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Camp Connection
FEBRUARY 23, 2018 VOLUME 26, NO. 5
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Parents rally to save home schooling program DISTRICT TRUSTEES DELAY DEMISE OF ISP; TEACHER, FAMILIES SAY THEY WEREN’T NOTIFIED when parents relied on district oversight for home schooling. arents with children in The district adopted the program a local home schooling 17 years ago from the Whisman program are urging the School District — which rolled Mountain View Whisman over to Mountain View WhisSchool District to reverse course man when the districts merged on ending the district’s Indepen- — at a time when fewer families dent Study Program (ISP), call- were home schooling, so finding curriculum ing it a cherand guidance ished asset for for how to teach families. School board ‘The district doesn’t at home was a struggle, she members voted unanimously understand why we said. Gyhsels also last week to terminate the ISP chose this program, pointed out that the proat the end of and what is so gram is budJune 2020, following advice unique and special geted to cost about $57,000 by district offiin discretionary cials who called about it.’ funding this the program KATY CRAIN, ISP PARENT year, requires an unnecesits own classsary burden — room and needs both in terms of costs and facilities — with administrative oversight. Given dwindling enrollment. Partici- that ISP is not mandated by the pating families pointed out that state and doesn’t “align” to the the enrollment has dwindled as a district’s five-year Strategic Plan, direct result of district staff slash- she recommended ending the ing access to the program and program at the end of the 2018-19 cutting its budget by two-thirds. school year. But parents of children in the The program provides an hourly part-time teacher, cur- ISP came out in full force at the riculum and weekly classroom Feb. 15 school board meeting activities for families who to make an impassioned appeal choose to home-school their for the program, calling it a children, but still want some best-kept secret that should be structured guidance from a cherished and expanded. Many public school teacher and face- parents also questioned the reato-face interactions with other soning behind the decision to kill it, saying the ISP only suffered families. At a Feb. 1 meeting, Assistant a decline in enrollment when Superintendent Carmen Ghysels district staff consciously slashed described the ISP to the board as See HOME SCHOOL, page 6 an outdated resource from a time By Kevin Forestieri
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VERONICA WEBER
Freddie Farris, right, and sister Kathy Anyanwu, sit in Anyanwu’s apartment at Del Medio Manor. Farris, who helps care for her, lives in the apartment down the hall. Proposed rent increases would force both to move and possibly become homeless, they say.
Conflict over profits and pricing at Del Medio apartments TENANTS JOIN TOGETHER TO FIGHT LANDLORD’S PETITION TO RAISE RENTS By Mark Noack
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or Freddie Farris, 60, the golden years aren’t going quite as planned. After having to leave her postal carrier job due to a disability,
Farris thought she could spend a little more time caring for her family while her pension kicked in. They needed her help — her sister had a debilitating stroke years ago, and her 83-year-old mother, who shares
an apartment with her, can no longer walk on her own. For years now, Farris’ family has resided on the second floor of the Del Medio Manor See DEL MEDIO, page 11
Councilman drops out and a candidate steps forward By Mark Noack
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ountain View’s upcoming November election is already taking shape. Earlier this week, Councilman Ken Rosenberg surprised his colleagues by announcing that he would not seek a seek a second term. That news has already
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inspired activity among aspirants looking to fill his seat. On Thursday morning, Environmental Planning Commissioner Lucas Ramirez formally announced he would run for the open seat in November, with Rosenberg’s endorsement. Ramirez ran in 2016 amid a crowded field of candidates, and
Ken Rosenberg
Lucas Ramirez
he came up just short of winning one of the four open seats. Ramirez said he wasn’t planning on running again, since it See ROSENBERG, page 8
An alternative to ‘big soda’ WEEKEND | 15
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