MOMS UNITE by Victoria Rierdan Hurley

Governor Brown Issues Statement Halting Budget Negotiations

SACRAMENTO - Governor Jerry Brown today issued the following statement on his decision to halt budget negotiations:

"Yesterday, I stopped the discussions that I had been conducting with various members of the Republican party regarding our state's massive deficit.

The budget plan that I put forth is balanced between deep cuts and extensions of currently existing taxes and I believe it is in the best interest of California.  Under our constitution, however, two Republicans from the Assembly and two from the Senate must agree before this matter can be put to the people.

Each and every Republican legislator I've spoken to believes that voters should not have this right to vote unless I agree to an ever changing list of collateral demands.

Let me be clear: I support pension reform, regulatory reform and a spending cap and offered specific and detailed proposals for each of these during our discussions.  While we made significant progress on these reform issues, the Republicans continued to insist on including demands that would materially undermine any semblance of a balanced budget.  In fact, they sought to worsen the state's problem by creating a $4 billion hole in the budget.

One glaring example is the taxation of multinational corporations. My budget plan requires that gigantic corporations be treated the same as individual taxpayers and not be allowed to choose their preferred tax rate.

This is the so-called single sales factor. The Republicans demand that out-of-state corporations that keep jobs out of California be given a billion dollar tax break that will come from our schoolchildren, public safety and our universities. This I am not willing to do.

Much is at stake, and in the coming weeks I will focus my efforts on speaking directly to Californians and coming up with honest and real solutions to our budget crisis.

 

 

It's Not Over Yet - We Can Still Make a Difference!

The vote that was scheduled yesterday was postponed.  There are still not enough votes to get the revenue increase measure on the June ballot – so that we, the parents and citizens of the State of California, can vote on it.  The measure seeks to extend the temporary tax for several more years to help make up the giant deficit in the education budget.

Most of you are facing teacher layoffs at your child’s school.  The budget situation is so dire that they’re looking at laying off teachers with as many as ten years in the classroom.  If we can vote for (and pass) the increased revenue measure in June, we can save hundreds of jobs and keep class size reasonable.

It seems like a no-brainer but there are people in the California legislature who oppose this.  We can make a difference!!  We need to put pressure on our elected representatives to make sure that we get the chance to vote!

Here’s what you can do right now:

Call the representatives who are not currently on our side. They are getting a lot of pressure from the right to vote against and all tax measures.  We need to put equal pressure on them to do the right thing for the children of California! List and contact information below.

Write letters to the editor of the LA Times (letters@latimes.com), the Sacramento Bee (viewpoints@sacbee.com) and the San Jose Mercury News (letters@mercurynews.com). If there is a groundswell of letters from parents, it will call attention to the seriousness of the situation.

Call in to the John & Ken show on KFI to express your opinions.  This is a right wing show with hosts that are trying to make sure that we don’t have the right to vote on the tax extension. Weekdays 3:00 - 7:00.

Listener Line – (800) 520-1KFI (1534) 

This isn’t over yet. We can still make a difference, or at least go down swinging!

Representative Contact List

Senator Sam Blakeslee         916 651 4015 or 805 549 3784

Senator Bill Emmerson         916 651 4037 or 951 680 6750

Senator Anthony Cannella     916 651-4012 or 209 577 6592

Senator Tom Harman         916 651 4035 or 714 957 4555

Senator Tom Berryhill         916 651 4014 or 209 576 6470

Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen 209-576-6425 or 916-319-202

Senator Bob Dutton             916 651-4031 or 951 715-2625

Assemblywoman Connie Conway 559 636-3440 or 916 319-2034

Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian 805 549-3381or 916 319-2033

Assemblyman Paul Cook           909-790-4196 or 916-319-2065

Senator Bob Huff                 916 651-4029 or 909 598-3981

 

 

 

CALL TO ACTION: Get the Tax Extension Measure on the June Ballot

Today as I dropped my kids off at school I was met with the heartbreaking sight of our teachers out in front demonstrating against the Reduction in Force notices that went out last week. We stand to lose some amazing educators – and I know that this is being replicated all over the district. I left the school with a lump in my throat.  I felt so badly for the teachers that I’ve come to know and respect because no one should have to face this kind of uncertainty year after year. And, I felt horrible for the children who are also going to pay a terrible price in the loss of really good teachers and overcrowded classrooms.

