Comments on: Tilden Elementary School faces closure

By: Kristen Dixon

Kristen Dixon — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:17:47 +0000

Yes all of our hard work paid off for now, Tilden will be open for an additional year. After that I am not sure what will happen. I am a concerned parent of an almost 7 yr old with Autism and have many reservations about his academic future in OUSD. We have had so many meetings and it is all I can do to just take a break and regroup and live to fight another day and another battle.

By: Filly

Filly — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:45:01 +0000

Reading all of this saddens me. I am a dually credentialed teacher, learning handicapped, visually impaired and multiple subjects certificates. I left special education in 1998 so that I could welcome special ed kids into my classroom, instead of fighting teachers and administrators to let them in. I taught at 4 schools, and only one, Bret Harte Middle (then, Junior High) School welcomed my students and worked hard to help them achieve. The rest were elementary schools. At one point, high level district leader and the union vice president had to come to my school to tell the teachers and principal that my students had the right to be in general ed classes. The director of special education threatened a discrimination lawsuit. Finally, the teachers allowed the students back into the classroom. How many of these fights are there out there? Mine was never publicized and it drove me out of special education.

Here is a school that was open and welcoming to ALL children, and it may be closed. It breaks my heart.

Please parents and community members OUSD only listens to money: lawsuits, complaints and large numbers of parents/family members. There are other schools that could close because of low attendance and low scores. Stand up and threaten. That’s the only way I got heat in my junior high building where we had, among other things, a teacher and a student with brain tumors, deafblind students, visually impaired students trying to learn braille with frozen fingers. OUSD will sit on its hands until it’s threatened with a lawsuit, negative press, etc. The Williams complaint is just one of the tools, and I’m sorry that it seems to have been used against Tilden. Again, this breaks my heart. OUSD has so much potential.

By: Sped Teacher

Sped Teacher — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:45:25 +0000

This is the Big One – the decision on whether to delay the decision to close Tilden will be determined at the OUSD Board Meeting on Wednesday, March 11th at 5:00 pm. Please come and show your support for the students and families at Tilden

Date: Wednesday, March 11
Time: 5:00 pm
Address: 1025 Second Avenue, First floor board meeting room

By: Steve Asztalos

Steve Asztalos — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:14:24 +0000

In response to Katy’s question, I consider it a victory simply because it was an old fashioned example of sound decision making by a body that is charged with just that. Without slipping into hippie-dippy jargon, it was an increasing rare demonstration of the power that well-intentioned people have should they choose to expend it.

Our most pressing concern was to create the breathing room to allow the process to unfold in a manner that guarantees the best outcome for the kids. Over the course of the next year if we feel that keeping Tilden open is the optimal outcome, then we will fight for that.

By: Katy Murphy

Katy Murphy — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:50:13 +0000

Thanks, Steve and Tilden Teacher, for the updates. In light of this news, I have a follow-up question to all of you Tilden supporters:

Do you consider this development a victory (if, in fact, you do) because it gives Tilden — and the other schools involved — another year to make the transition? Or do you see it as an opportunity to convince the district to keep the school open, indefinitely?

By: Tilden teacher

Tilden teacher — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:31:46 +0000

At the end of the meeting tonight, the result is that the Facilities subcommittee will also be advising that Tilden be kept open another year.

Another victory for the tireless Tilden family.

By: Steve Asztalos

Steve Asztalos — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:41:38 +0000

Just a brief note to let the community in on a bit of good news…Tilden prevailed at last night’s Teaching and Learning Subcommittee. The Board voted unanimously to keep Tilden open an additional year to remedy what was increasingly a one-sided and hurried process. Though this was only an advisory vote, it nonetheless was a huge victory for teachers, parents and staff who have worked tirelessly to ensure a better future for Tilden children.

Please come out and support us tonite at the Facilities Subcommittee meeting at 5:00 pm at the District’s offices at 10025 2nd Avenue.

By: Sped Teacher

Sped Teacher — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:54:29 +0000

Thank you everyone for your support. Please come to the subcommittee Board meetings this week to show your support and voice your concerns. Board meetings are open to the public and will be held at the OUSD district office at 1025 Second Avenue in the first floor Board Room.

Monday, March 2 – 6:30 pm – Teaching and Learning Subcommittee

Tuesday, March 3 – 5:00 pm – Facilities Subcommittee

By: A Former Tilden Dad

A Former Tilden Dad — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 23:31:28 +0000

My son went to Tilden last year and there are not words for the benefit he saw from being there. He is autistic and had socialization issues that his teacher was able to help him improve greatly. It would be criminal to close this school. As parents of Tilden students we should be camping out on the porches of the School Board members until they find a way to keep Tilden open or at the very least make sure the students from Tilden are transferred to the best possible schools to meet their needs. Sending them to places like Burkhalter with totally inadequate services is completely unacceptable and we should not stand for it. They need to cut the administration to the bone before they send our kids to classrooms that are unfit. We should all be getting mad and screaming at the ops of our lungs that we refuse to be marginalized any longer. We pay the bills with our taxes and they need to listen to what we want.

By: Abby

Abby — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:19:12 +0000

just to clarify, it was a couple of years ago, so I don’t remember who exactly I did speak with, but I was waiting for a call from the principal (I think her name was Jocelyn something??) for more information and to arrange to observe a classroom. She did not get back to me. I think that was also the case with one family I spoke to. I put the blame on the principal, not the secretary.