Superintendent schools a room of hungry Lions
It was worth the $12 to have lunch with the Whittier Host Lions Club on Thursday. About 80 rapt Lions listened to Whittier Union High School District Superintendent Sandra Thorstenson deliver some good news about the state of education at a time in our nation's history when a little good news was most welcomed.
Longtime Lion Bruce Martin jokingly asked Thorstenson if she could retroactively adjust his cumulative GPA, "but the statute of limitations ran out."
Thorstenson thanked the surly group for helping to pass Measure W, a $75 million bond extension the district will use to shore up its aging infrastructure and beef up its technology programs.
Then she made a PowerPoint presentation that showed, despite having 71 percent of students classified as socioeconomically disadvantaged, her kids were raising their Academic Performance Index scores, were narrowing the "achievement gap" and seeing 99.5 percent of students passing the mandatory California High School Exit Exam.
About double the number of Advanced Placement tests were taken by college-bound pupils than six years ago and more students met all the course requirements to enroll in four-year universities than ever before.
The superintendent said her district encompasses 42 square miles and serves all youths in Whittier, feeding from five elementary districts.
"If they come from poverty, but have a secure home life, it's OK. We can do incredible things with them, no matter where they live," Thorstenson said. Although admitting, "It's like starting a race behind the start line."
"The kids used to fall through the cracks. Now they just stub their toes."
I was opposed to Measure W. I do not feel that it was appropriate to offer the WUHSD an additional sum of money when they hadn't finished spending the original bond funds.
As a note, I am a WUHSD alumni, and like the district. However, from a fiscal point of view, finish the first bond, let us see the results, and then come hat in hand and ask for more money.
If they try this tactic a third time, and try to pry more bond money from the voters, formal opposition should be launched.