What a depressing evening listening to this board meeting. They just voted to eliminate all the items that were recommended to be cut for tonight which included class size reduction in grades 1-3 and 9. Plus eliminate 5th grade music starting in the 2010-2011 school year, reduce library services and more. Grades 1-3 can now go to 30:1.
They are discussing additional cuts now. Over 200 people have been logged on to watch it streaming live at http://www.mdusd.net/.
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Wow, not good.
ReplyDeleteI feel for the Board members. I watched the meeting for a bit. I could see the cuts were as painful for the board members as they were for the audience.
ReplyDeleteStrange's comments about how unequal the funding is for districts really depressed me. MDUSD gets so much less per student than districts in Marin Co. or on the Peninsula. Who do we need to pressure in the legislature to get this changed???? It just isn't fair!
I know eliminating CSR is devastating to some. However it is not the end of the world. Our oldest MDUSD student did not have CSR and did fine. He struggled in reading in 1st grade and the teacher was concerned and gave us work and reading to do with him at home every night. This teacher had 30 students. Because we helped our student a lot at home he began to read and now is an avid reader and in College. Our youngest, who is in high school had the advantage of CSR and truthfully I saw no advantage or difference. Both of our students had our support at home, which is crutial to their education.
ReplyDeleteParents will have to be more involved in the classroom and at home. A successful student needs help and support at home. The time has come for parents to be parents and not expect the teacher or school to handle it all regarding their student.
I wonder if the MDUSD Unions have given any thought to taking unpaid furlough days to save positions? I was talking to a district employee who said that if every MDUSD employee took 3 unpaid days off a year many positions could be saved. It this is true, what a simple solution. Better to take a small cut in pay than to be unemployed.
If your youngest is in high school, then chances are your oldest did not have to contend with both 30:1 AND star testing... We are dealing with a very different situation today.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that support at home is HIGHLY significant, you don't seem to appreciate the fact that some parents are ill-equipped to offer that level of support. Without class-size reduction or intervention programs, many children who are at risk will suffer the consequences, while individuals and sites with financial means -- be that personal, special education, or title 1 funding -- will bridge the gap.
Anon 9:59
ReplyDeleteYes our oldest had to contend with STAR testing beginning in elementary school (STAR program began in 1998) his 4th grade year, their graduating class (2006)was also the first who had to pass the exit exam and had to take the new SAT tests. There are many challenges but if every parent just helped a little bit, it can be done. School should be a partnership between the parent and teacher (s).
Yes today is different but sadly what I see and hear is that parents expect the schools to fix their student. With these drastic budget cuts our teachers are going to be maxed out and need our support. Our State and district are in a crisis, this is the time to come together.
It is not going to be easy but this is what we are given, so as a community and as parents, let us work together.
Excuse me, I should have been more clear: your oldest did not have to contend with star testing and a 30:1 ratio at the age when, until yesterday, CSR would have applied: for example, when he was 7 and in second grade... My kids will. This is what we are expecting of students and teachers today. It flies in the face of everything research offers regarding what is and is not developmentally appropriate. There was talk of ending 2nd grade testing, there's still a bill floating around somewhere, and yet here we are: still testing 7 year olds, which means cramming in all those standards rather than focusing on solidifying core foundational skills, teaching them to bubble and strategically attack multiple choice -- and do it with 29 other kids in a room that probably doesn't have air conditioning...
ReplyDeleteI don't blame the board; I blame those who voted no on D or couldn't be bothered to vote. If you purport to support students and teachers, don't try to convince anyone that there is no advantage or difference with or without CSR. Even those who had to make this devastating cut recognize the severity of the impact it will have and did so only now when there was no hope and therefore no choice.
I'm new to this site and hope someone can answer this question for me:
ReplyDeleteAre all parents allowed to attend and vote at the Mt. Diablo Elementary School PFC meeting scheduled for tomorrow night? I would like to see if they are spending some of the money raised to help with the class size INCREASE in 1st thru 3rd grade.
anonymous 3:32. i'm sure you can. all pfc's have their general membership vote on their budgets. But I have to ask. have you been involved all along? I guess I can assume not since you didn't know if you can attend? I think this is the problem right here. Dont' get involved until it hurts you. Well, I guess we better start looking at the big picture a little more carefully shouldn't we?
ReplyDelete3:32, yes you can attend of course. Please email the president or one of the treasurers , find the names and emails easily on the Mt. Diablo El website.
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ReplyDeleteHello 3:32. I am one of the Co-Presidents of Mt.Diablo Elementary and all of our parents are welcome to ALL of our general meetings. We are definately taking into consideration the board vote last night. Thanks for your interest. email me anytime. cathym0423@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteOh boy anon 3:18... For the record I voted Yes on D, so did my husband and College age students. I was also involved in the campaign and dontated money to the campaign, had signs in my car and in our yard. I have also donated $99 to the district recently in the giving campaign and hope to be able to do so for years to come. Since my last child is almost done I really don't have to do anything, but will because education should be a priority.
ReplyDeleteYes the Star testing sucks, especially for a 7 year old. But until this changes we all have to make the best of it. It would be wonderful to keep classes at 25:1 but with the current economic crisis it just was not achievable. Many private schools can be 40:1 with success, but they don't have to deal with Star testing.
I would suggest writing all your representatives and start a campaign to eliminate Star testing altogether.
It is sad and I feel for our BOE, these cuts in all categories are devastating. Athletics affected our family deeply but we have moved on and are working to be a part of the solution.
It will take a radical reform of how education is handled to make a difference. While I advocate a distric-less plan, not because I dislike the boe majority, quite the contrary, I believe it is time to look at community centered schooling that utilizes the site as the hub. I have posted about this on misterwriter.com. Some will disagree that such a plan is not feasible, however I maintain that in this country there are already district-less school zones that have taken a new approach. What I do believe for certain is that band aid funding measures will not fix the causes of the problems. As for a good start, fire ALL the politicians that have had a hand in education. There isn't one worth keeping.
ReplyDeletePrivate schools can be successful with 40:1 because they can pick and choose their students. If they have a trouble-maker, they can kick him out. Public schools have to take ALL kids, well-behaved or not, special needs or not, English-speaking or not.
ReplyDeletemisterwriter, you say fire all politicians with a hand in education, are you saying our board needs to go? Didn't you help elect a couple of them not long ago?
ReplyDeleteAnon 5:06,
ReplyDeleteThe governor vetoed a bill that would have eliminated testing for 2nd grade and save the state $1 billion annually. The federal government No Child Left Behind requires testing to be done. If California stopped testing then federal funding for us would be in jeopardy of being eliminated.
NCLB only requires testing in 3rd grade and above... We could have ended second grade testing: yet another opportunity lost.
ReplyDeleteNot that it makes much difference, but can anyone tell me if class sizes in grades 1-3 will be at 30 or 31 children? The Principal at our site says 31, but it looks like 29.5 was approved. Thanks.
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