MDUSD Community Meeting Schedule

To: Families of the Mt. Diablo Unified School District

Steven Lawrence, Superintendent of the Mt. Diablo Unified School District invites you to attend a COMMUNITY MEETING at one of the following locations:

Thursday, February 4 – College Park High
Wednesday, February 10 – Northgate High
Thursday, February 11 – Concord High
Tuesday, February 16 – Clayton Valley High
Wednesday, February 17 – Mt. Diablo High
Wednesday, February 24 – Riverview Middle
Thursday, February 25 – Ygnacio Valley High School

Meetings begin at 7pm

Purpose of the Meeting:
• Meet the new Superintendent
• Learn about the current challenges of the District during these difficult fiscal times
• Learn about what is being done to address these needs
• Share your thoughts about additional ways we can work together to benefit our students

For more information contact Loreen Joseph at 925-682-8000 ext 4000
Email: josephl@mdusd.k12.ca.us

MDUSD Tuesday: $3 million cut , decision on secretaries postponed

Theresa Harrington of the Contra Costa Times was at the meeting tonight and has posted her report on the outcome.

Mt. Diablo school board approves about $3 million in cuts

It seems they may be going back to the "drawing board" on the decision to cut 23 office secretarial positions across the district. The plan to cut 5.5 million tonight, ultimately resulted in just 3 million. More cuts are planned for the February 9th board meeting.

I'm starting to hear more and more rumblings of a "walk out," or a march on Sacramento. It's hard to believe there's not a better way to deal with this crisis at the state level. Leave the kids alone.

Furlough Days in Martinez School District saves 140k per day

Will it work in the MDUSD?

"Mandatory furlough days have come to the Martinez Unified School District (MUSD) after administrators and the teachers’ union representatives agreed to take an unpaid day off on Monday, Jan. 25. Jan. 26 will be a minimum student day at the district’s nine schools."

Will our teacher union agree with their colleagues in Martinez? From the Martinez Gazette:

“Each of the employee groups are willing to help shoulder part of the budget crisis burden,” said MUSD Superintendent Rami Muth this week. “In answer to the District’s inquiry at the first session of whether Martinez Educational Association (MEA) would work with the District to address the fiscal crisis, MEA responded with a “yes” and demonstrated its willingness to do so by agreeing to a one day reduction in pay.”


Tomorrow, Tues January 26th, our MDUSD School Board will be meeting to discuss cuts. Check out the agenda, and note the cuts they're considering. You can find the cuts for consideration at item 13.2 and view the spreadsheet here. Note the items with the asterisk on the spreadsheet are being recommended for action tomorrow night, but may take action on any item on the list. It is a big list.

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Former MDUSD Superintendent Gary McHenry begins his new job, and answers questions about his tenure at MDUSD

Certainly an interesting read. It seems that upon his appointment as the new Superintendent of the Inglewood School District, calls started to come in about his time at MDUSD. The Los Angeles Wave publication sat down and had a Question and Answer session with McHenry. You can read the full article HERE.

Special MDUSD Board Meeting - Ballooning Budget Cuts

Special School Board Meeting

As a result of the Governor’s budget proposal, the projected deficit in the school district ending balance as of June 2012 has grown from $17 million to $35 million. In consequence, we will need to make additional reductions to our expenditure budget.

The Board of Education has scheduled a special meeting on Wednesday, January 20, at 7pm at the Dent Education Center, 1936 Carlotta Drive in Concord.

The purpose of the meeting is to solicit public input on the additional cuts that will need to be made. Staff will present a brief review of the budget, but the majority of the meeting will be spent listening to parents and community members regarding budget reductions.

This is a very important meeting, and I hope you will be able to attend.

Dick Nicoll
Interim Superintendent

School Finance 101 - "Why do our schools receive lower per pupil funding than any other state?"

If you've wondered why our schools get lower per pupil funding than any other state in the nation, or worried about looming cuts - the 32nd District PTA is offering "School Finance 101" on Monday, January 25th. Check it out and RSVP to nmvandell@comcast.net :

MDUSD Catastrophic News, Board Meeting Recap (Sherry Whitmarsh)

Dear Parents and Community of MDUSD,

It was with a saddened heart that I listened to the catastrophic news presented at the board meeting. The Governor's proposed budget will cut MDUSD another $35 million by 2011/2012. When you look at the the budget horror in 2014/2015 our cuts are $115.9 million. The total 2009- 2010 budget is $266.8 million. Here's the link to the complete PowerPoint presentation:

MDUSD: Governor's 2010-11 Budget Announcement, January 12, 2010 (Powerpoint file)

If you have any thoughts that would not apply to negotiations I would love to hear from you by Monday, January 18. Example of items that apply to negotiations are salary reductions, furlough days, benefit reductions. The reason I'm asking you to not send those is that they are currently on the list of budget reductions. Here's the link:

MDUSD Budget Reduction List (Excel file)

For the sake of our children, please contact your elected state officials. Please have everyone you know contact the state officials. Public education is at a severe risk. Also I did want to inform you that at last night's board meeting, board member Dick Allen announced he would not be running for election in November.

