It is always wonderful to spend the second week of June celebrating the promotion of our 5th graders to middle school and our 8th graders to high school. They have such pride as they walk across the stage to collect their certificates, knowing that they have much to look forward to in life. Their futures are even brighter now that Governor Brown and the California legislature have agreed on a budget that finally treats education as a top priority.
Last week's state budget includes an exciting new method for funding K-12 schools in California. The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) gives local school districts more flexibility on how money is spent and allocates higher levels of funding for school districts with large numbers of disadvantaged students, including English-language learners, foster youth, and those from low-income households. The final budget includes a higher base grant than the Governor had proposed in May, and helps get schools on track to recover to pre-recession funding levels. The budget also includes $4 billion to pay back deferrals owed to school districts, along with $1.25 billion in one-time funding to support the implementation of Common Core standards, which schools must implement in 2014.
What does all this mean for the Berryessa School District? We are still waiting to get the final numbers, but this week the Board approved a budget that includes income that is more than $2.5 million above the level from 2012-2013. Once all the additional funding added this month by the legislature is taken into account, there could be another $1 million in income for our district.
The budget is good news, and means that we can begin to rebuild the programs that have been cut to the bone over the past decade. The Board will reconvene on July 16 to review (with our new Assistant Superintendent of Fiscal Services) the updated budget numbers and begin to discuss our priorities for adding services that are so desperately needed in our schools.
One thing is clear. Our teachers must get a raise so that they can be adequately compensated for the tremendous work they do and so that our district can remain competitive with others in our region. I am confident that we will find a way to provide a salary increase for all our staff in the coming year. I also look forward to having discussions on making sure we have adequate support in the following areas: counseling services; in-school suspension programs in our middle schools; campus security; custodial and maintenance support; library services; and modern information technology.
I am very pleased that we took a modest but important step this week to improve customer service in our school offices by instructing the district to add an hour of time to our school clerks. It is our secretaries and clerks that serve as the public face of our schools, manage all school data, deal with children and parents who come into the office, and help students who are injured or sick. Our schools have been understaffed for that past few years as a result of our need to very conservatively manage our district's budget.
I hope everyone enjoys their summer. The Board will be hard at work to make sure the district is prepared to provide the best education possible in the coming school year.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Filling the School Board Vacancy
Two weeks ago, our Board colleague David Neighbors submitted his resignation and left the Board of Trustees. State law dictates that we have 60 days to either call an election or appoint a replacement. As a special election to elect a new board member would cost the district $250,000 and the result would only fill the term for 12 months, until the November 2014 election, the Board decided this week to go through an appointment process to identify and select a member of the community to fill the vacancy.
An application is available today. Anyone who is interested can pick it up at the District Office or download the application from the district website. Applications will be due back to the District Office by Friday, April 5.
The Board has decided that if there are more than 5 applicants (there were 17 when we filled a vacancy in 2007), we will convene a committee made up of employee representatives and members of the community to interview the candidates and recommend a set of 5 to interview with the Board. If there are 5 or fewer applicants, the Board will hold a meeting on April 23 to interview all the candidates and have a discussion about them.
If a committee is involved, they will make their recommendation by April 29 and the Board will meet and interview the 5 finalists on May 6. Either way, the Board will make a final decision by May 6. The new Board member will then be seated in time for the May 21 Board meeting and will take part in the development of the 2013-2014 school year budget and our Strategic Planning process.
An application is available today. Anyone who is interested can pick it up at the District Office or download the application from the district website. Applications will be due back to the District Office by Friday, April 5.
The Board has decided that if there are more than 5 applicants (there were 17 when we filled a vacancy in 2007), we will convene a committee made up of employee representatives and members of the community to interview the candidates and recommend a set of 5 to interview with the Board. If there are 5 or fewer applicants, the Board will hold a meeting on April 23 to interview all the candidates and have a discussion about them.
