PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL 50 EMBARCADERO RD. PALO ALTO, CA 94301 NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE
PAI D PALO ALTO PERMIT #44
The Campanile
Vol. C, No. 1
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2017
www.thecampanile.org
Superintendent McGee to retire in June
McGee to resign after four tumultuous years as the face of the school district By Ujwal Srivastava & Paarth Sharma
Controversial Flex system debuted at Paly By Sam Hwang
Staff Writer & Managing Editor
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alo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) superintendent Dr. Glenn “Max” McGee is retiring at the end of the 2017-18 school year, ending a four-year run filled with memorable highlights, but also marred with controversy. His decision, which caps off a 45-year career, comes after a string of criticisms on issues such as sexual assault allegations and the weighted GPA debate. However, there is more to McGee’s retirement decision than just criticism. Each year, the Board of Education conducts an evaluation of the superintendent and gives him or her either a positive or negative rating. According to McGee's contract, the school board is required to report any and all positive ratings but is not required to report negative ratings. This year, the board did not report an evaluation for McGee, which suggests he received a negative performance review. Many contend that this evaluation and the subsequent decision not to renew his contract could be a factor in McGee’s decision to retire. When asked whether the board gave McGee an unsatisfactory rating, Palo Alto School
Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301
PALY VOICE /USED WITH PERMISSION
Supt. Max McGee listens intently to questions from the public at a recent PAUSD school board meeting. Board President Terry Godfrey said the board simply “followed the contract.”
McGee's departure as superintendent marks the end of an eventful era in PAUSD history. As for McGee, he said multiple times that his decision to retire was entirely his own and was not influenced by any board evaluation, positive or negative.
“I’m 67-years-old,” McGee said. “I’ve spent 30 years as a superintendent and 45 years teaching. It’s time to dial it back a little. [I would like to do] something around education. I love to write. I’ll also be able to spend more time with my grandchildren, whom I love dearly.” Godfrey also echoed this sentiment, saying the board evaluation and McGee’s retirement decision were separate. McGee’s departure as superintendent marks the end of an eventful era in PAUSD history. McGee’s list of achievements in his time at PAUSD includes
establishing the popular and acclaimed Advanced Authentic Research (AAR) program at both Paly and Gunn which provides high school students experienced mentors to help conduct research projects on topics of the student's choice. McGee also introduced more flexibility between math lanes in middle school, increased the number of eighth graders in algebra and introduced full-day kindergarten. However, alongside these triumphs, there was a multitude of controversial moments dur-
McGee retirement
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Staff Writer
new Flex schedule and attendance system began on Sept. 5, stiffening attendance requirements and reducing flexibility for students, but helping teachers with accountability regarding the whereabouts of their students. The new system, modeled on the system Gunn High School has used for the past two years, was announced a week ago in an email from Principal Kim Diorio to Paly parents. Most students were informed of the new system through a Schoology post last week from Assistant Principal Janice Chen. “I like [the new Flex system] because it has accountability for attendance because we are accountable for safety of the students,” said Paly math teacher Sharla May. In this new system, students are required to attend Flex on both Tuesday and Thursday from 2 p.m. to 2:50 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. to 2:35 p.m. respectively, and to remain in one classroom for the entire Flex period. In addition, the new attendance system requires students to check with a teacher in the beginning of Flex. There is also a new app which students can use to setup a meeting with their teachers. In June, the Palo Alto Unified
School District announced a new schedule for the 2017-18 school year because the old schedule did not fulfill the state requirement of 54,000 instructional minutes per school year. The Paly Bell Schedule Review Committee fixed this problem by adding additional time for a required Flex period on Thursdays for students whose advisory classes are not meeting. Teachers are mostly appreciative of the accountability with the new Flex system, because they are liable for student's safety during the period. However the general consensus among students seems to take a different stance. Many are not happy with the requirements, especially the mandate that students need to stay in one location for the entire duration of Flex. They say it does not allow them to take care of multiple tasks in one period and results in inefficiency. With a number of demanding courses, students feel the need to visit multiple teachers. Senior Nicholas Zhao said, “It’s not very flexible [to have to stay in one classroom for the whole period] and it’s ironic to the name because it’s supposed to be flexible.” Despite the changes and the seemingly restrictive new system, after only two completed Flex sessions administrators are asking students to give the system a try.
ASB to host biannual Club Day Six million dollar District blunder Several new clubs will be available to students this year
Missed deadline could cost PAUSD up to $6 million in salaries By Ujwal Srinivasta & Paarth Sharma
Staff Writer & Managing Editor
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or Superintendent Max McGee and the rest of the Palo Alto Unified School District, 2017 has been anything but uneventful. Since the beginning of this year, the district has dealt with the controversial issue of weighted grades, the infamous Paly sexual assault case and changing bell schedules. The latest criticism for McGee revolves around a payment mishap that will cost the district close to $6 million, according to a Palo Alto Online story from August. Following last year’s budget shortfall, the district was supposed to enter negotiations to reduce teachers’ raises. The current dilema was caused by a failure to meet a deadline by which they were supposed to give
FILE PHOTO/THE CAMPANILE
Club Day is a celebration that brings together people of similar interested and cultivates community.
By Paarth Sharma
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Managing Editor
tudents will flood the quad for the biannual Club Day on Sept. 15. Many of the clubs on campus will set up displays on the main quad. According to a survey conducted by The Campanile, 90 percent of Paly seniors plan to be a member of at least one club this year, with 73.6 percent of those intending to join multiple clubs.
