February 2009 Archives

SACRAMENTO - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today congratulated Sophia Angelis and Raneene (Rae) Belisle on their appointments to the State Board of Education, and Kathryn Radtkey-Gaither on her appointment to the position of undersecretary for the Office of the Secretary of Education.

            "I have known Rae Belisle and Kathryn Radtkey-Gaither for many years, and I look forward to working with them in their new positions. I also look forward to working with Sophia Angelis in her position as student member of the State Board of Education."

SACRAMENTO - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced the California Department of Education will celebrate Black History Month with the display of two exhibits and a performance by a world-renowned choir this week.

            "African Americans have made great sacrifices and amazing contributions to our country," said O'Connell. "All of us should take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey they have taken from the shameful days of slavery 400 years ago to the momentous election last year of the first African American president. I invite everyone to enjoy a free exhibit and performance at the California Department of Education this week that will take viewers through this journey."

            Asale Kimaada of Livermore created Grandmothers Who Help, Inc. after realizing there were few black history programs available in public schools. She put together a traveling pictorial exhibit of black history called, "African American History from Antiquity to Present Times." That exhibit will be on display February 25 at CDE headquarters, 1430 N Street in Sacramento.

Sacramento resident Cary Jung founded the Obama Political Items Collectors last year after determining intense interest among collectors nationwide in the history-making campaign of Barack Obama. Jung has collected political memorabilia since 1964 and currently has more than 1,200 pieces of Obama political memorabilia. His exhibit will also be on display February 25 at CDE.

The Crenshaw Elite Choir will perform at CDE the following day on February 26. This world-renowned group of young singers from Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles has toured the world and performed before royalty, government officials, foreign leaders, and entertainers. Under the leadership of Professor Iris Stevenson at the school, they won the gold medal in the gospel and spiritual category at the 2006 World Choir Games in China. The movie "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit" was inspired by the accomplishments of Stevenson and the Choir.

The Black History Month activities are being organized by CDE volunteers Cecelia Wilson, who works in the Data Management Division, and Katherine Gales, who is in the School and District Operations Branch.

The CDE Web site offers many references for parents and educators who wish to learn more about black history at www.cde.ca.gov/ci/hs/im/. For more information on Grandmothers Who Help, Inc., please visit www.grandmotherswhohelp.com. For more information on the Obama Political Items Collectors, please visit www.opic.home.comcast.net.

SAN DIEGO - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today held a news conference at Challenger Middle School in San Diego regarding the passage of the state budget by the California Legislature and issued the following statement:

"I'm pleased to see the Legislature finally put its differences aside and took action to end this protracted stalemate. While this budget is not ideal to any extent the uncertainty and instability for schools created by the lack of an agreement is over.

"This budget will reduce the current year Proposition 98 funding level by $7.4 billion, which includes about $2 billion in reductions to program and revenue limit funding, as well as $4.6 billion in deferrals and the redesignation of funds. While the state budget agreement resolves the massive state shortfall, we must recognize that part of the solution essentially transfers our state cash flow problem to local schools and districts, and these cuts will impact our students. 

"The budget agreement also provides additional flexibility to transfer funding between about 40 programs which may assist school districts in continuing to provide the educational services their students need. I hope that district leaders will use this flexibility effectively to manage local educational needs while maintaining a focus on raising student achievement and closing the achievement gap.

"I am glad that the budget agreement did not include the very successful class size reduction program in the list of categoricals subject to flexibility. Keeping class sizes low benefits students in the critical early grades when they are learning to read and establish a foundation in understanding mathematics.

"Other vital programs, including child nutrition, special education, economic impact aid, our apprenticeship programs, and partnership academies also were not included in the new flexibility. These programs serve some of our neediest children and it is appropriate to preserve their effectiveness.

"During the next few days, my staff will continue its review of the language in the proposed ballot measure affecting the Proposition 98 maintenance factor, which is intended to provide the $9 billion in repayments owed to public education. 

            "The painful budget process at our state and local school district level calls out for reform of California's dysfunctional budgeting process. It is time for a sincere and frank conversation about reform. Central to this conversation is the idea of throwing out the two-thirds vote requirement to pass a budget and simply using a majority vote. Nearly every state in the nation and Congress, as well as counties, and cities use majority votes to pass their budgets. California should follow suit.

"I understand that the minority party may feel that this would make them irrelevant to the process but, if anything, it would hold their majority party colleagues even more accountable.

"Most importantly, a simple majority vote would protect our schools and districts from the instability they are forced to endure anytime the Legislature cannot reach a budget compromise.

"It is time to bring about substantive changes to the way we do business in Sacramento - we owe the people of California this much."

WALNUT, CA-- It has been a rewarding, busy and challenging school year.  As we continue to celebrate the successes of our students and schools, Walnut Valley Unified School Districtalso continues to face the challenges of the mounting State budget crisis.

The California legislature and Governor Schwarzenegger have finally reached an agreement. President Obama has signed the Economic Stimulus package.

The budget signed by the Governor on February 19 calls for cuts to public education funding by more than $8.6 billion for K-14 students throughout the State of California 

This means that Walnut Valley Schools are anticipating a $2,550,000 mid-year cut, effective immediately and a $12,320,000 cut for the 2009-2010 school year, according to Superintendent Dr. Cyndy Simms.  The District also faces a $23,850,000 cut for the 2010-2011 school year.

With the passage of the State budget, an updated plan to address these revenue changes to WVUSD will be presented to the Board of Trustees during a special Study Session on February 24.  

As we have waited, though, Walnut Valley has been planning for what we expect to be a number of challenging years for schools across the state.

