Activism is Alive and Well in CV
I was at the Fire House [youth center] on Tuesday night, Nov. 29 when high school and middle school kids discussed the possible closure of their Crescenta Valley High School campus for lunch with Glendale Unified School District Deputy Superintendent Dr. John Garcia.

First, let me say if this is an example of what our future generation looks like, there is hope. There were a little over 100 kids in attendance and they were articulate, respectful and prepared. They were an example as to why Crescenta Valley High School continues to have high API [Academic Performance Index] scores and is an award winning school. These kids take their school seriously and are willing to do the homework to make certain they can present a united, intelligent force to be listened to and respected.

Dr. Garcia had accepted an invitation to come to the Fire House and speak after a couple of CVHS seniors heard his presentation at the Crescenta Valley Town Council. He graciously accepted and listened to their opinions, took their suggestions and answered some of their questions; of others he said he would get the answer and get back to [the students].

I cannot stress enough how impressed I was with those kids on Tuesday night and how they conducted themselves after the meeting. They thanked Dr. Garcia several times for coming but never lost focus of their quest for answers concerning the possible closure. Over and over again they mentioned that all schools were not alike (an argument we heard from the educational community several times during the Bush Administration’s No Child Left Behind program) and they questioned the recent statistics presented by the district concerning their school. However they, as a student body, did and are, taking responsibility for the tardies that was discussed and the drug arrests, although they questioned those statistics as well.

At the end the kids left determined this was not the end of the discussion but only the beginning. There were little pockets of students that were planning ways to get the word out to the rest of the student body. They spoke of continuing to gather information on the issue.

Tuesday night was an example of what I know kids in this community are capable of when given the chance. At the Fire House I have seen kids step up to the plate over and over again to make a change. My hope is that the district will take the suggestions made by the kids seriously, that they will treat them as the young adults that they are and will not only look at the negative record of disobedience by a few but the amazing success of the majority of these students from this high achieving, award winning school.

Go Falcons & Falkons!

Mary O’Keefe
Proud parent of a CVHS Falkon