What can we do? How can we help?  For one, we can work towards getting an extension of the Governor’s temporary taxes on the June ballot.  They are set to expire on July 1, 2011. The extension of these taxes will go a long way in mitigating some of the devastation that the LAUSD budget will be facing in the next school year and for years after.  It won’t solve the problem, but it’s a big step in the right direction.

Incredibly, there are those in our State government who are very much against this. Not only are they against extending the taxes to help pay for K-12 education, they don’t even want us to have the opportunity to vote on it. Clearly this will have a potentially catastrophic impact on our schools and it also flies in the face of our democratic process. As California citizens, we should be able to vote on something that has such a profound impact on our children.

Here’s what you can do RIGHT NOW! Send an email or call your State representatives urging them to support our right to vote on the revenue extension measure.  Write your own letter, or feel free to send the letter below.  This is a link to find your representative’s contact information:  http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

Lastly, if you have the time, contact as many representatives as you can. Yours may be voting our way, but many aren’t.  The vote is tomorrow so act fast!

SAMPLE LETTER

 Dear [rep name],

As a parent, and a resident of California, I urge you to vote to place the revenue extension measure on the ballot in the special election in June.  The quality of education in this State is extremely important to me and I would like to have the opportunity to make my voice heard.  It is critically important for my child, and every other child in this State, that we make quality education a priority.

I also urge you to convince your colleagues who do not believe that California residents deserve an opportunity to vote on a measure that directly impacts their children, that it is not only the right thing to do, it is imperative for the future of this State.

I am counting on you to support our kids. 

Sincerely,

 

MOMS UNITE Meets with Michelle Rhee

Yesterday Ginger Bower and I had the honor of spending some time with Michelle Rhee, former Chancellor of DC Public Schools and leader of StudentsFirst.org. We had seen her in Waiting for Superman and read every word of the StudentsFirst.org website so we were very excited to have the opportunity to meet her and be able to speak with her about what she’s trying to accomplish and how we can help.

Last night MOMS UNITE had the distinct pleasure of hosting a round table discussion with Michelle and fifteen teachers who had been subject to the Los Angeles Unified School District Reduction in Force layoffs after their first few years of teaching.  It was incredibly brave of them to come. Michelle is undoubtedly a formidable person who has been both celebrated and demonized by the media. Here in Los Angeles, UTLA has been particularly vocal against her and her ideas for reforming public education. One thing is for sure - she is one of the smartest, most focused and most dedicated people I have met in a very long time.

Some of the teachers were hesitant to speak at first but Michelle put everyone at ease and soon the communication was as fluid as if we had all known each other for years. As the teachers shared their stories it was impossible to not feel like children had been robbed in some way.  Each and every one of them spoke of their dedication to the children they taught and how much they missed them. They spoke of the hours they put in, the money they spent from their own pockets – happily – because they knew that they were making a difference in the lives of the kids they taught.  Many were from very rough schools in very rough neighborhoods, teaching kids from unstable homes. And every single one of them would go back tomorrow if they had the chance.

Some were lucky enough to find teaching jobs elsewhere, at charter or private schools. Others struggled with unemployment finally taking jobs out of the profession.  One eloquent man spoke of having to move in with family and taking a job in sales because he couldn’t find anything else. His teaching credential was tied to his employment status. Without a job in the Los Angeles Unified School District, he had no credential. Now back on his feet, he is taking graduate classes online to get his credential back.  Others became long term substitutes – literally subbing for themselves. The pay is significantly less and if they miss even one day, their pay drops. It's not a great alternative but at least they are teaching.

As the stories unfolded, there were tears. Some broke down as they remembered how hard it was to leave their students. A few even went back to provide free tutoring after school because they knew what the kids were capable of and didn't want them to lose momentum. The most heartbreaking moments came when they spoke of how upset their students were to lose them and how hard it was on the kids to lose their teacher mid-year and then struggle with substitutes. Worse was hearing how it was common knowledge that the teacher down the hall was not an effective teacher – just phoning it in – and that teacher kept their job because of seniority.  One teacher’s students made protest posters; parents at the school of another called the District and sent letters on her behalf.  With the union contract the way it is, there was nothing that could be done. 

