By Heather Lybbert

Vibrant communities recognize the value of learning to read at an early age. Such communities benefit when citizens are critical thinkers, problem solvers and culturally well-rounded — and this benefit leads us to fund public education with taxes.

With the state’s shrinking commitment to education, we have greater responsibility to finance this public benefit locally. Measure C is an important part of this increasing local responsibility.

Every school in Davis will look quite different next year if Measure C does not pass. César Chávez Elementary has stellar reading programs in English and Spanish. Our reading specialist helps each teacher assess his/her students’ reading abilities and then develops and implements strategies and interventions to help these kids become confident readers. Measure C funds this important position.

Librarians encourage a lifelong love of reading and learning by introducing children to powerful ideas, research methods, opportunities for personal growth and a yearning to learn. They also work together with teachers to enhance and strengthen the classroom curriculum. Sadly, school librarians are few and far between in California these days.

Decades ago, every elementary school in the state had a full-time librarian. Due to cuts in state funding, many have cut their librarians. In Davis, we’ve been subject to these same cuts, but as a community we’ve chosen to retain librarians via local funding. Measure C is our next opportunity to show our local commitment to reading by supporting librarians.

Leaving elementary school reading programs in the dust as the state retreats from funding public education scares me. Many other equally valuable programs — including math, science and music — similarly risk getting left in the dust. While the combination of these cuts terrifies me as a parent, I also see this as a chance to teach the kids in our vibrant community what it means to “take responsibility” and “step up to the plate” when it really matters.

I strongly encourage you to vote yes on Measure C.

— Heather Lybbert is president of the César Chávez Elementary
Spanish Immersion Parents and Teachers association

By Holly Istas

Birch Lane Elementary is home to a diverse community of learners and teachers. Failure to pass Measure C will be catastrophic for our school district in so many ways.

At Birch Lane, we are proud to have an award-winning librarian on our staff. Every year, she continues to amaze us with innovative programs and special events that get Birch Lane students excited about reading.

February is Love a Picture Book Month at Birch Lane, and our students have been taking a “road trip” by reading loads of picture books. Families will attend our Family Picture Book Night at the end of the month to celebrate reading and the love of picture books. Failure to pass Measure C would result in the reduction or elimination of this and other valuable library programs.

Reading is the cornerstone of much school learning. But children learn to read at different times in different ways and some students need additional attention. At Birch Lane, we have a wonderful reading room that supplies needed extra support for those students who need it so that all of our students can be successful, lifelong learners.

Without the funding support provided by Measure C, Birch Lane would be at risk of losing its Reading Room and the students who depend on the Reading Room for academic success would not have this valuable resource.

Ninety-two Birch Lane students enrolled in the district music program. Many of these students would not otherwise have the opportunity to ever learn to play an instrument. Thankfully, the Davis community has been very supportive of music by passing property taxes that are tied to funding music and the arts, among other things.

Measure C will allow our valuable and much-loved music program to continue to thrive and grow and offer opportunities for all students.

— Holly Istas is president of the Birch Lane Elementary PTA

By Wes Hardaker

When I ask kids around the Korematsu Elementary School campus how their day was and what they learned, it always falls onto topics that will be supported directly by Measure C.

Science is not only one of the most important subjects children can study in school right now, but it’s also the top favorite because of the dedicated lab space and experiments conducted. It brings true hands-on experience that shows real-world results to the problems studied.

Science has it all, as reports written by students require combining math, critical and analytic thinking, measurements, repeatable demonstrations and carefully documented journals. Our science program is so popular that there is a waiting list for kids to visit the science room during the lunch-period recess.

Another of the most popular and important campus locations (also during lunch) is our library, which is packed with students who search for new books, facts for their reports and new ideas for their young minds.

Our schools music program produces a treat to the ears and it continually amazes me how much students can learn about the arts, group cooperation and experience emotions through music.

Science, literature and the arts — cornerstones of a well-rounded education and a well-rounded society. How can we not pass Measure C if we care about the future of society in which we live?

— Wes Hardaker is president of the Korematsu Elementary Parent Teachers Organization

By Navi Bains

Our Willett Elementary School science lab breeds new thoughts, fresh ideas and a hunger to learn more. Our students are fortunate that they can experiment and learn the ways of the world in a safe environment.

The smiles I see from the students when they make a new discovery on how something works is priceless. Students are cementing the fundamentals of science for future success in this topic in the years to come! Losing this program would be devastating for the kids.

In this highly academically competitive era, we also have to keep class sizes as small as we can to ensure our children can be taught well. Expecting our teachers to give individualized attention to a large number of students in a classroom is unfair.

If we want our children to come home and tell us what they learned in school today versus coming home frustrated that the teacher didn’t have time to answer their questions, then we as a community need to take the appropriate measures to make that happen. Measure C funding will mitigate class size increases.

— Navi Bains is president of the Willett Elementary PTA

Comments

comments