Once again we have had to set up a new SAUSD corruption thread as the last one started to run slow with all the comments on it.
Our schools are in crisis today – not just here in Santa Ana but all over the state. The only thing we know for sure is that we are going to take more budget hits.
I am amazed that the SAUSD hired back all their laid off administrators. How crazy is that? Class sizes are growing, good teachers are laid off, and the union, as usual, is asleep at the wheel.
We will continue to reason through all this here at the Orange Juice blog! We can but hope for the best…
Anonplz…I believe you will be RIFd and not coming back this go ’round. No? So you won’t have to worry about Mercer or the ‘clowns’ anymore! Let those who are actually DOING the work continue and you stay home and collect your unemployment check.
Yes, I imagine Mercer has already got a beer hall putsch in the works… SAEA/USD has achieved unity in failure! What a wonderful legacy.. a lifetime of real achievement…and with a ‘guaranteed’ pension. Perhaps.
Wow! You sure got a couple things right there, Michelle! Scammers and charter schools. A river of money and little public oversite attracts opportunists, con men, and scammers like flies to …well, you know. Charters would be like the Catholic Church of Ireland — you could probably tell us stories, Michelle. Turns out those Irish priests made the late Boston diocese seem like a Sunday school.
And you are right on the mark about hiring the best for teachers. We get very, very few U.C., Stanford, CMC, Oxy, Pomona College, Scripps, Caltech, USC, or Harvy Mudd grads. We get very few math majors to teach math, few chem majors for chemistry, I’ve never seen a physics graduate at all. I don’t believe we turn’em away at the door. How’re we going to attract them to come here to teach, Michelle? The best are smart people; they don’t work for pats on the backs, and sincere expressions of appreciation. Give us your idea of a payscale for the best: entry salary, top salary. We need 2,500 of these type of people for Santa Ana.
Who’s to say SAHS teacher that because you went to USC that automatically makes you a smart person or qualified person? Just because you can afford the tuition doesn’t mean you can produce anything. When you’re dealing with people you have to be more than just book smart and a straight A student.
I was wondering if anyone knew any info. on the Admin meeting today @ 3;30? Supposedly it is 12 school not 3 and they are thinking of moving everyone around…teachers and administrators?? Please do tell if you know anything! Thanks!
Apparently, three more schools have been added to the list and the district can meet some requirement of the whole thing by simply moving people around. I can’t remember all of the schools but I heard that Santa Ana and Sierra are now on the list, I think it might also be Saddleback, basically leaving only the fundamental high schools (of the regular high schools) off of the list. I was personally told by a high level administrator that moving staff around will do the trick, of course, not for the kids but for the state and the feds.
Odd that this occurred right after the.. valid and.. legally accomplished.. SAEA elections. Huh. Do I smell the taint of real old time union corruption? Did Tony er um Jane order up some TOSA’S? Need to keep the “boys” busy, eh?
Trex – students who were the most passionate about academics and scholarship in school tend to go to the most competitive universities. Those who return to teach tend to bring that same passion for academics into their classrooms. CSU grads can have that too, its just far more common among grads from the UC’s, Stanford and the like. There’s a general perception that teaching is a lower-tier profession, less respected and more poorly compensated in relation to physician, business entrepeneur, attorney, engineer. Education suffers for that.
I looked up the list of schools on the Cal Dept of Ed website and I did see Santa Ana HS, Saddleback, and Sierra added to the list of persistantly low performing schools. I would like to know how the District is going to move 50% of those staffs to other schools when there won’t be enough openings to place them. And who is going to want to move to these so called low performing schools? Tmare, moving around teachers benefits no one. It just means the District will receive federal funds for showing that they are taking action to improve these schools. It’s all about money.
Yep, Anon, moving teachers around does nothing except provide a check in a box for the district to get the money. Anyone have some great ideas to improve these schools? My first idea would be to stop letting the district make the decisions and control the fate of the schools, give teachers a voice and provide support for their ideas rather them thwarting them at every turn.
http://newsantaana.com/2010/03/13/teachers-react-to-placement-of-6-sausd-schools-on-low-performing-list/
I want some reassurance that, as per our contract, there will be no bumping.
No lets just start blaming, tattling, and doing all the above because that’ll teach the kids more and make them higher achievers.
SAHS teacher,
If that’s true then maybe only those who go can afford to go to USC, Stanford, Harvard etc should teach our kids. Those of us who went to a CSU should do daycare and babysit.
Shuffling teachers and admin from various schools (whether its just 2 high schools and 1 middle school, or more) would be an ugly affair.
How many teachers would take this opportunity to change districts?
How many teachers would be disgruntled and resentful?
How many school site programs would have to be dropped and re-assigned to new staff? And we would re-organize the district’s schools during our ONE buyback day at the start of the next school year?
If this occurs, I predict record low scores and record high number of long-term subs for the 2010-2011 school year.
