Criticism of Westside schools unfair

The Daily Pilot has fielded many headlines, articles, columns and

commentaries in the last couple of weeks regarding Whittier, Wilson

and Pomona elementary schools not making the federally mandated goals

for English proficiency. Such commentaries suggest many targets for

blame, including parents. Yet, it was only in the editorial, “Answers

lie in the schools,” that the reality in which these three schools

perform at was stated: “compared to similar schools with similar

demographics, they rise to the top.” Too bad that didn’t get big

billing in your paper.

Research provides that it takes five to seven years to learn a

language fluently. Do your readers realize that Whittier Elementary

School is a kindergarten through second-grade school and Pomona

teaches kindergarten through third grade? (Wilson is a kindergarten

through fifth-grade school.) And we give these standardized tests to

the second-graders with only two years of school and two years of

English learning? Why are we giving these tests to children even

before they learn English fluently? Imagine taking a national test in

Spanish after a couple of years of high school Spanish instruction

and trying to compete with native speakers. To judge these schools on

the outcome of this type of test doesn’t make any sense.

If we are going to continue to judge the schools on these

standardized tests, however, then we should at least compare them

with similar schools. Comparing apples to oranges doesn’t help. It is

too bad the statewide comparison of schools with “like demographics,”

based on both economic background and ethnicity, as well as other

factors -- which was released this week -- has been delayed for

Newport Mesa. That should be the real index all parents and the

interested public should look at for all our schools in the district.

I think it is also important to emphasize the real involvement of

the Latino parents in these three schools and the concern that they

have about their children’s education and their own education as

adult learners. Steve Smith and Joel Faris were so disrespectful to

Latino parents in their commentaries. They both gloated the attitude

of, “Gee, if they only cared about their children as much as we do,”

and “Gee, if they would only learn English.”

Do they know that all three elementary schools in question have 50

to 100 parents a week that volunteer in the classrooms? Do they

realize that they have more than 100 parents taking English as a

second language classes at two of the schools and many parents

involved in the Latino Literacy program at the other? Do they know

that all three schools provide ongoing parenting classes for their

parents on all types of topics and many are taught by the school’s

teachers? Do they know that they have family programs provided by the

organization Communities in the Schools of Orange County?

There are also numerous volunteers, including the Rotary Club

participating in the Reading By 9 program. There are “talk nights”

and community forums and Parent Teacher Assn. meetings that have more

than 100 parents in attendance.

The hard-working principals -- Sharon Blakley of Whittier, Julie

McCormick of Pomona and Candy Sperling of Wilson -- their teachers

and their community workers (which the schools now fund on their own

because the district no longer does) are all extremely dedicated to

the success of their students and know the parents are, too. To

suggest, as Smith did, that we are throwing away money for these

schools and nothing will change is ludicrous. I know they would

appreciate -- and put to good use -- and more monetary help they

could get.

Lastly, there are many Latino success stories, which need to be

mentioned. It is too bad that Smith did not do his homework. How

about the two Latino girls featured in the Pilot for their work at

Save Our Youth -- Katrina Soriano and Claudia Flores, who are from

the Westside and are the first to go to college in their families?

They now attend UC Irvine. Or how about the three Flores brothers,

also from the Westside, who were featured in the another publication?

Alex Flores, who will be graduating from UCI, plans to attend

medical school. Jose Flores is at Cal State Fullerton, and Alejandro

Flores is a straight-A student in high school. Their father works

long hours as a custodian but is willing to do so because he knows

his children will have better opportunities here than he did as a

child in rural Jalisco, Mexico.

There are many more wonderful success stories of all the Latino

children who make it through our school system and go to college

against all odds. It would sure be nice if the Pilot featured more of

the positive things that the children, teachers, parents, community

members and schools staffers are doing at these predominantly Latino

schools full of English language learners.

MARY CAPPELLINNI

Newport Beach

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Mary Cappellinni works as an educational

consultant.