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Friday, February 10, 2012
SCUSD Board of Education approves drastic reduction of summer school
by Samantha Corbin, published on June 12, 2009 at 8:09 AM
Storyline: Education
The SCUSD Board of Education voted 5 – 1, with 1 abstention, to drastically reduce summer school programs for the next two years - effective immediately. The decision eliminates all programs for elementary and middle school students, and reduces summer school for high school students. In addition, special education programs will be reduced and adult school programs will either be reduced or converted to a fee based system. The decision will also impact almost 300 district employees, some of whom planned to report to work as early as today.
In her opening statements, Interim Superintendent Susan Miller stressed that the budget for this and next fiscal year was balanced as of May 14th, but then “the bottom fell out” and the district was forced to use stimulus funds. She added that they were leaving “no stone unturned” but that after years of “cutting to the core of instruction” vital services including employee contracts, support staff and transportation were being considered for cuts.
Ellyne Bell (Area 1), the only member to vote against the decision, asked what resources the district would provide to schools who will now be charged with the difficult task of bringing students up to grade level without summer school programs. Miller had no clear solutions to offer and stated only that it would be “reasonable to expect that (schools) will have to lead the charge to work (extra instruction) into the school year” and that the district would make “assisting them a high priority.”
Bell expressed deep reservations regarding the suggestion and reminded the board that they “made a commitment to keep cuts as far away from kids as possible.”
Board Member Diana Rodriguez (Area 5) raised questions regarding alternative options, such as charging a small fee for summer school. While SCUSD counsel suggested this might violate the K-12 constitution for California, district staff admitted the matter had not been researched. No other alternative options were presented to the board. The proposal also contained no information on the long-term impact of eliminating summer school programs for below grade level students.
With most summer schools slated to begin on June 22 and some beginning as early as today, the board had little time to consider researching other options.
Nine members of the community spoke publicly against further reduction of summer school programs, urging the board to “just say no, for a change” and expressing frustrations about the lateness of the proposal.
Supt. Miller addressed the crowd directly, urging them to understand that there were no ulterior motives behind the lateness of the special meeting. Current budget conditions left the district with no choice but to take immediate action.
Donald Terry (Area 3) also spoke frankly to the audience. He applauded his colleagues for making tough decisions in a difficult budget year and encouraged attendees to “pick up a newspaper and look at what other districts are doing.”
Jerry Houseman (Area 2) was the last to address the crowd. He admitted making the suggestion to Supt. Miller after he discovered that the Los Angeles Unified School District, which “represents ¼ of the students in the state,” was forced to cut summer school. “We need to join them,” he added. Houseman also stressed the importance or renegotiating union contracts and pointed out that salaries comprised 88% of the existing budget.
Roy Grimes (Area 6), Patrick Kennedy (Area 7), Houseman and Terry voted for the reductions. Gustavo Arroyo (Area 4) abstained from voting and Bell was the only “no” vote.
Program Reductions Defined (taken from the SCUSD proposal)
Eliminate Summer School Programs
- Elementary and Middle Schools (for 2 years)
- Adult Education (ESL, GEB, ABE, Distance Learning, Older Adults)
Convert Adult Education CTE Classes to Fee Based
Shift Cost of PACE/HISP/IB to Site & Grant Funds
Maintain Special Populations Programs to Close the Achievement Gap
- Culturally & Linguistically Reponsive Pedagogy Programs
- Hmong, Mien, Lao Program
- Refugee Student Assistance Program
- CSUS Math/ELA Academy
Maintain High School Programs with Modifications
- Eliminate On-line Credit Recovery
- Concurrent Enrollment with Adult Ed.
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My mother for example, taught 5 hours a week over entire school year. (she had no degree, but was given the material to be taught in advance, so she was way ahead of the students) Back then, you could hug a child, too.
It is most disappointing to me that there are no plans whatsoever to ensure struggling students will have access to additional assistance. To push that responsibility back on schools, while concurrently cutting programs and funding, is an abdication of the district's responsibility.
The absence of alternative proposals and research regarding student impact was also very striking to me.
As the Special Meeting was called in the 11th hour, on the eve of the last day of school, there was little perceived time to discuss innovations to this summer's program. Hopefully, they will reconsider reinstating the program next summer, with modifications.
