Dear Editor:
Re: District might bring lawyer to parent meeting, and Legal bills keep on rising for school district, The Record, May 4.
Enough of the sanctimony, Trustee Ewen. Who is supposed to believe your statement: "she can contact the board, and we will answer her concerns"?
You are doubtlessly aware that Kal Randhawa and Lisa Chao have made written submissions and questioned the board at its last three monthly meetings and were not satisfied with the handling of their concerns.
And we now learn that at Randhawa and Chao's upcoming May 14 parent meeting, the district may be growing its legal bill by bringing a lawyer. Since when have lawyers been experts in furthering student achievement?
What is apparent watching events unfold is that individual student achievement has been subjugated by pumped-up egos, faux benevolence and who knows what else. The issue is no longer about what is best for the student.
But why have student interests been subjugated? Because they can.
Because in the business of education, at the macroecomonic level, students are a commodity. A renewable commodity - there is a new IPO entering kindergarten every year. Individual students can be acquired or dispatched and don't matter beyond the fact that he/she adds one to the district's 6,095 headcount.
In the business of education, total headcount rather than achievement determines the district's bottom line. Achievement doesn't funds jobs. That's why the specifics of any single student's achievement will never be given its due.
Note that the board and district will only receive parent appeals and complaints singly.
And getting back to the question about the lawyer at the parent meeting. The lawyer is bringing his/her six-figure bill to the table so that school district personnel can continue to collect their own six-figure sums.
What's best for students? I doubt the question will even be broached.
Kelvin Chao, New Westminster