If a committee is involved, they will make their recommendation by April 29 and the Board will meet and interview the 5 finalists on May 6. Either way, the Board will make a final decision by May 6. The new Board member will then be seated in time for the May 21 Board meeting and will take part in the development of the 2013-2014 school year budget and our Strategic Planning process.
Friday, March 1, 2013
How Does the Sequester Affect Berryessa?
If you are paying attention to the political events happening in Washington, you are aware that automatic cuts in the federal budget (known as "sequester") happened today. While it would have been better for Congress to take a more targeted approach to cuts, balanced with additional revenue, our district fortunately does not rely too heavily on federal money.
There have been a few stories published about the impact of the sequester cuts on education. In the aggregate, California faces about $250 million in cuts. This is mostly in Title I and Special Education funding. The overall result of this level of funding reduction is outlined by John Festerwald here.
Festerwald's column explains how these cuts do not hit schools right away. Since all funding for the current school year has already been committed, sequester cuts won't be felt by districts until the 2013-14 school year. That means there is still time for Congress to join with the President to undo these cuts and find other ways to adjust federal spending levels. I spoke with Congressman Mike Honda, who represents Berryessa in Washington, and while he is uncertain how this will play out, he is hopeful that the sides will come together to make a deal now that the actual sequester cuts are being implemented.
The Berryessa School District currently receives about $3.7 million of federal funding for Title I and Special Education. This about 7% of our total budget. The sequester will cut education funding by about 5%. That means the total effect on our district's budget would be less than one-half of one percent. While a reduction of $250,000 in federal funding would certainly impact our budget, it is far less than the cuts our district has dealt with in each of the past 6 years due to state budget shortfalls.
We should all advocate for Congress to *increase* school funding, not decrease it. Making these cuts is exactly the wrong thing to do at a time when economic growth is of paramount importance. At the same time, these cuts are no reason to panic about our district's ability to continue it's progress in improving the education of Berryessa's children.
There have been a few stories published about the impact of the sequester cuts on education. In the aggregate, California faces about $250 million in cuts. This is mostly in Title I and Special Education funding. The overall result of this level of funding reduction is outlined by John Festerwald here.
Festerwald's column explains how these cuts do not hit schools right away. Since all funding for the current school year has already been committed, sequester cuts won't be felt by districts until the 2013-14 school year. That means there is still time for Congress to join with the President to undo these cuts and find other ways to adjust federal spending levels. I spoke with Congressman Mike Honda, who represents Berryessa in Washington, and while he is uncertain how this will play out, he is hopeful that the sides will come together to make a deal now that the actual sequester cuts are being implemented.
The Berryessa School District currently receives about $3.7 million of federal funding for Title I and Special Education. This about 7% of our total budget. The sequester will cut education funding by about 5%. That means the total effect on our district's budget would be less than one-half of one percent. While a reduction of $250,000 in federal funding would certainly impact our budget, it is far less than the cuts our district has dealt with in each of the past 6 years due to state budget shortfalls.
We should all advocate for Congress to *increase* school funding, not decrease it. Making these cuts is exactly the wrong thing to do at a time when economic growth is of paramount importance. At the same time, these cuts are no reason to panic about our district's ability to continue it's progress in improving the education of Berryessa's children.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Next Week's Election - Proposition 30
While my thoughts today are with my family on the East Coast, I don't want to lose sight of the importance of next week's election to the future of the Berryessa School District. I think all readers of this blog know how important Proposition 30 is to the future of education in California.
The State legislature passed a budget in June that holds school funding at status quo from 2011-2012 to 2012-2013. However, that budget relied on an additional $6 billion in revenue that would have to come by a vote of the public on a ballot initiative. That ballot initiative became Proposition 30.
Prop. 30 would increase income tax on those who make more than $250,000 as individuals or $500,000 filing jointly. In addition, the sales tax would increase by 1/4 percent. The new sales tax level would still be below what it was last year, when the previous 1/2 percent temporary sales tax expired.
