8th Grade Promotions and Celebrating Flag Day
Written By Marc Cooper for Franklin McKinley School Board 2026
The last FMSD Board meeting was on 6/16/2026. I’ve provided highlights and my comments:
https://www.youtube.com/live/SzhM5ByST2c?si=VWsG9VUU9HtYibR4
11. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
https://www.youtube.com/live/SzhM5ByST2c?si=VWsG9VUU9HtYibR4
I shared my Communications (from 58:10 to 1:03:14 in the video):
Thursday, June 11, 2026, I attended:
Stonegate 8th Grade Promotion 2:00-3:00 p.m. @ Silver Creek High School. (Go Gators!)
Bridges Academy 8th Grade Promotion 6:00-7:00 p.m. @ Y.B. High School (Go Spartans!)
Friday, June 12, 2026, I attended:
Windmill Springs 8th Grade Promotion 4:00-5:00 p.m. @ Andrew Hill High School (Go Wildcats!)
** Special Shout Out to 8th grade graduate Henry Vo, my Student Chaperone during “College and Career Day.” In his speech, he specifically thanked God for giving him the strength to finish 8th grade and to be with him as he goes to YB next year. I’m proud of you, Mr. Vo!
It’s great to hear our students honor the God who gives them strength for each day and the ability to enjoy the freedoms God has given us in this country to pursue a quality education without threat of persecution in a safe environment!
Sunday June,14, 2026, I celebrated “Flag Day”:
AS WE CELEBRATE FLAG WEEK, I want to give us a Reminder: As I walk into every classroom in our FMSD schools, as a proud Veteran of our United States Air Force and as an active Trustee of our School Board, I ALWAYS look for our American Flag to be hung in a prominent place in every classroom. And if one is NOT there, or if another flag replaces our American flag in that classroom, I try to ALWAYS bring that to Superintendent Cruz’s attention.
It is NOT a teacher’s choice which flag they want to honor in their classroom!
As we begin next Fall, I would ask that we honor the California Ed Code in this respect. It is stipulated in:
California Code, Education Code - EDC § 38117
https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/education-code/edc-sect-38117/
(Current as of January 01, 2025)
“The governing board of each school district throughout the state shall provide for each schoolhouse under its control, a suitable Flag of the United States, which shall be hoisted above each schoolhouse during all school sessions and on school holidays, weather permitting.
The governing board of each school district shall provide smaller and suitable United States Flags to be displayed in each schoolroom at all times during the school sessions.
The governing board of each school district shall enforce this section.”
*** And finally, on a personal note to my fellow Board Members:
Since I have been on this School Board, there have been many personal attacks directed at me, calling me names, making false, accusatory statements about me, or flat-out lies. If you’ve noticed, I have always tried to refrain from that kind of behavior and personal attacks to any of you in our Board Meetings. Those in our community who have watched our recorded Board Meetings know who you are who frequently make those personal attacks at me. In my opinion, that is unprofessional and not behavior which should be shown by any of us Board Members towards one another.
We may disagree at times, and that’s okay. But we were also elected by people in our community who believed we would represent them in a professional, mature, and honorable way, trying to work as a team of elected School Board members to make the best choices for their children, their families, and their schools in the Franklin McKinley School District.
I would like to publicly request that when we start up again in the Fall, we refrain as best as in our power, from making personal attacks on each other in our Board Meetings.
