City Skirting Zoning Laws? Page 7
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Vol. XXXV, Number 37 N June 20, 2014 City skirting zoning laws? Page 7 www.PaloAltoOnline.com Thrift shop Bargain Box’s loyal, and quirky, following PAGE 26 Pulse 16 Transitions 17 Spectrum 18 Eating Out 22 Shop Talk 23 Movies 24 Puzzles 57 NArts Coming to A Theatre Near U Page 20 NHome How big is that house, really? 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Local Knowledge • National Exposure • Global Reach Page 4ÊUÊÕiÊÓä]ÊÓä£{ÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°V UpfrontLocal news, information and analysis School board backs challenge to U.S. agency Sloppy investigative practices spark for the board to contact elected rights violations of students. procedures. Ironically, she added, officials and other groups to seek “I understand that being super- many families experience similar misunderstandings, board members say reform of Office for Civil Rights’ intendent is sometimes a thank- frustrations when they approach by Chris Kenrick investigation practices, they said. less and very difficult job, but I the school district with concerns The board’s vote followed pleas do hope it’s a job that should be about treatment of their children. he Palo Alto Board of Edu- the U.S. Department of Educa- by six community members to re- focused on children and not on “Now I’d hope you can under- cation Tuesday unanimously tion’s Office for Civil Rights have ject the resolution. protecting adults as I believe this stand how families who come for- T approved a resolution chal- failed, with the agency showing “It’s ironic that we wouldn’t resolution does,” Clark said. ward and have a complaint may lenging the investigative practices indifference to their concerns be in this situation if adults had Parent Christina Schmidt said be feeling,” Schmidt said. of a federal civil-rights agency about possible evidence-tam- better served children instead of she understood the district’s frus- Despite their complaints about that has launched multiple inves- pering, unfair demoralization of trying to protect themselves,” said tration about the Office for Civil the agency’s practices, board tigations of the school district. teachers, inaccurate media reports parent LaToya Baldwin Clark, Rights’ alleged misrepresentations, members stressed that they fully Board members said their at- and disregard for student privacy. referring to the multiple federal omissions, unexcused delays, mis- tempts to work cooperatively with The resolution opens the way investigations into alleged civil- quotes and disregard for its own VÌÕi`ÊÊ«>}iÊ£Ó® EDUCATION Educators: Ending ‘tenure’ no magic bullet Atherton entrepreneur behind lawsuit challenging teacher tenure and seniority rules by Dave Boyce court decision last week to eign languages, and history.” throw out state rules on ten- Teacher Teri Baldwin, presi- A ure for teachers may lead dent of the Palo Alto Educators people to think it’s the key for Association, said her union “isn’t providing quality education for happy with the ruling. all students, but local educators “There are a lot of misconcep- say that view is shortsighted. tions out there around tenure,” A Los Angeles Superior Court Baldwin said. “K-12 teachers don’t judge on June 10 decided that ten- actually have tenure; we have per- ure rules, which allow teachers to manent status. That does not mean 6iÀV>Ê7iLiÀ get lifetime job protection after just a ‘job for life’ as some think. 18 months, are unconstitutional be- Teachers who are not performing cause they allow ineffective teach- to the California Standards for the ers to stay in the system, thereby Teaching Profession can be nega- depriving students of equal access tively evaluated, placed on a plan Getting in the swim of summer to a quality public education. that requires coaching and, if the Nathan Jones, 10, climbs out of the Greenmeadow Pool in south Palo Alto on a recent hot day. “I think some people believe teacher doesn’t improve, the dis- that if you get rid of tenure, you’ve trict can move towards dismissal. solved the problem and quality (of “It is up to the school admin- education) will go up,” said Debo- istrators to evaluate teachers and CITY CHARTER rah Stipek, dean of the school