Re: Taxpayers for fraudulent competitions?
It’s not clear to whom Ms. Perlas was addressing in her letter (5/25) but she certainly was mistaken. I was not a participant in the MESA competition and have no affiliation with Mission College whatsoever—I am merely a member of the public concerned with the abuse of our tax dollars. As director of MESA at Mission College, it is understandable that Ms. Perlas feels compelled to defend her organization. Having studied engineering myself, I too believe in strengthening math and science education in our schools. However, only by establishing rigorous academic and ethical standards can we achieve that aim. Rewarding those who indulge in fraudulent behavior makes a mockery of MESA’s own stated objectives and only contributes to the decline of our already troubled education system. If MESA insists on offering excuses for its students despite overwhelming evidence of academic misconduct, perhaps the problem lies not with the organization itself but with its leadership.