To the Editor:
I would like to take the opportunity to thank all those who contributed to the success of Fillmore High School's twelfth annual arts show "Art Unleashed". It takes a lot of people and a lot of hard work, dedication and talent to coordinate an event such as this. Thank you to Fillmore Lions Club, Fillmore High School ASB and Lucy Quezada-Romero for your donations and for being a patron of this event for the past 12 years. Thank you to the Administration at Fillmore High School for your ongoing commitment to this event, and to Principal John Wilber who has seen to it that we get what we need to keep the show going year after year… To the staff and teachers at FHS who supported the student’s efforts and allowed students to take part in hanging the show…To the custodial staff- Larry, Baldo, and Tony thanks for helping with breaking down the show. Special thanks to Greg Godfrey and the fantastic members of the Fillmore High School Concert Band and the Fillmore High School Jazz Band who played at the event- the musical concert helped to make the evening a resounding success… To Mary Ellen Wortham and FHS photo department and Mr. Henry Beltran and the woodshop classes for your artwork. … To Josh Overton, the drama department and the poetry club for the outstanding performances. Thank you to the parents and the community who attended the show and helped to make this a special night for the students. Last, but not least, to all the student artists, actors, poets, and musicians who put in numerous hours preparing for this event, hosting and cleaning up after a long day and night- especially my Art students and former students who came back to help- thank you- without you there couldn't be a show. I am very proud of all of you.
Rosalind Mitzenmacher
Fillmore High School Art Department

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To the Editor:
Dear Honorable Gallegly,
I feel compelled, as it is in my core nature not ever to give up, that after my call today to your office for advice or assistance with the GMAC mortgage Company who has violated my 30 fixed rate mortgage contract, and after getting the generic redirect to two agencies (one the Cabrillo Housing Authority for migrant workers and another to an agency who's call center's unfortunate ability to speak English clearly....I could not understand) from your staff, that I as of today am throwing my full vote(s) and donations to the Tea Party movement and candidates.
In short I and my wife have all documents, statements, letters, phone records, etc.; to prove we fulfilled all our obligations to GMAC for over 23 years without missing any payments; however they changed my interest rate and maturity date for my house without cause or proof that I have asked for numerous times in writing. And even the CA. State Department of Corporation has ignored my request for a finding, but has told me over the phone that I am correct in my complaint, however I presume for some political or economic reason they choose not to pursue this with GMAC.
Well if you have bothered to read this far, I and my family have all been "dyed in the wool Republicans" however as of today I quit. And I will council my family to do likewise.
Sincerely,
Joe D Blaylock
Fillmore

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To the Editor:
As a resident of the city of Piru and a former Piru Elementary School student I felt compelled to make my voice heard in support of Piru Charter School.
When my homeschooled child came to me interested in attending public school I began researching how our local schools were performing academically.
In my research I discovered that Piru Elementary School only ranks 11 according to API scores (0 being worst and 100 being best). With Further research attained at www.greatschools.org I was able to make a comparison based on API scores between those schools within a 10 mile radius of our city. The results are as followed:
School Name followed by API score: Piru Elementary 739; San Cayetano Elementary 706; Sespe Elementary 770; Barbara Webster Elementary (Santa Paula) 740; Santa Clara Elementary (Santa Paula @ HWY 126) 936; Campus Canyon Elementary (Moorpark) 818; Walnut Canyon Elementary (Moorpark) 854; Castaic Elementary 857.
Because my child’s education comes first I sought out to find a school that would challenge him.
When it was brought to my attention there was a petition to convert Piru Elementary into a charter school I felt a spark of hope as I had visited Santa Clarita Valley International Charter School located in Castaic.
I knew that charter meant a required API score of no less than 800. It meant smaller classroom sizes. It meant funding would be controlled by the charter school therefore; any needs of the school could be met in a prompter manner.
What I know it does not mean is that minorities will be deported if not here legally nor will they lose their homes as I have heard many non-charter members use as what I call a bullying tactic. As I sat amongst families of Indian and Hispanic descent everyone at the tour was encouraged to enroll their children and no one was told that they could not enroll their child if they were not here legally.
To the teachers who have challenged the Fillmore Unified School District I say thank you for being selfless and putting the needs of the children of Piru first!
To the Fillmore Unified School District I say you should be ashamed of yourself; Piru Elementary School did not run itself into the ground!
Finally, to the Piru community let us come together in support of change for the best interest of our children! Let us give the children of Piru the opportunity to be the next lawyer, the next astronaut, or even the next president of the United States of America. Why not? In America anything is possible.
A Piru Charter School Supporter

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To the Editor:
Yo soy mexicana-americana. Mi padre de Mexicali. Sin cambio en la escuela de primaria de Piru, los hijos de Piru tendrá que trabajar más duro para aprender lo que es necesario para llegar a la Universidad. Piru Elementary School hoy sólo ocupa el 11 en el estado (cero ser peor y un centenar de ser mejor) de acuerdo con los exámenes de que cada niño toma anualmente. Esto no es bueno. Recuerde por qué llegó a este estado-para una vida mejor para usted y su familia. Concedamos a los hijos de Piru la oportunidad de ser el abogado siguiente, astronauta o incluso el próximo Presidente de los Estados Unidos. ¿Por qué no? En América, todo es posible. Hacer oír su voz – apoyo Piru Charter School.

