LASD: Good job, but still do better
This letter to the editor is regarding the Nov. 19 Town Crier article, “Local districts exceed state assessment and success metrics.”
Yes, the California Schools dashboard highlights a number of the excellent results of the Los Altos School District. Los Altos has nearly twice the proportion of students achieving at least at grade level (85%) than the state overall. But we also have too many students not succeeding and not meeting critical California standards.
Only 30% of our Latino, socioeconomically disadvantaged students are at grade level. This 30% at-grade level rate is essentially identical to the overall state results. Why can we be wildly successful with the other students and fail so miserably in helping our Latino community?
Most of these students have been in LASD since kindergarten and spoke English by first grade. Their parents want nothing more than for them to succeed. Most of the families are not impoverished, and many parents lacked educational access in their countries of origin.
The school board meeting last week included a lengthy discussion about why so many LASD students are not succeeding and what we can do to help them. The district staff and board expressed their sincere desire to help all students.
It is time for the community to face this unacceptable reality and begin the work to find solutions.
Pat Brodkey
Los Altos
