Opinion: A no vote on Prop. 30 would be ‘horrific’
By Vicki Barber
Driving around our expansive El Dorado County — sprawling from the valley up through the foothills and forests to Lake Tahoe — I am constantly amazed at the diversity and beauty of the terrain.
I am equally impressed by the diversity of our school districts.
Vicki Barber
Yet after a quarter century of striving to improve the quality of education in both large and small, urban and deeply rural districts, I am feeling a growing concern — and personal sadness — about our local schools and the future of education in our communities.
My primary concern is not just about the pivotal Proposition 30 facing state voters in the Nov. 6 election but from a cumulative erosion of funding for schools in the past five years.
In El Dorado County our 12 local elementary districts, two unified districts and union high school district have been forced to cut about 20 percent from their annual budgets — about $22 million in real-world dollars. Numerous programs have had to be curtailed or canceled, with talented teachers and staff being laid off.
Amazingly, our schools have been able to sustain a solid performance level of 81 percent, despite cutback upon cutback. I credit the professionalism and dedication of our teaching, administrative and support staffs, as well as involved parents in our schools.
However, in my conversations with our professionals, I sense that the extra sacrifices most have made to sustain quality have taken a personal toll. The cuts are creating a level of discouragement and fatigue that begins to approach burnout for some.
There are two types of cuts: direct reductions in funding due to the multi-billion-dollar statewide budget deficit, and “deferred” payments — which amount to the same thing (cutting people and programs) locally.
Then comes this year’s blow (if voters reject Prop. 30): By the end of the school year, our districts must make another drastic cut of about 10 percent, or about $455 per student on a basis of $5,000 per student from the state. This would amount to several million more dollars.
While I am not advocating on behalf of Proposition 30, I feel it is my responsibility to warn of the immediate and longer-term impacts of its failure — impacts that will directly impact our 30,000 students, 6,500 professionals and support staff, and the overall quality of the education we provide our children.
Based on my lifetime of experience in education, including a quarter century with the El Dorado County Office of Education in budgeting, special services and as superintendent, last month I said publicly that the impacts would be “horrific.” I stand by that professional assessment.
It is demoralizing to those of us who have spent our careers trying to provide quality education for children, and now we’re dismantling programs that make a real difference.
I am not alone in my concern and sadness at witnessing the erosion of the quality educational programs I have spent a career helping build. It is what I hear from officials in our local districts, from colleagues statewide, from teaching and support staff throughout our schools, and even from within the County Office of Education itself.
Deputy Superintendent Jeremy Meyers, in charge of educational services and programs, believes that we are quite literally at a “tipping point” where quality cannot be sustained despite the dedication and best efforts of our staff. He notes that the cutbacks are not only increasing class sizes and reducing programs but are actually ending the careers of some teachers.
He’s right. We are seeing the brightest, our youngest folks who are coming into the profession at a time when we’re then saying to them, “We can’t continue,” as we hand them layoff notices under the last-in-first-out seniority rule.
The loss of another 10 percent in per student funding, on top of the deep cuts already made, could mean shortening the school year by three full weeks.
And despite the rhetoric of politicians on the importance of education to America, do we really believe — in comparison to other countries and the world economy — that we want our kids in the United States to receive three weeks less of school?
Vicki Barber is superintendent of schools for El Dorado County.
You can count on my vote!
Sad that you have ‘Bought” into the real world bullying of This baffoon of a Gov. This bill and the reality that it will fund schools is a LIE!! Wake up and READ THE BILL!!Perform the basis of YOUR education!! The money goes DIRECTLY to the GENERAL FUND!! Bailing out past unfunded LIABILITIES!! HELLO anyone home!!
As a person nearing 60-years of age, I am a first generation American born to European immigrant parents who did not speak English and worked in factories. They had little to no education. But they had the American Dream and instilled great motivation and pride in me and my abilities.
I “worked” my way through school to attain a doctorate degree. I received no financial support from parents, the government, or grants.
No amount of money can change the educational system. No amount of gadget and toys such as computers, iPads, calculators can teach a child.
It comes from within. It comes from having integrity in yourself and working to make a better future for yourself and those within your world.
When I hear over and over “we need this or that so our students can learn x, y, or z” I shudder. With little more than pencil, paper, slide rule, and some books, it was my father’s generation and those before them that sent men to the moon, they developed farming techniques to feed the world, they made great strides in medicine, on and on.
