Letters: Cooperation is better for Scotts Valley schools

EDITOR,
I was disappointed and puzzled by Dene Bustichi’s commentary last week (“Yes, Dr. Silver, we do care about our schools,” Feb. 5) following his attendance at a community meeting held by the Scotts Valley Unified School District board and administration. The purpose of the meeting was to explain to the public the effect of the governor’s proposed budget on public education in general and SVUSD in particular.
During the meeting, audience members asked a variety of questions. Mr. Bustichi may have misunderstood but certainly misrepresented responses I made, taking them out of context and drawing erroneous conclusions. The commentary seemed to be a personal attack, rather than an analysis of, or commentary on, the difficult issues facing our school district.
SVUSD, already a low-funded district, will definitely experience further cuts that may ultimately hurt programs and services for our students. This is a time for the community to come together in a sincere attempt to understand the issues, have open and inclusive dialogue and come to a community consensus for action.
I trust that Mr. Bustichi is involved in community service for the same reason that I have dedicated my professional career to public education — to add to the quality of life of the people we have chosen to serve. In these difficult times, it is imperative that we take a positive approach, working together to support the young people in our community.
I invite Mr. Bustichi join us in a spirit of cooperation. Together, we can achieve far more.