Blindsided: How Did A High-Performing Bilingual Program Become Disposable Overnight?
By Elizabeth Silva, Bancroft Elementary Parent On January 28, families at Bancroft Elementary in the Mount Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD) received an email that would upend our children’s education. The district announced it would phase out the Two-Way Spanish Dual Immersion program at the school, the longest-running and highest-performing Spanish immersion program in the…
Letter: Relocating Dual Immersion At Bancroft Risks Re-Segregating Walnut Creek Schools
Editor; Walnut Creek has been here before, and our community said no. In 2022, families, educators, and state leaders pushed back against a proposal that would have fractured the Mount Diablo Unified School District and deepened racial and economic segregation. The attempted Northgate secession was rejected by the California State Board of Education because it…
Letters: The 14 Characteristics Of Fascism. How Many Have We Met?
Editor; The fourteen characteristics of fascism. How many have we met? The occupant of the white house is openly stating that elections may be cancelled. Members of the media are being arrested and charged with crimes. The Department of Homeland Security is purchasing warehouses and building concentration camps Immigration and Customs Enforcement is roaming our…
Letters: Daddy’s Hot Diggity Davos!
Editor; Watching the Bloviator In Chief waddle around Davos confusing the names of countries he wants to invade while insulting our allies and conducting the Kremlin’s business was exhausting. I need a rest. I would say the whole charade was eye opening if I hadn’t known this has been the Great Grifter’s MO since about…
Letters: ICE-Storm Threatens Minneapolis After Shooting
Editor; Like most Americans — I hope — I was shocked and appalled by the news and video of today’s shooting in Minnesota. I was doubly horrified and then angered by the response of Ms. Noem and the president as they attempted to spin details of the shooting in favor of armed immigration agents. I…
Letter: Choosing Our Targets And That Whole “Increased Lethality” Thing
Editor; Since September, this administration has struck 30 boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean in a supposed effort to crack down on drug trafficking — our leaders and military ordering the execution of unknown people without evidence or benefit of trials. This approach, by the president’s own admission, has apparently shifted to land-based…
Letters: “Excuse Me. But Are We At War?”
Dear Editor; I’m hoping you can clear something up for me, my children and 347 million Americans: “Are we at war?” I mean, non-video of American forces “double tapping” speedboats, survivors clinging to wreckage in shark-infested waters, and cool video of special forces roping down onto Venezuelan oil tankers has me wondering what Venezuelans have…
LETTER: Our Streets As Speedways
Editor; Re: your Nov 30 article “Pleasanton Driver Arrested…After Fatal San Ramon Crash” I would like to express my sympathies to the innocent woman killed in this senseless act while wholeheartedly condemning the driver now accused of killing her. I realize justice moves slowly but I would argue that driving a high performance car at…
LETTER(S): Rough Exit At EBRPD; Mike And Sasha; Bannon’s Prediction
Editor; Partly due to their name I thought the East Bay Regional Park District was a benign agency dedicated to running and caring for our local parks. Recent developments have shown my long-held perception of the district may be off the mark as outgoing General Manager Sabrina Landreth threatens legal action against the district’s board,…
Letters: “The Room So Quiet…” And “The Rowdy Cup”
Editor; By now we’ve all had a chance to digest the revolting antics of this last week — both on and off the golf course. My dad introduced me to golf in the Sixties and I loved it, enjoying time away from work and daily pressures to play the gentleman’s game with friends. More than…