City of Santa Monica - SMMUSD Joint Use Agreement Renewed

May twenty-second, 2012 may have been one of the five or so most important days for Santa Monica-Malibu schools in the last decade.  It was the day that the Santa Monica City Council voted 5-1 to support Agenda Item 8-B and extend the Master Facilities Use Agreement and Related SupplementalAgreements with the Santa Monica- Malibu Unified School District for a term of ten years with a subsequent five-year extension.

The item took about thirty minutes from start to finish, however the event that transpired in those fairly undramatic moments solidified a decidedly dramatic sea change in the fabric of Santa Monica politics.

The Master Facilities Use Agreement, which provides stable ongoing funding from the City of Santa Monica to SMMUSD schools in exchange for community access to school recreational facilities in off hours, was forged by conflict.  In 2004 when the Agreement was first established, the City and the schools were such separate entities that a relationship any deeper than polite acquaintance was controversial.  Yet today, the true interdependence between the two is deeply felt.

Of course, it is tragic that the State of California has so underfunded its schools and undervalued its youth that it has virtually knocked the State’s educational system to its knees.  In decades past, both public education and local municipalities were adequately funded and able to provide residents and students with excellent services and preparation for the future.  However, up and down this once-golden state, funding for public education has been slashed, forcing our youth, and ultimately our entire State to pay the consequences.

Santa Monica, however, was not about to allow the State’s ongoing crisis to decimate its proudly excellent public schools.  The correlation between excellent public education and a strong city was, in the minds of many leaders in our community, undeniable.

In the summer of 2003, Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) started discussing an Amendment to the Charter of the City of Santa Monica, which would create an annual contribution from the City of Santa Monica to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. 

CEPS co-chairs Shari Davis and Louise Jaffe with co-founder
Ralph Mecher file proposed Charter Amendment with
Santa Monica City Clerk Maria Stewart in January 2004

In January of 2004, CEPS filed the proposed amendment to the City Charter, and by May, CEPS had raised over $100,000 and gathered 15,000 signatures to qualify its proposed charter amendment for the November 2004 municipal election.

Signature gathering

Later that month, then SMMUSD Superintendent John Deasy and City Manager Susan McCarthy reached an 11^th-hour compromise agreement -- the Facilities Use Agreement.  After much political wrangling, heated debate, and raised tempers, all parties signed off on the agreement, including CEPS, the SMMUSD Board of Education, the Santa Monica-Malibu Council of PTAs and, of course, the Santa Monica City Council.  CEPS agreed that it would not turn in its signatures and the Charter Amendment was not placed on the ballot.

Flash forward eight years to May 22, 2012. The relationship between the education community and City leadership has developed into a strong and extremely productive partnership.  In its letter in support of the Master Facilities Agreement renewal, CEPS co-chairs stated,

“CEPS is also extremely grateful to the City Council for its willingness to create this compromise in 2004. Since that time, we have seen the relationship between the schools and City leadership warm considerably into the proud partnership that exists today, and this renewal of the agreement as proposed by City Manager Gould and his staff is great proof that the partnership is mutually beneficial for both our schools and City.

Education leaders have joined forces with the City on a number of joint projects such as the “Buy Local” program and the Youth Resource Team, as well as support for campaigns that benefited the City, such as the TOT and UUT measures and, most recently, the successful campaign for Propositions Y + YY.” 

So many leaders have courageously stepped forward to support the partnership between the schools and the City.  CEPS feels strongly that both the City of Santa Monica and its schools are strengthened by this strong and enduring partnership.  The skies on Sacramento’s fiscal horizon continue to darken, threatening not only schools, but municipalities, and services for everyone in need.  Only by joining together locally, will we weather these storms and succeed in protecting all residents and students from what will almost certainly be ongoing and, even increased hardships coming from Sacramento.

Thank you to the Santa Monica City Council, City Manager Rod Gould, the Santa Monica-Malibu Board of Education, Superintendent Sandra Lyon and an army of education, business and community leaders for helping make this partnership a reality.

