I watched football this past weekend with the intent of writing my weekly SJI column on the lessons the NFL divisional playoffs can give us about improving public education. Fortunately, I was up close and personal for the historic victory at “The Stick,” watching the 49ers beat the Saints on Saturday with my son, Zack, as a gift for his 30th birthday.

Last week I attended a disturbing meeting. Not a City Council meeting or a committee meeting but rather a meeting with law enforcement on child pornography. I did not know what to expect. The Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children (SVICAC) is responsible for investigating cases of web-facilitated child pornography and cases of child sexual exploitation or abuse that results from contact over the Internet. There is a small team that works in this capacity that presented at the meeting. A San Jose Police Department officer gave a very informative presentation, and the seriousness of the content was striking.

In my life, I have been inspired by bold and courageous individuals who worked tirelessly to give of themselves for the greater good of all people, especially those who are most needy. This region seems to have more than its fair share. Last week, I was proud to be present as a guest during State Assemblyman Jim Beall’s public hearing to develop an action plan for the state to better nurture the needs of foster youth.

“Scared Straight”, the popular 1978 documentary by Arnold Shapiro, has been brought to television as “Beyond Scared Straight.” I avoided watching the new reality television series because all the research shows the scare tactics of taking kids to jail for a day does not work. I was hoping that after one season the show would die and just go away. Unfortunately, it is back for a new season. 

The San Francisco 49ers’ season notwithstanding, anything less than a Super Bowl victory is a failure. It’s old fashion, but making the playoffs is not success. Maybe it’s because of my own chosen profession, but coming in second is not a successful outcome. My clients don’t pay me to come in second.

A day before New Year’s Eve, the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters validated the necessary amount of signatures for a referendum to go forward on the City Council’s medical marijuana ordinance. While some city officials were offering tough talk in the final months of the year, statements by Mayor Chuck Reed on Tuesday seem to suggest a softened stance that would allow for a compromise rather than the referendum going to voters.

The Iowa Caucus is finally in the books, and hundreds of reporters are saying adios to the heartland. I said my own goodbye to Iowa a little more than a year ago, when I packed up my old Cadillac and drove the 1,864 miles to San Jose. Looking at the results from Tuesday night, when Mitt Romney edged out Rick Santorum by a mere eight votes and Ron Paul made his presence felt, I’m left thinking two things: One, no one benefited more than Romney from the suspension of Cain’s campaign, which dispersed those tea party voters; and two, Santorum’s support will likely fade the further he gets from Iowa.

Due to flat tax revenues and escalating pension costs, the city of San Jose has been forced to cut library hours year after year as well as make million dollar sacrifices in all other city departments. Even with all of the eliminations, San Jose continues to have a budget deficit. We need to re-examine the current delivery model for San Jose libraries and seriously consider how we can incorporate volunteers to fully maximize the hours of operation at all of our libraries.

One year ago, Dave Cortese, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, eloquently declared 2011 the Year of the Child. Many of his priorities had to do with juvenile justice and ending the incarceration of our youth in the juvenile hall. In addition, he supported a closer working relationship with schools. To meet the needs of our children, many whom are so painfully hurting, we must continue some of the bold work President Cortese addressed.

As the year winds down, you can almost hear the collective sigh coming from City Hall. Or maybe that’s an echoing whoosh from councilmembers, the mayor, city manager and their staffs, who hightailed it for the holidays. Either way, 2011 was a tumultuous year, fierce in the manner civic actors clashed over pension reform, public safety, pot, a potential ballpark, ballot measures, pay cuts, occupations of city property and other issues of varying degrees of importance.

As part of its mission to encourage local dollars to be spent at local businesses, the Republican-led San Jose/Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a trip to Cuba? The Chamber Explorations program sent out a flyer advertising a nine-day, “once in a lifetime travel opportunity!” to visit the socialist island.

It is the height of irony that FOX News and the conservative right wing consider themselves the guardians of Christmas tradition. From all that was allowed to be published regarding Jesus, there is no evidence that Jesus was anything but a liberal pacifist. Thus, the war for Christmas perpetrated by the right would be anathema to Jesus.

In my 38 years in public education, I never witnessed as consequential a vote as was taken on Dec. 14 and the early morning hours of Dec. 15. The Santa Clara County Office of Education Board, on a very controversial 5-2 and 4-3 vote, approved 20 new Rocketship Education charter schools in Silicon Valley.

With so much important business to be done at City Hall these days, one would think petty arguments over wishing someone “Happy Holidays” were a thing of the past. And one would be so very, very wrong in making that assumption.

The big news from last week’s annual meeting for the San Jose Downtown Association is that Music in the Park is no more. Back in August, we reported that Music in the Park was expected to be canceled after 23 years of throwing free summer concerts downtown. There were other reports and awards given during the meeting, but one thing worth watching is the above video that details the 25-year history of the Downtown Association. It takes a few seconds to get going, but it’s well produced and gives some insight into how far the city has come, as well as how much work remains to be done.

There is a game-changing local story about to take place in a few days. A decision before the SCCOE Board of Education is whether or not to approve 20 Rocketship Charter Schools on a countywide benefit charter basis. Each new school approval is listed as a separate action item on the Board’s agenda. The turf wars are just beginning.