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/6/10/la_schools
When my daughter was in school, it was never possible to meet with a teacher before 7:30 am or after 4 pm, because they were not to be bothered with it. (in business, you meet with the customer when they can, not when you can) Then the teachers dissapear for the summer. Seems like there is a lot of room for improvement there, yet I do not hear the conversation.
In some businesses, they only meet with the customer at the customer's convenience when they want the customer's money; however, most businesses I know have set hours of operation. In professional sectors such as dental and medical offices, EVERYONE has to comply to set hours. If you don't believe me, try getting a dental or doctor's appointment outside regular office hours.
Finally, teachers do not disappear during the summer, they are often getting trained and attending professional development programs, again at their own expense, to keep their credentials current and to become better teachers. They are often cleaning out their classrooms two weeks into the summer and are usually in their classrooms preparing and setting things up two weeks before their contracted school session begins.
David - Thank you. This news SHOULD have been covered by our local media. Instead, many parents I know are being informed of this last-minute decision by way of personal phone calls, group e-mails, Facebook and this article.
Per Ed Data at October 08 CBEDS California had 6,275,469 enrolled K-12 students. LAUSD had 693,680 of them for 11%, not 25%.
SDUSD's Board spent 12 hours on June 1st to close a $63 billion budget gap without laying off teachers or reducing summer school.
These cuts are a panic response by a management that does not know how to navigate through a crisis except by cutting the most obvious rather than the least necessary.
The last revised budget in June projects that SCUSD will decrease funding for certificated and classified staff by 8 M this year while increasing supplies and services by 22 M. Now we need reduce staff funding further and wonder how this represents a budget focused on student need.
I have been in business for three economic turn downs, and the proper way to respond is by the book. The Company is of no benifit to the community if it no long exist. First you cut waste and fraud, by aggressively looking for it and rewarding your team for finding it. Next you re-negotiate all your contracts to lower amounts. (in a recession, everyone receeds) Then you cut top managments pay by 30-50%$, mid-management by 20-30%, and workers by 20%. You suspend all retirement contributions by the Company, restructure employee benifits to places more responsability on the employee to manage their financial and healthy well-being. Freeze all hiring, bonus programs, raises, and the signing of any additional contracts. Cut all non-essential travel and company parties and picnics.
This is all done priorto ANY discussion of reducing customer services for firing employees is had.
Has this happened with the school system?
I must also comment the info provided by Leo Bennett-Cauchon above. He is right on regarding the panic-nature of this action and the unwillingness of the majority of the board to challenge management's projections, budget numbers or overall approach.
Also troublesome, is the vote taken immediately after this one to allow the district management to send pink slips to over 100 additional elementary teachers this summer. This makes it likely that K-3 class sizes will go up to 30:1. Let's not forget that this is a high-poverty district, with a large population of English Language Learners. As Samantha reported, the district has no plan in place to offset the impact of eliminating summer school for our neediest kids Even worse, the district is moving forward with upping the student/teacher ratio in these same kids' classrooms next year.
Samantha, stay on this and write more. The people of Sacramento need this info. Thanks Sacramento Press.
The ongoing story will be whether the Sac City School Board continues to rely on the District office's recommendations to cut services to the neediest students and families, or whether it does the gutsy thing and take a hard look at the the District's contracts and consultants budget, like the San Diego School Board did (see Leo Bennett-Cauchon's comment on the SDUSD's action, above).
These cuts are still being negotiated and may not end up as deep as the Governor desires. Even if they are there may be a couple of million left of in these two pots since there are still some variables in the allocation. So taking a prudent risk in this area - knowing we still have millions in various reserve accounts in SCUSD - would be one way to fund summer school with stimulus money.
The third pot of stimulus money is Title One and it has not been factored into summer school. The district will take over million dollars dollars off the top as an administrative fee which then becomes general fund money available for summer school.
The remaining 10 million or so in Title One stimulus is available to be spent with some restrictions. Those restrictions include a focus on the most academically needy - which is the same focus as the reduced summer school services. Another restriction is the approval of
School Site Councils - which is where leadership comes in.
There is a pathway to safeguard students from these latest cuts but the Board needs to insist that staff map it out rather than staying on the easy road of past practice.