Dear Editor:
I am writing in response to the letter last week by Barbara Martinez, which mischaracterizes the actions and intentions of the Kids First slate for school board.
As a Hola supporter, Ms. Martinez would have you believe that by being against the rejected dual language program, the Kids First team is intentionally harming the 65 percent of students in our district who are Hispanic. As an African-American, it offends me when people play the race card to discredit legitimate criticism.
The women of Kids First were against Hola’s implementation for this year for one simple reason: They had too many questions, but received too few answers. Every taxpayer and parent should want people who are vigilant and willing to ask the tough questions to represent them on the board.
It is unfortunate to see that the supporters of Hola have decided that the blame for the failure of its acceptance as a public school program on Kids First. Ms. Martinez ends her letter by quoting President Obama, saying, “you will be judged on what you can build, not what you can destroy.” Neither the Kids First team nor the board members who voted against Hola destroyed it.
The Kids First team wants to help the district build better programs for all of its students, and it knows that must be done with prudent planning, outreach to parents and in a climate of fiscal responsibility. To do anything less is simply unfair to those children that Ms. Martinez claims Hola would have helped – some of whom may have fewer educational choices than the children of the people who were the loudest Hola supporters at the board meetings.
Yours truly,
Jan Wilson Abernathy