One role of a School Board member is to find ways to maximize the value of all the educational dollars the district is able to spend. Having to make cuts means being smart about the resources that can be deployed. By keeping spending under control, we
have been able to add strategic new resources, such as a district librarian,
school psychologists, and a social worker, all while maintaining key academic
programs, including music, counselors, and libraries.
The two additional school psychologists will assist our Special Education programs and help teachers and paraeducators complete Individual Education Progams (IEPs) and work with children that need additional help. The social worker will supplement the work being provided by our middle school counselors, working with families that need extra attention. The district librarian will help create academic programs that teach literacy and help make sure school libraries have the resources they need to help students be successful.
I am very proud that our district has added these new services during the past two years. These kinds of programs enhance the great work being done in the schools and will help bring our district to the next level.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Don't Let Unrealistic Expectations Cloud Our Gains
The so-called "No Child Left Behind" legislation from the Bush Administration focused schools around the country on bringing everyone up to standards. However, the goal in the legislation is for 100% of all students to be proficient by 2014. This means that every student in every school, even those that are still learning English, such as new immigrants, or those who have special needs, must be proficient or a school is deemed failing.
While schools should strive for everyone to be successful, the result of the unrealistic goal is to stigmatize schools that are making significant annual progress. The requirements call for double digit growth in performance every year, a standard that cannot be met. In Berryessa, what this means is that several schools that have improved every year are being labeled as "Program Improvement" schools this year.
For a more detailed discussion of No Child Left Behind and it's unrealistic expectations, see my discussion at the Board President's Blog.
When school API scores are released this week, I will be celebrating the amazing achievements of the Berryessa School District's teachers and staff in enabling growth in achievement at our schools year after year. I will continue to focus on ways the district can continue it's phenomenal growth in the years ahead. And at the same time, I will continue to lobby the federal government to find better ways to measure adequate yearly progress so that exemplary schools are not categorized as failing.
While schools should strive for everyone to be successful, the result of the unrealistic goal is to stigmatize schools that are making significant annual progress. The requirements call for double digit growth in performance every year, a standard that cannot be met. In Berryessa, what this means is that several schools that have improved every year are being labeled as "Program Improvement" schools this year.
For a more detailed discussion of No Child Left Behind and it's unrealistic expectations, see my discussion at the Board President's Blog.
When school API scores are released this week, I will be celebrating the amazing achievements of the Berryessa School District's teachers and staff in enabling growth in achievement at our schools year after year. I will continue to focus on ways the district can continue it's phenomenal growth in the years ahead. And at the same time, I will continue to lobby the federal government to find better ways to measure adequate yearly progress so that exemplary schools are not categorized as failing.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Keeping Classes Small
One goal that all candidates running for school board claim to have is keeping classes small. This was aided by California's Class Size Reduction (CSR) program, which provides bonus money for school districts that keep kindergarten to third grade classes at 20:1. Over the past two years, as the state decimated school funding, districts have found it exceedingly difficult to maintain that ratio.
A couple years ago, the state offered flexibility to school districts by allowing districts to keep the CSR money even if K-3 class sizes increase. As a result, many districts, including Berryessa's neighbors in Milpitas and San Jose Unified, jumped their classes to 30 students.
I have made sure people understand that in order to preserve libraries, counselors, and music, we would have to increase K-3 class sizes above 20. However, my goal has been to keep classes as small as possible and not jump to 30 like others have done. As a result, this year, our K-3 classes average 24 students.
Some candidates running for the board have suggested that the board could have avoided reducing library hours, which we cut by 20%, and cutting clerk time, which was reduced by 12%. The only way to have done that would have been to increase K-3 classes even more, and laying off more excellent teachers. My position is that slight reductions in these other areas is a reasonable educational trade-off that allows us to keep class sizes as small as possible.
All the cuts that have been implemented over the past couple years have been painful, for our students and our staff. But our district ended up with the best balance possible for a low-funded district. We still offer music, libraries, counseling, and our K-3 classes have just 24 students in them. I will continue to fight to maintain that balance.
A couple years ago, the state offered flexibility to school districts by allowing districts to keep the CSR money even if K-3 class sizes increase. As a result, many districts, including Berryessa's neighbors in Milpitas and San Jose Unified, jumped their classes to 30 students.
I have made sure people understand that in order to preserve libraries, counselors, and music, we would have to increase K-3 class sizes above 20. However, my goal has been to keep classes as small as possible and not jump to 30 like others have done. As a result, this year, our K-3 classes average 24 students.
Some candidates running for the board have suggested that the board could have avoided reducing library hours, which we cut by 20%, and cutting clerk time, which was reduced by 12%. The only way to have done that would have been to increase K-3 classes even more, and laying off more excellent teachers. My position is that slight reductions in these other areas is a reasonable educational trade-off that allows us to keep class sizes as small as possible.
All the cuts that have been implemented over the past couple years have been painful, for our students and our staff. But our district ended up with the best balance possible for a low-funded district. We still offer music, libraries, counseling, and our K-3 classes have just 24 students in them. I will continue to fight to maintain that balance.
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