of make that decision,” Baldwin education at Stanford University. said. “The unions don’t stand in The problems are elsewhere, she an administrator’s way, they just Voters to decide on size of City Council said, in teachers’ lack of social sta- make sure that due process is fol- tus and paychecks that don’t reflect lowed. Teachers don’t want ‘bad’ Council could shrink from nine members to seven their value to the community. Soci- teachers in the classroom. This ety needs to invest in the best and ruling is a step to take away a by Gennady Sheyner brightest, train them well and pro- teacher’s due process rights.” alo Alto voters will have a it would create a barrier for new- council members to seven would vide on-the-job support, she said. Nine public school students chance to reduce the size comers seeking to serve. The lat- make governance more efficient. “Tenure is a red herring,” represented by Students Matter, P of the City Council — but ter camp prevailed, with council Holman, Burt, Scharff and Schmid Woodside High School English a nonprofit with a mail-drop in not increase the number of terms members Marc Berman, Pat Burt, voted against the measure. teacher Tony Mueller said in an Menlo Park and founded by Ather- members can serve — after a Karen Holman, Greg Scharff and Both proposals considered email. “Rather than going after ton resident and Silicon Valley en- deeply ambivalent council voted Greg Schmid all voting against Monday came out of a colleagues’ labor unions and worker’s rights, trepreneur David Welch, sued the Monday night on placing the is- the measure. memo penned last year by Mayor ‘reformers’ should confront the state and the state Department of sues on the November ballot. The vote was a surprising re- Nancy Shepherd, Vice Mayor Liz real problems with our educa- Education in May 2012, alleging Both decisions came after an versal from prior discussions. Kniss and Councilwoman Gail tion system: gross inequity in “outdated state laws that prevent extensive debate that touched on The proposal had been gradually Price. The pitch for longer council funding based on geography, the recruitment, support and re- the meaning of democracy, gov- picking up momentum and last tenure cited the goal of securing the drastic cuts in social spend- tention of effective teachers.” ernment efficiency and Palo Alto’s month won the endorsement of leadership positions on regional ing for the poor, the obscenely The statutes in question — on “special” status. While supporters the council’s Policy and Services boards, such as the Association small amount of money spent tenure, dismissal and last-in-first- of a three-term limit, up from the Committee. of Bay Area Governments and the per pupil in California, the con- out teacher-layoff policies — were current two terms, argued it would The council Monday followed Santa Clara Valley Transportation stant attack on teachers from declared unconstitutional by give council members a chance the term-limits vote with another Authority. Meanwhile, a smaller those intent on privatizing the Judge Rolf M. Treu of Los Ange- to build up knowledge and gain robust debate and split vote. This council “could bring efficien- system, and inherent American les County Superior Court. Treu seniority on important regional time, proponents carried the day. anti-intellectualism that is sus- boards, opponents claimed that They argued that going from nine VÌÕi`ÊÊ«>}iÊ£ä® picious of science, poetry, for- VÌÕi`ÊÊ«>}iÊ£Ó® ÜÜÜ°*>Ì"i°VÊUÊ*>ÊÌÊ7iiÞÊUÊÕiÊÓä]ÊÓä£{ÊU Page 5 Upfront Don’t let aging uproot you. 450 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306 QUOTE OF THE WEEK (650) 326-8210 PUBLISHER William S. Johnson (223-6505) EDITORIAL Editor Jocelyn Dong (223-6514) Associate Editor Carol Blitzer (223-6511) Sports Editor Keith Peters (223-6516 Arts & Entertainment Editor Where else can you get an Armani Nick Veronin (223-6517) Express & Online Editor Elena Kadvany (223-6519) suit for $20? Assistant Sports Editor Rick Eymer (223-6521) Spectrum Editor Tom Gibboney (223-6507) —Charlotte Reissmann, Bargain Box customer, Staff Writers Sue Dremann (223-6518), Chris on the deals she’s found at the California Avenue Kenrick (223-6512), Gennady Sheyner (223-6513) Editorial Assistant/Intern Coordinator thrift shop.