Consider the Facts!
- Bayside MLK (BMLK) is doing a better job of educating African American kids from Marin City than Willow Creek Academy (WCA).
- Willow Creek has more students than BMLK, and has more parents involved with their children’s education – it was required. WCA has more resources to educate and to serve all of its students, yet, they do a worse job educating their African American students. BMLK has fewer resources, yet has better results. Stop believing the alternative facts coming from WCA leaders regarding the per student resources provided to both schools. You are being grossly duped.
- The bottom line is that while both schools must improve, Bayside MLK is doing better serving African American students from Marin City than Willow Creek. With 300 of our 500+ students coming from Marin City, we need to ensure that whatever program best serves them is supported and expanded. That program, for African American students, is at Bayside MLK.
- There is a chance that this election will result in shutting Bayside MLK down. How is that providing the best possible education to all students in the district?
- The co-head of the parents’ organization at WCA, Jen Conway is running for a seat on the school board. Jen Conway DOES NOT believe that Bayside students earned the Distinguished School award in 2007 & 2008. She spoke those words to this writer, words heard by others. How can she successfully serve on the board without a fundamental belief in the capabilities of all of the students?
- Bayside was one of the top 50 schools in the State, and the top Title 1 School in the State, until the District Board was taken over by WCA board members, a WCA founder, and WCA supporters. They immediately started removing funds from Bayside MLK to give them to WCA. This is why the Attorney General is investigating the School District. Jen Conway and the slate of candidates she is running with are all closely attached to WCA, (one is the current Chair of the WCA board). They seek to continue control of the District School Board, and the Independent Charter School Board. They do not know, let alone believe, the Marin City African American students are capable of excellence and success.
- The Attorney General will continue, and likely expand itsinvestigation of the District Board’s Conflict of Interest issues, if a similar board configuration is elected. For sure, it will continue its investigation on the racial segregation of students. Segregation also remains an issue under investigation by the California Department of Education.
- When we vote, we normally consider persons who align with our values, our ethics, our sense of right and wrong? Am I voting for persons who will lead the District out of the current morass, or are they more likely, given their positioning, to bring more of the same? Do they have high expectations for all of the District’s kids, or for just the privileged few? Servant leaders who have integrity will lead the District to fair and equitable support of both schools, and quality programming to prepare allstudents to thrive in school and in life.
If you want to verify that African American Bayside MLK students have performed better than African American WCA students, please go to: https://onedistrictallstudents.com/addressing-the-... The same data is on the CA Department of Education site, but not as easy to locate.
Marilyn Mackel, Court Commissioner Los Angeles Superior Court (ret.)