Why are Encinitas schools significantly underperforming when compared to their neighbors in Solana Beach or Del Mar? Where is there any accountability in Encinitas schools? Name one, just one, new idea or policy that came from Marla Strich in the past 12 years.

Do Not re-elect Strich.

When my child was a student at one of the more presitgious schools, I and many other parents complained that our kids were watching Disney movies, having parties, or were going on many field trips with dubious educational value many times each year.

I also was shocked to learn that the number of instruction hours that were taking place were at the bare minimum above losing accredidation from the state!! There is an entire day of contact time that has been stripped out of each week from when most of us were children! This means that every single contact hour at Encinitas schools had to be defined as an instruction hour, or the entire District is in jeopardy of losing its status.

So my question is, how does "Finding Nemo" fit into the 5th grade math standards for the State of California? Based upon the guidelines, those were instruction hours! Also, if the lack of money is such a huge problem, why are "professionals" who are paid upwards of $100 per hour being compensated to show Disney movies?

The last time that they asked for money for technology, the result was to purchase a tv for each classroom. Most in this community don’t allow their children to watch tv at home on school nights, yet the District has provided tv’s and a selection of Disney movies to play during class time!

Please know that not every teacher is guilty of this, and that I love the children in our community and I want to see them ignited with the love of learning–not shown movies or tv shows.

The parents in this community are passionate about education, but the suggestion that throwing money at a problem that seems to be a combination of a few lazy people with tenure, and some overall poor supervision from certain principals that the teachers ignore, will not improve the situation for our children. Leave the same ineffective teachers and principals in place, and nothing will change at all.

Maybe since Oprah and Bill Gates are also now making the same points that kids need a full school week and hard-working teachers who are excited about their jobs, the group of parents who have been trying to tell EUSD the same thing for the past 10 years will be getting more attention. No child can reach his or her full potential with a 20% decrease in contact hours, instruction hours that are spent watching videos, nor with people who seemingly have little passion for their jobs and may not even like children.

EUSD parents, don’t give up on your kids because the junior high schools and the high schools here are great!