182 replies to this topic

[EDF]

Good luck getting the "split" done...

There are many of us "old timers" in the "School Wars" that fought this battle....

For starters most of the folks on the board have some "education" background and so there fore will not be for a split because of the usual stinking reasons they weren't in favor of it back in 1995-1996....

You young parents out there have no clue what you are up against...

I think the Education Establishment is probably one of the most evil institutions...

They will lie... cheat... impune the integrety of anyone that comes out against them....

They've also harrased some of the kids of past school board members who were in favor of the split... and they sure harrased one of mine....

So... I don't really have much respect for them as a group... although I have met some great teachers....

but it's their stinking "bargaining unit" other wise known as the "teachers union" that is the root of all the troubles in "government run" public schools...

Rant Over... Now waiting for some "A" game... from somebody... anybody... !!!

[abcdmom]

I am sorry to say ......Class size reduction in third grade is gone. Once the board voted it out, they will never put it back. Even if someone handed them a million dollars tomorrow, they would have something else that was more important to spend it on.

Splitting the district will probably never happen too. The Rancho Cordova schools get too much Title 1 money from the government. It would be a losing deal for them. Folsom is has the higher test scores. They can't survive without each other.

Everything comes down to money... Which is really sad when you are talking about education.

Getting back to the school board canidates. What we need is someone who will listen to the people that voted them into office. For some reason the school board we have now seems to think that the superintendent runs the board when it is suppose to be the other way around.

I have been at board meetings where voters have addressed the school board and the school board ignored them. We need to have board members who listen to all sides and will do what is right for every student, not just their own child.

We need someone who will double check the numbers and not blindly believe everything that the superintendent says.

[Revolutionist]

I am sorry to say ......Class size reduction in third grade is gone. Once the board voted it out, they will never put it back. Even if someone handed them a million dollars tomorrow, they would have something else that was more important to spend it on.

Splitting the district will probably never happen too. The Rancho Cordova schools get too much Title 1 money from the government. It would be a losing deal for them. Folsom is has the higher test scores. They can't survive without each other.

Everything comes down to money... Which is really sad when you are talking about education.

Getting back to the school board canidates. What we need is someone who will listen to the people that voted them into office. For some reason the school board we have now seems to think that the superintendent runs the board when it is suppose to be the other way around.

I have been at board meetings where voters have addressed the school board and the school board ignored them. We need to have board members who listen to all sides and will do what is right for every student, not just their own child.

We need someone who will double check the numbers and not blindly believe everything that the superintendent says.

Maybe it is in the delivery? Board members are people too, and will put up defensive walls if attacked. I have presented to the board, and I found all of them attentive and receptive. Even if I didn't get everything I wanted, I felt as if I had been heard. I even watched some taking notes, including Ms. Stanley who has been singled out in this thread.

[Jolene]

Maybe it is in the delivery? Board members are people too, and will put up defensive walls if attacked. I have presented to the board, and I found all of them attentive and receptive. Even if I didn't get everything I wanted, I felt as if I had been heard. I even watched some taking notes, including Ms. Stanley who has been singled out in this thread.

She always is, because she reads these boards and people know it. It's rude and uncalled for. The people who talk crap about her usually only have one or two posts to their name. It's obvious they come on to bash her and are never heard from again.

[bordercolliefan]

Not only does the Board not listen to parents, apparently they're not too interested in what teachers think, either. Tonight at Back-to-School Night, my child's 3rd grade teacher said that all the teachers are upset that no one bothered to ask them what the effects would be of putting 32 students in 3rd grade.

She spent quite a bit of time telling us about all the great projects and activities that she does with her 3rd graders every year, that she probably will have to curtail this year.

Even though she is very discouraged about the prospects for this year, I came away extremely impressed with her experience and creativity. I just wish we were getting all of her expertise, instead of her basically having one hand tied behind her back.

I would like to challenge any Board member to spend an hour (let alone a day) with 32 seven year-olds. I fear our Board members are a little too far removed from the elementary years to remember the impulsivity, lack of self-direction, and general distractedness that characterizes that age group.

[Revolutionist]

Not only does the Board not listen to parents, apparently they're not too interested in what teachers think, either.

You are wrong on both accounts.

It is just that they have to look at much more than just the parents or just the teachers.

You challenge the board to teach... I challenge you to run for board. I guarantee you will be singing a different tune if you are elected. (A little late for this time around. But there are 3 seats coming up in 2 years. I'll be there.. how about you? We can run as the Ying and Yang ticket! )

Just because you don't see the entire picture does not mean it doesn't exist.

