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Ojai School District gives parents goal, deadline
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Ojai parents got a goal and a deadline this week from their public school district.
If they raise about $330,000 by June 3, then their schools might be spared from the chopping block this year. If not, Ojai Unified School District trustees might have to shutter one of their campuses.
The Ojai Education Foundation and every Parent Teacher Association in the K-12 district have banded together and started a campaign called Save Ojai Schools, or SOS. They plan to push for more state funding for public schools and to raise money for Ojai Unified. On Tuesday night, the groups asked the board to join them in their efforts, and trustees unanimously agreed.
If enough money is raised, the board also signed off on using the cash to fund the groups' priorities, saving schools from closing and stopping class sizes from increasing.
"Can we raise the money? The only thing I can tell you is this: I'll give," said Glenn Fout, a Meiners Oaks School parent and SOS member. "I'll give in an amount I never thought I would reasonably have to give to my school. I won't ask for cookie dough or cheesecakes or T-shirts, I just want to save our children's educational experience at all of our schools."
He was one of about 60 parents, teachers and some students gathered in an auditorium at Matilija Jr. High School Tuesday night to listen to the school board discuss the budget planning process, which could include closing schools.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed cutting billions of dollars from what California public schools had expected to receive in 2008-09 as part of his January budget proposal. The Legislature must still approve a final budget, and by the time that happens, the funding picture could change.
In the meantime, however, school officials throughout the state are considering drastic cuts to prepare for a worst case scenario, which in Ojai's case includes school closures.
Posted by dcsfancy on April 23, 2008 at 5:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree cut the meat
Posted by michael on April 23, 2008 at 8:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
There is not a school district in this state that should not be eliminating the excess waste that is the district overhead.... bureaucrats, administrators and those that do not directly contribute to the classroom education.
Posted by ssakoian on April 24, 2008 at 7:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A few comments about "cutting the meat" in school districts. There probably is excess in administration, but some of the things administration does is handle the things the teachers do not have time to do. This includes grant writing for the ever-decreasing Perkings funds; deliver changes to state and federal educational mandates, but to do so requires attending meetings and learning the regulations; handling discipline when your kids get out of line; address issues parent or students may have.
The administration has indirect affect in the classroom, sometimes for good, sometimes for not so good. Laws and codes require certain classroom standards are met, and it is the function of the administration to make sure that it gets there.
Some areas you might want to consider is where does the BULK of any school budget go, besides administration? Sports. Students with disabilities. I expect the latter is a hell of a lot more of the budget than you expect, as is the former. Testing preparations, and writing reports about those tests.
No teacher who is in the classroom necessarily has time to do the administrative duties. Teaching 8 hours a day, class preparation, grading papers and scoring tests. Working with individual students. Handling discipline. They are in the classroom.
If the teachers were to go to the conferences or take time to be administrators and be in the classroom full time, I assure you, you would have even fewer people entering education than you have now. On top of that, if the meat were cut, as some have suggested, then the classroom teacher, in addition to everything else, would be going to conferences in the evening and on weekends - probably for the same salary!
Teaching is hard work, and administration is part of any company, whether public or private, single-owner or multi-tiered corporation.
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