Dear Editor,
All my children were lucky to have escaped long ago from Santa Monica’s schools after grade 6. Why so? Well, stepping out of Von’s Pavilions supermarket this afternoon, I looked across the street only to behold a banner legend across the south-facing wall of our Roosevelt Elementary School. It reads: WE HAVE PRIDE IN OUR SCHOOL.
If that sort of command of plain English is part of the curriculum, it ought to be kept well-hidden from the public.
Just for the record, one may say, “We take pride in our school.” Or, “We are proud of our school.” That way, if they want to “have” pride; they ought try to hold onto it by speaking and writing elementary English.
Sincerely,
Jascha Kessler, Santa Monica
Professor of Modern English & American Literature, UCLA
