Historic Numbers of Teachers Pinkslipped

"The 2010-11 school term is shaping up as one of the most austere in the last half century," reports Tamar Lewin and Sam Dillon in their April 20th New York Times article, "Districts Warn of Deeper Teacher Cuts".  All of this a result of state budget meltdowns across the country.

The Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District is certainly one of those districts facing deep cuts, currently poised reduce its teaching staff by one in eight in response to unprecedented cuts from Sacramento. 


Districts across the country are reducing staff, increasing class sizes, cutting programs and shortening their school year.  This translates in a quantifiable decrease in the delivery of education to American students.   With more cuts on the way, the steady erosion of the quality of education for all American students feels inevitable.


However, we must not -- as parents we can not accept this erosion.  


The most tangible way to fight the erosion locally is to volunteer to help pass Measure A, our local school funding measure.  

Look for your Measure A ballots in the mail!  Make sure to vote and return your ballot right away.

Say No to State Education Cuts

Community for Excellent Public Schools has been advocating for stable, predictable funding for Santa Monica Malibu schools for ten years.  And just when we think we've plugged a hole caused by State budget cuts, Sacramento cuts again.

As long as CEPS has working at its mission, I have never seen a better assessment of Sacramento's commitment to education.

CLICK HERE to see Wonderland Elementary School PTA's incredible production, "Hot for Teachers with Megan Fox".  And while you're at it, sign the online petition and call the Governor's office.

Community for Excellent Public Schools Our kids are back from Spring Break and the campaign to save our teachers is going strong. Measure A is critical to protecting our Santa Monica and Malibu Schools! If Measure A does not pass, we will lose up to 1 in 8 of our great teachers, cut counselors and librarians, close school libraries, increase class sizes, and make cuts to instruction in science, math, reading, writing, art and music programs. Our students are counting on YOU to help pass Measure A. Volunteer to phone bank TODAY! Measure A is critical for our local schools and will provide local funding 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 Great schools benefit everyone.  Quality schools keep our kids in school, help protect property values and keep our community a safe and desirable place to live. 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 need your help to call voters about Measure A! Phoning is easy and fun.  Sign up now for phone banking For more information about Measure A, click here. Thank you! Rebecca Soladay Kennerly Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS), Chair www.excellentpublicschools.org Check out CEPS blog: http://excellentpublicschools.blogspot.com/ And look for us on Facebook Contact Devin Osiri, Campaign Coordinator if you have any questions: 310-654-4933 osiridevin@gmail.com

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.