West Valley community speaks out on turmoil
With new staff, school year, voices rise in frustration at meeting
SUNNYVALE — The beginning of a new academic year apparently has done little to assuage the hurt feelings of parents and former West Valley Elementary staff still wondering why their school was turned upside down over the summer.
That became evident this week when five former West Valley teachers who, along with 19 colleagues, were forced to relocate to different schools in the district poignantly described their reassignment experience during a Cupertino Union School District board meeting.
West Valley’s first day of school with the new teachers and staff was Monday.
Even so, more than 70 parents, teachers and school community members showed up at the board meeting, and more than 20 of them spoke out about the recent turmoil.
“It is very emotional for all of us who have gone through this,” said former West Valley teacher Rina Mathalikunnel, while fighting back tears. “We have heard the perspective from the parents, from the board, from the principal. Here is our perspective: We do not understand what we did wrong, and we have never been given an explanation. And we have tried our best to let it go. What was done to us was by no means fair or just.”
On the last day of school in June, district administrators told the entire West Valley staff big changes would be coming in part because of what they described as “tension” among the staff, principal and parents on campus. Staff also was told a new principal would replace the one who had been there only a year. Days
later, the district announced that it and school labor groups jointly agreed that all teachers and even secretaries and janitorial staff should be transferred to other schools in the district.
The stunning news frustrated parents and teachers who were skeptical of the vague explanations for the massive shake up. From the outpouring Tuesday night, it was clear that those feelings remained.
Doris Blakes, another former West Valley teacher, said she felt that hard work had gone unrecognized.
“I live in the community, I worked in the community. I was there late nights, I was there on weekends, and this is what I get — displaced, without any consideration about what I put into the school,” she said. “Why don’t you ask us, what did we do wrong? We need to know that. It’s just heartbreaking. It hurts me to see what the board has done to our school.”
The five teachers who spoke each thanked parents for their support and dedication. Many parents cried as they hugged the former teachers goodbye.
Plenty of anger was directed at the district. Some parents even asked Superintendent Wendy Gudalewicz to resign or said the entire board of education should be replaced.
“Effective school boards are said to conduct their business openly, honestly and in the best interest of the communities which they serve,” said parent Theresa Phillips. “The decision to reconstitute West Valley was anything but collaborative, transparent and honest. The teachers did not fail our community. Our leaders failed our community. The trust that we have placed in our elected officials and administration have been severely breached.”
Some parents lamented that the shake-up divided the school community.
“I’ve been saddened by a lot of the community reaction around this. I understand the emotion, but it’s disappointing to see a lot of the finger pointing and personal attacks on each other as parents and on other members of the community,” said Rohan Shandran, a parent of two West Valley students. “I would really urge people as we go forward, whatever our points of view, that we really engage in rational discourse as we debate and discuss this, even where our points of view disagree.”
Shandran said that though his point of view may be controversial, he stands behind the decisions of the superintendent and the board and the direction they’re taking.
“I appreciate the leadership shown by Wendy and the board in doing this. And I say that it’s not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing with the decision, but leadership is not about making easy or popular decisions,” he said. “It’s about creating a future, and constructing a future that is better than the one that we are currently in. That’s what you want leaders to do.”
At the beginning of the meeting, Gudalewicz addressed parents’ concerns raised over the summer about dishonesty and conspiracies. New principal Robin Robinson was scheduled to give a presentation to the board on the threeyear plan for the school but instead chose to focus on the audience.
“My heart hurts for you as parents because I can feel your care and your love for kids and desire that things were different,” Robinson said. “For all of you to be here tonight says how much you support your kids. It’s not about our community; it’s about our kids. And you’re here supporting your kids.”
Robinson pleaded with everyone, as she has done in prior meetings, to look toward the future.
“As much as you want to say, ‘We support Robin, we support the teachers,’ (the negative) continues to be an undercurrent,” she said. “And at some time we have to say, ‘We’re going to move ahead, we’re going to make our point, we’re going to let it go.’ There are avenues down the road (to voice opinions), if you want things different, but I plead with you not to keep this as an undercurrent for our kids.”