January 19, 2005

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Palo Alto Online

Editorial: Bad judgment on career day

Only about 44 Palo Alto eighth graders heard the presentations by William Fried on "The Secret of a Happy Life," in three sessions -- meaning even fewer heard the questionable discussions. But the world is now hearing about the incidents, and about Fried's post-event defense calling it "a tempest in a teapot."

But his saying that eighth graders already know about sex and such misses the point. They also know about burglary and robbery and perhaps even Enron-style white-collar crimes, but that doesn't mean those "career choices" should show up on a list, however long or short.

Wire services, television news and even Internet bloggers (for Web logs) are buzzing with reports of Fried's inclusion of the controversial "careers" and his discussion in one session -- in response to a question from some boys in one group -- that reportedly linked a woman's breast size to her earning potential.

But the presentation went further: A handout also declared under a sub-head, "Military services works wonders," that "After you've taken orders from high school drop-outs with marginal IQs, you'll be motivated to get a college education." And, he wrote in the hand-out, "I majored in dating, drinking and gambling and achieved superior marks in all of the categories."

JLS Principal Joe di Salvo reacted promptly and appropriately to what must surely be a school administrator's worst-nightmare scenario: an off-campus consultant who creates of firestorm at what usually is a prosaic, even dull event. Di Salvo met with the students and sent home a letter to parents, and has said Fried will not likely be hired back next year.

Fried of Foster City is president of a management consulting firm, Precision Selling, and has made his presentation at JLS for the past two years in addition to last week's presentation.

While including the questionable careers may have been intended to inject some levity into a dry subject, Fried's recent comments to the press have only made matters worse: An unrepentant Fried told the Weekly, "If I managed to make some Palo Alto mothers mad, I guess I'm doing something right."

Yet we should all keep this incident in perspective. Relatively few students heard the discussion. The response was timely and appropriate. Palo Alto will survive another round of media and blogger spoofing.

We also bet closer attention will be paid in the future to the content of career-day presenters. And perhaps Mr. Fried could use a career reassessment of his own -- one that may not include making presentations to middle schoolers.

A dozen days to make a difference

The annual Holiday Fund sponsored by the Palo Alto Weekly is getting closer to its $300,000 goal, but donations are down from prior years at this time.

Fund totals as of Monday include $138,465 donations from 609 individual donors, and large matching-fund grants from four local foundations and an individual donor, for a combined total of $238,465.

The fund continues to receive donations until the end of January, and makes the awards -- based on a review by a committee of Weekly employees -- at a reception in April.

All overhead costs of the Holiday Fund are covered by the Weekly, providing donors a rare opportunity for 100 percent of their donations to go to the target programs. The matching funds nearly double the impact of the donations. Donations are managed and funds disbursed through a partnership with Community Foundation Silicon Valley.

Please join us in our last dozen-day push to bring the fund up to its full strength (see ad in today's Weekly), and help us empower our local nonprofit organizations to serve our children more richly and effectively throughout the year.

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