July 11, 2009
To Whom It May Concern:
I’m writing to you regarding the renewal of Senate Bill 680, which would renew the District of Choice program. From what I have heard from my school district’s office, this bill got killed on the floor of the Appropriations Committee and would jeopardize the program for the upcoming school year if it’s not renewed for the upcoming school year
I’m an incoming junior in ****** **** ****** in ******, and I realize how important this is to me. I came to the ****** ******* ****** ******** (*****) when I was a 6th grader at ******* ****** ******, and throughout the years I’ve been in this district, I was thankful every step of the way the education that district has brought me, shaping me into what I am right now. What you’re doing to the Senate Bill 680 is simply not something you’d play with – it’s a ticking time bomb for disaster if it’s not renewed for the upcoming school year.
I transferred to ***** simply because my parents and I believe this district would offer me better opportunities at education – better than my old district. Over the years, I came to realize how great my district is, with its vibrant community and great teachers guiding me through every step of the way. If the bill was allowed to die out, you’re going to jeopardize many, many students who rely on this program to excel in their education that their old district may not provide.
For example, the past school year, when I took AP European History as a sophomore, I had probably the best teacher for that subject, but at that time, I didn’t embrace it fully. But through the year, I came to appreciate what she has done for me and other AP European History students to make sure we pass with a 3 or above (hence why she’s proud of her 95%+ pass rate through the years she has taught the subject). When I got my score report, not only did I got a 5 and qualify for a grade change for both semesters, I realized that her effort and the time she sacrificed from her weekends and whatnot to make sure we succeed exam paid out well for me and many of the students who took the AP Exam and passed it. But what I’m saying is that my AP European History teacher is one of the many teachers in ***** who work hard and make sure we succeed in everything we do – something I believe that I cannot get anywhere else. That trait helps us students develop the foundation for a good work ethic for the rest of our lives
Another example is when I started high school as a freshman, and pretty much was new to the high school atmosphere, in terms of the curriculum and the different atmosphere. Despite the fact that I came into uncharted territory when I took English 1 Honors (which was an entire new dimension for someone that just came in from middle school), my English teacher not only gave me guidance to me, but also established what I should expect in my English classes for the rest of my high school career through many assessments, meaningful discussions, and activities. Probably without one of teachers like her, I would not have been as vigilant in my English classes and could have struggled if it was not for her strong guidance and advice.
These examples I offered show how important the teachers in my district can be some of the best teachers around who knows how to make students successful in high school through their hard work and dedication, making sure we do the right things that would benefit us in the long run. As I said before, if my parents never transferred me to *****, who knows what I’d turn out like right now. I’m very thankful what ***** has offered to me, and I cannot thank them enough.
We already have the budget crisis at hand. You already cut our education funds, and layoffs are already happening to fellow teachers around the state. By simply killing this bill, you’re killing OUR chance for a great education, OUR chance to be successful in life, and OUR chance to be the ones that we really want to be. By killing this bill, you would make us Californians that depend on this program even more disillusioned; we’re already pissed off about the budget crisis, and we don’t need this to screw up our students. Our education system is already worse off than it is right now, and this simply digs another deep hole for Californian students that want to excel in their studies, even with the current bullcrap going right now
Would you want people from other countries overtaking us in education? Where is the pride in education that our state prides itself on? Would you want Californians going “what the hell is this crap, we’re not allowed to help our students succeed?” and have voters vote you out of office simply because of this one simply situation that can be passed with a simple majority? Even though this is a low-profile issue right now (in terms of the lack of press coverage, which may be good for you guys), I can at least guarantee that you will face a storm of public criticism or controversy over this if you let it die out. Us Californians are already ticked off about the budget crisis issue, hence why your public approval ratings are at their worst right now. Do you want to make the situation for the state even worse by killing this bill one way or the other? Do you want to dig a deeper hole in your already-messy career as a politician?
Please think about what you’re doing right now. I understand that the budget crisis is keeping you guys up late at night trying to get this piece of mess fixed up, but please think about the students when it comes down to Senate Bill 680. We already had our budget cuts in education, and that’s enough for us. Please, think about how badly this would affect the students as we’re already trying to adapt to the budget cuts as best as we can. It’s not myself that I’m concerned about – it also includes a good number of my current and former classmates who came over with me from my old district to seek the same thing I wanted in the first place – a good, quality education. I’m already having a lot of sleepless nights thinking about this situation after I got the letter from my current school district regarding it. I never thought this would be the reality after my Math Analysis Honors teacher told me a few months back this would be a possibility. The pain and suffering I’ve gone through is nightmarish.
Please, please think about the students and the overall well being of California’s education system. You must also consider how the next generation of Californians will turn out to be, and it won’t turn out as good if you don’t let us students pursue what we want for our future. Do you want the state to prosper and let us continue the strong tradition that California is known for years to come, even after you retire from Californian politics?
Please support Senate Bill 680 (SB680) for the sake and well-being of every student in California. Thank you.
Sincerely,
****** ****
Disillusioned High School Student