[stacycam]

I see your points Revolutionist, but why did the board completely ignore the business owner's offer to donate money to continue CSR? While they MAY have had good reasons, why didn't they respond? Why do they have to have such an enormous reserve fund, especially now? Why is San Juan in SUCH a better financial position?

bordercolliefan - Run for school board!!!!

One thing I know now, is that I wish I would have red-shirted my daughter, like so many others have done. It would be nice to not have her be the youngest kid in such a large 3rd grade class.

[Revolutionist]

I see your points Revolutionist, but why did the board completely ignore the business owner's offer to donate money to continue CSR? While they MAY have had good reasons, why didn't they respond? Why do they have to have such an enormous reserve fund, especially now? Why is San Juan in SUCH a better financial position?

bordercolliefan - Run for school board!!!!

One thing I know now, is that I wish I would have red-shirted my daughter, like so many others have done. It would be nice to not have her be the youngest kid in such a large 3rd grade class.

I don't know the actual answer to all these questions
I suspect that a chunk of the reason that businesses cannot donate to eliminate CSR is because of the Williamson Act (? not sure on name, but it forces monies to be equally shared amongst the schools/children)

So let's say Folsom business wanted to give a large chunk of dough to ensure third graders have a 20:1 ratio... well, that money would have to be spread throughout the district, so its impact would be diluted through the rancho schools, and nobody would get 20:1.

(yet another reason to split the district IMO)

Reserve funds are mandated to be kept. There are lots of expenses that crop up that are not or cannot be budgeted for. A % of the district monies must always be kept in "reserve" otherwise it is possible to instantly bankrupt a district. That means that it can't be used for normal budgeting purposes, including saving CSR.

Again, I have no inside knowledge, just educated guesses.

And my other educated guess is that there is so much emotion being thrown around CSR that people aren't really in the mood to listen, no matter what is being said.

[rightwingknot]

Why do they have to have such an enormous reserve fund, especially now?

This was an old thread that was fully vetted last spring. The reserve fund is 3% of the total budget. It is intended for emergencies only and can only be spent if the legislature makes such a declaration allowing its expenditure.

Beyond the legalize though, it's not a realistic option. Like many families, it's akin to spending on your credit cards when money is tight. The district will still have to pay it back at some point. Further, once a district borrows from the fund, it is placed on a watch list by the state, and if the fund is not replenished by the next year, it faces state takeover and/or other penalties.

Finally, and MOST importantly, the fund's creation is intended for times when a district's enrollment suddenly and unexpectedly declines; which means its revenues suffer a sudden decline. FCUSD IS NOT A DECLINING ENROLLMENT DISTRICT

In fact, it is a GROWING district, which means our revenues are not going down.

I think the underlying themes of many of the posts on this thread is that the Board had many options to consider, but simply had made up their mind beforehand. Whatever their personal reasons, I agree that they should have communicated better with us why they chose their path and why new and creative ideas were not considered at all.

[stacycam]

Thanks for responding Revolutionist.

I don't know the actual answer to all these questions
I suspect that a chunk of the reason that businesses cannot donate to eliminate CSR is because of the Williamson Act (? not sure on name, but it forces monies to be equally shared amongst the schools/children)

That is what I was thinking - but I wish they would have said something about it.

And my other educated guess is that there is so much emotion being thrown around CSR that people aren't really in the mood to listen, no matter what is being said.

This is not completely true. I know I went into that board meeting with a sense of hope and great respect for the school board. Of course, that was my first meeting ever. At the meeting it was extremely OBVIOUS that the board had made up their minds and nothing would change them. The district would have had to be given a windfall in order for them to continue CSR. I was so disappointed to see how the board handled things. I really felt that the students were not being represented. (Bear in mind, I have a very administrative background and way of thinking, so I normally can understand the bs bureaucratic stuff) I kind of felt like my legs were kicked out from underneath me. Luckily, now I get that school board is there for the district, not for the students.

I would love to run for school board (or Folsom planning commission, because they suck, too), but I am not smart/educated enough or articulate enough. If I thought I had the abilities, I would be all over it. They'd hate me, though.

[bordercolliefan]

And my other educated guess is that there is so much emotion being thrown around CSR that people aren't really in the mood to listen, no matter what is being said.

