To the Editor:

Martin, I’m confused by your comment about the Dem’s role in the shameful internment of the Japanese. You forgot to mention their role in slavery. Does what they did then make what Trump is doing now, right? Pointing to someone else’s bad behavior to distract from your own is a child’s game.

Be that as it may. I’m writing to address an issue at the intersection of the Department of Education (DOE) and technology. I want to bring it home, to Fillmore schools.

For those who may not be aware, DOE, through Title I, provides supplemental funding to K-12 school districts, and helps districts serve students with disabilities—speech and hearing issues, autism spectrum, etc. In California, DOE distributes funds to support programs that close the achievement gap and help students meet state academic standards. Or should I say, did?

Parents and children who rely on those funds, as well as teachers, aides, and the administration will be impacted. Is Fillmore ready to raise property taxes to fill in for the shortfall, or will our students lose out? Is this what we want for Fillmore’s children and young families? Aren’t they our future?

Musk aka Trump suggests our students could be taught by the “best teachers,” en masse, online, with “personal attention” from AI. Remember how delightful it was during Covid? They envision local staff supervising students during the online presentation. Of course, unspoken, is that we won’t need credentialed teachers anymore. Aides could do it, for way less money. What a boon for the corporations creating one-size-fits-all online courses—for sale from Maine to California. Local teachers might want to lower salary expectations. Or brush off resumes. What do we need humans for anyway?

The administration could also tightly control what is taught. Only thoughts approved by the executive branch to be discussed. What happened to the need for schools to be responsive to local communities? Where did that go?

Is this what you want for our kids? Is this what you mean by getting rid of waste and fraud? To solve a deficit created by tax breaks for the richest people in the world. Really?

Pat Collins,
Fillmore, Ca.