A Thoughtless Cheap Shot

May 31, 2007

Dear Editor,

Frank Gruber has written an uncharacteristically thoughtless column about the City's funding of the Santa Monica Malibu School System. (see column)

He dismisses the true needs of special-ed students as a "minefield," in other words beyond help. He finds it believable that "gag" orders imposed on powerless parents are similar to closed sessions of the City Council for personnel matters or litigation. He attributes the genuine concerns of three Council members (Bob Holbrook, Herb Katz, and Bobby Shriver) to some fantasy of a political agenda.

It is marvelous that the SAMOHI Wind Ensemble had the experience of performing at Carnegie Hall. At the same time, the life possibilities of some tragically handicapped kids are being curtailed by an oppressive SMMUSD administration, and the parents of these kids are being bullied into silence. It is not micro-management for the City to insist on transparency in the way the District treats special-ed parents.

We are long-time supporters of the Santa Monica schools, and we want them to have as much funding as possible. We do not have children or grandchildren in the system. Nevertheless, we do not take the senior exemption to the parcel tax, as we could do. We choose to pay the tax.

One of us (Sam) has been a volunteer tutor at SAMOHI for over five years and has donated all fees he has earned in private tutoring to the AVID program at SAMOHI. The other one of us (Irene) has devoted years of her time to children's issues. We are all for the Santa Monica schools, but we don't like the way special-ed parents we know have been treated, and we don't like "gag" orders.

Irene and Sam Zivi
Santa Monica

May 31, 2007

Dear Editor,

Talk about your cheap shots. Frank Gruber takes the cheapest of the cheap.

He accuses Council members Bobby Shriver and Herb Katz of pushing political agendas in their objection to the SMMUSD's gag orders on their former chief financial officer and on parents of special education students. (see story)

I have been following this sorry situation. From what I see, politics are not driving Council members Shriver's, Katz's, or Holbrook's reluctance to give more money to a district that imposes such gag orders. Rather, the driving factors are responsibility and compassion.

How can you call yourself a responsible steward of the City's money if you are giving it away to another government agency that clearly has something to hide about its financial practices? If the SMMUSD has nothing to hide, there would be no need for a gag order.

Removing the gag order without also removing the nondisparagement clause was meaningless, as Winston Braham correctly pointed out: So far, the district has given him permission to say only good things about the district's financial condition.

As for the special ed gag orders, look at the backgrounds of Council members Katz and Shriver:

Katz and his late wife Ilona's two children became blind while they were students in the SMMUSD. He knows the anguish of parenting two children with special needs, and of pleading/battling with the district to provide appropriate services.

Shriver has raised and managed tens of millions of dollars for the Special Olympics, which was founded by his mother to give intellectually disabled (special ed) children and adults a chance to develop athletic skills.

I am gratified that these three council members' reaction to the district's chicanery rises way above politics. One would have to be blinded by some other agenda not to see that. Such as quasi-religious devotion to a school district whose leaders need to clean up their act. Wake up, Frank.

Deborah McGrady
Santa Monica