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.