C’mon trex, there’s no argument here. Of course the Cal States produce many hundreds of top-tier grads every year who could hold their own at Berkeley or Harvard. I got my teaching credential at San Diego State; I know there’s quality there. My first post above was intended only to tease Michelle a bit; the far right would balk at offering the type of salaries that might begin to attract significant numbers of Dean’s List graduates into public education. However, the fact that we have so few of the Harvard, Stanford, etc. grads in public ed is a strong indication that we’re also not getting the top graduates out of the CSU system either.
Are top grads more capable people? No – but there is an attitude difference that has an impact in the classroom. For example, college students who pull mainly B’s and C’s in their math courses generally look at math as hurdles to get past, so they can graduate and get on with their careers. The straight A math major loves mathematics, believes math is beautiful and the coolest thing anyone can do, and wants everyone else to love it to. The former looks at math as work to get out of the way, and brings that attitude into the classroom when heor she teaches; the latter is a mathematics evangelist. We don’t attract many of these last into public schools. It would be good if we did.
Hey People. Wake up and smell the coffee. The ground just shook and here comes the Tsunami: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-ravitch14-2010mar14,0,2024751.story
NCLB and now Obama’s NCLB2 has got public education in its sights. These are the last days of public schools as we know them. Your contract? What contract? Your assignment, fuggedaboutit! Getting bumped? Get used to it. Your pension? Talk to Meg Whitman.
It’s time to start rowing like a MOFO or head for high ground because if you just sit there and point fingers, you’re gonna get wiped out.
SAHS Teacher –
I think you are wrong. People who are challenged by subjects could become great teachers. They know what processes they went through to learn and develop an understanding, and they can use that knowledge to guide student learning.
Just because you are good or bad at a subject, just because a subject can come easily to you or difficult to you, that has very little influence, IMO, on whether you would be a good teacher in that subject.
Its the same reason that you don’t see guys like Wayne Gretzky become good coaches. Players who are naturally talented at something, like hitting in baseball, rarely make good hitting coaches. The best hitting coaches are the ones that needed to work hard during their career to keep up with the other players.
I could use your same thought process to come to the conclusion that people who are ‘naturally good’ at a subject area will not be prepared to address the needs of their students. Maybe they won’t go so far as to chronically teach over the heads of their kids, but maybe they could be more prone to doing things like ‘symplifying fractions’ while working out a math problem, and not bother to write out the step. Maybe they take for granted that some kids need to see that step in order to follow along with the problem.
I really don’t care about this argument, but I think your comments are way off base.
If your main point is just dealing with, “We want teachers who are motivated and enthusiastic about what they teach”, then I couldn’t agree more. But again, I don’t think you can make an easy tie in between teacher education and ‘motivated teachers’.
In fact, if you go back to the article posted previously from the NYTimes, the article mentions that there have been recent studies, using teacher education level as a possible tie-in to student achievement, and although there are no numbers given and no study cited, the article said that data showed little impact on student achievement.
SAHS Teacher –
I apologize, first article I found backs you up 🙂
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2000/09/CDA00-09-Effects-of-Advanced-Teacher-Training-on-Student-Achievement
But I still think there’s more to it than just a degree in subject area X.
http://newsantaana.com/2010/03/15/the-sausd-is-considering-laying-off-another-153-of-their-teachers/
I did NOT receive a RIF this year so naturally this post (no. 971) upset me. I contacted Susan Mercer at the Union and she said that it is absolutely “false”. The district already sent out the RIF notices and will not be sending more, so please do not take this OCRegister article to heart. I understand that is the source for Mr. Pedroza’s article.
BTW, check this out in this week’s SAUSD School Board Agenda:
18.0 CALL FOR PUBLIC HEARING TO REOPEN SANTA ANA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT’S INITIAL BARGAINING PROPOSAL AND ENTIRE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT FOR 2010-13 SCHOOL YEARS TO SANTA ANA EDUCATORS’ ASSOCIATION (SAEA) <—oh oh (a special meeting on Wed is being called) does ANYONE know what this is about? Perhaps layoffs?
I found the agenda for the special study session. It appears that they are discussing after school and enrichment programs.
I also found an interesting slide re the budget. Apparently they have made a lot of cuts in the budget already and only need to cut another three million.
I will try to post it as a graphic on this post.
You can see their budget presentation here: http://www.sausd.us/1443102812408810/lib/1443102812408810/March_9_Budget_Presentation_-_Board.pdf
Ok, now let’s all take a deep breath & hope for the best! Let’s hope that Juan and gang choose not to pack in like sardines “even more” “underperforming” students under one roof. I understand that this budget is solvent for 2009-2010 + 2010-2011. I don’t even want to know what they will do in 2011-2012. Hopefully a tsunami of money will come in… otherwise…I can look into my crystal ball that says, “Jane, Juan + Chad will be adding even more “underperforming” students to each room” <—how's that for "support"? Give me an S…
Dennis email to staff
He is following the CPM team like bubble gum on the bottom of a shoe.
this is not the time to list problems with
our funding, or class size, or other woes of the state.
