Kudos to Jasmine
It is always a pleasure to read the contributions of Jasmine Weis to the Benicia Herald. Her pieces, whether they deal with holiday customs around the world, “10 Neat Facts About Benicia,” or the angst of applying to college, are always thoughtful, engaging and highly readable.
Ms. Weis’ latest piece, in the Wednesday, May 24 issue, continues her tradition of lively, effective journalism. In “Arts, electives need to be supported at Benicia High School,” she sets forth the case for paying more than lip service to supporting arts education in Benicia’s public schools. She also argues for the importance of being able choose a significant number of elective courses, the better to prepare all students, not just the CSU/UC or four-year college bound cohort, for life after high school.
She cautions against marching in lockstep to the siren song of STEM. She raises important questions of accountability with respect to withholding Measure S dollars for improvement of physical facilities for the performing arts. I hope The Herald will investigate further. She calls our attention, as others have done in these pages, to the the lack of sunshine in which the school board apparently operates and the ongoing practice of hiring individuals into administrative positions without adequate assurance that they are not simply propping up a ladder in Benicia to reach a more lofty perch elsewhere. Her conclusions are carefully supported by research and interviews with authoritative sources.
Thank you, Ms. Weis, for your careful research, your lucid prose, your insight and the considerable effort I am certain you expend in the preparation of your articles.

Marty Malin,
Benicia

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