Palo Vol. XL, Number 10 Q December 13, 2019 Alto City wants to fix commission system Page 5 www.PaloAltoOnline.comw w w. P a l o A l t o O n l i n e. c o m ‘ Musical Jane APPrideride Austen adaptation and debuts with ’ TheatreWorks PPrejudicerejudice Silicon Valley premiere Page 18 Donate to the HOLIDAY FUND page 8 Transitions 15 Eating Out 21 Movies 23 Sports 26 Puzzles 27 QNews Middle school math proposal aims to help lower achievers Page 5 QSpectrum Op-ed: Tired of all the ‘virtue signaling’? Page 16 QHome Unusual holiday tree captures beauty of Filoli’s gardens Page 24 Transforming the patient experience. In a time of profound biomedical potential, Stanford Health Care has built a revolutionary new hospital. One that blends humanity with technology to transform the patient care experience. Your new Stanford Hospital is designed to meet the continued mission of our world- leading medical team to provide the best possible care and medical breakthroughs, for every kind of patient. 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Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. WKObpO!taJOoà__aBsOoWB_loOpObsOMVOoOWbWpWbsObMOMTdoWbTdoaBsWdbB_ltoldpOpdb_|BbMWpKdalW_OMTodapdtoKOpMOOaOMoO_WBJ_OJtsVBpbdsJOObyOoWOMà VBbUOpWbloWKOÛKdbMWsWdbÛpB_OdozWsVMoBzB_aB|JOaBMO without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate. Home must qualify under Compass Concierge guidelines. Subject to additional terms and conditions. www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 13, 2019 • Page 3 Page 4 • December 13, 2019 • Palo Alto Weekly • www.PaloAltoOnline.com UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis Commission system up for an overhaul City Council cites inconsistencies in how boards the commission system would committee assignments. Kniss of how the city appoints com- benefit from some changes. noted that Policy and Services, missioners. He argued that the operate, lack of clear guidance on removing members Kniss broke away from her as a standing committee, holds city should delegate more work by Gennady Sheyner colleagues because she wanted its meeting in public, while an ad to its boards and commissions. the council’s Policy and Services hoc committee isn’t bound by the Rather than having the same ar- iting widespread confusion vote to launch the reform effort, Committee — rather than the same transparency rules. guments repeated at commission about the roles and rules which will be guided by coun- two-member ad hoc committee “I’m troubled that it won’t be and council hearings, he recom- Cof local commissions, the cil members Tom DuBois and — to lead the effort. The com- out in public, whereas Policy and mended having some land-use Palo Alto City Council agreed Alison Cormack, and which is mittee currently includes Kniss, Services is,” Kniss said. items go on the council’s “consent on Monday to explore a series of scheduled to be completed by Councilwoman Lydia Kou and Tanaka for his part argued that calendar” after a commission re- reforms to the longstanding com- February. Council members Liz Tanaka, though it will likely the city should consider a much views it, obviating the need for a mission system. Kniss and Greg Tanaka both dis- see its membership change next broader overhaul to the commis- The council agreed by a 5-2 sented, even as they agreed that year, when the new mayor issues sion system, including a revamp (continued on page 12) EDUCATION New math plan meets with praise, concern District hopes changes will place students in geometry during freshman year by Elena Kadvany alo Alto Board of Educa- tion members and some P parents were largely en- thused about district leadership’s plan to overhaul middle school mathematics over the next several years, while other parents pushed back against what one described as a “watering down” of math instruction. In response to low-income and Magali Gauthier Magali minority students’ declining test scores on the state’s Smarter Bal- anced exam, particularly in math by the end of eighth grade, dis- trict administrators and middle Darian Huiltron-Riverra, a senior at East Palo Alto Academy, delivers a practice closing statement to her debate coach, Kwodwo school principals worked over Moore, during a coaching session on campus after school on Nov. 18. the last two months to design a middle school math program that will better serve a broader swath HOLIDAY FUND of students. Their plan — which does not require action by the school board, as it shifts content Through the art of debate, rather than adds courses or core materials, Superintendent Don Austin noted on Tuesday — ad- students find their voice vocates for standards-based High schoolers take on an activity many fear: public speaking learning over the traditional grading system. It also pushes for by Jamey Padojino in his head. mixed-ability classes rather than ules Thomas has always rebuttal arguments from the op- improved his skills by watching He was thrilled when he laned ones in which students are been confident in his public posing team. a video of himself in a debate and his partner were assigned segregated into higher and lower J speaking skills, but nerves At his first tournament, he round and then felt motivated to to argue against the issue and levels. The district plans to revise got the best of him when he first was stumped by a question return. shocked when his team was sixth- through eighth-grade math entered the world of debate. and ended up losing the match. On the night before a debate named the winner. classes to move at a faster pace, During his freshman year of The loss was enough to make tournament last school year, he “Are you sure?” he recalled covering four years of standards high school, he was intimidated him stop participating with the was up from 2-5 a.m. reading as asking the judge. in three years. by the sight of people speed Silicon Valley Urban Debate many articles as he could on the His partner quickly told him Ultimately, the district hopes talking through their points and League for a while. With his topic of selling guns to Afghani- the changes will provide a path felt challenged when he faced mother’s encouragement, he stan and Iran to drill key ideas (continued on page 9) for all middle schoolers to take (continued on page 10) www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • December 13, 2019 • Page 5 Upfront Felipe’s 450 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306 QUOTE OF THE WEEK (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER William S.