Meet your Assembly Candidates THIS SATURDAY

We hope you can attend the 50th Assembly District Candidates Forum which CEPS is co-sponsoring with Santa Monica College's Public Policy Institute, UCLA and the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, on Saturday, April 14th from 2 to 4 p.m. on the Main Stage at the Pico campus of SMC.

November's election will be so important to each of us on a local, statewide and national level. Please learn as much as possible about the issues and candidates vying for your vote -- and vote smart!

CEPS is proud to co-sponsor this event and plans on providing information with an education perspective to voters throughout this election season.  We hope to see you on Saturday.  It promises to be a great afternoon!

Yours in Excellent Public Schools,

Shari Davis & Rebecca Kennerly

co-chairs, Community for Excellent Public Schools

www.excellentpublicschools.org

STATE OF OUR SCHOOLS - from the SM Daily Press

The seventh annual State of Our Schools community report took place this Monday and Tuesday in Malibu and Santa Monica.  Superintendent Lyon along with district school principals addressed a record number of community members and civic leaders providing a comprehensive look at our schools and their successes and challenges.  In addition, Superintendent Lyon provided a full report on student achievement, programs, and the latest picture on school funding.

Check out this great article about State of our School from Ashley Archibald ad the Santa Monica Daily Press.

State of Our Schools shows positives, negatives in district

By Ashley Archibald

February 02, 2012

VIRGINIA AVENUE PARK — School officials praised hard-working teachers, dedicated parents and a "unique" relationship with City Hall for the continued success of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District despite budgetary pressures from the state and other outside forces.

A record number of parents and community notables turned out for the third annual State of Our Schools event, which highlighted improvements in test scores and student preparedness alongside a general uncertainty about the district's financial future.

According to numbers provided by Superintendent Sandra Lyon, overall student achievement in the district continues to outpace the state average, with scores consistently on the rise since 2007.

The district also can boast far higher percentages of students passing the high school exit exams and Advanced Placement tests, which are exams given at the end of college-level courses offered in the local high schools.

Last year, 478 attended four-year universities, and 338 graduating seniors went onto two-year community colleges.

That success comes with the lowest revenue limits the district has seen since the 2005-06 school year, staff reductions, class size increases and promises of more on the way.

"We do more with less," Lyon said. "It's not hyperbole. It's fact."

California lags behind almost every other state in per-pupil spending. The state contributes $8,908 per student compared to the average $11,764 across the rest of the nation.

Devastating cuts from the state level resulting from brutal budgets and a down economy have slashed at core services, ending in growing class sizes and fewer programs.

Local funding sources shielded SMMUSD from the worst of the cuts weathered by other local districts.

Community for Excellent Public Schools, a local group of school advocates, rallied support for a number of successful funding efforts, including parcel taxes that raise $10.7 million annually and Proposition Y, a 2010 ballot measure which will raise at least $5.5 million for the district this year.

Overall, the district receives $32.7 million from local sources, or approximately 29 percent of its funding.

"The relationship between (City Hall) and the district is unheard of in other communities," Lyon said.

More cuts loom on the horizon if Gov. Jerry Brown fails to convince Californians to pass a sales tax increase and income tax hike for those making over $250,000 on the November ballot. The uncertainty makes it difficult, if not impossible, to adequately plan, Lyon said.

"We plan for the future and hope for the best, and everyone knows that hope is not a strategy," she said.

The district is looking at a $5 million deficit for the current year, rising to over $6 million in 2012-13.

If the tax doesn't pass in November, that jumps to $10.7 million.

The Board of Education and administration have made deep cuts at the district office to keep reductions as far from the classrooms as possible, said Board President Ben Allen.

More will be necessary to close the existing deficit, a hard thing to balance when over 80 percent of costs come from staff.

The district faces many challenges other than cash flow moving forward.

Although there's been improvement, the gap in test scores and achievement between students of color and their white and Asian counterparts remains vast.

Schools receiving Title 1 funds from the federal government have been pushed to the brink of "program improvement" requirements, which restrict local controls.

An acrimonious debate over a new fundraising model which aims to end parent-funding of school programs soured relations between residents in the city of Malibu and the district, and a movement to secede from the district was backed by the Malibu City Council.