One of the most revealing stories of the night came from a young woman who told us that while she was a substitute teacher in the same classroom that was hers only a few months before, the principal informed her that there would be visitors in the classroom.  Two people spent several hours observing the class and making notes.  When the teacher asked them why they were there, she was told that one was a veteran teacher on probation.  The other was her mentor.  They were there to observe a really great teacher (the one who lost her job) so that the one on probation (the one keeping her job) could see how it was done. 

Why is there so much inequity? Why is a dedicated, passionate, highly effective teacher out of the classroom collecting unemployment while another, less effective, less interested teacher gets to stay? And what kind of impact is this having on children? 

Earlier that evening we were at Michelle’s talk at the UCLA School of Law. It was a panel discussion and Q & A with Beth Shuster, a highly accomplished Los Angeles Times education reporter.  We heard people tell Michelle that it’s not the teachers’ fault, that some kids can’t learn.  The parents are to blame.  Yet what we heard from the group assembled in Ginger’s living room couldn’t have been more different. These teachers knew that they were making headway. They knew that they were changing these kids’ lives for the better – especially the kids from broken homes in poor neighborhoods. And they loved doing it.

Basing teacher layoffs exclusively on seniority is clearly not the right approach. The ACLU lawsuit is a start, but it’s just the beginning and probably doesn't go far enough. While tenure absolutely has a place in academia, so does meaningful evaluation and accountability. Every child deserves a teacher like the ones we met last night.  It was amazing to be in a room with so many passionate, dedicated people who truly love being teachers. And they're not the only ones. There are teachers like this at every school. It only makes sense that all children should benefit from this type of teacher, regardless of how long he or she has been teaching.

Again we urge you to join StudentsFirst at www.studentsfirst.org and lend your support to the reform that Michelle Rhee is leading.  We believe that she will move mountains and we want to help her do it.  For a summary of where she stands, watch the this short video clip from The Talk yesterday. 

 

 

 Victoria

*****

MOMS UNITE is a grassroots parent advocacy group devoted to improving public education in California.To join, please send your contact information to join@moms-unite.org, join our Facebook group and follow us on Twitter @MOMSUNITE.

 

 

Michelle Rhee Launches STUDENTS FIRST to Transform Public Education

There is finally some exciting and optimistic news in the world of public education!  

Michelle Rhee, the former chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools system of Washington, D.C. has just launched her own organization, Students First (studentsfirst.org), which will work towards transforming public schools across the nation.   Rhee was heavily featured in “Waiting for Superman” and has built a reputation for being a straight shooter, an innovative thinker and positive force in public education.

Yesterday, Rhee appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show to announce the organization and its goals and from what I have heard, the response has been overwhelming.   We’re really excited about this because Michelle Rhee has proven that she has the stuff to really make something happen.  She understands the challenges and the problems, and she has a plan.

MOMS UNITE supports StudentsFirst.org and we urge you to sign up and pledge your support as well. 

http://www.studentsfirst.org/

Explore the website and if you’re as excited about this as we are, help spread the world!  Send a note with the URL to five friends who share your desire to improve education for all the children of this country and ask them to join us. 

Victoria

 *****

MOMS UNITE is a grassroots parent advocacy group devoted to improving public education in California.

To join, please send your contact information to join@moms-unite.org and follow us on Twitter @MOMSUNITE.

 

WAITING FOR SUPERMAN

Yesterday afternoon I attended a screening of Davis Guggenheim’s Waiting for Superman.  It’s a film that everyone should see – not just people who work in public education or send their children to public school – but everyone.  Our ability to produce an educated population ultimately affects every man, woman and child in this country. 

It’s not easy to watch.  Guggenheim takes some pretty serious swipes at the Teachers Union and the current system of education. He shows us horrifying statistics and very disturbing footage. But he never veers from the idea that the backbone of a successful school is great teachers. 

