Properly Subversive/Sherman R. Frederick
The state of California has $3 billion in the bank to fund something called “community schools.”
In Marin, the perpetually troubled Sausalito Marin City School District snagged one of the big grants. The district, which can barely provide basic education to its students right now, will receive a whopping $712,000 to fund a “community school director” position for five years.
Exactly how $712,000 stretches out to fund a key educational position for five years in Marin is going to be a trick. But that’s not my main worry. I’m more concerned with what in the world is a “community school”?
The California Department of Education says it “can be an effective approach to mitigate the academic and social impacts of emergencies that affect local communities, improve school responsiveness to student and family needs, and to organize school and community resources to address barriers to learning.“
Clear as mud, right?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not rooting against whatever a “community school” is supposed to be. I’m just sayin’ the whole explanation of what these schools do remains shrouded in buzz words and feel-good language. I don’t see any method to measure success. I suppose theoretically the ultimate measure would be a marked rise in student test scores. But, with the way test scores have been going of late, you can bet that no person within the educational complex in Marin would be willing to bet the mortgage on that.
Finally, I have one more concern with adding something so nebulous as “community school” to a school district like Sausalito Marin City. Although I think the district has some talented leaders and staff, this district can barely keep teachers in the classroom and students motivated. Parents are clearly pissed off in the extreme. Adding a program like this to the school board’s plate may actually hurt more than it helps.
I hope I’m misreading the tea leaves on this one.
HOW ODD IS THIS?
Well, the winner for the oddest Marin story in June has to go to the case in which a man was alleged to plant a video camera in the bathroom of a graduation party. Arrested was Charles Gideon Korrell, 44, of Ross.
The party took place in Petaluma. Korrell was a guest at the party. Police said a recording device was found and police were called. No one owned up to planting the camera. So, police viewed about 30 minutes of the device and said it showed Korrell placing it in the bathroom.
Police arrested Korrell and took him to jail where his bail was set at $15,000.
I always urge caution when reading and making judgments on stories like this. But so far you gotta say that’s one strange story.
HOUSING OR VIEWS
Sometimes issues converge in such a way as to show Marin’s duplicity on big issues of the day.
Consider low-income housing.
Marin County and every city in it from Sausalito to Novato are right now as you read this, wringing their elected hands about how so very hard it is for them to find space for state-mandated low-income housing.
Yet, at the same time, the county is all giddy about spending millions and millions to acquire and preserve a piece of privately held open space atop Tiburon. It’s described as the best view in the Bay Area.
You know where my jaded mind is going here. Why not buy the land and put low-income housing in the open space? Give the poor the best view in the Bay Area.
Why the hell not?
I’ll tell you why not.
Because converting open space to affordable housing is just not on the table in Marin. Ever.
THANK YOU
This comment came to our website recently. I thought it worth sharing with our print readers.
Dear editor,
In my 50+ years in farming and ranching in Marin, I have seen a dramatic shift from “commodity-based” agriculture to specialty and value-added food products – a transition that continues to this day. Without a supportive local community and consumers who appreciate high quality, locally grown products, we would not have a future here.
To all of you who support locally grown, farmers’ markets, direct-to-consumer and important land preservation initiatives like Measure A, thank you, thank you, thank you. And many thanks to the continuing support from our Board of Supervisors, Cooperative Extension and Resource Conservation District.
Ralph Grossi
ONE MORE THING
– What did one eye say to the other? Just between you and me, something smells.
– All the toilets in the Marin County Sheriff’s office were stolen over the long weekend. Detectives apparently have nothing to go on.
– What do you call a dog magician? A Labracadabrador Retriever.
Sorry – not sorry – for the puns this week. I’ll work harder. Until next week, avoid soreheads, think for your own selves, laugh a little and always – always – question authority.
(“Properly Subversive” is commentary written by Sherman R. Frederick for the Novato Advance, San Rafael News-Pointer, Mill Valley Herald, Ross Valley Reporter, Twin City Times and the Sausalito Marin Scope. Frederick is a long-time journalist and co-founder of Battle Born Media, a news organization dedicated to the preservation of community newspapers. Mr. Frederick loves feedback. You can reach him by email at shermfrederick@gmail.com.)
Keep up your great work.