If Proposition 30 were to fail, the budget has built in trigger cuts that would predominantly affect K-12 schools and colleges and universities. During the past 5 years, state funding for education has fallen dramatically after the economy turned south. Berryessa School District has lost $9 million per year. The trigger cuts in the state budget would reduce our revenue by an additional $3 million.
I was optimistic that Proposition 30 would pass, but recent polls show that voters are more and more skeptical. If voters turn it down, our School Board will meet the night after the election, Nov. 7, to discuss what actions we will have to take to balance our budget in the face of more massive cuts.
Yesterday's Mercury News ran a story about how school districts will face credit downgrades if Proposition 30 fails. I suspect some school districts may actually be in danger of bankruptcy.
Please spread the word about the importance of voting yes on Proposition 30.
The State legislature passed a budget in June that holds school funding at status quo from 2011-2012 to 2012-2013. However, that budget relied on an additional $6 billion in revenue that would have to come by a vote of the public on a ballot initiative. That ballot initiative became Proposition 30.
Prop. 30 would increase income tax on those who make more than $250,000 as individuals or $500,000 filing jointly. In addition, the sales tax would increase by 1/4 percent. The new sales tax level would still be below what it was last year, when the previous 1/2 percent temporary sales tax expired.
If Proposition 30 were to fail, the budget has built in trigger cuts that would predominantly affect K-12 schools and colleges and universities. During the past 5 years, state funding for education has fallen dramatically after the economy turned south. Berryessa School District has lost $9 million per year. The trigger cuts in the state budget would reduce our revenue by an additional $3 million.
I was optimistic that Proposition 30 would pass, but recent polls show that voters are more and more skeptical. If voters turn it down, our School Board will meet the night after the election, Nov. 7, to discuss what actions we will have to take to balance our budget in the face of more massive cuts.
Yesterday's Mercury News ran a story about how school districts will face credit downgrades if Proposition 30 fails. I suspect some school districts may actually be in danger of bankruptcy.
Please spread the word about the importance of voting yes on Proposition 30.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
District Continues Achevement Growth
Last week, the California Department of Education released the 2012 Academic Accountability Progress Reports. The reports usually are released in August, but were delayed this year due to some testing security issues.
When it comes to the much watched API scores, the tests showed great progress for the Berryessa School District. The district as a whole increase another 12 points this year to 854. The compares favorably to Santa Clara County's median score of 845, and is 66 points above the state median score of 788.
A very exciting result occurred at Northwood Elementary School, where the API score increased by 21 points, and reached 906. They are the second school in the district to break the 900 level. One reason why this is so exciting is that Northwood is a Title I school, and has the district's highest percentage of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch. This result shows that great teachers, dedicated students, active parents, and strong administrative support can make any school successful.
While the district is showing great growth based on California's criteria, the federal standards are getting harder to meet every year. This year, in order for a school to have met the criteria for Adequate Yearly Progress, 78.4% of the students must score proficient in English Language Arts and 79% in Math. Next year, those targets will increase to over 85%. As a result, out of Berryessa's 13 schools, only Cherrywood and Summerdale met the AYP criteria this year.
The biggest irony of these measures is that while Northwood made such pheonomenal gains, it fell into Year I of Program Improvement status. We now have to offer students a choice to transfer to another school. Of course, they would have to select a school that has a lower API score than Northwood. A year ago, I wrote about the problems with the punitive nature of the AYP system and why California is trying to get a waiver from its requirements. No progress has been made on that front.
An important area of focus for schools is how to reduce the achievement gap, which is the difference between various subgroups on their academic results. In Berryessa, our achievement gap is measured as the difference between a subgroup's test scores and the scores of Asian students. Over the past two years, the African American achievement gap has decreased by 32 points. For Latino students, the gap has narrowed by 20 points. For students with disabilities, the achievement gap has been reduced by 34 points. All this while Asian scores have increased by 22 points. These are great achievements, but there is still much work to do, as the Latino achievement gap is still 180 points.
Overall, there was a lot of good news for Berryessa in the annual progress reports. Congratulations to all the teachers, staff, parents, students, and administrators for working hard to improve the academic achievement of our students.