The most compelling parts are the scenes that put faces to the tragedy of what’s happening in public education. We follow five families who are desperately trying to give their children the very best they can despite reduced circumstances.  It’s heartbreaking to watch as a child’s one chance at a good education is left up to the bouncing of a lottery ball. When there are several hundred applicants for a handful of spots, not everyone is going to get in. For many of these children, this is literally the defining moment of their lives. If they get in, chances are great that they’ll make it.  If not… who knows?

There is no doubt that public education in America is horribly broken.  We knew that long before this film was made.  The good news is that there are proven blueprints for success.  It’s been done! People have jumped into the mire, fought the system and created ways for children of all backgrounds, ethnicities and socio-economic levels to learn and thrive.  But replicating this success across the country requires radical change and a willingness to tear down the status quo.  The movie is not “pro charter”, its “pro models that work.”   

One of the points that I was struck by is the idea that in low performing schools, we have the equation wrong.   It’s not that bad neighborhoods make bad schools; it’s that bad schools create bad neighborhoods.  Maybe this is true.   

Either way, this is clearly not what we hope from our education system. Yet, we’ve allowed the bar to fall so low that if as few as 58% of a class is proficient at reading and math, it’s a triumph. We’ve allowed the Unions to hijack the system so that we can’t fire even the worst teachers.  Guggenheim doesn’t tell us what the answer is, but he sure clarifies the problem.

After the film there was a panel discussion. Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, Dr. John Deasy, Deputy Superintendent of LAUSD, and Judy Burton, President of the Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools answered some pretty softball questions and shared their impressions of the movie.  AJ Duffy, President of UTLA was also on hand to add his two cents.

What struck me most was how defensive Ms. Weingarten was. Admittedly, the film is not kind to the Teacher’s Unions. It highlighted some very shameful Union contract stipulations.  Not shameful for the teachers of course, only to the students who are stuck with bad teachers who are shuffled from school to school because they can’t be fired.  Only to the taxpayers who are paying to provide full salaries and benefits for teachers who are not teaching because of pending disciplinary actions.  Ms. Weingarten spent a good twenty minutes telling us things that were in direct contradiction to what we had just seen. To me it seemed hollow and disingenuous. I think there was potential for interesting discussion, but Ms. Weingarten didn’t seem to want to relinquish the microphone.  When she brought AJ Duffy up to tell us how UTLA is pioneering teacher evaluations and great education for children in Los Angeles, several people in the audience laughed out loud.

We can’t blame the Unions for everything certainly. A lot of people in a lot of cities over a lot of years are complicit in cheating our children out of the education they deserve by not fighting for them.  But people like Geoffrey Canada and Michelle Rhee are fighting and we owe it to our children, ourselves and our country to join them.

It’s an intense film – one that evokes anger, outrage, surprise, sadness but ultimately, I think, hope.  

 

 

 

Call to Action: Act Now to Help Bring Vital Federal Funding to LAUSD!

Over the next few days we have an opportunity to make our voices heard and, with luck, help get much needed funding into the public school system. LAUSD is facing a $640 million budget deficit and while a tremendous amount of reduction, compromise and sacrifice has been done to help keep that number from growing, we need to reduce it.  A YES vote on Measure E will help (so please vote) - but it won't eliminate the problem completely. 

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) has introduced Senate Bill, SB 3206, the Keep Our Educators Working Act., which would provide $23 billion to save public education jobs nationally. This translates into approximately $225 million for LAUSD. The money will save as many as 3,000 teacher, counselor, administrator and classified jobs over the next two years.  Fortunately, the bill has started to gain some momentum and it will be introduced as an amendment on the Senate floor this week.

But as it seems to go these days, there may not be the votes to pass it. Even California's own Diane Feinstein hasn't come out in support it.  Appropriations Chair David Obey said he will put the $23 billion into the House bill IF he thinks there is enough support to pass it on the House floor. He fears the anti-federal spending voices in many home districts are intimidating members of Congress and will turn them against it. So it’s time to crank up the volume on our side. Congressman Obey has delayed marking up the education funding bill until Monday, May 24th --six days from today.

