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Panorama | MAR 2010 |
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Panorama | MAR 2010 |
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President's View by Marisa Hanson
For
the third year in a row, ESTA members are apprehensively awaiting layoff
notices. This year, the positions to be eliminated are; 36 counselors, 10
MST coordinators, 6 activities directors, 10 school psychologists, and a
reduction in release time for SACs.
This would result in a total of 120 notices with 50 or more
classroom teachers being laid off due to the above members returning to
the classroom. It doesn’t
make sense that our district thinks that they can operate without these
vital resources for our students.
Who is going to get our students motivated and prepared for
college? How are IEP’s going
to be completed? Who will
help the students in need of counseling for personal and emotional
issues? Who will lead our
leadership students? I don’t
have the answers to these questions, but if you want to ask them, come to
the March 18th
board meeting at the district office. We have to let the board know how
we feel about these changes.
I am sure CSEA will be there as they are also expecting 75 more
positions to be eliminated.
There were no administrative layoffs, but they will all be there as
well. There was two management positions eliminated. Due
to the Governor’s proposed budget, our district needs to cut close to 20
million dollars for next school year. If you have been reading previous
Panorama’s then you are probably asking how this number grew from 13
million. Every time the
Governor makes a change in the proposed budget, he gives education a
little less each time, hence this is where we are today before the May
Revise. Could it get
worse? Depends on what the
Governor and legislators decide in their up coming
sessions. Our
local legislatures are all already on our side and are fighting for more
funding in education.
Assembly Member Joe Coto, has many wonderful ideas in the form of
bills on how to bring more funding to education, and now he just needs to
get the other legislatives to vote for his proposed bills. Many include tax loopholes being
closed for the wealthier members of California. We did have a great rally with
Assembly Member Coto, but I would have liked to have seen more ESTA
members present letting their voices be heard they are against budget
cuts. We were joined by many
other local associations who are also up against layoffs this year. Many districts for the first time will have layoffs like the Evergreen School District expecting over 200 and the Alum Rock School district expecting around 100. Several districts were able to live off of their reserves for the past two years, but this year, almost every district is doing some type of layoff of certificated and/or classified employees in addition to other drastic reductions. Bargaining will begin as planned in a few weeks. Bargaining is confidential, but I
can tell you that the district has sunshined their proposal and they only
want to open a limited amount of articles. Below is the sunshined proposal
that went to the board on March 4. The
District continues to experience severe financial constraints arising from
a variety of factors. The District views financial issues in the context
of keeping the District solvent, maintaining the legally required
reserves, and preserving quality education for the students of the
District. Given the above, the District proposes the following areas for
negotiations: Adjustments/reductions in total compensation which includes
salary and benefits; reduction of work year; increase class size; Special
Day Class caseload; and reduction in athletic director release
time/stipend. I
spoke to this item at the March 4 board meeting. I can read between the lines and I
am sure you all can too. Pay
cuts, increased class sizes continuing, and furlough days are all
proposed. All of this
reduction is an addition to the elimination of 76 positions. ESTA will be presenting our
sunshined proposal soon, and we will have items listed that we want to
talk about that need changes in the contract. Many
of you think 1 day or 2 days furlough will fix this problem. As a district, every employee
(ESTA, CSEA, administrators, etc), make a combined total of $500,000 a
day. So 1 day or 1 week won’t
get us to 20 million dollars, nor will it bring back more than a handful
of positions in both bargaining units. The Governor has agreed that
districts can reduce student days to 175. Many of our neighboring districts
are bargaining and are asking the association for all of their non-student
days and to reduce the total student days to 175. Being in a Program Improvement
district, we really can’t afford to have our students for fewer days, but
it appears the district is going to ask us anyway. Our students need every single
available day to learn the standards and content in our classes and to
ultimately prepare themselves for the road to
college. People
are asking me questions about the board and if their spending from last
fall has continued. ESTA
suggested to the board last month that they should search locally for a
new superintendent instead of a costly state wide search. ESTA requested that the board just
post the position and see if they receive enough applicants locally before
considering hiring a firm.
