Melinda Herman, a New Rochelle resident, wrote a letter to the editor of The Journal News. She offers some counter-arguments to the topics presented in this blog. We would like to thanks Ms. Herman for taking the time to join the discussion by presenting her perspective.
Equal opportunity for all students
“…unfairly blames the school district of New Rochelle (North-south divide untrue, officials say) for educational inequality; yet his personal experiences at Isaac Young Middle School do not reflect systemic inadequacies or biases.
No need to panic! It would
No need to panic! It would probably be a good idea to take a fresh look at anything that’s been in place for 30+ years. There’s always room for improvement, particularly with our Board of Education.
Lower-cost housing in the
Lower-cost housing in the South -End? With a average value of $500k for a single family and more for multi-family and numerous of town-house developments on Shore Road and the West End of Equal or greater value there isn’t any low-cost anywhere. So if “anybody” can afford these numbers “no one” should be qualifing for a free or reduced lunch. As for lines being drawn, what do you really suggest? Those lines have been there for a very long time based where you lived. And busing out of district students into other district schools has been going on for 30+ years with no complaints. The soci-economic tone of this blog is unfair to all the hard working, tax paying parents of both ends. Remember that when “everything thing becomes totally “equal” ie. housing, income, education and property we have Socialism. IS that what we want here?
In response to Ms. Melinda
In response to Ms. Melinda Herman’s Letter to the Editor:
If indeed having lower-cost housing in the South End is in correlation with a higher percentage of students who have limited-English proficiency and qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, as mentioned in your letter, why doesn’t the District take a closer look at those numbers and reevaluate the district lines? Who draws the lines and decides who goes to what school?
If New Rochelle truly values its cultural richness, shouldn’t all the schools in the district reflect that as well?
You also say that: “Students from all seven elementary schools excel at the high school’s Advanced Placement and honors classes and win awards in the Science Olympiad, Model Congress and other clubs. My children have wonderful friends who grew up in southern New Rochelle. Children of all races and nationalities are valued and encouraged to achieve their potential.” And I wonder, which students exactly are the ones excelling in these programs at the High School?
All school districts, including New Rochelle, will certainly have curricula, programs and services in place. However, access to these programs and how they are implemented are key for success and what we should be paying closer attention to.
Finally, in my opinion, Mr. Sanchez’ role as a parent outweighs any position he or anyone else could hold and should be taken seriously.