I have decided to chuck it all away in order to go work here (linked video is work- and family-friendly, so long as you don't object to massive cuteness of the baby-animal variety). Later!

Please copy, paste, add your name, and use four stamps to send the below to the following folks.

04/24/2008

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:

This morning I read a story online in the San Francisco Chronicle about a seven-year-old first grader whose skull was fractured by a bullying fifth grader (“Oakland: When school bullies get out of hand,” Nanette Asimov, April 24, 2008).

I learned through the article that both students attend Piedmont Avenue Elementary, which is in the Oakland Unified School District.

Last year, 344 students were enrolled at Piedmont Ave. Elementary. Ninety-seven of them were suspended for violent acts. That’s more than 28 percent of the student body!

This boy has been bullied before, which resulted in four lost teeth. Principal Angela Haick did nothing to keep it from happening again.

This level of anarchy and hooliganism is disgusting. Worse yet, this violence-plagued school district (Preparatory Literary Academy, of the same district, had 106 violence-related suspensions) does not even have a permanent superintendent. If the district cannot afford to have people supervising the students before and after school, then call out the National Guard.

How many more first graders need to be sent to the ICU before action is taken?

Sincerely yours,


(your name here)


Cc:
Vincent Matthews
Interim State Administrator
Oakland Unified School District
1025 Second Ave.
Oakland, CA 94606

Jack O’Connell
Superintendent
CA Department of Ed.
1430 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

Angela Haick
Principal
Piedmont Ave. Elementary
4314 Piedmont Ave.
Oakland, CA 94611-4716