Sheds Light on Letter

In response to Robert Perry’s letter in the Jan. 5 edition, I think my friend Roberta Medford was referring to a metaphorical darkness not an astronomical one. And he needn’t be concerned with electrical consumption since she has solar panels and generates her own light!

Sharon Weisman

Far North Glendale

Implores GUSD to Act Accordingly Re: Calendar

Glendale Unified School District is now working on the 2018-19 [school] calendar. I am encouraged that GUSD is reviewing the results of the community survey and meetings to eliminate more holidays so that we can start later in August and have our longer summers back.

I join with the survey and community meeting participants to ask the GUSD Board to approve only calendar choices that are within the parameters voted by the community participants. We continue to believe that it would be disrespectful to the community to allow a few people to override the overwhelming majority vote. These parents, teachers and employees showed up and voted “in good faith.”

The overall “specific” top vote-getters at the three community meetings were the following solutions:

1. Monday, Aug. 20, 2018 thru Wednesday, May 29, 2019 (adjusted for 2018-19)

2. Maintain 11 full weeks of summer recess

3. Limit student holidays to 24 or 25 (this includes Armenian Christmas and Genocide).

4. End the first semester at winter break

Local schools Burbank and Flintridge Prep maintain an 11-week summer recess with La Cañada close behind.

The 95-page survey and community comments revealed many important concerns. My heart was especially touched by the working parents and teachers who are financially affected by the extra holidays and shorter summers. Working parents have limited vacation days. Therefore, when there’s an extra student holiday, parents need to pay for childcare or use one of their vacation days. During the summer recess, working parents have many more options, such as:

1. Sending kids to visit relatives.

2. Enrolling in free/low-cost community programs.

Our beloved, hardworking teachers supplement their yearly salary with summer jobs: summer school, ushering, coaching, janitorial, security, bus driving, camp directors, etc. Teachers also try to increase their expertise and salary during the summer by working on certifications and higher degrees.

Rising above their own personal preferences, most people are compassionate when they think of the financial suffering of others because of the school calendar decisions.

I plead with those who will make the final calendar decisions. Please honor the overwhelming majority vote of the community.

Marilyn Bayles

La Crescenta