I am responding to Konocti Unified School District Board Member Anita Gordon”s churlish letter (“Watkins is delusional,” Readers” Views, Oct. 21). How unfortunate that a supposed educational overseer is among a special group of elitists who “know better” than others as to what the results of of Lower Lake High School”s Board has accomplished.
Five years ago I lived in that school district and escaped to Lakeport. At that time and up to now KUSD still remains in the lowest score achievement category statewide. Then, add to that the concerns of the front line teachers, one being quoted in Watkins” letter, and now the character assassination of Watkins, whose letter certainly was espousing a needed “changing of the guard” on that school board.
Since this is the time for us to consider our votes going to the most deserving and qualified candidates, it is not an incorrect policy of the Record-Bee to print our concerns, just as the paper has regarding President Bush, or county supervisors or even board members in the opinion section. It appears in Ms. Gordon”s letter that she would have approved of censoring Watkins” letter. Trying to shut down free speech may be happening on college campuses but has yet to completely overrun all of academia.
For Anita Gordon objecting to Watkins” opinion letter clearly shows her defensive attitude. The student Challenge Day may have made everyone who attended feel better about their poor self-worth but psychobabble has nothing to do with right and wrong moral absolutes, which are not taught nor respected: Relativity is the dogma of “enlightened” education. Discipline and higher expectations and not dumbing down curriculum combined with feel-good Challenge Days would be a good start for this failing school and its board.
John Silver
Lakeport