As of last semester there were 90 clubs for students to join on campus. As of last semester, there were 90 clubs for students to join on campus, according to Paly’s Associated Student Body (ASB). The nature of these clubs vary widely, from academic like Science Olympiad to hobby-themed clubs such as Thespian Club to sports-oriented clubs like the
INSIDE
Palo Alto Basketball Association (PABA) or Juggling Club to many more variations. “Last year, Club Day was a huge success, and we had almost the entire school on the quad,” ASB Secretary Marissa Ludwig said. “This year, we’re looking to have even more participation by putting it on the final day of Quadchella, a music event on campus, which will hopefully lead more people to the quad and Club Day.” This year’s Club Day will feature clubs such as Agora Foreign Policy Magazine and TEDx Palo Alto High School, which have been around for many years and attract large numbers of visitors come Club Day and are waiting for new potential members during the extended lunch day festivities. Students are encouraged to join clubs as it builds community. Additionally, many schoolsponsored teams such as Paly Speech & Debate and Paly Robotics will be at Club Day. “This year, we’re holding our first [Speech & Debate] practice after Club Day so that anybody
who decides to join during Club Day doesn’t miss anything,” said Tanay Krishna, Paly Speech & Debate President. “We want to make sure that we can reach out to as many people as possible so that anyone who wants to join can.”
Many school-sponsored teams such as Paly Speech & Debate and Paly Robotics will be at Club Day. Students will have to wait until Club Day to find out which clubs will be offered to students this year, but according to ASB Site Council Representative Kasra Orumchian, the selection this year is better than ever. “There is going to be a diverse variety of new clubs this year, and I think that this year more than ever, there will be a club, if not multiple clubs, for every single student, regardless of their interests,” Orumchian said.
Lifestyle
an official notice to the teacher’s union as to whether or not they would renegotiate teacher contracts. While admin says it was simply a misunderstanding, the administration did not meet the timeline to request a renegotiation of the contracts. This mistake could cause spending per pupil to remain stagnant for the second year in a row according to Board President Terry Godfrey. “We, the Board, had assumed [negotiations] had been reopened. As it turns out our lead negotiator [Scott Bowers] did not officially reopen contract and that’s a mistake,” Godfrey said. “Obviously, we’re not in negotiations. And so legally our only response is to give the teachers the raise. What it means now is the raise is for the next couple of years, we’ll have less money to do the raises, we may have to make other cuts.
We don’t really have our financials completely solid yet.” Many in the community say McGee and the board have made a major error in their handling of the issue.
The latest criticism for McGee revolves around a payment mishap that will cost the district close to $6 million according to [Palo Alto Online]. This mistake has had an adverse impact on the way McGee’s administration is being viewed by the community, with many calling for his immediate resignation. Max McGee has already ssaid this year will be his last as a part of the school district and that he intends to retire after the year ends.
Title IX training implemented Teachers learn various strategies to improve school climate By Renee Hoh
News and Opinion Editor
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o satisfy an Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Resolution and create awareness, the District has introduced a mandatory Title IX training for high school teachers and staff. The training specifically addressed Title IX policies on creating a safe environment for students. In partnership with the Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo Law Corporation, the District mandated a day-long training session for high school staff members on Aug. 10. “Back in March when [the OCR] issued their resolution agreement, there were quite a number of action steps that the district had to put in place ... and this is one of them,” Principal Kim Diorio said. “[We are] making sure we did a thorough training of all our staff and taking this very seriously." In addition to the Title IX training, teachers and administra-
Spotlight
tors also attended Mandated Reporter Training, which is required for individuals working with minors. Along with Title IX training, these may become annual occurrences, according to Diorio. “This isn’t just a response to the events that happened last May and June,” Diorio said. “This is an ongoing conversation.” The training targeted Title IX’s role in providing students with safe learning environments and equal access to education. “What’s happening is that girls on campus may be subjected to sexualized behavior or comments,” said English teacher Kindel Launer. “Federal [law] states that [the behavior] interferes with their ability to get an education. When the environment is scary and sexualized...you can’t learn.” During training, the staff received guidelines and steps for filing a sexual harassment report. The presentation delved into examples of actions that may constitute sexual harassment by illustrating specific examples along
Science & Tech
with hypothetical scenarios. This training aims to create a safer environment for students to come forward by prohibiting retaliation against students who report any instances. “The training was very instructive,” Launer said. “I’m glad to see that the District is coming into an understanding of where current case law is relative to Title IX.” Originally, Title IX was used in the context of athletics or high education. For instance, when Paly introduces a new boys’ sport, they also introduce a girls’ sport. As Title IX begins to encompass high school classroom situations, students and parents should also be aware of Title IX policies, according to Diorio. “I do think Palo Alto will be at the forefront of being experts in this area,” Diorio said. “We can certainly help improve our own school culture and climate around these issues and also share that knowledge with schools or districts that are experiencing similar things.”
Sports
the edition
News. . . . . . . . . A1-A4 Opinion. . . . . . . A5-A7 Editorials. . . . . . . . . A8 Lifestyle. . . . . B1-B3, B6 Spotlight. . . . . . . . B4-B5 Science & Tech. . . B7-B8 Sports. . . . C1-C3, C6-C8 Sports Spread. . . . . C4-C5
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Social media monitoring
New and returning teachers
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Social media companies are censoring hate speech.
Read perspectives about new and returning teachers at Paly.
KAI ODA/THE CAMPANILE FLICKR/CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSED
23andMe
Genetic ancestry testing reveals unexpected truths. PAGE B8
LA TIMES/CREATIVE COMMONS LISCENSED
Finest Paly athletes
Find out how some of Paly's star athletes have succeeded. PAGE C4-C5