County officials will provide an update on the progress of that petition at the beginning of March, said Jan Maez, the district's chief financial officer.

ashley@smdp.com

SAVE THE DATE! -- January 30 & 31 State of Our Schools

SANTA MONICA-MALIBU UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

PRESS RELEASE

CONTACT:  Sarah Wahrenbrock                       FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

310.450.8338, ext. 70229                                   19 JAN 2012

SEVENTH ANNUAL STATE OF OUR SCHOOLS EVENT

SMMUSD Teams with PTA, CEPS, and Education Foundation to Present Informational Report

On January 30 and 31, SMMUSD will once again partner with the Santa Monica-Malibu Council of PTAs, Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS), and the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation for the Seventh Annual State of Our Schools, a community report on Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District student achievement, initiatives, and financial health.

The State of Our Schools event will take place in Malibu on Monday, January 30 from 6:30-9:00 pm at City Hall (23825 Stuart Ranch Road).  On Tuesday, January 31 from 6:30-9:00pm, the State of Our Schools event will take place in the Thelma Terry Building at Virginia Avenue Park in Santa Monica (2200 Virginia Ave.)

This year’s report will feature the very latest news and information in a comprehensive report from Superintendent Sandra Lyon about the ever-changing financial picture for SMMUSD in light of recent budget announcements from Sacramento.  Ms. Lyon’s State of Our Schools presentation will also provide a report on student achievement and District initiatives to help students succeed.

In addition, school Principals will report on innovative educational programs and initiatives that help students make successful transitions to their next grade level.  At the Malibu event on January 30, all Malibu Principals will present; Phil Cott from Webster, Rebecca Johnson from Point Dume Marine Science, Barry Yates from Joan Cabrillo, and Mark Kelly from Malibu High School.  At the Santa Monica event on January 31, Irene Gonzalez-Castillo from McKinley Elementary, Eva Mayoral from John Adams Middle School and Laurel Fretz from Santa Monica High School will make presentations. Ms. Judy Abdo will speak at both events about the SMMUSD preschool programs.  Each event will also feature musical entertainment from student performers.

These educational forums are free and open to all members of the public.  Spanish translation is available and light refreshments will be served.

“Please join us at one of the State of Our School events next week,” encouraged Sandra Lyon, SMMUSD Superintendent.  “Our Santa Monica-Malibu schools pride themselves on excellence and accomplishment – but the District is facing significant challenges.  As parents, community leaders, and concerned citizens, I hope you will take this opportunity to hear the very latest information about our schools; the challenges they face and some of the wonderful accomplishments our students make every day.  I look forward to seeing you at one of these events.”

“The State of Our Schools event has proven to be a meaningful and important way for parents to learn more about our District,” says Kelly McMahon Pye, President of the Santa Monica-Malibu Council of PTAs.  “This year’s program will be especially significant as Superintendent Lyon and members of her administrative team will discuss their plans for our District’s future.”

“In light of the strong and special relationship between our schools and our cities”, says Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) co-chair Shari Davis, “we feel more committed than ever to help facilitate clear user-friendly communication.  Our schools are very special places that impact families and residents across our cities.  This annual report is a unique opportunity to hear the latest about the successes and challenges of our excellent public schools.”

####

SANTA MONICA-MALIBU UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

1651 16^TH Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404

ph: 310.450.8338; fax: 310.581.1138

www.smmusd.org

Best Wishes for a Happy New Year from Community for Excellent Public Schools

With 2011 finished and 2012 starting to wake up, Community for Excellent Public Schools looks ahead to another critical year for public schools advocacy.

Local and statewide education advocates took a wild roller coaster ride in 2011, facing the prospect of deep cuts and 11th hour reprieves to education funding on a regular basis.  We saw headlines like State faces midyear cuts, more budget strife ahead, and Schools Had to Make Do With Less.  

Due to SMMUSD's excellent financial planning and critically needed local revenues, our local schools were able to weather State funding reductions this year and look poised to do the same in 2012 without significant cuts.  However, the future could not be more uncertain for public education, both locally and statewide.

