The public hearing ended. Beverly Fitch McCarthy struggled to maintain her composure, saying, “The spirit expressed, the loyalty to school and staff … you’re all wonderful. We’re going to do the best we can.”
And now it’s break time until about 10 p.m.
Melany Long, Fremont parent : “I understand changes need to be made. But I feel if you move one teacher to another school will it really make a difference or hurt the morale.”
Ellen Old, teacher: “Why is Stockton Unified being sanctioned by the federal government when we didn’t get one cent? This feels like all carrot and no stick. … Why are we simply complying without a challenge? … We’re doing what they’re telling us to do with no money. It really makes no sense. I really think we need to push back on this. … I encourage you to push back at this draconian sledgehammer which is aimed directly at public education. ”
Eric Cover, Fremont sixth-grade teacher: “I teach at a school whose API scores have never gone down. … I’ve taught sixth grade where the rubber hits the pavement.” He said he inherited students whose teachers left midyear two years in a row. “It took a very long time to teach those students to come to school expecting to learn.” But he said his students by year’s end won a behavior award and made progress. “When you want to move teachers around, you need to get a sixth-grade teacher who’s better than me.”
Jessica Woodward, Henry parent: “Just three months at Henry, (my son’s) grades have caught up. He loves his principal, his teachers and his fellow students. … For anyone to take that away, they are crazy. The only ones who will suffer are our children.”
Kelly Weaver, Fremont teacher: “With the leadership and administration and dedication and heart of the people who work at that school … These kids are now becoming concerned about meeting their goals for language arts and math. … Consider what will happen when we’re moving not only principals around but teachers, too.” She said she was laid off last year and probably will be again this year and her students had numerous substitutes.
Doreen Weber, school psychologist, speaking for Pittman Principal Adrienne Machado and the school’s staff: “She encourages us to read books on understanding poverty, teaching minority students … She thinks of her students as more than a test score. She believes in exposing her students to the world of science, math, sports and fine arts. … Adrienne Machado is the kind of administrator any school district would be thrilled to have … a leader and progressive visionary. … It’s an absolute honor to work under your guidance.”
The speakers continue. Tomorrow I will post video of some of tonight’s speakers. I’d do it tonight, but I need access to YouTube to do so … and the district’s Internet service for some strange reason blocks me from logging on there.
Many people and many speakers here tonight.
Jocelyn Anderson, Fremont second-grade teacher: “When I came to Fremont I was embraced with welcoming hearts and unconditional support. Our site has leadership and compassion. Our school is only 4 years old. Like a 4-year-old, it’s still developing.”
Monica Alvarado, parent: “I as a parent am at the school every day. I’ve watched (Principal Marlesse Cavazos) change the culture. I am not happy the board may remove many of our teachers and staff that brought positive change.”
Vaczovsky: Calif. didn’t get money from Round 1, but Round 2 in April and Round 3 next year remain.
“This board has to hold two public hearings to address issues of its lowest performing schools. Stockton has seven low-performing schools.”
He said superintendents are angry about the “unrealistic” time line. He said that originally districts thought all schools had to be dealt with this year and that’s not the case. He said the district can reopen schools itself as charter schools rather than going to an outside charter company.
There will be tonight’s hearing plus another in two weeks. The board could make a decision of what to do as soon as March 23. At that meeting the board may determine what it will do with each of its seven schools (Pittman, Roosevelt, Henry, Harrison, Nightingale, Fremont and Taylor) and when.
He said he expects the state to close the loophole that allows districts to have an unlimited time line to make changes.
The district has four options:
1 — close the school
2 — close and reopen as charter
3 — replace principal (if there more than two years), tie teacher evaluation to student performance
4 — replace principal (if there more than two years) and reassign more than 50 percent of the teachers at a school.
Option 4, followed by Option 2, are the most likely for the district to choose, Vaczovsky said.
Chief Financial Officer Jason Willis provided financial details should the district choose to convert some or all of its low-performers to charter schools. He said the district would have to send all its revenue from student attendance to that school. A school with 600 students receives about $450,000 in funding; the district in this scenario would lose that money to the school if it was converted into a charter school.
Assistant Superintendent of elementary education Kirk Nicholas said if the district chooses its most likely option – replacing principals and staff – the new principal would have greater flexibility in scheduling, calendar and budgeting.
Sal Ramirez: “I don’t think there’s enough time to do it. I would not like to see a botched job. … in process of hiring a new superintendent. I’d like him to come in and decide.”
Bill Ross: “We have set some timing in place to hire a new superintendent. That’s just not going to happen soon enough. I’m not willing to wait another year for our schools. We need to move ahead. I don’t want to throw another year away. If the schools are failing, let’s pick the very worst ones and move ahead from there.”
Jason Willis: He’s talking about the district’s second interim financial report. He said the district continues to meet all financial requirements for this year and the next two years. The district still faces a “pretty large” deficit in 2011-12. It’s $8.6 million in cuts that will be needed to balance the budget that year.
ADA is down 129, costing $672K. But the district is making a big ADA push to try to make back some of that money. He is recommending the board ask the county for a positive certification.
The revenue for 2007-08 was $203 million. Next year, it’s $177 million. Total revenue loss has been $112 million since 2007-08.
Item 7.3 calls for the board to consider furloughs/pay cuts for management and administrative staff, 10 percent for those who make more than $100,000 and 5 percent for those paid less than $100,000.
Daniel Castillo made a motion that the item be pulled and the board followed through. So this issue will not be dealt with tonight.
Claudia Moreno, CSEA: Thanks everyone for showing up at last week’s march. “CSEA is taking on more of these initiatives.” They’re going to work to try to get the legislature to pass the budget on time. She said the state needs to go back to a simple majority to pass the budget rather than a two-thirds vote.
And off they go to closed session at 6:05 p.m.
Sorry this wasn’t up sooner, but it’s been a busy Monday and Tuesday.
Aside from the public hearing on the topic du jour, the board will look tonight at several topics:
The county office of ed held an open house today at what once was the Stockton Federal Building. Now, it’s an alternative high school program. Some of the students go part-time at the former Federal Building site and part-time in a culinary program at the Yosemite Club. These students served food at today’s open house. To see some of what they prepared, go to the jump. The student is Amanda Estep, 16.
SUSD Live — The meeting’s over
The board approved a graduation ceremony for Japanese-Americans interned during World War II.
And the meeting is over at 10:27 p.m.