Last night, the School Board reacted to massive State Budget Cuts by agreeing to increase class size in grades 1 - 3 to 30 students. There are about a million reasons why this is a bad idea and about a million bad things that will happen as a result. One fact, however, is most important: they had no choice.
Education funding decisions in California are made by three or four people who probably have not seen in the inside of a public school classroom in their entire lives. The system is broken and we need to be part of the solution. Please:
Tell everyone you talk with - and call people you haven't talked with in a long time. Tell them:
We need a return to democracy: All budgetary and revenue matters should be decided by a majority.
We need to end the 2/3 vote requirement.
We need to make sure that every person and every corporation is paying their fair share of the state budget.
We need to make sure the state budget process is not manipulated, but is clear and fair.
We need a Democratic governor.
We need community member who understand the bigger picture - how the state governement works, how the election process works, how education works, and what the results could be if every child really received a free and appropriate education.
Please educate adults about why children are important - every chance you get!
Thanks.
12 comments:
Is there any chance at all to change the funding formulas that give so little per student to MDUSD while other districts receive more?
Who, specifically, do we need to contact in the legislature to change the 2/3 vote to pass a budget and the 2/3 vote to pass a parcel tax? Just our local reps or are there particular committe members that need to be targeted? The 2/3 requirement for a budget is in the state constitution, isn't it? How do we go about getting that changed?
A concerned parent
Spoken like a dyed-in-wool lib who spouts ridiculous platitudes like "fair share" and doesn't understand who actually spends more than incoming revenue. It's the Legislature. And from which party is the overwhelming majority of Senators and Assembly persons from? You want a Governor with a 'D' after their name? You effectively already have one. Schwarzenegger went completely RINO after he pushed the special election a few years back. Unfortunately he learned the hard way how much power the corrupt unions have in this state.
You and people like you are the ones who put this legislature in power. The deplorable CTA bankrolls these candidates and left-wing "causes" with your dues. You love "programs" and "benefits" that they create, but fail to understand that, duh, somewhere along the line you have to pay for it. And your fallback response? More taxes. California spending half the budget on K-12 and being the highest-taxed state isn't good enough for you.
Concerned Parent,
The 2/3rds vote on the budget requirement was part of prop 13. If we're going to overturn this it will have to be by the ballot initiative process.
To the wingnut below CP,
If you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem. Why don't you volunteer at your local school to help in the classroom as a reading group or math group leader-they're going to need it. Anyone can stand on the sideline and cry 'foul'.
I hate to say it, but it needs to be said. When will we refuse to educate all the illegal aliens. I think we can begin to turn things around as soon as that happens.
All children deserve a good education, regardless of their parents' situation. Our classrooms will always include children whose parents have made choices we disagree with - they let them watch television, drink corn syrup, and go to slumber parties the night before a test. One of the great responsibilites that we have as teachers is to educate parents. We can make a big difference in helping to develop character in our communities, especially by setting a good example of treating all people with respect, standing up for human rights, and working hard.
"they let them watch television, drink corn syrup, and go to slumber parties the night before a test."
What you describe above are parents who are idiots. But not criminals. People who enter this country illegally are criminals. If their kids aren't lucky enough to be jackpot babies, then those children are also residing here illegally. If we were sane, we would require parents to prove their children are here legally. Cripes, I have to provide my kids' birth certificates and proof of where we live just to sign up for Little League. People here illegally do not "deserve" anything except an existence so uncomfortable that they choose to self-deport.
And tell us more about these "human rights." That always sounds so nice, just curious what your version sounds like. Hmm, wonder if it also includes humans still in the womb?
Anon 9:27
Our district can not legally do what you are saying. Here is a link to the information:
The California Department of Education Fact Book 2008 Handbook of Education Information http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/pn/fb/documents/factbook2008.pdf
page 34 sites the US Supreme Court Case Plyler vs Doe
Adults need to stop holding students hostage because of their political beliefs. I would suggest you begin a campaign with your local Representatives and the State of California and the Federal Government. Until then it is our duty to educate the children and not hold them hostage.
Come on, as adults we should work together and as an adult demand change.
Our family has had students in MDUSD for 16 years. We have had students who had CSR in grades 1-3 and some who did not. Today I met with a group of adults and we all feel the CSR was not benefical to our students. We agreed we did not see a huge difference in our students educated under CSR and those that were not. We are all parents who were/are involved, volunteer in the classroom, attend all school functions, district meetings and know what our students are doing in their classes. We took the time (many of us worked) to sit down every evening and asked about homework, what area's our students need support in and if need communicated with their teacher's.
We can work together and get through this crisis. Thank you to all our hard working MDUSD teacher's and administrators. Together we can get through this! The hardest part of eliminating CSR is the loss of quality teacher's. I wish our district could have gone to 25:1, that would have been a compromise.
If one wants to take a purely selfish view about it, educating the children of illegal immigrants is in our own self-interest.
If we simply throw them out of our schools, they will become part of an uneducated, unemployable underclass in America. I would prefer to educate them so that they can go on to get better paying jobs and pay their fair share of taxes. After all, it is the kids in school today who will have to pay for my generation's (the baby boomers) social security benefits.
I say educate them so they can get higher paying jobs, pay more in taxes, and support me in my old age!
MDEA needs to take the initiative to organize its members to take a stand before the school year starts. Do not leave the Oak Grove teachers isolated to defend the contract on their own. All members need to be informed of a work to rule to start the school year. Its Oak Grove now, next Glenbrooke, Riverview then district wide... why has this issue only being highlighted now? MDEA needs to be much more proactive.
I agree completely, Oaklander. The district's refusal to be reasonable about this is another example of bad management. The fact that they can treat teachers this badly and still somehow expect that the school will improve is baffling!
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