For that reason CEPS knows that the elections in November 2012 could be among the most important in recent memory.  We have been working hard to put the structure in place to help inform voters about issues and candidates as they relate to public schools.

Early 2011 saw CEPS leadership providing input to Santa Monica City and Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District on the mechanics of implementing the recently passed City Propositions Y + YY.  These propositions, passed by 61% and 68% of Santa Monica voters on November 2, 2010, implemented a .5% transaction and use tax within Santa Monica and then indicated voters’ desire that half of the new revenues generated by Proposition Y be directed to local SMMUSD schools.  CEPS leadership had been very involved in the Yes on Y + YY campaign and were thrilled by its passage and subsequent implementation.

In June, CEPS welcomed back its former Chair Shari Davis as Co-chair.  Shari had taken a temporary leave from CEPS leadership to serve a distinguished term as President of the Santa Monica Malibu Council of PTAs.  CEPS was happy to loan Shari to PTA for a short time, and is even more pleased to welcome her back.

As the school year started, CEPS partnered with SMMUSD’s new Superintendent Sandra Lyon and PTA to plan the 7^th annual State of Our Schools event.  This year, new sponsoring partner, the Santa Monica Malibu Education Foundation joined the planning team.  The events will take place this month!  January 30^th in Malibu and January 31^st in Santa Monica.  Click here for details.

CEPS Co-chair Shari Davis addresses Santa Monica advocates
at the one-year birthday party for Propositions Y + YY

In November, CEPS celebrated the one-year anniversary of the passage of Propositions Y + YY in a wonderful event hosted by the Santa Monica Miramar.  The focus of this event was to celebrate and reinforce the importance of City-School partnerships, particularly as so many of the cultural and financial objectives of both institutions intersect.

CEPS has had a busy 2011 and expects an even busier 2012.  We thank you for your for your support and involvement, and hopes to see more of you in 2012 as we work together to preserve and protect our excellent local public school.

Please visit us at www.excellentpublicschools.org to become a member of CEPS and make a contribution to help keep Excellent Public Schools a priority in Santa Monica and Malibu.

Happy Holidays for SMMUSD?

Community for Excellent Public Schools wishes all of our friends and members very happy holidays.        And thanks to California's December 15th budget announcement along with SMMUSD's careful fiscal management, this holiday season appears less dire than had been anticipated for our local public schools.  (Take a look at Ashley Archibald's comprehensive article below.)

Schools tighten belts, but not too tight Cuts to K-12 less severe than anticipated By ASHLEY ARCHIBALD December 16, 2011 CITYWIDE — The scalpel of state budget cuts continues to slice away at school districts in Santa Monica, but prior planning will shield both K-12 and community college students from the worst, officials say. Gov. Jerry Brown announced in a press conference Tuesday that state coffers were short approximately $2.2 billion in anticipated revenues, triggering $102 million in cuts to the community college system and $79.6 million to primary and secondary education. "That's where we are today," Brown said. "Cuts to university, in home supportive services, schools and prosecution are not good. This is not the way we'd like to run California. But we have to live within our means." The cuts were built into the budget, and would only be "triggered" if approximately $4 billion in hoped-for revenue failed to appear. The triggers came in two tiers — higher education and other social services would be cut first, and, if less than half of the expected money came in, K-12 education would feel the knife. While higher education will feel the full brunt of the loss, K-12 will only lose $79.6 million of the $1.5 billion it faced, said Ana Matosantos, director of the state department of finance. The cut could equate to half of the transportation budget and approximately $13 dollars per student in state funding, said Jan Maez, the chief financial officer of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. That's fabulous, considering that it could have been 20 times that amount if the state hadn't realized any of its projected revenue. "Months ago, we heard it would be $181, and we thought that was good news," Maez said. "This is even better news." The district set aside money to cover potential losses in January, so students will not see any change in services this year, Maez said. Subsequent years, however, remain a mystery. Unlike K-12 education, the state college and community college systems and other social welfare programs were promised a $601 million reduction if the state fell short by $2 billion. Santa Monica College officials put aside $1.24 million from its $12.6 million reserves to help weather the cuts, said spokesman Bruce Smith. "We have a strong reserve, and thank goodness because with all of the cuts year after year after year, it's been difficult," Smith said. The newest round of reductions brings cuts in the 2011-12 school year to $502 million for the community college system alone, said Paige Marlatt Dorr, spokesperson for the California Community College Chancellor's Office. In an attempt to offset some of those losses, state officials imposed a $10 increase per unit on community college students earlier in the year. The newest triggers will mean another $10 increase, raising the per unit cost from $26 to $46. "That's a 77 percent increase in fees in less than a year," Marlatt Dorr said. "We serve some of the most vulnerable and needy students in the state. We are still the lowest, but for many of our students who are working two jobs, they're barely making it paycheck to paycheck." The new revenue won't appear until fall 2012, however, and some community colleges will still have to cut class offerings and, in some cases, personnel. That's not the situation at SMC because of careful money management and a higher population of out-of-state and international students that pay higher fees than California students, Smith said. "We have actually hired some new tenure track faculty," Smith said. "At the same time, don't get me wrong, this isn't good news." And the bad news could keep coming. In his speech, Brown promised another round of cuts if Californians vote down a tax measure meant to raise $7 billion, which will appear on the November 2012 ballot. "Trigger cuts are a process of fiscal discipline. Going forward, we'll have an opportunity in November to vote in the revenue, almost $7 billion, or not," Brown said. "If they do, taxes will be extended for the next few years. If they don't, we'll see even bigger cuts."

