Problems facing Newark schools need solving by teachers, parents and students, not real estate developers

Good Evening Honorable Board members and Superintendent Sanchez:

My name is Ricardo Corte. I am a proud graduate from Newark Junior High and Newark Memorial. I wanted to make a few comments on the 2030 strategic plan for the district.

First of all, the plans sound like an excellent idea…if you are a real estate developer. But for the rest of us: residents and former and current students of Newark, eliminating open space and playfields at the Junior High, McGregor and/or Musick doesn’t sound all that great. I support getting more money for the district, but money does not last forever. Of course some of the buildings at our schools are in need of repair, but I would hope the district would pursue with more urgency issues such as the quality of education at Newark public schools.

Throughout high school, I recall that many of my teachers would have trouble meeting with parents and students because of very frequent meetings with administration. Wouldn’t allowing teachers to have more time to spend with students and parents be a cost-effective way of improving our schools?

In eighth grade, I had Ms. Hallford for English, who offered one of the most rigorous classes throughout my education in Newark, only AP English three years later would match the difficulty of her class. Despite for thirty years, serving as an excellent English teacher and as a department head, Ms. Hallford was forced to resign because of a power struggle with administration. Shortly after, Fremont’s School District told her they would pay her double what Newark was paying her and she was hired on the spot.

How many other first-rate teachers have been driven away by our district and administration?

As a sophomore at Memorial, I had Mr. Pangburn for chemistry. I believe he had been teaching at the high school for likely more than a decade. Unfortunately, his class was not rigorous in any sense. Students could do whatever they wanted in his class and frankly I did not learn much at all. A year or two later, a fight broke out in his class and it was posted on YouTube. Presumably, the only reason he was forced to resign was because of the video. His class was one of many others, even in some of my AP classes, that reflected some people really should not become teachers.

This issue has continued long after I have graduated from high school. One example who I will not name but is currently employed by Newark Unified also allows his students to just do whatever they want in his class. One of my family members who was in his class complained to me that his class made her feel like she was just wasting her time. Despite serious concern also expressed from other teachers in the department, administration has just decided to let him have a number of second chances.

Who is accountable for ensuring students are getting everything they can from their classes and thus averting parents from otherwise considering private schools?

So to be honest, you will have to excuse my skepticism when a real estate developer is up here telling Newark that new buildings is what our schools need to become award winning, premiere and innovative. Our students and residents need more open space and playfields, not less. But even more so, they need solutions crafted by parents, teachers and students before those from real estate developers.

Thank you.