They did ALL that and more ONLY because they imagined a better future and with creative ingenuity they worked toward many goals.
2-years ago I served as a judge for the Intel Science and Engineering Fair held in Reno, NV. There were more than 1600 students from 58 countries competing. I personally judged 8 students/groups of students, for which 3 were from the U.S.
The others were from Puerto Rico, China Thailand, India, and Japan. The foreign students outshined the U.S. students primarily due to their own individual motivation and ingenuity, whereas all 3 of the U.S. students that I judged stated they did their projects with an idea and help from a professional parent.
Although I had never taught before, I did one-year of teaching at a community college in my field. After the very first test I gave to a second year class, every student failed. It was an essay test vs. T / F and multiple choice, which was all they had ever had in the previously. I went over the answers with the students pointing out what information in the question essentially gave them the answer.
After a weekend of me thinking I had failed as a teacher, I arrived back in class on Monday only to have the students say to me “Dr. X, we talked among our selves and we decided you are right. We were taught not to think, and we had thinking beat out of us. We want you to do more but we don’t want to be graded on this test.” I threw out those test scores but continued with the same method of teaching.
That was a transforming time for those students. I am still in contact with many of them today. Just 2 months ago I saw one at a conference and she told me that was the turning point in her life and she “thinks and inquires” about things now instead of taking them for granted.
Personally I will be voting against any bill that provides additional funding for any educational program, as that is a bandage on a growing malignancy. The malignancy is lack of ingenuity, motivation and integrity. Sameness does nothing but keep things the same.
VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 30.
What is to keep Prop. 30’s funds supposedly earmarked for public education, public safety, and other “basic” needs from being simultaneously displaced and spent elsewhere for more boondoggles and inefficient bureaucracy? Like the State Parks $52 million secret slush fund that nobody claimed to know anything about, even the department director.
Prop. 30 is a sham.
Do not raise taxes, rather stop spending on things not meant to be done by government.
Yes, Read the Bill…
Text from Prop 30:
Benefits:
“…the new revenues would be deposited into a newly created state account called the Education Protection Account (EPA). Of the funds in the account, 89 percent would be provided to schools and 11 percent to community colleges.”
What we lose:
“Backup Budget Plan Reduces Spending if Voters Reject This Measure. If this measure fails, the state would not receive the additional revenues generated by the proposition’s tax increases. In this situation, the 2012–13 budget plan requires that its spending be reduced by
$6 billion. These trigger cuts, as currently scheduled in state law, are shown in Figure 3. Almost all the reductions are to education programs—$5.4 billion to K–14 education and
$500 million to public universities.”
http://vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov/2012/general/pdf/30-title-summ-analysis.pdf
Like it or not our schools need your support. Wrongly or rightly, wether the tax money is guaranteed or not. If you vote against Prop 30 you will be voting to cut our schools another ~10%. We will have cut Education by 30% over the last several years. This needs to stop and now.
All the special interest will vote yes, and the others will vote no.
All those interested in striving for quality education for all our students will vote yes. All those in favor of privatizing education and making it free market/for profit will vote no. When profit is the most important factor in our decisions concerning our schools I’m sure we’ll be able to turn out an entire generation of corporate/loyal teabaggers.
Mort,With all due respect, unless you went to private schools for all your education, you received a phenomenal amount of financial help by way of public education. I am your age, went to school, but only though the Masters level, and am under no confusion as to how I was able to do that. I am always grateful to the State of California for allowing me that opportunity. As my daughter prepares for college I am very aware that our state’s lack of funding will not allow many students that same opportunity without burdensome debt upon graduation. My entire BA at SJSU cost less than $500 for all five years ( studied abroad one year) and now would cost about $35,000. My husband’s phd tuition at Berkeley was about $1800 per year, but now would be over $15,000. We pay it all back in the taxes we pay yearly. You are right that money won’t cure a lack of critical thinking, but the inability to teach that is because legislators and parents require so much time to teach for mandated standardized testing and won’t allow the teaching of controversial issues without having hissy fit about little Johnny being exposed to things that mommy and daddy don’t believe in. Money will however, put instruments in labs, bring music and the arts back, newer textbooks and field trips to experience things kids wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to. You studied in classes that were well equipt and today’s students are not. Additionally, computers and calculators are not ” gadgets and toys” but are the abacus and slide rules of today and to not have them would put our students even further behind. The sad fact is that California no longer values education as it did. It is not continuing ” sameness” because nothing is the same.