STATE OF OUR SCHOOLS! Save the Date

Shortening the School Year -- What, Again!?

At the very time when we should be looking to increase learning opportunities for our children, some in Sacramento are talking about the possibility of shortening the school year.  With our schools squarely in the crosshairs of potential further cuts to state-funded programs, cutting the number of schools days – always a big revenue saver for the state – is being seen as way to help fill a possible budget shortfall. While the politics around the proposal are not yet clear, Governor Brown signed legislation earlier this year that gave districts the option of shortening their school year to 168 days, should tax revenues fall short of the hoped-for level of $2 billion.

 

It would make our state 48^th out of the 50 states when it comes to the number of days children are given the chance to be in school, and it would put us even further behind the nations we’re trying to compete with globally, some of which have instructional calendars of 220 days.

Some districts in the state have already shortened their school year to the state minimum of 175 days.  To them, it’s hardly a choice at all, given the fiscal realities they confront.  And, if cutting school days is a choice that’s not really a choice, what’s emerging as the real decision in strapped districts is whether to choose quantity or quality. 

"As terrible as it might be, I would advocate for a shorter year with a quality school program rather than a longer year and a decimated program…" one district superintendent said in Sacramento recently.

Just this 2011 - 2012 school year, our local schools were able to restore five days to the district calendar that had been cut in each of the previous two years in response to severe State budget cuts.  Local educators and parents were thrilled to be able to return to a full 180 day school year.  However, shortly after school started in September, new discussions commenced that could result in additional days cut from future school calendars.

If education were truly the priority that it should be, this either-or situation would be recognized for what it is: forcing school districts into a false choice between giving children the time they need in school on one hand and affording them high-quality programs on the other.  Our children need and deserve both.

California State PTA supports this important school funding initiative

Legislative Alert November 30, 2011

..PTA-supported school funding
initiative launches..

