Of children, families, and the future of MAOS

Once upon a time I had a friend who happened to be blind. She was intelligent, funny, and wise beyond her years. When she was around 10 she contracted some sort of infection that destroyed her optic nerve, and could never see again.

I'll call her Linda. Linda had a younger sister that I'll call Rosa. By the time I met them both, Linda and Rosa had a pretty nasty relationship. Linda needed her mother for practically everything, and Rosa resented all the time their mother spent with Linda: taking her and picking her up from school, to after-school events, what not. 

Linda in turn resented Rosa for the monetary support she was getting from their mother. Rosa was entering adulthood and she wanted to go out to dances, wear make up and high heels. Mom was caught in the middle: she gave Linda all the attention she could, and Rosa all the money she could afford, but neither one was happy. Everyone seemed resentful of everyone else.

I began thinking about Linda and her family recently, during one of those long and sometimes strained conversation officials at Monterey Peninsula Unified School District are having about MAOS.

For those of you who don't know the Monterey Academy of Oceanographic Science is a very successful program at Monterey High School. Only accomplished, top performing students get in, and the program graduates the cream of the crop in Monterey High. MAOS students are top athletes, top scholars, participate in the student body, you name it. They're the school's super stars.

And for some reason, some people in the district -- including some trustees -- appear to be resentful of the program. They resent the fact that the program seems to have a dearth of minorities participating, they resent the resources they appear to be receiving or demanding to receive.

What's fascinating is that there appears to be resentment too from MAOS students and other supporters as well. Why should only poor-performing students get resources? Why should they be forced to sit along students who are not there to study but just to kill time?

Yep, that's the gist of what's been discussed in some of those sessions. It gets hurtful at times.

Like the times when I would watch Linda rebel against her mother for giving Rosa money for an eyeliner. Like watching Rosa fuming against her mother for not having dinner ready on time.

Bottom line is, at MPUSD there are not many resources, and they have to be stretched thin for all the students, not just for the ones who're struggling academically, but the top performers.

So what gives? And how do you handle it? Do you tell the top performers 'Sorry, we have no more to give you'? Or do you try to find a way to accommodate them?

One way or another, MPUSD has accommodated MAOS for the past 19 years. It hasn't been easy, it seems, but the relationship is there. And it appears that trustees are trying to find a way to keep MAOS a part of Monterey High.

Tuesday night, trustees gave direction to administrators on hammering out some sort of agreement that will spell out how the district will help MAOS. The areas to be included are facilities, master scheduling and staff. A completed document it's supposed to be approved by trustees in the next few weeks.

I do hope everyone finds a way to work together, for the sake of all the students. I'm sure MAOS students would get the benefit of greater focus if they managed to be completely on their own, but I'm afraid the school at large would lose a lot: it would lose a segment of the population that's inspiring and can serve as a catalyst for change. MAOS students would also lose by not being in touch with the "real world."

Somehow in society we have to find a way to serve everyone's needs, and finding a way to serve MAOS and non-MAOS kids is a way to start. And if we can do that without resentments, much better. There are too many Lindas and Rosas in the world already.

Charter school extravaganza coming to MPUSD

On Tuesday, trustees with the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District will consider two charter school proposals. For starters, they will have a hearing to gauge support for the Monterey Global Vision Charter School proposed by Vadim Nazarenko.

Last August, Nazarenko proposed the California Classical Language Academy Charter School, which was soundly rejected. Judging by preliminary review of the latest proposal, it's likely the Global Vision Charter will meet the same fate of the Classical Language.

Trustees will also decide whether to accept staff recommendations and give the go-ahead to the creation of the Monterey Academy of Oceanographic Studies charter. In other words, they'll decide whether to allow the successful program to split from Monterey High and go its own way.

It will be interesting to see if the board sticks to its independence streak, or if they go with administrator's recommendation.

I've been thinking a lot about what the split would mean for Monterey, but I think my fears are best expressed by a letter I received a couple of days ago from a reader, a MAOS parent. I get the concerns from MAOS parents who want to make sure their children get the classes they need, but what about the other high school students?

Edward Johnson, a Monterey High Alumn, put it better than I ever could. He wrote this to the trustees.

Up until recently, I was strongly against MAOS becoming a dependent charter school. But after hearing the impassioned speeches of those in favor of it, I have softened my opinion. However, I am still unsettled about what it means for those “left behind”.

What do I mean? I am talking about those MHS students that are good students but maybe not up to MAOS caliber. I am talking about those students waiting to blossom. Will there be no top tier students in their classes to aspire to be like or to engage in an intellectual debate? Will there be no elite level teachers because they have left to teach the best and brightest in the MAOS dependent charter? Will there be a paucity of interested/educated MHS parents to push what is best for their kids.

Again, I believe that a dependent charter would be beneficial for the clearly identified gifted students in MAOS. The more pressing question for MPUSD/society is how to educate the MHS student body as a whole. Daily intellectual exchange between students is important. Quality teaching is important. Stimulating course work is important. Why? There are future scientists, doctors, lawyers and teachers in the mainstream student body waiting to be discovered, motivated and challenged. Additionally, the mainstream students will form the backbone of the workforce and society. They must be well educated.

