Tarwater explains changes within LTUSD
Dear Parents:
The current financial maelstrom in the state of California continues to force districts to make painful reductions in order to meet their financial obligations. Lake Tahoe Unified School District has made severe budget reductions over the past two years to the tune of $4 million – $1.2 million for 2010-11 alone.
The Board of Education and the Leadership Team have drawn a line in the sand when it comes to eliminating important programs such as K-3 Class Size Reduction, elementary PE, music in grades 4-12, and athletics programs for middle and high school students.
Jim Tarwater
In order to maintain programs, the district offers Golden Handshake Retirement Incentives so positions can be eliminated through attrition, instead of “pink-slipping”.
Such an opportunity has arisen this year with the retirement of the director of Human Resources and Staff Development. More tough decisions need to be made in order to keep as much money as possible at the schools. Therefore, it has become necessary for me to relinquish my duties as principal of LTESMS and to assume the responsibilities of the HR department rather than hiring a replacement.
All administrators have had to take on more responsibility during this financial crisis as we continue to downsize. Therefore, next year, Ryan Galles, principal of Sierra House Elementary, has graciously accepted the duties of principal at LTESMS for the 2011-12 school year. Mr. Galles has a proven track record at Sierra House Elementary and will be able to work with both schools and communities to maintain the high performance and parent involvement that we all expect.
It has been my honor and my pleasure to have opened LTESMS in September 2005 and to have been a part of this amazing school, which has received numerous awards for its outstanding programs and academic excellence. I am proud of the parents and students who have worked cooperatively and collaboratively with the teachers to maximize the students’ academic potential as they grow to be productive members of our global society.
I would like you to know that I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the LTESMS community and I will really miss meeting and greeting your son or daughter each morning. It has been a privilege to be your principal over the past six years.
As I say “farewell” at the end of this school year, I will not say “goodbye”. I look forward to visiting LTESMS throughout the coming year from time to time and giving “high fives” throughout the year. I also look forward to seeing your children grow and thrive as they move through the middle and high school.
Sincerely,
James R. Tarwater, principal LTESMS and LTUSD superintendent
It must be really nice to have that “Golden Handshake” waiting for you. Most of us regular folk don’t even have Social Security waiting for us anymore, but we pay for yours. You must be proud.
Why does the Director of Facilities make $112,000? That is more than some of the principals make. Can the district really not find someone to be in charge of the buildings and grounds for $60-70K? Does this director have some special qualification or advanced degree to justify such a high salary?
And yes, the magnet school has done well. But it has done so by siphoning off the best educated and most affluent families in town to have 85% white afflucent students in a town that is at least 40% latino and over 50% poor. I think most schools would do well with that demographic. Meanwhile teachers at the other schools are told they must raise their test scores or else, despite being given the poorest and least prepared students year after year. I hope that Mr. Galles will address the injustice of having a white flight magnet school in this town.
The administration that is left in place all multi-task in their jobs with little classified supporting staff. I feel the director of facilities has been pro-active even back when Shierhorn was our superintendent. One way to save the district money might be to cut the 10 paid teacher sick days back to 5. and have the state give kids 5 sick days off also a year before deducting ADA funding from the district. The white flight magnet school goes to show that raising the district enrollment by accepting illegals only hurts the budget in the long run, because the ADA funds it brings in by enrollment, it looses by paying for their free breakfast and lunch programs and English learning, pulling the whole school’s test scores down. Just deport them! Turn them in, and see if the district can balance their declining enrollment budget. I’d love to run the numbers. The attitude is that it is a innocent child, so let them stay, let them learn. What they learn is how to step on other people to bring themselves up and pushing others down. Magnet schools, private schools, home schools, charter schools will not go away it only cause’s those families to work harder so their own kids can have a chance. If you are a teacher or administrator that caters to illegals you are hurting your own school, job and community. Illegal is not okay just because it brings in money in the front end as it sloshes out the back end.It is breaking the law, and you are not holier than thou if you feel they deserve a break. Our middle class legal children fall through all kinds of cracks.
You said it all Local Girl. I fully agree.
7:49 PM
Friday, March 25, 2011
Standard Time +1200 UTC
Careless,and you are not holier than thou ,Take that big black book,shove it.
That PICTURE looks like”Ed” McMahon on shroons.
Lets Just deport you.
Life a beach.