To view a press release announcing today’s filing of the initiative, click here. Today in Sacramento, The Our Children, Our Future: Local Schools and Early Education Investment Act was submitted to the Attorney General for title and summary for the November 6, 2012 ballot. California State PTA supports this bold initiative, which will provide approximately $1,300 per student in new funds each year that must be spent directly at school sites with local parent and educator input. In particular, the funding must be used by schools to provide a well-rounded education that supports college and career readiness for every student, including a high-quality curriculum that includes the arts; music; physical education; science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); and vocational and technical education courses.  It can also be used for smaller class sizes, school libraries and librarians, school nurses and counselors. “The Our Children, Our Future Act focuses, first and foremost, on restoring essential education programs that have been cut,” said California State PTA President Carol Kocivar. “We have heard, loud and clear, from you, our members, that school budgets have been cut too deeply. We’re calling on everyone who cares about the future of our children and our state to get behind this vital measure.” The initiative will raise approximately $10 billion a year in new revenue through a sliding scale income tax increase that varies with taxpayers’ ability to pay, with the highest income earners contributing the most. Of the money raised, 85 percent will be allocated on a per-pupil basis to all local public schools, including charter schools, and 15 percent will be used to raise standards and expand access to public preschool and early childhood programs to help prepare children to succeed when they reach kindergarten.  The Governor and the Legislature are prohibited from using the money or directing how it may be spent. Several other ballot measure ideas are floating around for consideration in 2012, but PTA strongly supports The Our Children, Our Future Act because it will generate the substantial amount of new revenues that our students and schools desperately need. It also proposes important reforms that ensure transparency and accountability, as well as greater parent engagement, by ensuring parents at each school have a real say in how the funds will be spent.  The initiative also focuses on closing the achievement gap by providing additional per-student resources to support low-income children and English language learners, and greater access to early childhood education and preschool programs, which are proven to increase school readiness and help to close the gap. The Our Children, Our Future: Local Schools and Early Education Investment Act is sponsored by the Advancement Project, a national civil rights organization. It has the financial support of Molly Munger, founding co-director of the Advancement Project and a former federal prosecutor and business litigator who left her corporate life to become one of the state’s most passionate and effective advocates for communities and schools in need. California State PTA had a role in crafting the final ballot measure language, and we plan to actively engage in the broad, grass-roots effort to qualify and pass this measure. In the coming weeks we will continue providing information about this important initiative and how you can get involved to help.  More information, including the full text of the initiative, can be found at:www.OurChildrenOurFuture2012.com. To view a press release announcing today’s filing of the initiative, click here.

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SMMUSD Districtwide Fundraising vote tonight

Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District has been grappling with the issue of equitable private fundraising for local schools for years, and will likely continue to grapple with it for some time to come.  The issue of Districtwide Fundraising, the process of centralizing contributions to pay for specific services, in SMMUSD's case personnel and programs, comes to a head tonight at a special Board of Education meeting at 6pm, which has been moved to the auditorium at Lincoln Middle School, 1501 California Avenue.  Superintendent Sandra Lyon stated in a notification about the meeting sent out last week to parents and community members, "Please note that the meeting will be held at Lincoln Middle School, which is a larger venue than the district office, to accommodate members of the public who wish to observe and/or make public comments during the meeting".

The issue has attracted a lot of attention.  This Sunday it was featured in a Los Angeles Times editorial titled Public Schools, Private Donations.  The Santa Monica Daily Press has provided thoughtful coverage, include this recent article.  Frank Gruber offers his opinion in the Lookout News.  And the story even went national, going a little viral after first hitting Slate Magazine earlier this month.

On November 7th, Community for Excellent Public Schools' Steering Committee unanimously approved the following statement, "Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) supports the proposed revision of SMMUSD Board Policy 3290 concerning Acceptance of Gifts, with the added recommendation that the policy also include a well-defined Memorandum of Understanding between SMMUSD and the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation to address governance, accountability and transparency.

The CEPS Steering Committee discussed this issue thoroughly and voted unanimously to approve this position."

CEPS encourages anyone with an interest in our local schools to learn more about this issue, and to participate in the process.  Make your voice heard at tonight's board meeting.  You can see the Superintendent's presentation on Districtwide Fundraising or view the proposed policy on the district website.  

A Decade of Community for Excellent Public Schools Advocacy

Celebrate a Year of Advocacy and Partnership

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Y + YY

A Decade of Advocacy and Bold Partnerships Help Strengthen City and Schools

November 2, 2011 marks the one-year anniversary of the passage of the groundbreaking Santa Monica Propositions Y + YY.  It also provides the opportunity to recognize and honor the unique partnership that these measures represent between the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District and the City of Santa Monica.

Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS), a Santa Monica-based, all-volunteer, grass-roots political action committee, has advocated for local funding for local public schools for over a decade.  Since the beginning, CEPS has bridged political divides, bringing together advocates from divergent groups and philosophies, all committed to protecting local public schools.

In California, public schools rely on the State for most of their funding, yet for the past decade, Sacramento has been the source of deep and relentless cuts, both to our local public schools and to schools up and down the state.  In addition, early childhood education, community and Cal State colleges, and even our incredible UC system have all sustained devastating cuts.  Public education’s outlook in our once-Golden State is dire.

Nearly a decade ago, CEPS argued that strong local public schools provide tangible and demonstrable financial benefits to their cities and that inadequate funding from the State was not acceptable.  We called for “long-term, predictable, ongoing support from the City of Santa Monica for its local public schools”.

In 2003, CEPS proposed a measure to amend the Charter of the City of Santa Monica to provide ongoing direct contributions from the City to SMMUSD schools.  After CEPS collected the 15,000 signatures to qualify that measure for the ballot, the City and SMMUSD crafted a direct Master Facilities Use Agreement, which is still in effect and requires renewal in early 2012. 

Taking CEPS’s advocacy to a statewide level, in 2005, CEPS strategically partnered with California’s State PTA to organize “Caravan for Kids”, comprising rallies and press conferences across the state, and culminating in a large rally on the Capitol steps in Sacramento.

Education funding crises have pummeled public schools continually for the past decade but time and again our community pulled together to respond. CEPS and many community groups joined forces to work on multiple measures to provide local funding directly to classrooms.  A coalition of committed volunteers from multiple groups, including CEPS, PTAs, Santa Monicans for Renters Rights, the Chamber of Commerce, teachers, school staff, administrators, City leaders and many more worked extraordinarily hard on the campaigns. Voters, most of whom did not have school-aged children, demonstrated their commitment to strong public schools by passing these measures and voting to tax themselves to fill funding gaps caused by State cuts. 

In 2010, in the middle of one of the worst recessions in recent history, the City of Santa Monica’s City Manager, Rod Gould, proposed a new municipal tax, to shore up funding for local services and public schools. The City Council voted to put it on the ballot, along with a companion advisory measure to describe the sharing of the funds.  A diverse coalition, drawing on the strength of the education community, again coalesced to successfully campaign for the two unique ballot measures. 

CEPS is deeply appreciative of Mr. Gould’s and the City Council’s commitment to the importance of partnership between the City and the Schools.  We believe that these two unprecedented municipal policies, Y and YY, were the right message for the right community at the right time, and that a decade of advocacy to help protect strong public schools contributed to the success of these propositions.

On the one-year anniversary of these groundbreaking measures and partnership, we pause to look back and reflect on how far we have come as a community and say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who worked so hard to make these accomplishments possible.  And because so much work is left to do, CEPS is also driven to look forward.

As cuts continue to come from Sacramento, CEPS will continue its #1 job; advocating to preserve and protect the quality of our local public schools. In addition, we will continue to advocate in local and state elections to help elect representatives who are aware of and ready to take on the challenges to ensure high quality public education.  And CEPS will become more involved at the State level, since, after all, Sacramento is the place where funding and policy decisions live and die.

Moreover, on this anniversary celebrating the passage of Y and YY, CEPS is excited by the myriad opportunities developing in the wake of the strengthening partnership between our community and our schools.  Santa Monica’s Buy Local campaign is building a strong working relationship between our education and business communities, and the emerging work of the Santa Monica Youth Resource Team brings schools and the community together to provide a continuum of services, outreach, and opportunities to children throughout our community, from cradle to career. 

At its core, education advocacy – for CEPS, for our community leaders, and for every individual – boils down to providing each child the very best opportunity possible to learn.  We are so proud and grateful that our great community is committed to the education of all of its children.  Through true partnership, we all grow stronger. 

Happy Birthday Y + YY.  Many happy returns of the day!

Yours for Excellent Public Schools,

Shari Davis & Rebecca Kennerly

Co-chairs, Community for Excellent Public Schools

On behalf of the CEPS Steering Committee

learn more or contribute at www.excellentpublicschools.org