Mountain View city council should enact rent control

Editorial Board

December 15, 2015

Filed under Editorial, Featured, Issue-4

No teenager should have to worry about the status of their housing situation. While important, issues like rent prices and real estate volatility add external pressure to students who, at this time in their lives, should be focusing on their education. However, dealing with these problems is an unfor...

Math placement policy highlights larger issue of achievement gap

The Editorial Board

November 17, 2015

Filed under Editorial, Featured, Issue-3

In response to a complaint from the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights (LCCR) on racial bias in ninth grade math placement, the MVLA school board passed an official general policy in October, satisfying the LCCR enough to cause a withdrawal of its complaint. In passing the policy, the board also met ...

School Should Strive for More School Spirit

Editorial Board

October 27, 2015

Filed under Editorial, Issue-2

In many important ways, our school has a strong community. For instance, students are supportive of each other and proud of the school’s academic accomplishments. However, in other ways our school spirit is sorely lacking compared to other schools in the area. Take this year’s homecoming week. Few stud...

The Talon’s Statement Regarding the Homecoming Opinions Article

Editorial Board

October 12, 2015

Filed under Editorial, Showcase

On Wednesday, October 7, 2015 around 9:00 p.m., The Talon published a web opinions article titled “Homecoming Assembly Fails to Raise School Spirit.” The Talon firmly maintains that articles like this one are important because they can create constructive dialogue about important issues in our school ...

Board should revoke ninth grade P.E. exemption, institute guidelines instead

Editorial Board

September 29, 2015

Filed under Editorial, Issue-1

  In February, the Mountain View-Los Altos school board approved a freshman physical education exemption, in effect at both Los Altos and Mountain View High Schools, for school athletes who are taking at least seven classes, including P.E. Currently, freshmen with the exemption have a free perio...

LCCR should collaborate with, not attack, MVLA

Editorial Board

August 18, 2015

Filed under Editorial, Issue 0

In June, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights (LCCR), a local advocacy group, gained local media attention from the Mountain View Voice through the publication of a news article and opinion editorial. The coverage highlighted LCCR’s conclusion that racial bias on the part of teacher and counselor re...

MVLA board should not change freshman P.E. policy

Editorial Board

February 5, 2015

Filed under Editorial

On Monday, February 9, the school board will address the district’s physical education (P.E.) policy requiring all freshmen students to take P.E. The current policy requires all freshman students to take P.E. with very few exemptions. After parent complaints surfaced last May, the board has discussed...

The Talon Endorses Two Newcomers, One Incumbent as School Board Elections Approach

September 18, 2014

Filed under Editorial, Issue-1

The MVLA School Board election will take place on Tuesday, November 4. Working with community and faculty input, the school board sets policies regarding educational programs, school facilities and learning conditions, in addition to managing the district’s budget. Of the seven candidates, The Talon endors...

Online Health is Still Insufficient

August 18, 2014

Filed under Editorial

As the summer comes to an end, almost 200 students have taken online health through the school. Though the number of students taking this course has no sign of changing, the curriculum itself lacks useful information. The school district must revisit the curriculum it provides to revise and add to...

STEM Week Provides Unique Opportunity

November 5, 2013

Filed under Editorial

This year, as always, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Week brought people who have been truly influential in their respective fields to school. From Adam Cheyer, co-founder of Siri, to Jocelyn Goldfein, Engineering Director at Facebook, students had the opportunity to hear from a variety...

Proposed Taco Truck Ban Misguided

November 5, 2013

Filed under Editorial

The Los Altos City Council is currently considering an ordinance that would ban the “taco truck” as we currently know it. They must not pass this ban. And students must make it clear to the council that this is not acceptable. At its September 10 meeting, the council discussed the possibility of...

Reckless driving in the parking lot poses dangers, creates unnecessary annoyances

May 21, 2013

Filed under Editorial

Every morning and every afternoon, hundreds of students and parents weave their way through a chaotic parking lot. Not only does this create a nuisance for everyone trying to get to school, it also poses a serious threat to students (and their cars). Part of the problem is inconsistent ticketing in...