Letter to the Editor: Warren High School

Dear Editor:

I was appalled and disgusted by the arrogance of the Warren High staff in the editorial section of the June 4th edition of the Downey Patriot. When confronted with criticism of the administration they serve, they chose to defend their “beloved” leader by belittling the opinions of a member of the community.

Mr. Rojas and Ms. Reyes made valid points in their Op-Ed. Dr. White’s administration was far too optimistic in the midst of a global pandemic, promising her seniors that they would be guaranteed a prom and graduation. As a leader, she should have known better than to give false hope; she should have followed the examples of other schools and universities.

The President of my university, Rafael Reif, did not promise my senior friends a graduation. He simply informed the community that he would try his best given the circumstances. That’s exactly the statement Warren should have put out. I understand Dr. White was trying to give people hope in a difficult time, but ultimately, it was executed poorly given that we were on the cusp of a horrible pandemic and that there was widespread knowledge of the devastating effects it had in other countries.

Regardless of their source, I am honestly concerned that the only information available to Warren was that students “would only be out for two weeks.” I understand that Warren is not “...surrounded by leaders in the field of medicine and science,” but there were several warning signs that they should have taken into consideration. At the same time that Dr. White released that statement, universities around the country were sending students home. They would not have taken such drastic action if they thought the effects of the pandemic would last only two weeks.

In addition, models released by various research centers during that time period indicated that the US and the world would be in the midst of the pandemic for the next couple of years, not weeks. Given the research and events in China, Italy, and other affected countries at the time, perhaps the school should have come to the conclusion that there was a high chance that graduation would be cancelled.

I can forgive the rash decision to put out that statement in March. However, the behavior and lack of class exhibited by some of Warren High’s teachers in the Downey Patriot is inexcusable. I grew up in the DUSD system. I attended Warren. I know how much emphasis DUSD put on Character Counts, so why are these teachers not practicing the basic tenets of human decency? Why are they ruthlessly attacking an alum in such a rude manner? And tell me why the community should ever have these teachers as role models for our children?

Mr. Rojas criticized Dr. White’s administration. That is his right as a member of the community. It does not matter if he is an alum or if he just moved to Downey in January. Members of the community can criticize the schools that teach their children. When Dr. White and her peers chose to be teachers or administrators, they entered a social contract with us. We gave them the authority to teach our children and in turn, one of our rights is our ability to question their decisions. To question the credentials of Mr. Rojas is despicable because he needs none to express frustration at the decisions of the administration. Warren teachers accused him of turning his back on his institution, but the fact that Mr. Rojas took the time to voice his concerns is commendable and shows that he cares enough about Warren to demand better leadership. Constructive criticism for our systems is better than apathy because we can respond by learning from our mistakes. If these teachers and administrators can’t handle that, then they shouldn’t be in positions of authority.

Another teacher lamented the fact that “...people can be so critical - with no alternative ideas to offer - during such a difficult time for everyone.” With all due respect, now is exactly the moment to be critical. The true colors of an administration are revealed during times of crisis. You can really learn a lot about someone when their back is against the wall and this pandemic is a test for all those in power. Regarding the point about alternatives, Mr. Rojas and Ms. Reyes did provide examples of what was done at other schools, such as the drive-by graduation or the Minecraft graduation. Perhaps if the administration were more cognizant of the pandemic back in March, they would have made better contingency plans instead of being overly optimistic about the in-person graduation. Ultimately, administration should be proactive to volatile crises, not reactive, as they clearly were in this situation.

I think it is also important to note that Mr. Rojas is not expected to solve the problems at Warren; Dr. White and her administration are the ones obligated to come up with solutions. Do not simply throw the problem back to the community after the fact and expect us to fix it. If Warren reaches out and asks for input early in the process, the community will gladly respond with ideas as I’m sure they’ve done in the past. However, at the end of the day, as the principal of the school, the decision and responsibility lies with Dr. White. It is not a valid argument to sarcastically suggest that Mr. Rojas “...knows far better than the leaders at WHO and CDC…” and should have advised them on what to do. These comments are unwarranted and unproductive to the conversation.

I find it ironic that after the defamation of Mr. Rojas’s character and credentials, these teachers tried to credit his achievements in his MD/PhD program to Warren. They suggest that Warren “... provided him the solid foundation that put him into [his] MD/PhD program,” culminating in an arrogant and smug “you’re welcome.” I find it quite degrading because this claim discredits the fruits of his own hard work and his success despite the problems with Warren’s education system.

We should move on from this matter, but my main point I want teachers, administration, and the Downey community to take away from this incident is that we need to learn to listen to criticism and respond in a respectful manner. We need to acknowledge our mistakes and grow from them. Warren has a chance right now to prove this to the community. This past week, there were numerous reports by students and alumni on social media regarding the racism and sexism exhibited by members of your staff. I’m sure the administrators saw the influx of tweets considering Warren’s account started blocking those voicing their concerns and DUSD’s account briefly went private. Listen to our students. Listen to the alumni. Listen to their stories. We only want the best for Downey and the future generations, so take our thoughts seriously. Investigate these matters and take swift action because racism, sexism, sexual harassment, and homophobia have no place on our campuses. I don’t care if they are incredible teachers or have tenure; if they are being racist, homophobic, predatory, or sexist, they are not good people and they should not be teaching our students.

To all members of the Downey and DUSD community, continue to hold our leaders accountable. They may try to attack and defame you as they did to Mr. Rojas, but they are wrong to do so. I hope it brings you comfort to know that there are community members who will defend your right to criticize those in authority.

And finally, one last time to Dr. White, advise your staff to stop writing these types of inflammatory letters. They don’t need to defend you in such a manner that is offensive towards members of our community. They can write all the letters they want full of praise for your character and the work you’ve done for Warren, but they should be respectful of the criticism that comes your way. Now if your administration and/or teachers disagree with anything I said and are open to a discussion, some of your teachers know where to find me.

Rukia Hassoun
Warren High Class of 2017
SB Candidate in Aerospace Engineering at MIT

Dear Editor:

In the Op-Ed written by Mr. Rojas and Ms. Reyes, they claim that Downey Unified School District was “disingenuous in their messages to seniors,” they believe “there has been a lack of realism and honesty in communication to seniors at DUSD,” and that “the leadership should have the competence to plan a more meaningful experience.” I’m unsure as to how they did not expect these words to be anything other than offensive.

Despite the clarification on their intent of their Op-Ed, their words were malicious and mean spirited. It is outrageous that during these times, Mr. Rojas and Ms. Reyes would feel the need to ignite controversy.

I know that Dr. White and all DUSD staff have done their very best to serve our students, especially during these difficult times. In the 14 years I have known Cari White, she is anything but disingenuous! She is selfless, honest, genuine, sincere, hardworking, and most of all, she is passionate about doing what is best for our students. That is who Cari White has always been, even before she became our principal. I know the Warren staff would agree with me in saying that Dr. White has done an amazing job of guiding our students and staff through this pandemic and I feel fortunate and blessed to have her as our principal!

Seeing your family member miss out on a milestone like graduation is upsetting. I understand, because I also missed out on my nephew’s high school graduation and my niece’s commencement ceremony. I know I am not alone, there are millions of people that have also missed out on milestones. I also know that there are many schools holding graduation ceremonies via Zoom without plans of having an in-person ceremony in the future. Unlike those schools, I know Warren plans to hold an in-person ceremony in the future. A future ceremony may not be what we had envisioned for the class of 2020, but life has taught me that sometimes things don’t always go according to our plans. I am sure that with more life experience, Mr. Reyes and Ms. Rojas will learn this lesson as well.

Ana Villareal
Warren High School