Now is the time for us to act. We mus let Washington know that Los Angeles believes our schools are vital to California's economic survival.  This is what YOU can do:

Please call, write, email and fax Senator Feinstein and tell her we need her support on SB 3206. Starting on Friday, call, write, email and fax the California members of the Appropriations Committee urging their support for $23 billion fund for education jobs. They all need to hear from ALL of us. And please, get to the polls on June 6th for a YES vote on Measure E.

Capitol switchboard number is 202-393-3121.        Dianne Feinstein’s number is 202-224-3841,

          fax is 202-228-3954, email is feinstein@feinstein.senate.gov       

Thank you to LAUSD School Board Member Steve Zimmmer for sending around the original version of this message (which I amended and added my own pleading).

Victoria

Measure E - LAUSD Parcel Tax on the June 8th Ballot

Last November Ginger Bower and I were invited to participate on an exploratory committee to determine the likelihood of passing a parcel tax that would help support the schools of the Los Angeles Unified School District.  The committee was made up of members of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), the School Board, the Los Angeles Chamber, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA), several community groups and MOMS UNITE.  We were also part of a subgroup that interviewed individual pollsters and helped determine the direction of the poll.

The Polling showed that a parcel tax of $100 per year for four years is doable for the majority of voters and as a result, ballot Measure E is on the June 8th ballot.  This works out to $8.33 a month, roughly the equivalent of two gallons of milk.  So, in answer to many of your emails, we will have a chance to vote for a parcel tax in June and if it passes, it will help to alleviate a lot of what we’re worried about.

Measure E would provide the District with approximately $370 million.  This money is designated to be given directly to neighborhood K-12 schools and the idea is that principals, teachers and parents will decide together how to best use it for their school. It can be for teachers, librarians, arts programs or anything else the students might need over and above what the District provides. We have been assured that the money will not be used to pay for Central District administrative salaries and will go only to school sites.

I urge you to support Measure E on June 8th.  As it stands now, LAUSD must cut $640 million from next year’s budget.  This is in addition to $1.3 billion that has already been cut over the last two years.  As you know, this has been a struggle every year. Because of the agreement that the Unions were able to make with the District just last week, we are going to squeak by with enough money and staff for next year – which is great news.  But if the parcel tax doesn’t pass, things probably won’t be so rosy the year after and we’ll be in an even worse boat. Teachers, administrators, cafeteria workers, custodians, school nurses, bus drivers, school police and librarians can’t take another round of pay cuts. And frankly, they shouldn’t have to.

The money that comes in will be for:

• Saving teacher and counselor jobs
  
• Keeping class size low (or at least reasonable)
  
• Maintaining school police officer patrols
  
• Preparing every student to read at grade level
  
• Specialized curricula in math, science, technology and the arts
  
• Continuing vocational education
• Saving custodian jobs to ensure clean bathrooms and school grounds
• Restoring music, arts and other enrichment programs
  

Detractors fear that the money will disappear into a black hole and not put to good use and admittedly, there has been a crisis of trust in recent years.  The language of Measure E guarantees annual performance and financial audits of all parcel tax spending which the District hopes will go at least some of the way in restoring some of that lost trust.

We participated with LAUSD in this process from the beginning, debated it out with other stakeholders, and reached the conclusion that a parcel tax is one of a very few alternatives that we have if we want to continue to have public school as an option.  After everything, MOMS UNITE was asked to formally endorse Measure E on the ballot and we have because we believe that $8.33 per month is a small price to pay to keep our children learning and teachers and staff employed. 

While passing Measure E will not solve the problem, it may go a long way in keeping things afloat. Please vote on June 8th!  

Victoria

 *****
MOMS UNITE is a grassroots parent advocacy group devoted to improving public education in California. Visit us at www.moms-unite.org. To join, please send your contact information tojoin@moms-unite.org and follow us on Twitter @MOMSUNITE.

Jobs and Class Size Saved! Great News for LAUSD Schools!

Late Friday, the Unions and LAUSD reached a tentative agreement to keep class size from increasing and save 1,825 teaching jobs. The majority of administrators, librarians, nurses, cafeteria worker, bus drives and many other crucial personnel will also keep their jobs. 