2 points:

1. The teachers are saying that other school districts used their reserve funds to preserve CSR. If that's true, then it is incorrect that those funds are "untouchable" for an exigency like this.

2. I agree that there is a lot of emotion around what has happened. I certainly feel it -- I almost cried last night as my child's teacher described the challenges of teaching 32 seven year-olds (I shouldn't call them all seven -- some are eight), and all the things she will not be able to do with them this year.

I think one reason there is so much emotion is because those of us who have seven year-olds feel that a line has been crossed to a point where it has become substantially less likely that our child can have a successful 3rd grade year. The "stars" of the class won't feel it; it's the average kid who sometimes struggles to master a concept "just in time." 3rd grade is a pivotal year in terms of mastering the math operations. If kids don't conquer these 100% in 3rd grade, they can't hope to be successful in 4th grade. Yesterday, I checked my daughter's math folder and saw that several of her problems had been marked wrong. I asked her if the teacher had gone over them with her. "No, she doesn't talk to each kid about their paper; she just gives the papers back." Sure enough, that evening, the teacher confirmed that she is struggling just to correct 32 papers; she can't circulate among the children to help them one-on-one. --How can I describe what it is like as a parent to be told by the teacher that she has little hope about what she'll be able to accomplish this year? She told us parents that she prides herself on her creative, interactive teaching methods... and that she has cried many tears realizing that she won't be able to do them with such a large class.

I also think we've crossed a line in terms of what is generally viewed as the acceptable "norm" for a 3rd grade class. When you have educators from other states telling you that they have never heard of a class of 32 at the 3rd grade level, you start to get the idea that your child is receiving a sub-standard education. My father's new wife, an education professor with decades of public school experience in Massachusetts, was flabbergasted by the class size and politely asked if we lived in an "economically disadvantaged town."

[concerned citizen]

Here are the official cadidates from the Sac County web site (http://www.elections.saccounty.net/coswcms/groups/public/@wcm/@pub/@vre/@inter/documents/webcontent/sac_016035.pdf):
JOANNE REINKING
CONRADE C. MAYER
MARILYN MAGGIO
TERESA A. STANLEY
GARY T JOHNSON
DYARL E. ABDO
DANIEL CHENG
KUMAR KALAGARA

JoAnne Reinking knows the difficulties our shools are facing because she actually spends time in them and sees first hand the brutality of the cuts the district has levied, unlike the other incumbent candidate. Mrs. Reinking would be a welcome change to our school board and would be a strong advocate for parents AND teachers.

I think we need a change. It is one thing being concerned parent and being involved in PTO. Unfortunate reality is, this is Politics and Beurocracy. We need a candidiate who is famililiar with Government procedures, beaurocracy and has enough Supervisorial and managerial experince to get things done. You need someone strong minded and committed to our children.

I like to review all candidates to see who might fit this profile.

[Revolutionist]

I think we need a change. It is one thing being concerned parent and being involved in PTO. Unfortunate reality is, this is Politics and Beurocracy. We need a candidiate who is famililiar with Government procedures, beaurocracy and has enough Supervisorial and managerial experince to get things done. You need someone strong minded and committed to our children.

I like to review all candidates to see who might fit this profile.

That is why you only elect 2 seats one year, and 3 the next time around, to keep institutional memory, and for the experienced board members to tutor the new incoming members.

However, I do not understand your logic: we need a change, but the change should be.. more of the same? another bureaucrat?

[concerned citizen]

That is why you only elect 2 seats one year, and 3 the next time around, to keep institutional memory, and for the experienced board members to tutor the new incoming members.

However, I do not understand your logic: we need a change, but the change should be.. more of the same? another bureaucrat?

Not necessarily the same beaurocrat. Not all politicans are dirty. In this day and age, Beaurocracy is the fact of life. We just have to choose which person has more of children, education at heart and who is best suitable to make ideas happen. just being concerned does not get me anywhere. otherwise we will have only academicians and theorists running our government. Like it or not, we need leaders rather than Visionaries.

[Revolutionist]

Not necessarily the same beaurocrat. Not all politicans are dirty. In this day and age, Beaurocracy is the fact of life. We just have to choose which person has more of children, education at heart and who is best suitable to make ideas happen. just being concerned does not get me anywhere. otherwise we will have only academicians and theorists running our government. Like it or not, we need leaders rather than Visionaries.

and leaders are do-ers
and concerned parents are doers, who are stepping up lead.

I am not yet endorsing anyone (I will), but sounds to me like you just made a case for Joanne.