Your
story of April 4 headlined “Parents claim
French teacher derelict in duties” has absolutely
no credibility. It is unfortunate you set
a course to sensationalize and misquote the
DVUSD public relations director to grab a
headline for you paper, all the while, destroying
the reputation of a fine teacher.
In
your article you claim Sandi Hicks says, “We
have received other complaints about the French
teacher.” When in fact, Sandi Hicks says in
an e-mail to your paper, “I have been misquoted,
I emphatically said to you we have not received
any complaints about the French teacher.”
You
go on to mislead by exaggerating the number
of parents involved. There are 102 students
in the French program with 204 parents. The
parents involved in the complaints number
only two sets. Mr. Ventrone is the mouthpiece.
After reading your article, Mr. Ventrone has
written an apology letter to the French teacher
and the DVUSD for the things said in your
article.
Upon
further investigation, you would realize Mr.
Ventrone has never met, called, e-mailed or
spoken to the French teacher. He has never
attended a teacher’s conference with the French
teacher. Don’t you think it is strange he
is so upset about the French program yet does
not bother to express any dissatisfaction
to the teacher?
An
investigation would also reveal Mr. Ventrone
has been banned from BCHS campus by Kevin
Imes, the principal of Boulder Creek. This
is due to an incident with his daughter’s
English teacher. I spoke to Mr. Ventrone.
He says he was upset his daughter had to sit
next to someone with body piercing. He said
he really wants to get back at Kevin Imes.
A check of public criminal court will reveal
Mr. Ventrone’s past for anyone who wants to
check.
The
French teacher you refer to in the article
won teacher of the month in the fall of 2006.
She chairs two extracurricular clubs for students.
She is extremely popular. She is a member
of the local community and has children in
the school system. She is exactly what the
school system needs and wants.
Do
you have any idea how much teachers sacrifice
to pursue a career in teaching? Most teachers
work 60 hours per week and get paid less than
any profession requiring a college degree.
But
your paper decides to tear down Boulder Creek
High School when 98 percent of the rest of
the parents in the community are volunteering
to improve the school?
I
only hope the next teachers who get ridiculed
do not have their reputations ruined before
the facts come out and their quality of life
in this fine community is not destroyed by
unfounded allegations.
Matt
Houlihan
Anthem