This is the absolute best we could hope for given what we're up against with the State budget.  And while it's definitely cause for celebration (and much relief), teachers and others have had to agree to 12 unpaid furlough days to make this possible - which represents a pay cut. 

Please read the press release below, issued late Friday from LAUSD.

lausd and unions REACH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT TO MAINTAIN CLASS SIZE AND SAVE JOBS

Unpaid furlough days expected to generate $140 million in savings

(LOS ANGELES) — Negotiators for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA) have reached a tentative agreement on taking five days off of the 2009-2010 school year, which would result in five unpaid furlough days for their members, and another seven furlough days (including two pupil-free days) for the 20010-2011 school year.  LAUSD Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines sought the shorter school year and unpaid furlough days to generate $140 million in savings that will be used to address a $640 million budget deficit.

 “Today, the leadership of our unions has stepped up in these difficult times to be partners in service to our students and families,” said Board President Mónica García, on behalf of the entire LAUSD Board of Education. “While our employees bear no responsibility for this financial crisis, I am proud of the incredibly important role they will play in helping to mitigate the impact it will have on our schools.”

 The tentative agreement must be ratified by UTLA and AALA members. If all unions agreed to take 12 furlough days over the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 years, the savings would grow to $180 million. Though the Board and Superintendent agonized over these difficult choices, the need to protect class sizes and save jobs drove the pursuit of a mutual agreement.

 In return for the combined 12 furlough days by UTLA members, class size increases slated for July 1, 2010 will not take place and current student to teacher ratio will be maintained at the current levels. For example, K-3 class sizes were due to increase from 24 students to one teacher to 29 students to one teacher. The current class sizes will prevail for all grades K-8, representing a savings of 1,825 teacher positions.

 In addition, LAUSD will restore a number of the nurses, counselors, librarians, and Regional Occupational Center-Regional Occupational Program instructors who were slated to be laid off on June 30, saving an estimated 284 positions. Under the AALA agreement, more than 100 school-based administrator positions will be restored.

The loss in pay due to furloughs must be negotiated because the District’s teachers are represented by the teachers union (UTLA) while administrators have their own bargaining unit (AALA). The twelve furlough days combined equals $131.7 million in savings from the UTLA unit. For AALA, the combined 12 furlough days savings totals about $9 million.

 “Despite LAUSD’s enormous budget deficit, caused by California’s bleak economic situation, we believe that we have arrived at a reasonable settlement which is in the best interest of AALA members, students and the District,” AALA President Judith Perez said.

 Thousands of District employees are already taking unpaid furlough days, and as a result, receiving smaller pay checks. The superintendent took his second furlough day on Monday, March 22.  In addition, senior staff and workers throughout the Beaudry headquarters are taking one unpaid day off a month in February, March, April and May.

 The first bargaining unit to agree any furlough agreement was the Service Employees International Union, Local 99. More than 19,000 cafeteria workers, bus drivers, building and grounds workers, Special Education aides, campus aides, and other classifications of employees have taken furlough days in February, and are scheduled to take three more in March, April and May 2010 for a savings of $7.7 million. 

The Los Angeles School Police, the California School Employees Association representing office workers and the Skilled Trades Union including construction workers police have also agreed to take off time without pay. These prior furlough days agreements were unrelated to the reduced instructional year.                             

The District will continue to seek furlough day agreements with all unions for 2010-2011. Two classified units, Teamsters and School Police Sergeants and Lieutenants, have yet to negotiate furlough day agreements for 2009-2010.

 Each furlough day taken by all LAUSD employees would save the District $15 million.  Five furlough days for all employees in 2009-2010 would reduce $75 million off of the massive deficit.  The savings, which will go directly into the District’s general fund used primarily to pay most expenses including salaries, will be used to prevent many layoffs.  

Is Your School Losing Teachers? Don't Panic, Start Planning!

As most of you know, Reduction in Force letters (RIFs) have been given to thousands of teachers across the district.  We are looking at losing a great many teachers and dealing with increased class size in all grades. Why? Because the clown show that passes for our state government has taken huge chunks of the education budget and continues to do so, because the unions won’t make concessions, and because of a long history of unimaginable incompetency and stupidity at the district.  The list of reasons and people to blame is long and frankly, incredibly depressing. 

