As a Santa Monica native and the father of two sons enrolled at SMASH, I feel compelled to respond to Jim Jaffee’s inflammatory opinion piece about the future direction of our city’s public alternative school (SMDP, March 29, page 7).
He characterizes SMASH’s request to align itself with the Big Picture Co. for staff development as part of an elitist plot to “supersize” the school. The reality is that our hard-working teachers are merely seeking much-needed development support — resources that come at no cost to SMMUSD. Current district development programs hinge on norm-based assessment and compartmentalized curriculum — systems that are fundamentally at odds with SMASH’s core educational philosophy.
This partnership will connect our teachers with a network of like-minded educators around the nation who can help them enhance curriculum development and formalize assessment. Our teachers have sought help from Big Picture, not the other way around. There are no hidden agendas here. No money is changing hands.
He also suggests that the district downsize the K-8 school instead and “blend” SMASH classrooms and administrative duties into the adjacent Muir elementary school. Our middle schoolers would be shipped off to other district campuses. Facing budget shortfalls, the district should eliminate positions for the SMASH principal and two teachers, he argues.
It’s shocking to see Jaffee, the former vice president of the local teachers union, make such a rash recommendation to pinkslip dedicated educators. So much for union solidarity.
Mr. Jaffee asks why is there an “alternative” in the Santa Monica Alternative School House name? Let me answer from a personal perspective. My memories of elementary/secondary school are of educators promoting rote memorization and advancing surface knowledge, with worth being assigned by how students ranked on norm-referenced tests. At SMASH, my two sons develop skills in context and participate in shaping their studies. Fear and competition have been replaced by encouragement, cooperation and authentic assessment.
It’s clear that parents nationwide are clamoring for an alternative to a traditional educational system that underserves many children. SMASH turns away 10 prospective kindergartners for every one that it accepts. Our school tours for prospective attendees are packed with energized families looking for alternatives. Come to our school each and every day and you’ll see dozens of parents helping out in classrooms. These are committed parents who have chosen to send their children to a school that promotes a creative and individualized curriculum rather than a standardized and tracked course of study.
Mr. Jaffee rightly notes that the district finds itself in a very precarious fiscal situation. Years of legislative incompetence and civic indifference have left school districts throughout the state in dire straits. The SMMUSD board will likely face hard choices in the coming months as the financial picture becomes clearer in Sacramento.
Discussion about permits and class sizes have been — and will continue to be — part of the debate districtwide. But to suggest now that the district “blend” SMASH into Muir is mind boggling. The diverse school is a unique treasure that has served our progressive community so well for more than 20 years. It truly embodies all that is noble about community-based public education.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 30, 2004. Read the original PDF.