Our District must make difficult financial decisions in response to the State's budget crisis. Because Walnut Valley has maintained a fiscally conservative budget for the past several years, we do have some reserves to help us weather this storm.

Walnut Valley will continue to take a conservative approach to expenditures. Several months ago, Walnut Valley implemented a freeze on purchases of non-essential materials and equipment, conference travel, and a "hiring chill", with only critical vacancies being filled.

But that won't be enough. There will be reductions to programs and people.

"Walnut Valley is making very difficult decisions to address this challenge," said Dr. Simms.

"We will be issuing Reduction in Force (RIF) notices, but as of today, we don't have an exact number," Dr. Simms added.  The Education Code specifies that we must send out notices by March 15 (this year by March 13). 

Jack LeBrun, our Assistant Superintendent of Business Services has been working with his Budget Advisory Committee including certificated (WVEA) and classified (CSEA) Association leaders, district administrators, principals, parents, and community members to consider reductions required to address the reduced State revenues to our school district.

This committee has been thoughtfully researching strategies to try to keep cuts away from the classroom. The State budget reductions are too substantial to be resolved without increasing class sizes and scaling back programs and services that contribute to Walnut Valley's outstanding schools.

Our Board of Trustees, School Leaders, and Budget Advisory Committee including our Association leadership are a collective group of caring people devoted to Walnut Valleystudents and staff, who are now forced to make heart-wrenching decisions.

 "While we are facing great challenges, we are also blessed with talented people committed to Walnut Valley students.  Like our nation, we will face these hurdles head on and conquer them with commitment, out-of-the-box thinking, and dedication to our students, staff and community," Dr. Simms said.

The Walnut Valley Unified School District (WVUSD) serves 15,022 students with 705 certificated (teaching) and 575 classified (non-teaching) staff members. 

With the approval of an 18-month budget plan this morning by the State Legislature, Mt. San Antonio College President Dr. John Nixon and other community college leaders are returning their focus to the mission of providing Californians the education and training they need.

"Governor Schwarzenegger and the legislative leaders who have passed this budget are to be commended," said Nixon. "In making these very difficult budget decisions, they have prioritized community college access for all types of students seeking higher education and training during these hard economic times."

The budget provides funding for 36,000 more full-time students in the state's community college system next year.  Statewide, community colleges are currently serving more than 20,000 unfunded full-time students, a trend expected to continue next year with record enrollment demand. 

"The Legislature is to be applauded for its efforts to support community colleges that must take on the many students who will be turned away from the state universities," said Nixon. "At Mt. SAC, we still have challenges of meeting growing demand, as we are educating some 2,000 credit students for whom we are not getting state funding."

Recently, Mt. SAC saw credit enrollment jump 7.2% for its winter intersession, which ended last week. Early numbers for Mt. SAC's spring semester, which begins next week, are also on the rise with credit enrollments up 5.6% over last spring.

The resolution of the budget also is expected to let community colleges get back to work shortly on $1.5 billion in capital construction projects that have been delayed.  As they construct 193 projects on 102 campuses, community colleges are putting voter-approved bond dollars to work, employing local construction workers and transforming the campuses to meet 21^st century workforce needs.

At Mt. SAC, the story is no different with the opening of its new Math and Science building this spring and several other important construction projects online. 

SACRAMENTO - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today issued the following statement regarding education funding in California's state budget proposal, focusing specifically on the impact of cuts to prekindergarten through grade twelve:

"As long as lawmakers in Sacramento continue to struggle to pass a budget, California schools and districts are not able to plan and budget for their own operations.

"As I said two weeks ago at my State of Education address, the situation is precarious, but as bad as this budget is, it would provide some certainty to schools. I believe that an enacted budget would help the state's fiscal situation and ability to sell bonds or borrow monies as needed.

"The budget proposal being considered now reduces current year Proposition 98 funding by about $7 billion, which includes deferrals and the redesignation of funds. My concern is that the state is in essence transferring its cash flow problem to local agencies.

"Additional flexibility to transfer funding between about 40 programs will give some additional discretion to local districts that I hope would assist them to continue at some level to meet the needs of California's school children.

"I'm pleased that the class-size reduction program is preserved, and that the penalties for partial participation are reduced.

"Another important part of this proposal that I appreciate is that child nutrition, special education, and economic impact aid, as well as our apprenticeship programs, are not included in the transferability as these programs serve some of our most vulnerable children or, as in the case of apprenticeship programs, provide unique training and career exposure opportunities to our young people.

"I plan to review language on the Proposition 98 maintenance factor ballot measure, but I am pleased that as described it would ensure that education receives the $9 billion in repayments it is due. 

"Finally, I believe our state needs and deserves a better budgeting process. I hope that the dysfunction in the State Capitol provides momentum to my call for lowering the voting threshold for a budget from two-thirds down to a simple majority, and eliminating pay for the Governor and lawmakers when a budget is late.

"While many would argue that this change would essentially make the minority party obsolete, I believe it would hold the majority party in the Legislature fully accountable for its actions, while also providing for a much less cumbersome budget process.

"I also feel strongly that this change would help provide some measure of stability to our schools during this process, because the budget wouldn't as easily be held up by the minority party as it is now.

"In essence, education would not find itself mired in this perpetual fiscal limbo while legislators battle each other to come to a budget agreement. People up and down this state are forced to suffer as result of the budget gridlock, and I feel that the Governor and legislators must share in this pain. It is simply not right to keep paying the legislators if they're not doing their jobs - nobody else in California gets this sort of deal and neither should they."