I was a late bloomer in high school would not have been selected for MAOS as a 9th grader. But I was fortunate to have teachers like Mr. Steve Clark (eventual MAOS founder) and be in classes that had “smart” kids mixed in with mainstream students. At that time, there was no MAOS. I became inspired by the study of biology and made my way to college and beyond.

I can support a MAOS dependent charter school. However, we must also ensure a rich and challenging educational experience for all MHS students. As additional charter schools seek approval, the MPUSD Board cannot leave behind the interests of the mainstream students. Almost 60 years ago, Brown v. Board of Education found that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal”. We must take care not to create separate facilities (schools) that lead to inequality.

These issues are complex and do not lend themselves to easy answers. I trust that the MPUSD Board will research, ponder and do what is best--morally and fiscally.

Respectfully,

Edward Johnson, MD
MHS Class of 1978
Current MAOS Parent

MAOS Mom extraordinaire chimes in controversy

Joanna Greenshields, reader extraordinaire and another keen observer of MPUSD, added her two cents in the ongoing dialogue the district's having about the future of MAOS. You can find it here.

But because she addresses a very important point that could be missed in the conversation (something that I've already alluded to in previous posts) I'll highlight it here. It revolves around the issue of people coming forward with credible information when they want me to write a story.

This is an excerpt from Ms. Greenshields' comments:


One of the difficulties for Ms Melendez has been getting accurate information on the underlying story of why MAOS would be seeking autonomy from the current administration.

People with accurate knowledge and an understanding of the complexities currently facing MAOS and MPUSD,  are either unable or unwilling to have an open, honest dialog with her about how we got to the point of charter exploration.

And there you have it. I'm asked all the time: do a story about this or that. Half of the time I'm chasing my tail because I'm trying to get information and people won't talk to me. Mr. Jensen writes to me: don't write until you get all the answers. Well, I'm not getting any answers, but hopefully, if I write what happens at a board meeting -- all on the record, thank goodness -- something else can pop up.

So, if you have a story for me, you know where to find me. I'm waiting patiently.

Reading between the MAOS and MPUSD lines

Sometimes, the most fascinating stuff to come out of board meetings it's what's left unspoken.

Take the Monday night meeting of the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District. I thought I was losing my mind when I kept thinking to myself, why are they doing this? Why do teachers want to take the Monterey Academy of Oceanographic Science away form Monterey High and make it its own charter? What's the real reason?

I've been asking myself this question over and over again. I even asked marine biology teacher Geoff Von Saltza, but I never felt I received a satisfactory answer.

So the question came up again, Monday night, from some people in the audience.

Why do the teachers want to do this?

English teacher Ron Woods said, in not such few words, they want more control. Echoing Woods, Von Saltza said (see the videos) that MAOS has always been a teacher-driven program, and that they want to return it to its original mission.

So they want more control.

Then Monterey High principal Marci Plummer got to the podium and told trustees something like this:

"I’ve offered and I've extended during the entire process the opportunity to work with us on an alternative proposal, a schedule within a schedule so we could begin articulation. I have a memo I wrote about our meetings (documenting) some of the things MAOS needed and we have achieved 10 out of 11 objectives around course curriculum... "

(Mmm. There's people at MPUSD who actually take notes during meetings. Fascinating.)

Plummer went on. She's made some hires for MAOS. And she also offered all the teachers who are willing the opportunity to work with her to design a master schedule.

So the teachers want more control and Plummer has tried to make concessions. At least, that's what she said.

Then came the most poignant commentary of the evening, from MPUSD keen observer Pam Silkwood and mom of two MAOS students. The idea of a charters is innovative and out of the box, it should be encouraged and pursued, she said. But the plan as presented lacks details, and besides, the charter petition is just a symptom of a bigger ailment at the district.

"It's an example of lack of collaboration between teachers and administration," Silkwood said. "I have respect for both parties. A MAOS charter is like putting a band-aid on a gouging wound."

There you have it. The real reason why MAOS teachers want out of Monterey High is because they seemingly can't work with administrators.

At least that's what I thought until Tuesday evening. Then Scuttlebutt came a'calling, and the rug was pulled from underneath my chair.

I've covered the district long enough to agree with Pam Silkwood in one thing: this is symptom of a bigger ailment. It's worrisome because the district is looking for a new superintendent, and it makes me wonder how effective he or she will be working in this atmosphere of distrust.

And it makes me very sad because in school we ask students to learn to collaborate and work together, but we can't get the adults to do that --not just at MPUSD, but everywhere I turn in education. So how realistic is it to ask that of young people?

Also, we ask of our youngsters not to lie, and it turns out, adults do it ALL THE TIME. And I wonder, how can anybody work with people they can't trust???????

That's how Scuttlebutt pulled my rug. Because, it turns out, some of the adults in the room Monday night were not being completely honest about what's happening in the district. It's not the first time I've heard these claims, so by now I'm giving them more credence.

Excuse me, everybody. I need to go throw up.