This is the least helpful thing you can do for the team.
Let’s give them our all.
If that message to the staff is true then this is all just more of the same. Let’s completely ignore the issues that are affecting achievement and pretend it all has something to do with some magical thing that the teachers aren’t doing and of course, some magical person from outside of the district must have all of the answers. What does CPM team stand for anyway? Is that the person who has followed our principal around like glue for a couple of days over the last few weeks?
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2010/03/santa-ana-college-students-to-rally-against-budget-cuts-on-march-22/
CPM stands for categorical program monitoring. IT is where the district gets a checklist of all the “evidence” it must provide in order to “prove” that it is spending categorical monies according to legislative intents. Take for example, the after school program. It will be part of CPM. Now that THINK Together has taken over, it will be up to them to keep required evidence, time cards, lesson plans, student/parent sign in sheets etc. as evidence that they are following the laws of the ASES/21st Century grants. OTher categorial programs, or should I say, all categorical programs have their own “evidence items” that must be collected at all sites. I heard at one principal meeting schools received a CPM box to prepare their evidence. Haven’t heard anything about it since last year.
anyone have any idea how many teachers plan on retiring this year??
I heard that 60 teachers are retiring. Can anyone confirm that?
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2010/03/teenage-girl-stabbed-and-groped-at-santa-anas-jerome-park/
This happened right by Monte Vista Elementary!
The SAUSD does not have this on their website. Have they told anyone at that school?
62 teachers are retiring (as of last week), but when it comes to RIF, these 62 folks were already accounted for before they did the RIFs so they will NOT help the RIF(ed) folks. There was a retirement meeting held on Saturday so maybe more will decide to retire and that WILL help the RIF number. I know that is NOT what the RIF folks want to hear, but it is fact.
http://orangejuiceblog.com/2010/03/how-can-we-save-our-santa-ana-public-schools/
http://newsantaana.com/2010/03/21/an-introduction-to-santa-anas-private-and-charter-schools/
When admin wants us to ok altering the contract – the two phrases I cringe at when I hear them at the meeting: “Let’s do it for the kids” and “Trust me”.
Yes, unfortunately no administrator who wants to alter the contract actually has any proof that it will do anything to benefit the kids.
After I saw that our salaries will not change for the next coming year I kinda cringed also because there is no compassion for our peers here in SAUSD. We’re laying off 53 more teachers AGAIN, yet the majority only cares for themselves.
Let the district “Do it for the kids” and not RIF teachers and give teachers (at least) some sort of pay raise. Too many times over too many years teachers have had to go without pay increases due to various circumstances in our district. And that was when financial times were good!
Pay Raise?
It’s very clear SAUSD teachers live in a glass bubble. State employees recently had their salaries reduced 15%, I took a 5% pay cut last year and several of my friends have experienced the same. And you want a pay raise? This sense of entitlement is unbelievable!
Reading this teacher-friendly blog has been a real eye opener.
There isn’t a chance in hell that any teacher is going to have their salary increased right now in California and SAEA is fully aware of that and not asking for that. We have been teaching for several years with either no pay increases, a pay cut or I believe one year we received a small increase. SAUSD was cutting salary when other districts were raising it. Teachers in general are not calling for pay raises, so if there is a small number of people on this site spouting that idea, please take it with a grain of salt. Teachers are willing to do what is necessary to try to keep something that looks like decent education, but that is becoming much more difficult these days. There have been a lot of cuts and anyone that thinks that this does not result in more work done for free by teachers and classified staff really doesn’t understand the situation. I’m not really sure that SAUSD can cut many teachers this year, while other districts are increasing class sizes to 32-35, we’ve been far over that number for years.
I think we are jumping the gun here! Negotiations for next year have not even begun yet. The information that was sent to us is for THIS YEARS CALENDAR. We have absolutely no agreement on salary or furlough days, although no one is expecting a salary increase, and most are expecting furloughs. So for the reaction from “Anonymous”, regarding sense of entitlement – you are way premature in saying that, and also mistaken.
We will be lucky to open negotiations in April.
Grad is correct, the contract sent out only applied to this year. Negotiations for our next contract haven’t even formally begun yet.
The AFT and the UFT in New York had a major victory in court against the Department of Education in regards of the closing of 19 schools. This is particularly important to all of us becuause of the judge’s fundamental argument to rule in favor of the AFT was that the D of E failed in its legal duty of providing enough information for the people in the communities about the issues. This is major event because it goes at the heart of everything that is happening to all of us in the rest of the country: we are given mandates that determine what we ought to do, and carry severe penalties without being given enough information to judge by ourselves if these orders are fair!