When it comes to the much watched API scores, the tests showed great progress for the Berryessa School District. The district as a whole increase another 12 points this year to 854. The compares favorably to Santa Clara County's median score of 845, and is 66 points above the state median score of 788.
A very exciting result occurred at Northwood Elementary School, where the API score increased by 21 points, and reached 906. They are the second school in the district to break the 900 level. One reason why this is so exciting is that Northwood is a Title I school, and has the district's highest percentage of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch. This result shows that great teachers, dedicated students, active parents, and strong administrative support can make any school successful.
While the district is showing great growth based on California's criteria, the federal standards are getting harder to meet every year. This year, in order for a school to have met the criteria for Adequate Yearly Progress, 78.4% of the students must score proficient in English Language Arts and 79% in Math. Next year, those targets will increase to over 85%. As a result, out of Berryessa's 13 schools, only Cherrywood and Summerdale met the AYP criteria this year.
The biggest irony of these measures is that while Northwood made such pheonomenal gains, it fell into Year I of Program Improvement status. We now have to offer students a choice to transfer to another school. Of course, they would have to select a school that has a lower API score than Northwood. A year ago, I wrote about the problems with the punitive nature of the AYP system and why California is trying to get a waiver from its requirements. No progress has been made on that front.
An important area of focus for schools is how to reduce the achievement gap, which is the difference between various subgroups on their academic results. In Berryessa, our achievement gap is measured as the difference between a subgroup's test scores and the scores of Asian students. Over the past two years, the African American achievement gap has decreased by 32 points. For Latino students, the gap has narrowed by 20 points. For students with disabilities, the achievement gap has been reduced by 34 points. All this while Asian scores have increased by 22 points. These are great achievements, but there is still much work to do, as the Latino achievement gap is still 180 points.
Overall, there was a lot of good news for Berryessa in the annual progress reports. Congratulations to all the teachers, staff, parents, students, and administrators for working hard to improve the academic achievement of our students.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
November Election Initiatives
The November 6 election has several issues that are very important to schools on the ballot in California. Besides placing Measure K on the ballot to extend Berryessa's existing parcel tax by another 8 years, our Board has taken a position on 2 statewide initiatives.
Our Board voted to endorse Governor Brown's tax initiative, Proposition 30. Without additional revenue, the state of California will be forced to cut billions more out of the state budget. Current estimates are that if Proposition 30 fails, Berryessa would lose about $450 per student, which means we will need to cut over $3 million from our budget next year.
Many people in education are supporting Proposition 38, Molly Munger's initiative. While there are many good things about that initiative and it would help schools if it passed, I want to explain why I believe Proposition 30 is more important. Proposition 30 would stop the bleeding in the state budget. If Proposition 38 were to pass and Proposition 30 fail, any gains to schools would, at least in the short term, be offset by cuts from the state. Secondly, Proposition 38 focuses on K-12 schools, but we need to make sure the Community College, CSU, and UC systems are maintained in order to keep California on the leading edge. Proposition 30 would provide resources that can be used for higher education as well as elementary schools.
Another important initiative on the ballot is Proposition 32. If Prop 32 passes, it would do damage to California for years to come. Last week, the Berryessa School Board unanimously voted to oppose Proposition 32. This initiative claims to be about campaign finance reform. In fact, it is a measure meant to silence working class families while doing nothing to stop corporate spending on elections.
Proposition 32 would no longer allow employee labor unions to utilize employee payroll deductions to be spent on campaigns. Our employees are represented in the state through these payroll deductions. This year, CTA, CSEA, Teamsters, and other labor groups are helping get the word out about the importance of Proposition 30. They also work very hard to keep education at the forefront of the legislature's consciousness. Without the ability to spend money supporting Proposition 30, for example, the voice of our students would be drowned out by the taxpayer associations and business interests that want to cut public school spending even further.
For the reasons outlined above, the Berryessa School Board encourages everyone to learn about both Proposition 30 and Proposition 32. Most of all, please remember to exercise your constitutional right to vote.
