BOARD CANCELS PARENTS MEETING.Byline: John Sanders John Sanders is the name of
Palmdale School District The Palmdale School District is a school district that serves a major part of the city of Palmdale, California (USA). The Palmdale School District was first formed in 1888. Approximately 28,000 students are enrolled in the Palmdale School District. officials canceled a scheduled meeting with parents upset about the administration of Mesquite Mesquite, city, United States Mesquite (məskēt`), city (1990 pop. 101,484), Dallas co., N Tex., a suburb of Dallas; inc. 1887. Manufacturing includes industrial power supplies, building materials, and medical equipment. Elementary School elementary school: see school. . Board President Helen Acosta said the meeting was canceled because a notice sent out by parents made it appear she was supporting their efforts to oust oust tr.v. oust·ed, oust·ing, ousts 1. To eject from a position or place; force out: "the American Revolution, which ousted the English" Virginia S. Eifert. Principal Pat Berry. ``This is not what we had in mind,'' Acosta said. ``We support Mrs. Berry. We will listen to concerns of parents, but we support our administrators and our teachers.'' The meeting had been scheduled Monday evening at Mesquite with Acosta and trustee Fred Thompson. The trustees were to report the parents' comments to the rest of the board, Acosta said. Acosta now says parents are welcome to speak at board meetings about their complaints. ``They got scared of us parents voicing our opinions,'' parent Toni Vidal said of the cancellation. A notice faxed to news media said parents were upset with Berry's performance. It said she and Superintendent Nancy Smith had engaged in ``intimidation tactics,'' and complained about other district actions, including its proposed use of an observatory telescope in Australia and its $3.1 million purchase of a former drug store. The notice complained that spending was coming at the expense of students. Vidal said parents are displeased dis·please v. dis·pleased, dis·pleas·ing, dis·pleas·es v.tr. To cause annoyance or vexation to. v.intr. To cause annoyance or displeasure. with academic performance among Mesquite pupils, and they blame Berry. Many parents have begun schooling their children at home, she said. Mesquite should offer tutoring for pupils, Vidal said. ``We as parents are tired of the way Mesquite is being run.'' Smith said she was pleased with Barry's performance at Mesquite, which according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. recent Stanford 9 test results scored higher than most of Palmdale's 18 elementary schools and improved scores between 1998 and 1999. ``I think if you compare our record and what our board and our administration has done, nobody in this valley has built more, has as much technology in the schools, or has done as much teacher training over the last few years as we've done,'' Smith said. ``So our money is being spent at the children's end of this thing.'' Of Barry's performance as principal, Smith said: ``She runs a good school. She's a good employee, and she's been with the district for many years.'' |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion