SAVE OUR TEACHERS! A Message from Shari Davis, President of Santa Monica Malibu Council of PTAs

Teachers are receiving pink slips and will be laid off -- up to 75 of our 580 great teachers will be gone from our great local schools in Santa Monica and Malibu – unless we pass Measure A!

Please help us prevent devastating teacher layoffs and protect our local schools by volunteering to phone bank for MEASURE A.

Measure A will provide local funding for our schools that the State cannot take away. Measure A will:

• Protect instruction in reading, writing, math and science
• Minimize teacher layoffs
• Keep class sizes as small as possible
• Help protect music and art programs
• Keep school libraries open
• Keep counselors, who help students stay on track and prepare for college and careers

Measure A is a Special “all-mail” election – your ballot will come in the mail in early May, even if you normally vote at the polls.

We can’t pass Measure A without your help!

The phoning is easy and fun: You’ll join other concerned local school supporters. We’ll train you, and we’ll even feed you!

Thanks for pitching in to protect our local schools!

Shari Davis
Santa Monica-Malibu PTA Council President

Click here to help phone bank


Click here to donate to the campaign


Click here to learn more about Measure A at www.savesantamonicamalibuschools.org


Contact Devin Osiri, Campaign Coordinator if you have any questions:
310-654-4933
osiridevin@gmail.com

CEPS Press Release -- Support for Santa Monica Malibu School Funding Measure

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –

COMMUNITY FOR EXCELLENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS (CEPS) ENDORSES MEASURE A
THE SANTA MONICA MALIBU SCHOOL FUNDING MEASURE

 

MARCH 22, 2010 - Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) endorses Measure A, the local school funding measure that will help close the shortfall caused by State budget cuts for Santa Monica-Malibu Schools.  “Our local schools are truly special, providing tremendous educational opportunities for all students,” states CEPS Chair Rebecca Kennerly, “It is a tragedy that California’s abdication of its responsibility to public schools jeopardizes our local schools and cities.”



CEPS recognizes that Measure A represents the best opportunity to provide stable local funding that can directly benefit students and go directly into classrooms.  All funds will stay in Santa Monica Malibu schools and can’t be taken by Sacramento.  Measure A is a local school ballot measure on a special May 25th all-mail election.  The measure must be passed by a 2/3rds majority; an extremely high threshold. Santa Monica and Malibu voters have repeatedly affirmed their strong support to protect local public schools by supporting past school funding measures.



On Thursday, March 4th, the Santa Monica Malibu Board of Education responded to State funding cuts by reducing 75 of the district’s 580 teachers.  “Our community values public education too much to allow the State’s fiscal crisis to dismantle the high quality of education in our local schools,” continues Kennerly.  If passed, Measure A will minimize teacher lay-offs, keep class sizes as small as possible, protect music and arts programs, retain school nurses and counselors, and keep school libraries open.



For more information about CEPS, please log on to www.excellentpublicschools.org, or follow the CEPS blog, http://excellentpublicschools.blogspot.com.


Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) is dedicated to the preservation and betterment of public schools in the Santa Monica -Malibu Unified School District. In order to achieve this goal, we resolve:

1. To promote a shared community vision for excellence in our public schools that includes early childhood and post-secondary education;
2. To evaluate and pursue a range of short and long term funding measures through state, city and school district policies and elections;
3. To identify and support issues that will support education and public schools, including early childhood education, after-school programs, and post-secondary public education;
4. To increase public awareness of the value and uniqueness of our public schools;
5. To promote accountability for high quality public education by public institutions and public officials.
   

 

Achievement and State Cuts and More Cuts, Oh My!

The Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District’s budget has dominated the airwaves over the last two weeks. First Superintendent Cuneo held four, extremely well-attended and thoughtful Budget Workshops in late January. On January 30th, the Board of Education held their own Budget Workshop in which it became clear that, while the district cut $4.5 million dollars from its budget last year to address State funding cuts to our schools, those cuts are so severe that the district is now facing an addition $10.4 million dollar reduction for next year. On February 1, the Board of Education took the step to place a $195/year school funding measure on a special May 25 ballot. This amount won’t close the entire gap, but it will protect core programs and staffing levels so that our schools would not suffer a serious, and perhaps irreparable decline in quality. Finally, at tomorrow’s February 18th meeting, the Santa Monica Malibu Board of Education will have to vote on issuing pink slips to 92.2 teacher positions. Again, many of these positions would be saved if the school funding measure passes in May.

Focus on Quality

The story of cuts, for me, both at a long-time public school advocate and as a parent in our wonderful schools, is always one which must be told in concert with the story of the many and varied success that occur in our schools every day. Our local Santa Monica and Malibu schools defy the odds every day by not only sending graduates to some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the nation (it must be in the water because this early-acceptance season seemed to be particularly stellar), but by providing intensive intervention services, which some have called lifesaving, for struggling students.

Our excellent public schools are rare gems worth protecting. They not only give our kids the tools they need to tackle the complex future that awaits them, but they provide tremendous benefit to our cities. They help maintain property values, attract talented people to our communities, keep kids in schools, and keep our communities safe. The value of our schools is felt throughout our community. Preserving and protecting the quality of our local public schools has been affirmed repeatedly by voters as one of their top priorities.

92.2

Says Harry Keiley, President of Santa Monica Malibu Classroom Teachers Association, “Students are the ultimate losers. This year (09-10), we have 23 fewer classroom teachers - resulting in larger class sizes (Class sizes in California are already some of the largest in nation). The proposed 92 layoffs (does not include the non renewals of Temporary or Probationary teachers) will be catastrophic! Class sizes will be even larger and some classrooms will be so over crowded that student/staff safety will be compromised. Add five furlough days in 2009-10 and 2010-11 and it adds up to fewer teachers, paid less money, working in over crowded classrooms............Like I said ----- our students will be the real losers ---------- Thanks to all in the community for all of your work!”

Indeed, thank you to all in the community for all of the hard work to preserve and protect our local public schools in the face of these devastating State budget cuts.

Anything Scarier Than the School Funding Crisis? – Check out Two Recent Studies on Adolescent Brain Development

The mission of Community for Excellent Public Schools is to advocate for the protection and preservation of excellent public schools in Santa Monica and Malibu.  So, a posting on adolescent brain development doesn’t quite seem to fit the mission. However, every so often something comes along that is so startling that it demands attention.  The findings of two unrelated studies, coming out within a week of each other, are just that.

The first was deftly analyzed by The New York Times in a January 20^th article by Tamar Lewin entitled, “If Your Kids Are Awake, They’re Probably Online”.  In it, a new Kaiser Family Foundation study found that American kids aged 8 to 18 spend seven and a half hours PER DAY plugged into and consuming media from some sort of electronic device.  Even more startling, since most multitask while they’re consuming media, i.e. surf the web while talking on the phone, or texting while listening to music, the actual amount of digital media that is being consumed during those seven and a half hours is closer to 11 hours – each and every day.  In short, every waking hour that our kids are not in school, they’re plugged in.

This reminded me of an essay I had written for my then thirteen-year-old son about the importance of doing one thing at a time.  It was received with a gesture I have now come to understand as the urban teen-aged anthem -- the requisite blank stare.  At least at that time, he was doing only one thing, even if it was mocking his mother.  That was the first time I truly felt like a dinosaur. 

The second scary story about adolescent brain development came out just five days later.  On January 25^th NPR’s Morning Edition aired a touching little story by Michelle Trudeau called “Teen Drinking May Cause Irreversible Brain Damage.”    This story reported on a study led by neuroscientist Susan Tapert of the University of California, San Diego in which brain scans of teens who drank heavily were compared with the scans of teens who didn’t. Listen to the story on NPR.

“Tapert's team found damaged nerve tissue in the brains of the teens who drank. The researchers believe this damage negatively affects attention span in boys, and girls' ability to comprehend and interpret visual information,” Trudeau’s story reports.  Most startling to me, next to the fact that this damage could be irreversible, is the study’s threshold for how much drinking could cause this potentially irreversible damage to a teen’s brain.  The study tested the brains of teen “binge” drinkers – and their definition of “binge?”  “They were drinking on average once or twice a month, but when they did drink, it was to a relatively high quantity of at least four or five drinks an occasion," Tapert reported in the article. 