In short, The Supreme Court of Justice in New York stopped the Dof E from doing more harm to these communities. Judge Joan B. Lobis has stated that the law was unfairly applied, and that the D of E should not penalize schools without giving the public an opportunity to be sufficiently informed.
A lot of injustices are committed because the ones in authority have controlled the information, stiffled debate, and thus manipulated the public opinion. This is a huge issue for all of us, don’t you think?
Who wins, who loses, who cares?
In solidarity,
Sergio Flores
Judge voids city school closings
Mar 26, 2010 5:03 PM
In a stinging rebuke of the Department of Education, a state Supreme Court Justice on March 26 declared the Panel for Educational Policy’s votes to close 19 schools “null and void,” ruling that the DOE violated new state governance law provisions created to provide meaningful community input in decisions involving the closing or phasing out of schools.
The judge, Justice Joan B. Lobis, ordered the DOE to redo the process for the 19 schools in accordance with the law and told the DOE that they could not prohibit enrollment in those schools.
The new state governance law, she said, “mandated the preparation of detailed EISs (Educational Impact Statements) for schools that the chancellor proposed to close or significantly alter, and created a public process with meaningful community involvement regarding the chancellor’s proposals. That entire legislative scheme must be enforced, and not merely the portion extending mayoral control of the schools.”
Go here to read the full decision.
The Department of Education is appealing the judge’s ruling on an expedited basis, but at this point the judge’s decision is the law.
The UFT remains committed to putting each of the 19 schools on a pathway to higher educational achievement. The lawsuit is by no means the end of the union’s support and advocacy on behalf of those school communities.
The judge gave the DOE the go-ahead to complete the high school matching process for any students who are not directly affected by the proposed closing or phase out of the 19 schools.
This week there are additional really important activities that require students to be released from their core academic classes: a special choir rehearsal (for what performance, I don’t know), and on Thursday a Cesar Chavez Celebration assembly featuring mariachi music and folklorico dancers. This probably could have been done after school, but then student attendance wouldn’t be very high.
The biggest problem with our education system is students are not in school enough, period. Summer vacation is too long and three weeks off at winter break is not helping them. Then you have all the other holidays, conference days, test days etc. No wonder they are failing.
How does this help the student who is learning English?
If SAUSD truly wants the best for its ESL students, then bring back the YEAR-ROUND schedule!
Most teachers support it.
Most studies have shown that it is particularly effective for ESL students.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/05/AR2009060501971.html
http://www.wowessays.com/dbase/af4/bth255.shtml
http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/Extending/vol2/prof8.html
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin137.shtml
A new surprize announcement today in our mailboxes. This Friday during last academic period of the day (for me a 11-12 grade physics class), there will be a ‘Prom fashion show’ for 11th and 12th grade students, showing tuxedo’s and evening gowns appropriate for prom night. There’s also a physics exam in rotational motion scheduled for that period, but students involved in putting on the show have to go.
State legislators concerned about the dismal state of public education have been discussing lengthening the school year as well as the school day. There’s a far cheaper way for gaining several weeks of effective classtime that they haven’t considered. I don’t think they know how we really operate.
Who really cares now! Teacher have no sympathy for the economy or to what extent people are suffering from this. Most of us just go on about our business like the world should not effect us. I hope the economy hits our salaries and benefits soon…maybe some of these teachers who live in Dana Point, Laguna Beach, or Mission Viejo will go back to their cities and build their own communities up instead of coming here and driving away with no care as to what happens to the children in Santa Ana.
Trex,
Wow! You owe a lot of apologies (if you really believe what you wrote). To just arbitrarily assume that someone who does not live in the community in which they teach “drives away and does not care as to what happens to the children”, is outrageous, racist, and totally incorrect. I used to think you had something important to say. After that comment, if I knew who you were, I wouldn’t let my children in your class in any district. Your other comment about no sympathy is ridiculous, too. You should really think about qualifying your statements. Unless you spoke without thinking, it’s too bad for Santa Ana kids that you ended up there.
Trex, you sound like a phenomenal educator. So many people just don’t understand that in order to be a great teacher you must live in the same city as the students you teach. I had this teacher in high school. Some of the other students thought he was great. They said he taught well and that they learned a lot in his class. I on the other hand knew better. He lived the next city over. My family and I shopped at a market that was almost 2 miles away from the market he shopped at. What could I possibly have in common with a guy like that? Also, he was taller than me and wore different shoes. What could an idiot teacher like that teach me? I remember telling my friends in high school that he’d be a way better teacher if his benefits weren’t so good and he made less money. Everyone kept calling me a moron, but here you’ve proved my point. Everyday, he’d drive away and shop at that fancy Albertsons store. He didn’t care about us, and he only had a tan part of the year. What a lame-o.
Bravo!