothing in the language of Measure J that commits Emeryville to a K-12 configuration or to spending all the money on the single San Pablo property. On the contrary, the Measure's actual language suggests the opposite, that the money will be spent on our "schools" plural:
ReplyDelete"...our schools and classrooms must be upgraded to meet safety and academic needs...[Emery has sought to] ensure all schools are seismically safe. Current school sites are over 40 years old...This measure would allow the district to update and upgrade our schools to ensure our students have the quality learning environments they need."
It goes on and on like this using PLURAL nouns to describe our schools, school sites, facilities, buildings, etc. If anything, the text of Measure J should suggest to voters that the money would be spent at all three sites. It is the District that has done a bait and switch, not voters who have changed their minds. It would still be entirely consistent with and indeed, more consistent with, the text of Measure J to abandon the K-12 model and to spend the money on improving multiple District properties.
You are correct: Measure J's passage does not preclude saving Anna Yates Elementary School for continued use as a public elementary school. You'll note I maintain that it's the District that has implied that Measure J's passage necessarily means K-12 on San Pablo Avenue and the abandonment of Anna Yates. There is still wiggle room for saving Anna Yates. It's all about the existence of political will and political "cover" for would be Anna Yates friendly decision makers to save the school.
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