A couple of years ago, I was interviewed by ABC News for an article they were doing about “helicopter moms”.  You know, the ones who won’t let go.  The question was put to me, “Do you really think that kids today face greater dangers than you did when you were growing up?”  I answered, “absolutely, yes.”  And I still believe that now.

Comments anyone?

And tune in for the next CEPS blog entry, which will report on SMMUSD Superintendent Tim Cuneo’s Budget Reports to the Communities.

Rare Gems needing Protection

Tonight Superintendent Tim Cuneo makes the first of four addresses to school community members about the difficult SMMUSD must make in order to grapple with a $12 - $15 million dollar deficit over the next 18 months.  All of these budget meetings take place at 7pm.  Tonight’s takes place at Samohi.  Tomorrow’s will be at Malibu High School.  On Tuesday, January 26^th he’ll speak at John Adams Middle School and on Wednesday, January 27^th, he’ll be at Lincoln Middle School.

I applaud the Superintendent for taking this difficult news out to the public.  With Sacramento hacking off 15% of its funding for schools in the last two years, districts up and down the state have had to increase class sizes, fire employees, close schools and eliminate programs and student support.  While SMMUSD reduced its budget by $4.5 million dollars last year, it seems inevitable that more cuts are in our future. 

I’m sure that we’ll hear more news at these budget meetings.  However, I also hope the Superintendent and the community will take a moment in these difficult times to celebrate some of the many incredible successes in our schools. 

There’s a reason that our local schools outperform state and country schools by a wide margin.  That reason is commitment and passion for providing each student in our schools with a public education that will prepare him or her for a complicated future.  A commitment from educators, staff and administration – and just as powerful a commitment from parents, community leaders and even residents who don’t have children in our schools.  Santa Monica and Malibu community members appreciate the powerful contribution to their lives that comes from maintaining the excellence of our local public schools.

Last June I completed a two-year term as President of the Santa Monica Malibu Council of PTAs, and during my tenure, I had the opportunity meet with other PTA Council Presidents throughout the state.  Almost immediately I came to understand that our community is special.  Its commitment toward protecting our schools is special.  I was shocked to meet Presidents in districts whose leadership had responded to state cuts by cutting music and arts programs so long ago that those programs weren't even a distant memory.  Here in Santa Monica and Malibu schools, music and arts is alive and well.  Rigorous college-bound education is available for all, as well as intervention services – and many more programs.

I believe it’s important during this current funding crisis to remind ourselves and our friends -- at every opportunity -- of the minor miracles that are still possible every day in SMMUSD schools.  It would be a shame for any of us to think of any of the many extraordinary programs at Santa Monica and Malibu schools as anything other than very rare gems requiring fierce protection from the ravages of relentless state budget cuts.

Santa Monica Mourns the loss of Mayor Ken Genser, Friend & Education Activist

Santa Monica Mayor Mayor Ken Genser passed away today at the age of 59.  A fourth-generation resident of the city, Mayor Genser was a beloved, much-admired champion for all Santa Monicans.


His work around land use and traffic issues is well known here in his hometown. What might be less known is his strong advocacy in support of our local public schools. Ken Genser understood that excellent public schools are an integral component of a strong, healthy city.

Santa Monica is one of just a few California cities that makes a direct financial contribution to its public schools. When that idea was first floated by Community for Excellent Public Schools, it was met with significant resistance. However, Ken worked with his colleagues to help formalize the City’s support.

Helping forge the agreement to provide stable, predictable local funding for public schools in the face of unstable and shrinking state funding should be considered one of Mayor Genser’s many enduring legacies.

Santa Monica Mayor Pro Tempore Pam O’Connor said of Genser's passing:

"It is with deep sadness that we mourn the loss of our Mayor Ken Genser, an indefatigable champion for quality of life in Santa Monica. Ken distinguished himself with a fierce intellect, passion for progressive social policy and compassion for people. He served the Santa Monica community throughout his lifetime and will be greatly missed."

