School board took huge misstep

Sandra Thompson

Thank you, [Gary] Jenkins, for his heartfelt letter to the editor

regarding the school board’s decision to allow, then bar, an MTV

reality show at Laguna Beach High School. The Jenkins family, along

with the Vickers, Turner, Whalen and Hathaway families, are respected

and deeply valued members of our community. Their contributions to

our schools and community have been immense and for that we are very

grateful.

Yet, apart from our overall respect for the school board, the

recent MTV issue presented several important problems to discuss, not

only in relation to the school board, but also to the Laguna Beach

High School principal and district staff. The secretive, three months

of negotiations and initial approval of an MTV reality program by

these parties were serious breaches of community trust and

educational integrity that must be cogently addressed. These were not

minor errors that can simply disappear from our community memory.

These were major, far-reaching mistakes that had tremendous bearing

on the well-being of our community and schools.

Negotiating secretly for three months with MTV without having any

significant information outreach to the community regarding what was

being considered is unacceptable. The community depends on the school

board and school administration for information regarding any major

decision involving its schools, its children and its overall

community character. The school board, superintendent and high school

principal disregarded the parents and community during this process

and thereby significantly undermined our trust in them.

In addition, it is apparent that the school administrators and the

board did little or no research on what exactly MTV is and how they

impact our children and society. If they had done even a tiny amount

of homework, they would have seen how MTV glorifies sex, violence,

drug abuse and numerous other negative issues. Again, everyday we

trust the school board and administrators to intensely research each

decision they make, especially ones of this magnitude. That the

school board, Principal Nancy Blade, Supt. Theresa Daem and Assistant

Supt. Steven Keller could not offer a well-researched, cogent

argument in opposition of MTV is baffling and embarrassing.

More troubling is that, not only did no administrator make the

case against MTV, they actually encouraged participation. Blade’s

mass phone message to high school parents praised the MTV reality

show as a “positive opportunity” and encouraged students to “pick up

an application at the office.” Students were greeted that morning by

MTV on the Laguna Beach High School intercom saying “we just want to

do something positive for you.”

Positive? I suggest Blade watch a few hours of alcohol abuse,

casual sex and gun-wielding rappers on MTV before she endorses such a

blatant fallacy on the high school airwaves. I think it’s pretty

clear to most people that MTV isn’t interested in positive

programming for our children. Furthermore, how about letting

SchoolPower know about the MTV negotiations before using the phone

message system they paid for?

Adding insult to injury, even after word finally got out to the

parents and community about the MTV plans and they packed the school

board meeting in vocal opposition, Daem continued to support the

project and Keller stated, “We would have been proud.” Are they that

out of touch with their constituents?

Meanwhile, school board members dodged and weaved, claiming the

Super Bowl had changed their minds. That they needed the Super Bowl

to realize MTV is not positive for kids and schools is surprising and

unfortunate. Ironically, e-mails flooded in from around the country,

cheering the school board for the denial.

The MTV beast has now been unleashed and continues to film in

Laguna, thanks to the enthusiasm and assistance of Blade, Daem,

Keller and the school board.

While I remain grateful to the school board for creating excellent

schools for my children, I nonetheless am seriously disturbed by the

events of the latest high school debacle. There is a pattern to this

school administration -- evident also in Blade’s stealthy change of

60 years of the Artist name -- that has damaged community trust and

respect. It is high time for this pattern to change.

* SANDRA THOMPSON is a Laguna Beach resident.