At this point, it’s a waste of time to run around panicking and assigning blame. Now is the time to think very seriously about what we as parents can do that will make a real impact.  If you want to write letters and stage protests, feel free. However, your efforts are probably better used to keep your school afloat. Trust me, anyone to whom you would write a letter already knows what the problem is and how you feel about it. 

Now is the time to circle the wagons and take a close look at what your school will need to maintain its excellence and work towards that.  For example:

Did you know that the booster club (or Friends group) at your school can buy a teacher?  The cost is approximately $84,000 (give or take).  Get your parent groups together and decide what size classes are tenable then figure out how much money it will take to pay for the number of teachers needed after layoffs.  Keep in mind that you will not be able to choose which teachers you want and you won’t get to keep the teachers you are losing – but at least you’ll have teachers.  And more teachers translate into lower class size. With luck, these conversations have already started taking place at your school and there is a plan.  If not, you need to get on it.  

Set new fundraising goals and start thinking about creative ways to generate donations.  Is it a push by grade level? Does it involve local businesses? Can the kids help? Many companies will match donations made by employees. Has every one of these been leveraged? These are unprecedented times that call for unprecedented action.

Or, perhaps you can marshal your parent population into a volunteer corps to donate time to help in areas that are no longer being funded.  Maybe there are parents who can commit to spending time helping in the classrooms, the library or even the office. There could be parents who can tutor after school.  If you haven’t asked, do! 

To close on the most positive note I can, it is still possible that things will not turn out quite as badly as we fear. The district is currently looking at a number of different ways to bring in money which would change the picture.  They include partnering with philanthropic organizations and possibly placing a parcel tax on the June ballot.  Additionally, the union negotiations are not over.  New collective bargaining agreements would make a difference. 

Regardless of what you may hear, we don’t know what will happen. What we do know is that we need to be prepared. 

Victoria

*****

MOMS UNITE is a grassroots parent advocacy group devoted to improving public education in California.

To join, please send your contact information to join@moms-unite.org and follow us on Twitter @MOMSUNITE.

A New Rumor About Teacher Layoffs

Today I heard a rumor that just started floating around the schoolyards in town. A parent told me that all teachers with less than five years seniority will be laid off. She had heard this from a teacher who had heard it from someone else, etc. Before everyone panics unnecessarily, I think it’s important to understand the truth.

The timing was good because I was at LAUSD headquarters this afternoon to work on a project and was able to ask one of the top decision makers in the Superintendent’s office. I got a completely blank look from him. He then told me that the District hasn’t even done those calculations yet and absolutely no decisions have been made. What it will come down to is what kind of agreement can be made with UTLA. Cuts will have to be made somewhere, but exactly where and how deep will depend on the union. Ironically, traced back, the rumor may actually have come from UTLA.

The genesis could be that LAUSD is required by law to send out preliminary notices advising of possible layoffs. In these days of uncertain and dwindling education budgets, we shouldn’t be surprised. You may recall that last year, 8,846 notices went out and only 337 people were actually laid off. Yes, teachers will probably receive notices (and many may actually lose their jobs) but in the vast majority of cases, it’s only a formality mandated by law.

It’s easy to be freaked out by rumors like this but it pays to remember that there are a lot of players here and they all have different agendas. Sadly, providing a top-notch education for every child in Los Angeles is not necessarily part of everyone’s agenda. As a parent group we need to remember that our priority is our children and not allow ourselves to be manipulated by propaganda – regardless of where it comes from.

I also heard some good news while I was there (as opposed to not bad news). Current thinking at Beaudry is that no secondary teachers will be cut. This means that no one who teaches middle school or high school will be laid off. Now, what does that mean for elementary schools? I’m not entirely sure, but I was specifically told that the Superintendent absolutely does not want to go to 29:1 in the lower grades and will do whatever he can to prevent it. Again, a lot of this comes down to what UTLA and the District can agree to. As this point no one knows. I think that’s worth repeating - no one knows.

Victoria

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