This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

All I Need to Learn

Welcome to the litmus test. Are you really a one-issue person?

Wednesday night, Novato Unified School District Superintendent Shalee Cunningham came to talk to the Rancho Elementary parents, updating them on the overall facilities plan process. Of particular concern to many, of course, is the boundary study.

Cunningham presented information and answered queries for nearly an hour and a half. She was very informative. I learned a lot by attending the meeting, and I'm most definitely planning on attending the upcoming community meetings, including the one on Jan. 24. [I've uploaded a PDF with the details on that meeting. The location has changed since the original plan; it's now going to be at Olive School. The subsequent budget meeting that was scheduled has been cancelled. And it's no longer going to be televised.]

Where was I? Sorry, I got distracted by that breaking news development.

Find out what's happening in Novatowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

I've become acquainted with people throughout Novato during the whole I have become friends with folks from all walks of life, and I've had many conversations with them about Rancho. I proudly wear the Scarlet — although it's really Royal Blue — Letter. My eldest started at Rancho in 2002. All three of my children have attended, and my youngest still goes there.

That admission, if it comes as a surprise to you, overwhelmingly stirs one of two emotions in you: hatred or benevolence. If you don't know me and your kids do not go to Rancho, you might hate me. If you don't know me and your kids go to Rancho, you might like me. (Let me point out that, once you get to know me, you likely hate me for reasons other than Rancho. That's cool. I know. I do that to people.)

Find out what's happening in Novatowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Crap. Where was I? There I go, getting all distracted again.

The point of this post is it struck me last night that the "" has marked similarities to the "abortion question." You are either fer it or you're agin it. And there are relatively few who can fall in between. Furthermore, you can talk 'til you're blue in the face to someone on the other "side," and you will not sway her or him to your side. There is absolutely no middle.

Conversion is almost unheard of. As with the abortion issue, you can find people who switch positions only when they age-out of the proposition. For the abortion issue, it's when childbearing years are behind you. For the Rancho issue, it's when elementary school years are behind you. When you come out on the other end, you stand a chance of actually hearing what the others are saying. Until then, you're either fer it or agin it.

The Board of Trustees and Cunningham and the official Facilities Committee aren't going to change minds. They aren't going to get Tea Party members to vote for Obama. They aren't going to get ACLU card-carrying members to vote for Newt.

My only hope is we can get through this one issue, lick our wounds, and then come together and hold everyone's feet to the fire to improve education for all of our sons and daughters.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?