School Closures: Let's talk options

Ok, enough of the attacks, put downs and complaining.  Let's get down to what could be REAL options.

Believe it or not, I know some of the board members read this blog, as do many community members.  The hits show hundreds of unique visits, just not as much interaction.  But that's ok, we know people are reading.

So when I read the Times article recapping the meeting last night, I noticed this idea from retired teacher, Skip Weinstock:

Weinstock proposed another new idea: Keeping Glenbrook sixth-graders at elementary schools and moving Glenbrook seventh- and eighth-graders to El Dorado.


Couldn't that be the best of all worlds?  It seems to me the school closure subject is hottest around Concord where there are many elementary schools with empty classrooms.  This is one reason most likely, the idea to close Westwood came up.  So why not keep all those 6th graders at their home elementary schools. What are the elementary schools that feed into both Glenbrook and El Dorado, is there room, that instead of closing or moving an entire student body, they can simply retain their students one additional year? 


Wouldn't this keep Westwood intact with their special ed and deaf learning environments?  Wouldn't the 7-8th graders from Glenbrook still fit at El Dorado (in the proposed plan it was insinuated they would).


Interesting idea, and this is what we need.  Ideas, thinking outside the box.  


What are your ideas?

Board meeting agenda for Tues, February 8th

The board agenda is now available online. Among the items, of course, is item 13.4 School Closures. It explains the process they will use on Tuesday and under what conditions they may vote for an option. It seems if another viable option is brought to them, the board may instruct staff to investigate to be brought back at a later date.

So I guess it should make for an interesting evening. They may vote on ne of the options currently on the table, or they may wish to investigate another option(s).

Here is the agenda.

The meeting begins at 7:30 pm Tuesday, at the Mt. Diablo High School gymnasium.

MDUSD board meeting tonight

Should be airing live at MDUSD.net beginning at 7:30pm.  Or , if not on the blog you can view directly at live stream:  MDUSD Board Meetings

It *is* on live now 1/25/11.  The sound is bad though on livestream, so turn down the sound on livestream, and listen live at http://www.kvhs.com/main.htm .  The lips don't match as there is a radio delay but the sound is perfect.

I couldn't watch it on livestream this time as the audio was so bad, so I turned to the radio.  Thanks to the staff /students at KVHS at Clayton Valley High, the sound quality was excellent, and I was able to run errands and even go to the store during the meeting and listen in on my car radio!  When I heard there were 80 speakers, I knew I couldn't watch it, but I am hoping to get to the next meeting live. 

Did anyone learn anything new through the speakers? Or any sparks? Theresa Harrington was tweeting but I don't see any new tweets since about 8:20pm.  I'm sure she'll recap later .

School Closure Joint Study Session - aired LIVE now

Sounds like it's standing room only so far.  There will be public comment, beginning about 6:50pm and will be limited to about 30 minutes.  (3 minutes each speaker, though may be shortened per board discretion)

Go to Gary Eberhart's MDUSD.net blog for live streaming to view the meeting :

http://mdusd.blogspot.com/

Also, you can see the agenda HERE and also see the presentation (powerpoint) online.  AGENDA

Theresa Harrington (Times) posted a side by side comparison of the Mt. Diablo schools recommended for closure.  You can view that HERE.

MDUSD in the news tonight

MDUSD, and specifically the rally outside Monte Gardens and an interview with Gary Eberhart, was in the news tonight.  Both on Channel 7 and Channel 5.

Here's the video from CBS5:  School Cuts Protest

And from Channel 7 KGO:  Parents rally to  keep high performing schools from closing

Good job Monte Gardens, and Gary!

Gary made certainly made an interesting point.  We used to have 50,000 students in the district, and now only 32,000 with declining enrollment.  Certainly seems school closures make sense, and it's hard to imagine just 3 schools will be enough. 

School Closure decision to be made February 8th

Gary Eberhart, MDUSD's Board President, has written on his blog about the process going forward regarding the school closure decisions ahead.  First, the Board Study session (joint with the School Closure Advisory Committee members), will take place Weds January 19th at 5:30pm at Northgate High in the Little Theatre.  Mr. Eberhart has noted they will be trying to stream this meeting live so those unable to attend will be able to witness the process.  There will be a 30 minute public comment at the end of this study session meeting.

The recommendation for closure will be brought officially to the Board for consideration at the Tuesday, January 25th board meeting, with the final decision to be made at the February 8th board meeting.

Read it all here at Mr. Eberhart's blog:  MDUSD BLOG

School Closure Board Study Session date announced

Superintendent Lawrence has advised the PAC that the Board study session will take place on Weds 1/19 at 5:30pm.  Location will be announced by Monday.  Stay tuned.

Will you attend?

