Carnival of Champions

Dear Editor:I have read all the letters objecting to the changing of the name of East Middle School and agree with all of them. One point against the name change that has not been raised yet is the fact that Ms. Doty presided over the cancellation of middle school sports and the Carnival of Champions, two of the most popular and long running programs. I spoke with Ms. Doty, and she told me that the savings from cancelling middle school sports was about $90,000 a year. In a $200 million budget (yes, $200 million) she was proud that she was able to save a whole $90,000. And the Carnival of Champions? That was even less. I believe most, if not all, of the teachers actually donate their time. Rewarding a person with something as important as re-naming a school after them should require a significant achievement, not just a feel good pat on the back (because we did it in the past) action from the school board. Look at the condition of our campuses, look at the buildings, they are old and run down, the facilities are outdated, and except for the two new stadiums and high school construction (paid for with grant and bond money), what good is there to show for her tenure? Being superintendent during tough financial times is not an achievement worth changing the name of a school. If that were the case, most every family in Downey could claim that honor. What happens when we run out of schools to name after our superintendents? What do we name next? Buildings? Parks? Shopping malls? Who does the school board represent, the citizens and parents or the bureaucrats that are running our schools? Robert Colenzo Downey

********** Published: April 18, 2013 - Volume 12 - Issue 01