Strich, who served from 1986 to 1994 as San Diego regional director of the American Jewish Committee, not only is encouraging her own school district to adopt the sensitivity training program, she also brought it to the San Diego County Office of Education to make available to other school districts in the area. 

The project aims to promote in the classroom such goals as "a healthy expression of feelings; caring, compassion and cooperation; the creative resolution of conflicts and an appreciation of differences," according to materials passed on to HERITAGE by the school board member.

Strich formerly was board president, and is now vice president, of the 5,500-student district which can boast that eight of its nine schools have been rated by the State of California as "distinguished" schools. What about the ninth? "They have to be open two years to qualify," she said. "That one has been open for only one."

She said one reason Encinitas students perform so well is that voters in the district were farsighted enough in 1996 to approve a $29 million school bond issue. Schools in need of repairs got refurbished, and "by the end of this year all of our schools will be fully wired for internet."
-- Donald H. Harrison