Dear __________________:

We are joining other concerned voters and parents of students attending public schools in the Palo Alto Unified School District who oppose the recent WASC proposal on grading and AP classes.

We are writing to ask that you vote "no" at this time on the proposal which, if adopted, would limit at Gunn High School the number of AP courses made available to the students, and alter the standards for designating excellence under the current grading system which has been used historically and is still used nationwide for designating academic excellence and students' likely capacities to absorb and comprehend given subject matters.

The effect of these changes would be to eliminate criteria which numerous desirable universities within and beyond the limited WASC region, and employers with high academic standards, could use to select the types of students they could be seeking to cull from among those who may not appear to be as clearly suited for challenging positions, which students from across the country and internationally can be expected to be competing to fill.

We can speak from personal experiences we know that genuine AP A's speak much more loudly in a crowd of student applicants than A's and P's. 

The self discipline, time management, and ability to cope with adversity developed from pursuing the scores in question can prepare students, with thoughtful guidance, to tackle challenges they may feel called upon to undertake in the future in this increasingly smaller, ever complicated, and more competitive world.

Concern has been expressed that stress from the current grading and course selection system may have caused an approximate handful of Gunn students to take their lives over the last several years. However, has there as yet been a documented, thorough study analyzing the causes in each of these individual cases addressing, among other things, family circumstances including, but not limited to, mental illness histories, individual childhood experiences, and toxicology reports which would have addressed not only possible illicit psychotropic substances, but also those which have been prescribed legally in California, even though they may have been and are still banned as to minors in other countries, such as the U.K., because of a dearth of independent research.

 In other words, were there various, unique and controlling issues pertaining to each in this small group of unfortunate young people at Gunn which merited thoughtful individual care and attention, beyond essentially dumbing down the academic opportunities and student ratings at the school, which, if tended to adequately could have saved each victim without handicapping any prospects of hundreds of other Gunn students working conscientiously for well deserved high recognition and corresponding opportunities with a public education?

We ask that you vote that the proposal be rejected at this time. If you think it merits further attention by of the board, we ask that it be tabled at least until there has been a thorough, independent study germane to the unfortunate Gunn students in question which would be made readily available to the public well in advance of a duly noticed special meeting of the board which would be open for full comment by the public, including appropriate experts.

 Sincerely,