Re: “Deconstructing Kent’s ‘Misinformation’ Case”
When the political arena provides issues for discussion, we term it a healthy give-and-take. When there are too few debatable issues, other weapons are employed. Character assassination and indignant assertion are the most common of these weapons.
It would appear that the ad hominem attack, commonly termed character assassination, was at work yesterday in Laura Stuart’s commentary on School Board candidate Kelly Kent.
Dr. Kent expresses thoughtful, carefully considered views, most of which register positively with my 40- plus years of CCUSD experience. I hope I have earned the right to this expression from Ms. Stuart’s perspectives.
The criticisms of Dr. Kent trouble me. By my lights, she offers important insights for School Board consideration.
Ms. Stuart’s castigation of her for figuring out how she could best serve Culver City as either a City Council member or a School Board member, seems excessively judgmental.
From my perspective, it was logical for a Ph. D in neuroscience to opt for the School Board.
I wonder how long does a new member to our community have to serve on any commission to be considered acceptable and seasoned in your view?
As a fellow adjunct professor at West Los Angeles College, I can attest that our part-time status relegates us to lesser status. But Dr. Kent is a bona fide professor at Moorpark College and (I believe) at Antioch also.
Your assertion that she is “not employed at an educational institution,” may be the result of a hiatus period that Dr. Kent took to care for her family — or that she has no assignments this semester/quarter.
The vituperative tone of your comments saddens me. Why infuse a School Board election with such indictments?
Many Culver City residents are familiar with personal histories and professional fiascos associated with the other candidates. But those experiences don’t affect their worthiness as Board candidates.
Much as CCUSD would like to disassociate itself from LAUSD, we are similar in major ways. Our interactions are numerous. Surrounded as we are by LAUSD, we are in its shadow. We strive to establish vast differences between our districts, but we can’t foolishly claim that we are in no way similar to LAUSD.
Regarding the proposed high school academies, you castigate Dr. Kent for perhaps not understanding the idea behind them. From my experience, academies are among the periodic educational panaceas trotted out for consideration by well-intentioned proponents.
Our Academy of Visual and Performing Arts functions spectacularly. But creating academies for other areas for careers in such a small district as ours might well falter. We are, after all, The Heart of Screenland where all AVPA students might well find employment.
Would an Academy of Hotel Hospitality achieve as successfully? Culver City has only one marvelous Culver Hotel. It has a great history, but given our size, an academy would not work. However, an Academy based on democracy and politics could benefit our students.
Academies, perhaps, should be built on interests rather than a student’s future job or profession. Having been drawn to education as an adult, not a student, I appreciate the position that Dr. Kent takes on academies.
As a dew-eyed junior, I only wanted to be a stewardess. By 25, I knew teaching was my calling.
Dr. Kent presents the same perspective….she sees education as her destiny. Every response about education that Dr. Kent has voiced resonates with her carefully calculated insights on age-appropriate instruction.
Her comments excite the idealistic teacher in me. She cares so deeply, can give so much and definitely is not duplicitous (consciously misleading) in my considered opinion.
Ms. Goldberg, president of the School Board and a retired Culver City High School teacher, may be contacted at godberg7@gmail.com
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