If by ‘Special Interests’ you mean our future you would be right.
The text contradicts claims that this money will go elsewhere and the reality is…
If you want an educated working class you will support funding education.
Vote your conscience.
If you want to try to understand what is wrong with America than I think you need to start by understanding what the education monopoly has done to education.
It is more akin to socialist indoctrination than education. California’s education system is among the worst!
Over paid and way over pensioned – it is one of the key reasons California is collapsing. The public sector is stealing your childrens future.
Local, I enjoy your thought provoking posts about important issues and I also think that your misspelling of the word yokel enhances its meaning. Kinda like when I’m referred to as a “moran” by the blowhard wingnuts that overpopulate this comment section.~
It will just be a shell game just like the fire “fee.” Even during the good times education took a backseat to pet projects and pet agencies. Its why there is no more P.E. or music in schools. Dont give them money until there is guarantee it will go to schools. And yes, I have two kids in the schools.
Lisa,
Your comments are valid and appreciated.
Just for the record, I received my doctorate degree from a prestigious private university in Boston, Massachusetts.
Challenge our students to rise to their ultimate potential. Don’t stifle them with coddling.
Thank you.
Mort
Challenging students and making them think outside the box is a great thing. It does all start with a great guide, a pencil and paper, but, what is different with this generation is that technology is moving so rapidly that they need to get on board with it early so that they have a chance in the work force.
What I’ve noticed in other countries is their value on an education, much of where we were in the 60s and 70s. In South Korea the kids are in school from 7 am to 5 pm, learning the whole time. Same as in many other parts of Asia. They move to our country and their kids excel. Why? They have before school classes, public school, then after school classes. The family unit demands they succeed in school.
I’m all for a good education. We have great teachers. We need to give them the tools they need to teach what they have to teach. Then we need to work on creating a larger % of students that want to succeed. Challenge them to be all that they can be at home and at school.
First off, thank you for correcting my spelling… It is nice to know you can read. Where did you learn to read and correct spelling? I am guessing in school and with your parent’s help.
After you get done with your vitriol (had spell check on that one) try bringing a few facts to the table or is name calling all you have?
How is public Education a monopoly? There are private schools around so you do have options. I would agree that those who choose private education should not have to pay taxes toward public schools but this does not make public education a monopoly. Conservatives point to vouchers but no voucher system yet suggested would cover the cost of a private education. The fact you aren’t seeing is that private education is not able to do what public education does today without losing money, teach all kids regardless of income or background and make them successful citizens.
As for Teacher pensions (for the record, I am not a teacher): Did you know that teachers do not pay into Social Security and can not receive Social Security benefits even if they paid into it as part of their Teacher’s pension? Also, did you know that the many firefighters or police pensions include retirement with full benefits at higher rates and can retire after 20 years of service regardless of age?
For TeaTotal: It is moron not “moran” unless you were seeing my spelling of ‘Yokle’ as ghetto slang and a Blowhard is a boastful or exhaustively talkative person. I guess I am talkative but the only thing I can brag about is getting a bunch a Tea Party nut cases calling me names instead of posting any actual facts to support their arguments.
Good luck in Grad School… Oh that is right, you likely can’t afford the Private ones much less the Public ones you will no longer support. I guess your kids are out of luck.
Local Yokel (thanks again for the spell check)
Mort,
Thank you for your comments.
I do agree that Education needs to change but I also think that your statements about student’s willingness to learn are societal issues as much as an issue that public schools must take all students even if they have no interest in learning.
I would love to see a change in public education along the lines of three strikes and you are out. If a student in high school shows continued unwillingness to learn or is a constant distraction to others that student should be shown the door for the benefit of the school and the remaining student population. Exceptions would be necessary for Special Populations. Public Education needs to be seen as a privilege and not a mandate or right.
As for funding, the monies in Prop 30 are admittedly a band aide but do not represent additional funding. It is to keep the current funding levels… Education has already seen roughly 20% reduction in funding. I agree that Education needs to be reformed but cuts across the board while making little structural change is not the way to go about it.
Lastly, I am guessing you went to a public K12 and you did see benefits from Public Education. If for no other reason than public education forces the Private Schools to compete and lower their costs. Several recent articles have shown that a private education is not necessarily worth the cost of admission these days.
http://www.economist.com/node/10766267
Local Yokel