First of all my largest concern and focus is on the consolidation of El Molino into the campus at Analy in Sebastopol.
And even before I talk about those issues my goal is to not make this an issue between the towns of Forestville and Sebastopol. I don’t think there is a place for division and making people right or wrong.
There has been too much division in our country over the last few years to carry this into two beautiful towns with community members that love their town and area. This is not a battle between towns but a collaboration of how to best school our children.
There are much better and more important ideas to share and collaborate on rather than being divisive. We have all seen the aftermath of division, fear, and separation.
So having said that I am reminded of the great storyteller, Martin Shaw, that has talked about how fear and problems have us looking straight ahead where we are hypnotized by what we see in this tunnel vision before us. He recommends looking at the margins and the edges of our awareness, outside the box solutions, to where the new creative solutions reside.
What are the creative solutions that we haven’t seen or heard yet. Those solutions that come from the creative communities that we belong to. Those need more time to evolve, those need more time to discuss. I have seen the communities engaged in this situation and they want good solutions even great solutions. The communities need more time to come up with the solutions that will benefit all, a win-win for all, especially the kids and our education system. We need more ways to educate kids not less.
And finally here are a few of my top of mind ideas:
1. Have the El Molino campus offer more trade school options and Analy become more of an academic and pre college campus. There are many kids that want to learn a trade and go straight to work after high school. This can include Ag students interested in viticulture, farming practices, organic farms, Arts and performance classes, dance, theater, drafting, shop and mechanic skills, and any trade type classes. El Molino would also offer regular academics for those west county students that wanted to stay closer to home if they lived on the coast.
The Analy campus could focus on the college prep classes and also have some artistic classes and some trades but the focus would be on college prep.
2. Engage SRJC and Empire College to offer class space on the El Molino campus for adult classes or pre-nursing, or other electives in classes where students could start their preliminary class work locally and move to the larger campuses after graduating from High School.
3. If there is unused class space on the ElMolino Campus, offer these rooms for rent or other educational endeavors.
4. To save money in the short term consolidate the administration of both schools into one administration body that runs both schools.
These are just a few options and these can be adjusted in many ways to add students and funds to the district.
Many community members I have talked with have more ideas that are feasible and possible.
I trust the School Board with pause and realize this decision will have huge impacts on kids, towns, and communities. There are more issues involved than just the money. I believe in an abundant universe and we have to do our work to uncover the ways to have both thriving towns and schools.
Brian
Brian R. Martens
Poet, Author of “Three Raven Gate”, Creativity Facilitator, International Speaker, Podcaster
brianrmartens.com