Thank you.

Sherry

Sherry Whitmarsh
mobile (925)899-4731

Music-A-Thon Supports Music at MDUSD Schools

Press Release also available here.

MDMEF’S MUSIC-A-THON

SUPPORTS MUSIC AT MT. DIABLO UNIFIED SCHOOLS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 16 AT CONCORD HIGH SCHOOL

NOTE NEW HOURS: 10 AM TO 10 PM

Concord, CA. December 22, 2009. More than ten schools from around the Mt. Diablo Unified School District will be participating in the Music-A-Thon to support the music programs in the Mt. Diablo schools. The Mount Diablo Music Education Foundation is hosting the Music-A-Thon, featuring music students from the various elementary, middle and high schools, performing different styles of music and vocals.

Participating schools include Clayton Valley High School, Concord High School, Northgate High, El Dorado Middle, Foothill Middle, Pine Hollow Middle, Pleasant Hill Middle, as well as elementary students from Ayers, El Monte, Highlands, Holbrook, Monte Gardens, Westwood, Woodside, and more schools are expected to be announced soon.

The music will start at 10 am at the Multi-Use Room at Concord High School, 4200 Concord Blvd. in Concord, and go until 10 pm.

Music students will be collecting pledges to on behalf of the performers and to support music education in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. Tickets for the event are $5 for adults and $3 for students. Donations will also be taken at the event.

Support is Critical – Elementary Programs Face Elimination

Support for the school music programs is critical since the 4th grade instrumental music program was eliminated this year, and because of the state’s budget crisis, the Mt. Diablo Unified School District is planning to cut 5th grade music the next school year. The Mount Diablo Music Education Foundation was formed to raise awareness of the cuts that have hit our music programs, and to solicit donations to support music education for our students.

It has been shown that students who become involved in music education become better students, attend school more regularly than other students, score higher on state standardized tests than other students, and stay engaged in school. Music programs enrich the students’ education and help students develop for adulthood. In turn, these programs and students support the arts and music and thereby enrich the community. While the area high schools in the district support a wide range of music programs, including orchestras, choral, jazz ensembles, and band, the elimination of elementary music will start to erode the quality of the secondary music program. Without elementary music programs, fewer students will take up music.

The Mount Diablo Music Education Foundation will be holding various fundraisers to raise money to save music in our elementary schools, as well as soliciting donations. You can learn more and volunteer by visiting http://www.mdmusicfoundation.org/ .

Mount Diablo Music Education Foundation is a non-profit foundation.

Tax ID 27-1292110.

For more information, call Michael McNally at 925-827-5706.

Community Meeting Tonight 7pm: Making the Best of a Tough Situation

Remember the Local Community Meeting tonight.

7pm at the Willow Creek Center at 1026 Mohr Lane in Concord.



You'll view a presentation (also available HERE), and hear why a new funding measure will help protect academic programs in the Mt. Diablo School District. You'll also hear, as part of the presentation, the recent poll results related to the possibility of a new funding measure. There will also be an opportunity for break out sessions with your local high school feeder patterns.



This really is an important meeting. Voice your concerns, join your neighbors. What are we going to do to protect basic education in our district? It seems we are past restoring anything that was cut, we are fighting for the survival of very basic core academics. Every district near us has a parcel tax. The district needs to restore trust and perhaps, our new Superintendent will do just that. These issues are statewide. This is not our current board's fault. It is an impossible situation for them. It's not how to make cuts that won't hurt, at this point, we're already looking at cuts at the core of what is best for our students. How will our district survive this next round?

I hope that we can all be adults. Stop the blame and finger pointing and let's get down to how we're going to keep this district providing a quality education for our children? People get bogged down in the blame, the past and their own priorities that we seem to sometimes forget the big picture - that is that our children deserve the best education possible. How are we going to get there? How are we going to keep this district solvent? If there is an idea you have other than a parcel tax - get involved, and voice it! The same old arguments (cut at dent, cut admin, blame the board, blame the superintendent, cut the teachers, etc etc) don't cut it. We need real solutions. This is a statewide issue, that will require a local "roll up your sleeves" solution. The question is, what's the answer?