Louise Jaffe, Santa Monica College Board of Trustees member and former CEPS co-chair says in her Lifelong Learning newsletter, "The local press is writing about Ken’s decades of service to Santa Monica and about his strong role in supporting affordable housing, protecting rent control, and restraining overdevelopment.  Ken also proved himself to be a strong supporter and key partner for our public schools. He played a key role in bringing about a new constructive partnership between our schools and our city; our lifelong learning community is stronger because of his leadership.

As a City Council member, Ken was accessible, intelligent, and articulate. He was responsive to public concerns and public opinion and he did his homework thoroughly. He was deliberative and thoughtful and honest and respectful.  And he has been one of the most influential City Council members in recent history.  Ken’s life has been Santa Monica and Santa Monica reflects his work.  He leaves a legacy and a record of service and professionalism; he too will be deeply missed."

For more information about Mayor Genser, please go to www.surfsantamonica.com.  Funeral and memorial service arrangements have not yet been announced.

CEPS Wishes for Warm Happy Holidays -- Then Roll Up Our Sleeves to work to protect SMMUD’s Excellent Public Schools in the New Year

December 2009 brought some interesting juxtapositions in the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District.

The Santa Monica Malibu Council of PTAs, the ever-vigilant champions of and advocates for all students, held its annual Holiday Breakfast at Duke’s restaurant in Malibu bright and early Tuesday morning, December 9.  PTA’s breakfast is always a cozy gathering of leadership from within our schools and two cities.  The tone is one of congratulations for difficult jobs well done in challenging times, coupled with celebrations of remarkable work being done by and for the students in SMMUSD.

Just two days later, the Santa Monica Malibu Board of Education was presented with a staggering list of emergency budget cuts to consider, each of which would cause pain for our families, diminish the educational experience for our students, and make teachers jobs more difficult.  Collectively, these cuts, which include  lay-offs of as many as 114 teachers and staff, could dismantle the excellent public schools we rely on here in Santa Monica and Malibu.  Download three important 2010-2011 budget documents here. 

Education funding cuts caused by California’s devastating budget crises haven’t made as much noise here in Santa Monica Malibu, as they have in neighboring communities, many of which have already dismantled public education in their K-12 schools.  Of course, the most fundamental reason that our schools have not been hit quite as hard as neighboring districts, is the sizeable local financial support that our communities make.  Local parcel taxes, direct contributions from our cities, and individual contributions provide nearly a quarter of SMMUSD’s income.

However, another huge reason that we haven’t heard as much about State funding cuts in our local schools comes, in great part, from the wise fiscal management of SMMUSD district funds.  When Sacrament pulled the rug out from under K-12 education funding, SMMUSD had sizeable reserves, which have tided us over the worst of the cuts last year, even though the district made cuts in the 2009-2010 school year of more than $4.5 million.  However, because of the magnitude of cuts coming from Sacramento, SMMUSD reserves are coming to an end.

Last month’s State of Our Schools events provided the community of the first glimpse of the size of the problem facing our schools in the upcoming school year.  Check out the articles about that event in the Malibu Times and Santa Monica Daily Press.

And finally, the last week of school in December held a multitude of holiday celebrations and performances.  Students in every one of our schools across our district were able to shine, proudly displaying the hard work and accomplishment offered to them in the numerous, and acclaimed arts programs offered in our schools.  I found it difficult not to wonder, as I watched my son’s orchestra performance at Santa Monica High School’s Winter Concert, how long this nationally and internationally renowned program would be able to survive.  And should this program be one of those fortunate enough to continue, how many other programs would fall away in its wake?

Superintendent Tim Cuneo’s wishes for those attending the PTA Council breakfast were heartfelt and grateful.  However, he also told the education community to roll up their sleeves and get ready for a lot of hard work in the new year ahead.  It will require everyone working together in 2010, he said, to help preserve and protect the excellence of Santa Monica and Malibu schools – to help maintain opportunities for all students – and to get to the holiday season this time next year, with our schools still in tact.