The board is instead chose to ignore our suggestions and considered
hiring a firm to do a search, which it is expected to cost $25,000-
$35,000 which is the salary of a CSEA member. I don’t understand why they would
insist on a firm when ESTA has been clear, there are likely local
candidates ready to apply online that won’t cost anything to process. Another thing the board is
considering is a feasibility study for a Parcel Tax. This would again cost around
$35,000- $45,000, which is again another loss of a CSEA member’s salary or
if you put the two together, the cost of an entire ESTA member. Even if the board decided to
pursue a Parcel Tax, it would not be on the ballot until the November
election, but it could eventually restore more positions for the 2011-2012
school year. The board continues to go to conferences on the district’s money and they attended one in December and will be attending another one in May. This is the cost of perhaps classroom supplies for a department. Not to mention all the extra board meetings they are having always come with an expensive meal. Why not have Togos or Pizza and save a few dollars? Extra board meetings also cost money because some people are paid overtime to stay at work. Three meetings in March are costing three times as much as what should be happening. Not to mention Saturday meeting are now becoming a regular event. I haven’t found another school district that holds extra board meeting on Saturdays. If you know of one, let me know. Every dollar the district spends,
means a dollar less for our students. The district did not get back to
me on the cost of the Hanson & Bridget Report, but the attorney fees
for November and December were over $100,000 so it is likely the attorneys
paid the bill, hence I can’t find the cost in the board records. The board has also approved a new
position, an auditor. I don’t
know how we are going to pay for this position, but it is going to cost
the price of one ESTA job and one CSEA job. If you are wondering where we are
going to get all this money to pay for all of this stuff, then join me at
the March 18th
board meeting and ask the board for yourself. I will keep asking, but it would
be great to have some new voices at the
podium. On
a final note; This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to hear our CTA
president, David Sanchez, speak to a room full of teachers attending the
equity and human rights conference in Irvine California. After discussing the difficult
situation facing all of us in education, he made a very important point
that hit home with me. We
need to increase the “we” in our efforts. When the union says that, “We need
to unify” or “We need to stand up and save education”, the “we” needs to
be bigger, better represented, and more powerful. What does this mean to the
you,
who is reading this right now?
It means, when we stand up and make our voices heard, we (ESTA)
needs every single one of you
to respond in kind. When we
(ESTA) begin fighting for your rights and benefits, we (ESTA) need
you
to
fight along side us. There
has never been another time in education where so much was taken away at
the expense of so many!
Basically, “WE NEED YOU”!
and March 18th
is the day. An injury to one, is an injury to all!
Released from Shame
Lori Thomas, OG
In this golden age of education where students refuse to do work, and Boxer-like teachers vow to work harder, shame rules in its most tyrannical form. The first rule of shaming is Be Quiet. A shame based institution does not reveal the shameful secret. No one says it but we all know not every student is capable of attending college or even wants to go to college. Every one of our classes has that student who comes to class and refuses to put pen to paper. For that child, maybe they just survived last night and that was enough. Some students only come to school for the party at lunch and often take other marginal kids with them on off-campus foraging expeditions. Another facet of Be Quiet has to do with the Not in My Room Syndrome. In my room everyone works. In my room, I never lose my temper or have truancy issues. Retiring teachers profess that they do not have behavior issues, yet when pushed they will sheepishly confess that so and so does put their head down in class. So we soldier on believing that in every other classroom utopia reigns. Not speaking up closes the communication needed to bring schools out of their false sense of achievement.In addition to Be Quiet is
the little acknowledged rule Be Good. If the teacher is good enough the
student will work. If the
teacher is wise enough or funny enough, the student who has sat for three
years will suddenly awaken from stupor and realize the magical path to
college is within reach. So,
in our most hard working way, teachers attend conferences and work harder,
and believe that the future will be easier. If only my room was like that
other teacher’s. The last rule is much like
the first. Don’t Tell the
Truth. Just don’t say that
you cannot reach everyone because if we don’t say the truth; somehow, we
will reach that truant student who you never see. Somehow if you do not confess that
all of your special education kids, your gang kids and your college prep
kids needs cannot be met in one classroom, all will be well and the school
board will re-hire the innocent man, they so blatantly maligned. (Oh I did not just say
that...) So each day I turn on the
news and hear about the failure of teachers and how we do not reach all of
our students, and are causing our nation to fall behind other
nations. So punish those
teachers because it is not enough that they weep over the pain of their
students, it is not enough that they wish they were two people instead of
one. It is not enough that we
experience more joy and more sorrow in a single day than some experience
in a lifetime. No matter how
much the federal government would like to blame teachers, we need to stop
allowing ourselves to be scapegoated and break the
silence. Did anyone in the federal
government realize? No Child
Left Behind and Race to the Top are oxymoronic. To win a race means leaving
someone behind. |
Ala Board Wendy Stegeman, AAHS, PAC Here is the fast review of the 2/18 board mtg. At the end are the upcoming dates. It was really interesting - and over a little after 10!!! Very strange mood and behaviors. Calm, but lots of undertones. Looks like there will be layoffs -
numbers unknown yet. There
are a number of non-re-elects, some in sped which is less
usual. Kirsten
King got a director promotion.
No word on selling the D.O. property. Bob
Nunez spoke briefly. The
board (except Manuel Herrera) was happy to be told by the SCCOE supt to
hire and internal auditor - there go more jobs from CSEA and/or ESTA. The immigration resolution passed
- asking for a kinder immigration policy. Moving testimony from
students. Looks like Alan
Garofalo's contract renewal was moved to the next
mtg. Dan
described resolution attempts to the board about IB, Mike Winsatt
spoke and Lan Nguyen and Mrs. Gilmore and Manuel Herrera tried to explain
that this is a very important program and cannot be considered in the ways
other programs are, partly because it brings in
revenue. Julio
Pardo
did a great job explaining Valdes Inst - and Pat Roach still thinks it is
a district supported program and might want to cut it - it survives on its foundation,
not ESUHSD general fund.
