DISQUS

Aahz · 1 year ago

These kids have already worked hard to go on this trip. With the school board so worried about dropout rates what message are they sending by advertising a trip like this, collecting money for it, then pulling the rug out from under the students?

And all because fear of some phantom litigation that has never materialized in all the past years of such trips? Ridiculous

Zaira · 1 year ago

We have worked so hard for this trip. Not to mention, get our hopes up. The money is due soon, and if we don't turn it in, we can't go to Yosemite National Park. Please help us. Click my name to find out how.

Dave McRae · 1 year ago

This is due to a group called the "Academic Alliance" that wanted to punish cheerleaders and FFA field trips. They passed this stupid policy that punishes students, teachers, and families for no good reason. It was hard to get them to overturn the idiodic cheerleader decision, luckily we overturned the FFA decision, and they are continuing to crush student spirit and ruin education with these draconian policies that NO ONE WANTS! Students on field trips learn more than students in classrooms. When field trips can be afforded, they are the most valuable part of education. Actually seeing the real world from somewhere other than a book or a lecture. We scorn on Presidential candidates that haven't visisted other places. We say they lack real world experience to know what they are talking about, book learning isn't good enough. Well, let's just apply that logic to students. Let them go see the real worls with guided instruction, and that's the most powerful type of learning possible. Field trips enhance and improve education, test scores, and spirit.

Al Jihad · 1 year ago

During my internment in Gilroy public schools, we never had any such field trips. Such would have been great - less of the prison-like atmosphere. (The one field trip we ever had was to the Carmel Mission in Fourth Grade - that's it -really.) But this idiot (Dave McRae) spent four years on the School Board (as a laughingstock) and never did anything about these policies: they're still there. (Reminds me of the library refusing to acknowledge the porn issue for the sake of their "policy.") Although for the first time in his pathetic life McRae makes sense (about the FFA and cheerleader issues and the enhancement of spirit), it is his (socialist) kind who are responsible for the existence of these policies.

One question I have is, why to outrageous cost? I can put a weeklong backpacking trip together for $100/person - five days is $450? (But then again, I've never been to Yosemite - maybe they gouge.)

Dave McRae · 1 year ago

Alan, you don't seem to know the facts. That never stops you, but let me clarify. I did fight these policies. I also fought the idiotic policy on student free speech, which was a veiled attempt by the Academic Alliance to squash freedom of speech. When I pointed out to them that their "policy" would defend and allow the types of comedic performances they objected to when they railroaded the poor drama teacher out of town (one of their first hits, they had a list they shared with me who they were going to get rid of) they tabled it and it never re-appeared during my tenure.

You might want to read Doug Mieir's Republic of Gilroy blog series where he takes me to task for overturning a Board Vote nearly single handedly that ALLOWED the cheer leaders to attend the Hawaii trip. Ask a politician how hard a political trick winning...WINNING...a "Motion to reconsider" is. It's virtually impossible. But together with concerned parents, we were able to overturn the idiodic vote to dis-allow the cheerleaders trip. That same trip was singled out 8 months earlier by Denise Appuzzo in her column as something that would be "stopped". How could a Dispatch columnist know 8 month prior to the vote that a trip would be "stopped" unless she knew it was being targeted? Exactly. It was a plot against groups they didn't care for. Right after that vote, at the same meeting, and it's on TAPE, Principal Maxwell gets on the mic and vows to overturn the next field trip RIGHT IN THE FACE OF THE BOARD THE JUST OVERTURNED HIS DECISION! The Board President should have reminded his who he serves, and reprimanded him for showing us up like that. Weak moment for the Board President to get walked on like that. Employees of the DIstrict will follow any policy the Board passes, regardless of personal opinion or find other work.

I also made a speech and helped overturn the FFA field trip denial (also Maxwell).

I'm universally despised by the Academic Alliance for single handedly overturning their "Cheerleader Field Trip Cancelling" plan. 4-3 was the vote and those girls went to Hawaii and stood on the Arizona Monument at Pearl Harbor. That's a memory you can't recreate in the classroom. I did it for EDUCATIONAL reasons. They got a better education that week than they would of in school. Sorry, it's true. Real world experiences trump book learning every time. Every time!

Alan, during my time on the Board, I didn't think people knew we had by-laws that prevented us from criticizing the public in any way. You could be allowed to call us every name in the book and we had to just take it as public servants. I am no longer on the Board. That by-law no longer applies to me. I can drop f-bombs faster than you can, dude. I keep editing them out of these responses (laughs).

To say I didn't fight the field trip policy is the very definition of ignorance of the facts. I was the only voice at the start of the fight.

They even scheduled the vote 2 days after my surgery. An attempt to take me out of the vote. Weak. I voted and WE WON!

Jessika · 1 year ago

This whole issue with not letting students attend the field trip is absurd!!
When i was in seventh grade i went and i learned a lot and not only that but I had a really fun time.
They should let these 7th graders go!!
If other students were allowed to go then the students to come should be allowed to go to!!