Remember you can find minutes, agendas and even the pros and cons for each scenario that the committee considered here on their webpage:  School Closure Advisory Committee - MDUSD 

And as a reminder of the 3 scenarios the board will be considering, here is a screen capture/excerpt of the December 13th minutes you can view at the link above.

 

Also, Theresa Harrington (http://www.ibabuzz.com/onassignment/) has reported that the Superintendent said the district will give parents 30 days from the date the school closures are announced to apply for transfers.  Normally, these intradistrict transfer requests are due 1/15 (which personally I'd still adhere to for now), but they will allow extra time in the event your chosen, or home school is impacted by a closure.

The votes are in, they may shock some of you

The committee has recommended to close..... This from Theresa Harrington of the Times tweeting during the meeting:

(be sure to read her blog, linked below, for full details, how the votes were tallied and what happens next)

TunedToTheresa #MDUSD school closure committee recommends closing Glenbrook MS, Silverwood, Holbrook, Wren, Sequoia MS, Sequoia Elem and Monte Gardens
4 minutes ago

Follow Theresa here : www.Twitter.com/tunedtotheresa

Stay calm people... Do the right thing and write your letters to the board with constructive alternatives and tact. Remember, the board is the deciding body....

Be sure to read her blog and the comments for other reader commentary before you react, there is more to the story....

These are not the final recommendations according to Theresa's report at her blog, http://www.ibabuzz.com/onassignment/ . See how the votes landed by reading at her site.

School closure committee is voting.... Tonight

Just in from Theresa Harrington. The committee is voting on their recommendation now (6:15pm). Hope someone will report in soon with the results. Health has prevented me from attending tonight myself, but anxiously awaiting word.

As you all have probably also heard, the Board study session has been postponed until January. I assume this will mean Simeon concessions will have to be made for intradistrict transfer students if transferring in or out of a school on the list. Until it ia finalized, much will remain in flux.

Remember the committee will vote, but the board can come up with their own solution. They are an 'advisory' committee, the board is the ultimate decision making body. You will have time for public comment.

We should thank the committee for their hard work... This cant have been easy.

School closure options, as the decision draws near

Soon, the School Closure Committee will be voting on their recommendation to take the board.  Since our last topic covering school closures got heated and garnered almost 150 comments, I thought I'd start fresh here, and be sure that people get themselves up to speed.

REMINDER:  There is a School Closure Committee Meeting Monday, December 13th. 
REMINDER:  Agendas, Minutes and Presentations are all available ONLINE
REMINDER:  Any scenario may be chosen, and all schools were evaluated based on criteria set forth
REMINDER:  There is a public comment period at the closure committee meetings

Did you read the Times article whereas Theresa Harrington outlined the committee proposals to be voted on?  You can see that online here

Everything listed is on the table folks.  But please don't just get hostile, and think your school shouldn't be closed because it's "best."  These school closures will impact many, and no one wants THEIR school closed.  It will surely impact the intradistrict transfers, and it will impact neighborhoods.  It may require some re-drawing of school boundaries and it may require some outside the box thinking.  So instead of getting hostile, help come up with a better solution.  Take your anger to Sacramento. 

Someone said something in a previous thread that parents should be able to have their voices heard even this early in the process - folks - this is NOT early.  This is nearing the end.  Again, with everything else, and I know I know - it's my pet peeve - but with everything else, no one pays attention until it might impact them. I guess it's human nature, but I hope it's a wake up call that these budget cuts are very real.  They will hurt across all schools, all demographics and many families.  School closures are happening across the state, we aren't the only ones.  But be part of the solution, not a problem.

School closure committee sort through recommendations

The Times brings us details today of which schools are being looked at for possible closure recommendations.

The list is quite large, and interestingly the article notes that beside the recommendations of the committee itself, the Superintendent's Council of district administrators prepared a scenario of their own. The official school closure Committee is expected to vote on their recommendations on Monday. Details below.

For the full Times article : http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_16744608

Be sure to read he detailed list of options here:

The list is :


Ayers Elementary, Concord; Bancroft Elementary, Walnut Creek; El Monte Elementary, Concord; Fair Oaks Elementary, Pleasant Hill; Glenbrook Middle, Concord; Gregory Gardens Elementary, Pleasant Hill; Holbrook Elementary, Concord; Monte Gardens Elementary, Concord; Oak Grove Middle, Concord; Rio Vista Elementary, Bay Point; Sequoia Elementary, Pleasant Hill; Sequoia Middle, Pleasant Hill; Shore Acres Elementary, Bay Point; Silverwood Elementary, Concord; Wren Elementary, Concord.

The school closure committee expects to vote on proposed recommendations at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Willow Creek Center, 1026 Mohr Lane in Concord. Information is available by calling 925-682-8000, ext. 4015, or by going to www.mdusd.org. Click on "community," then select "School Closure Committee."