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To the Editor:
As a member of this community I am very sad and disturbed by what is going on in Piru, in regards to converting Piru Elementary School to a charter. Lets face it we all pretty much want the same things for our children in regards to education. And its easy to say that we all have our own childrens best intrest at heart. As parents we can weigh the options and decide what is best for our children. So why are parents, students, community leaders and half of the teachers being railroaded into a charter school.
Even though the majority of parents dont beieve it is whats best for their children, the charter petitioners have totally disregarded what they want, and are continuing to fight the communitys wishes. Are these practices going to be applied to your new charter if allowed to convert Piru Elementary School in the fall? Is this really whats best for our children?
A charter school should be a collaberation between founding members, teachers and parents. What happened to the collaberating? ARe you only collaberating with a select group of parents that dont represent the majority of the school? Who will protct the ununionized teachers or the students from this type of collaberation? What if a parent has a dipute with a teacher or founding member that cant be resolved locally? Will that student be disenrolled from your charter school like has been done in the past?(Yes it has been done google it)
Yes you can say test scores went up when Mrs. Jolley came to Piru school. im sure she did her share, but what about the rest of the hard working teachers (which Piru will loose half of) if converted in the fall. I wonder how the rest of the teachers feel when they constantly hear that Mrs. Jolley singlehandedly raise Pirus test scores? Come on now you dont think people really believe that.
Maybe this charter will pass or maybe it wont I cant see the future, but what i do know is the petitioners have caused alot of bad feelings in a tight knit comunnity. I dont see how all this negativity will be turned into a positive place for our children the children of Piru Elementary School. But you reap what you sew and whatever the State decides you have to live with, and everything that you have created.
One more thing if you knew the people of Piru you would know they are pretty easy going, you could say they dont easily get involved in somthing thats not their buisness. Also they dont get their feathers ruffled over politics. so how are you going to open a school in a community that you cant even show up to a meeting with parents and community leaders without calling the authorities on them, when people peacefully disagree with you?
Respecfully Written by a concerned Parent
(name withheld in fear of retaliation to my child)

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To the Editor:
I would like to correct some misinformation that you printed in your paper April 7 concerning the Piru Charter School hearing in Sacramento on April 6.
You wrote that “approximately 70 anti-charter persons were bussed from Piru to Sacramento by the school district for the purpose of protesting the charter.”
Having worked closely with Piru’s Parents with Power group, I can guarantee that the Fillmore School District did not charter the bus nor send the parents to Sacramento.
This was purely a grass roots effort springing from the parents themselves. They earned their own money for the chartered bus by means of yard sales, taco sales, and private donations. No one on the bus had been in any way encouraged by the FUSD to go to Sacramento.
To incorrectly state that the parents had been “bussed…by the school district” is to trivialize the tremendous amount of independence and courage Piru Parents with Power displayed in their heroic effort to save the school they so dearly love.
I did not see any evidence presented by your staff writer, so I trust his was an error of assumption, rather than of false information, since there is no information to support his mistaken assumption.
Thank-you for printing this correction in your paper.
Sincerely
Christina Wilson
Fillmore
Ms. Wilson:
The Gazette did not state that parents had been “bussed…by the school district”. Please do not misquote my editorial. I inquired as to who paid for the trip. If I implied that the district had done so, I was wrong in my implication. Parents who worked to pay their way are to be congratulated for their service, and I'm glad the district did not pay for the trip. It's always good to differentiate between news and opinion.
Martin Farrell

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To the Editor:
Hello. I was wanting to inform you of the good news/letter from the Ventura County Indian Education Consortium. This letter informed me that my daughter Heaven Aparicio 2nd grade at Mtn. Vista was honored as Indian Student of the Year for her school. Only 1 student from each of 140 schools is specially honored. I am hoping the Fillmore Gazette will take notice and also honor these special students from Fillmore by taking a picture with a small article. These students will be honored in Newbury Park on May 7, 2010 6:30pm, with over 500 people in attendance. My hopes are that these students (my daughter included) will enjoy the positive attention & strive to continue to achieve great accomplishments In the years to come.
Thank you,
Naomi Aparicio