Our Board voted to endorse Governor Brown's tax initiative, Proposition 30. Without additional revenue, the state of California will be forced to cut billions more out of the state budget. Current estimates are that if Proposition 30 fails, Berryessa would lose about $450 per student, which means we will need to cut over $3 million from our budget next year.
Many people in education are supporting Proposition 38, Molly Munger's initiative. While there are many good things about that initiative and it would help schools if it passed, I want to explain why I believe Proposition 30 is more important. Proposition 30 would stop the bleeding in the state budget. If Proposition 38 were to pass and Proposition 30 fail, any gains to schools would, at least in the short term, be offset by cuts from the state. Secondly, Proposition 38 focuses on K-12 schools, but we need to make sure the Community College, CSU, and UC systems are maintained in order to keep California on the leading edge. Proposition 30 would provide resources that can be used for higher education as well as elementary schools.
Another important initiative on the ballot is Proposition 32. If Prop 32 passes, it would do damage to California for years to come. Last week, the Berryessa School Board unanimously voted to oppose Proposition 32. This initiative claims to be about campaign finance reform. In fact, it is a measure meant to silence working class families while doing nothing to stop corporate spending on elections.
Proposition 32 would no longer allow employee labor unions to utilize employee payroll deductions to be spent on campaigns. Our employees are represented in the state through these payroll deductions. This year, CTA, CSEA, Teamsters, and other labor groups are helping get the word out about the importance of Proposition 30. They also work very hard to keep education at the forefront of the legislature's consciousness. Without the ability to spend money supporting Proposition 30, for example, the voice of our students would be drowned out by the taxpayer associations and business interests that want to cut public school spending even further.
For the reasons outlined above, the Berryessa School Board encourages everyone to learn about both Proposition 30 and Proposition 32. Most of all, please remember to exercise your constitutional right to vote.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Start of a New School Year
Students are back in classrooms today, at the start of the 2012-13 school year. The district was buzzing with excitement this morning as I visited several schools.
District employees were busy during the summer getting things ready. Personnel services made sure staff is in place to meet the student demands. Education services was managing enrollment and making sure curriculum is meeting the needs of our students. Enrollment was particularly challenging as a couple of our schools have reach overflow capacity. The nutrition department made sure food services staff are ready to serve the kids.
The district IT department greeted the new year with a newly revamped district website. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out at www.berryessa.k12.ca.us. It looks great.
As usual, summer is a busy time in the maintenance department. The most visible upgrade this summer is the new roof on Piedmont Middle School. It is the 13th and final school in the district to get a new roof paid for by our 2000 bond measure. Noble School has a new fire alarm system and a great looking, educational garden. Several schools got fresh coats of paint and resurfaced black top.
My favorite scene at the start of a new year is watching parents dropping off new kindergarten students. Most are taking photos as they watch their little ones head into class for the first time. Their excitement is matched all over the district by students who have new teachers and new classmates. I wish everyone nothing but success in the upcoming school year.
District employees were busy during the summer getting things ready. Personnel services made sure staff is in place to meet the student demands. Education services was managing enrollment and making sure curriculum is meeting the needs of our students. Enrollment was particularly challenging as a couple of our schools have reach overflow capacity. The nutrition department made sure food services staff are ready to serve the kids.
The district IT department greeted the new year with a newly revamped district website. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out at www.berryessa.k12.ca.us. It looks great.
As usual, summer is a busy time in the maintenance department. The most visible upgrade this summer is the new roof on Piedmont Middle School. It is the 13th and final school in the district to get a new roof paid for by our 2000 bond measure. Noble School has a new fire alarm system and a great looking, educational garden. Several schools got fresh coats of paint and resurfaced black top. My favorite scene at the start of a new year is watching parents dropping off new kindergarten students. Most are taking photos as they watch their little ones head into class for the first time. Their excitement is matched all over the district by students who have new teachers and new classmates. I wish everyone nothing but success in the upcoming school year.
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