In his Sept. 5 Signal letter, Jaime Puerta suggests we discard the exceptional credentials that qualify Julee Brooks for the William S. Hart Union High School District, Area 2, board of trustees position. He prefers to share his thinly veiled and often erroneous opinions. I disagree.
Having been a defender and supporter of public schools for 25 years personally and professionally, Julee understands what our schools need and has spent years delivering results to ensure they have it.
Our schools were a major factor in the family’s choice to move to Santa Clarita. Her children are thriving at Valencia Valley and Hart High where she has chaired school events, served on PTO boards and is now fundraising chair for the Hart High Show Choir boosters and on the board of the Santa Clarita Education Foundation, which supports programs for school throughout our valley.
Julee’s experience with education extends far beyond our valley as she has led youth and educational agencies, leading L.A.’s Ronald McDonald House and now leading a staff of 2,500 at Woodcraft Rangers, which deliver after-school, summer and education programs to over 30,0000 students every year in partnership with Southern California schools.
Mr. Puerta would like us to erase these extraordinary qualifications and concentrate on things like parents questioning lessons or policies they disapprove of. Guess what? Before curriculum or text books are approved, parents and community members have access to both for 30 days. He says she opposes the district policy on guns. Actually, she supports sensible gun regulations to prevent another shooting occurring on any of our campuses. He is concerned that she “embraces “diversity, equity and inclusion.” To me this indicates the empathy respected adults should model our students as it makes them feel safe, and valued, and often counteracts the bullying that may occur on our campuses.
What seems to be of most importance to Mr. Puerta is his fixation about parental rights regarding gender identity. If he attended the special board meeting at the Hart High performing arts center two years ago he saw over 800 parents, teachers, students, clergy and allies explain the serious damage that often leads to suicide attempts and suicide completions when a youth’s sexual orientation or gender expression is outed before that youth is prepared. Fear of rejection, being thrown out of the house, comments such as, “You’re no child of mine,” and even “I wish you were dead,” can be the reality of forced outing.
As the founder and member of PFLAG SCV for almost 40 years, I have seen all of these scenarios play out. When school personnel remind these students of how loved and valued they are by friends and families, this buys the students time to summon the courage to share with their parents without those horrible scenarios. And while most parents may not react so drastically, the students still live with the fear of “What if …”
By abiding by the confidentially required – reporting situations when a student is considering self-harm or harm to others, but honoring confidentiality in other situations — our counselors, social workers and wellness coordinators are helping to set the stage for a coming out that will be beneficial to all.
Peggy Stabile
Valencia
