Letter: Try applying ‘4 C’s’ to school budget crisis

EDITOR,
At the Scotts Valley Unified School District board meeting Feb. 10, Superintendent Susan Silver briefly discussed the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, which includes the addition of the “4 C’s” to the “3 R’s.” 
As most people are aware, the 3 R’s are reading, ’riting (writing), and ’rithmetic (arithmetic). The 4 C’s are critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation.
Although Silver dismissed the 4 C’s as “merely new buzzwords,” the school board should apply the 4 C’s to solve the budget crisis.
If the board collaborates with the community, board members would quickly discover that there is enough public interest in putting a parcel tax on the ballot — if and only if the funds are used exclusively to prevent classroom size increases and to retain our high-quality teachers. 
The parcel tax should expire in about three years. Why? At some point, the state must fix the school budget, but in the meantime, the community should support a short-duration solution.
It is unacceptable that the school board has done nothing in the short term but simply wait for budget increases from Sacramento that are possibly years away. Complaining to state government now does not solve the immediate problems. We know that the financial situation for the next academic year will only get worse. Our children deserve better.
Isn’t it ironic that the 4 C’s that Silver dismissed as “merely new buzzwords” can be applied now to help find a local solution to the current school budget crisis? Moving forward, it is imperative for the board to communicate openly and regularly with the community so that the boards’ objectives are well-known and the community’s voice is heard. 
It seems more than just the students have some learning to do!