Here's a new Fact Sheet Flyer, also available at this LINK:

Say No to Teacher Contract (GUEST OPINIONS)

I received the following email regarding the vote at tonight's Board meeting, and below it, some excerpts from another:

Do parents know what is at stake tomorrow? If the board of education votes yes on the teacher contract tomorrow night, then it will ascertain that only the teachers will not feel the hits of the coming budget cuts and the coming years. Is that fair? I don't think so. In the same meeting they will be discussing more cuts that will impact the students, and then will vote to keep status quo for the teachers? Other districts around the state are going to have to impose pay cuts across all employee groups and even mandatory furloughs, shortened school years and more. (link to LA Schools proposal and LA Times article: LA Unified asks union to ok furlough days)

How can MDUSD justify this vote for the teachers in light of another upcoming round of MILLIONS in budget CUTS? I think Strange, Eberhart and Whitmarsh are being "too" loyal to the teacher union that no doubt helped at least two of them be elected. They voted for the pay raises last month. They are now going to vote to freeze salaries too? While the students will suffer with possible school closures and more program cuts, not to mention the sports, music, electives and class sizes - they now get to bear the brunt of more. All while the teachers get a guarantee.

State workers, and other corporations are reducing pay, enforcing furloughs, freezing bonuses and pay raises, instituting closures of major entities for days every month (DMV, courts, etc), and we want to guarantee nothing will happen to the teachers salary? I say STOP. We love our teachers. But even the union is throwing a segment of their own teachers under the bus. Who gets laid off when schools close? Yes, but not as many as will benefit from the freeze. Or maybe they are banking on the fact that fewer schools will have to fit more students and therefore absorb the teachers? Again, who gets hurt there? Families, students and communities.

I just wanted to voice that to you as I love our teachers, but as a parent it would be impossible for me to go public. My husband has been forced to take furlough days. We've lost all his overtime. I'm having to get a part time job. Companies, the State and others have to make hard choices to keep the entire entity solvent. How can a district so large as MDUSD look to guaranteeing anything for anyone at this point? So I hope that you will post this to educate others, as to what this vote really means. And a parcel tax? Are they nuts? The paper said that a parcel tax will avoid some of the upcoming cuts. But what about the cuts already done? Will my son be able to play his last year of football next year at CHS? Will my daughter still be able to try out for soccer as a freshman? What about special ed? Spending a million to learn where to cut even more? Oh, but the teachers get to maintain, while the rest of us take it for the team... no thanks.

And another:

Committing to the current contract for an additional three years will tie the hands of this district to cut everything from the students while maintaining a hands off approach to salary cuts. No one wants to cut salaries but when people all over this state are out of work, taking furlough days, and facing salary cuts, employees in this district can not be guaranteed business as usual. The district salaries make up 82% of the unrestricted budget…. Tonight we will be talking about closing schools and cutting programs on top of the items ... that have already been cut. Again cuts on the backs of the students. In Los Angeles they are looking at 4 furlough days this year for every employee and a 12% across the board pay cut next year.

....by rolling over the contract the teachers will still receive their stepped increases.

... by approving this contract the teachers will only be affected if we are faced with receivership, everything else goes first. Also please note that it is not just the teachers, I understand this will set a precedent for all bargaining unit contracts.

Parents should email the board before Tuesday's meeting, and plan to attend if they can and speak during public comment:

www.mdusd.org/boe

gary@mdusd.net

paul@mdusd.net

mayolk@aol.com

sherry@mdusd.net

dickallen_dallen@yahoo.com

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You can view the budget cuts that are being proposed tonight on the Board Agenda. There is both a powerpoint and an excel spreadsheet you can click and view at Item #17.7. Some of the items on the next cut list are:

• Eliminate 4 FTE remaining middle and high school librarian positions (impact: libraries will close)
• Eliminate 3.6 librarian FTE associated with Elementary Reduced Class Size
• Reduce all Special Education services that are not mandated by state or federal law or included in the student's Individual Education Plan (IEP).
• Close schools. Cost savings would result from the consolidation of administrative and classified positions and in utility savings if the campus is not used. At Elementary Schools, following positions would be reduced: Principal, Office Manager, Elementary Head Custodian, PM Custodians, Elementary School Secretary.
• Eliminate Parent Subsidized Busing Program (Impact: Busing to Mt. Diablo High School and Delta View Elementary would continue, all other home to school busing would cease.)
• Reduce Custodial Substitute Policy (Impact: Some basic classroom cleaning would not be completed)
• Increase minimum class size to 28 students or 80% of contractual maximum. (Impact: May eliminate AP or other low enrollment courses)
• Delay purchase of textbooks and materials for language arts adoption for one year. Transfer funds to unrestricted fund balance. (Impact: May have budget impact in later years.)
• Reduce unrestricted material and supply budgets (Impact: Reduced funding for paper products, landscaping supplies, and instructional supplies.)

There are several other items on the agenda, some require negotiation with the various employee entities and others are being further investigated. So take a look and be educated as to what is to come in our district. If you disagree with it, step up and let the Board know.