I
think they approved his continued facility use - or will.
I
did hear that Zendejas may be trying to get the SCCOE supt position.
(Craig Mann is still SCCOE board
pres.) Cell towers will be put on
many campuses - including AH - for the rent ($2K mo.) and an
engineer explained why it is safe, but Pat
disagrees. They
have agreed to start the search (supt) process. Cost? No one showed up from the charter school, so the petition was moved
forward. The audit committee is looking for more
power. Frank Biehl wants a parcel tax and he wants CSEA and ESTA to
help get it for him. They
spent lots of money while discussing budget shortfalls and lay-offs. No
one on the board except Manuel seems to be able to relate the two
concepts. I
was gnashing my teeth, but never needed to eat an additional picnic meal
in spite of dire time
predictions
when looking at the length of the agenda!!! 1.Board mtg 3/4
6pm 2.Budget work session and board meeting Saturday 3/6
(approve layoffs) - probably 9 a.m. (They want the certified mail out and
received by the 12th. I see
overtime in the HR budget line.)The more people who attend, the more the
board sees we are paying attention. 3.Board mtg 3/18
6pm. Ala Board March 4 and 6, 2010 At the March 4 regular board meeting, successor contracts for ESTA CSEA and AFT were SUNSHINED, a happy word for dark doings. The district wants to come after benefits (ours, not theirs), salaries (ours, not theirs), class size (ours... oh, yeah, they don't work with kids, the mission of the district), and shortening our year. They voted for the district to pay for the Board's conferences.
Frank Biehl wants us to help with a parcel tax.
Every time two or more are gathered, they spend small and large amounts of
money like it doesn't count against the bottom line "because the Board
authorized it." The previous quote was from a board member when I asked
how much 4 page questionably necessary legal opinion
cost. March 6, 2010 9 a.m. Eddie Garcia said he tossed and turned Friday night and had a pain in the pit of his stomach. Frank Biehl said he was crying inside and still wants us to work on the parcel tax. Patricia Martinez-Roach cried as she tried to explain that these are people not positions. She expressed her anger and frustration that this admin looked only at eliminating people, not stuff, no start closing the budget gap. She had recommended $6M in possible cuts - none of which were explored. Manuel Herrera and Lan Nguyen asked good questions and needed more about how the positions being eliminated save money and what is lost with each position. The others wanted that, too. Admin clearly took the easy way out, which is based on assumptions of how the bargaining with the units will go. Because the board chose to move the layoff approval to
Saturday instead of the Thursday 6/4/10 meeting, HR will probably rack up
lots of overtime to meet deadlines for notices. Cathy Giammona said the
notices would go out today and be received by Friday,
3/12/10. Bob Nunez asked the board to lead by example. He suggested that they pay for their own conference expenses (they approved the district paying for some more on Thursday), that the three who don't need benefits from the district drop them, and the other two give up their stipends. Angie
Nunn asked good questions on behalf of CSEA and all employees - and
Ralph Giannini spoke for ESTA . Some employees spoke and, in
response to the Board's hand wringing and posturing about East Side
Family, reminded the Board that Family doesn't turn its back on
Family. He suggested that other cabinet members join Cathy G. and
Dan Moser in accepting lower salaries than the previous people in the jobs
(Bob and Dan). No response except sour
looks. Some parents spoke and asked them to get rid of stuff and silly spending, not the people who help their kids. Clearly, the Board and Admin waited until the last minute when there were no good alternatives but knocking off people on paper - taking the easiest, least creative way out. Oh, yeah, no admin layoffs??? Interesting. DID YOU HEAR??? No ADMIN JOBS...
!!! Don McKell used to say that if the mother ship recalled
the whole district office, it wouldn't make a bit of difference on the
sites. Pretty much true with
the possible exception of Jerry Kurr to split the money by schools and
file the reports. After sitting for 4+ hours listening to unnecessary
posturing, this is:
SICK LEAVE BANK UPDATE Rob Suhr, Pegasus High School
The
SLB currently has 550.2 days available to members who exhaust their
personal SLB, which they have accumulated and still cannot work because of
illness. Days are given from the SLB (up to a maximum of 90 days for
those fully vested by having given up days and 30 days to those who have
given one day); so that our members do not have to pay sub differential
while they recuperate from a serious illness which precludes their
working. Decisions are made and days given should the applicant meet
the criteria of the by-laws of the SLB that the General Assembly
approved. Thanks to the generosity of our SLB members, this has
worked to the financial advantage of numerous members. This year the
SLB has provided our colleagues with a total of 248 days from the
bank. We currently are looking at one more application which could
reduce the number of days available. The SLB would like to take this
opportunity to thank those who have helped. We also want to remind
members that they may give additional days should they desire and ask
those that are going to retire to consider giving their days to the
SLB. One member gave 29 days upon retirement last year. Four
of our members have given more that required this year. We hope you
will consider doing the same. On a final note we hope that those who
are not currently members will join the SLB next year. Any response should be directed to SuhrR@esuhsd.org.
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