So if you don't like Plan A ...how about Plan B?

As the budget discussion continues and the days mark down on the Governor's deadline to get authorization for a June ballot measure, the Legislative Analyst Office (LAO) in Sacramento issued his own Plan B.  So what do we do if the tax extension doesn't work?  Or what if we really can't make all the reductions proposed?  Etc.

The Plan B obviously has lots of impacts, but relative to K-12 education it would essentially propose an additional reduction of $750 per student against an existing $5,000 funding level.  This basically adds another 15% in reductions to what already is arguably the lowest funding level in the United States.  I believe this will have a serious effect on our children/students -- FAR beyond the effects that it has already had.

Progressing Kinda'

The Governor's budget process continues along in its journey toward a June election and possible tax extension that would generate an additional $12 Billion on state revenue for the next 5 years.  But there are a couple of possible hiccups.  There is essentially a March 10th deadline that must be met to get this to the June ballot -- and time is ticking. 

A larger problem is whether or not the Governor can convince enough of the Republicans to approve the measure to get it on the ballot.  While we have cleared the Assembly there is not such an optimistic view in the Senate and for overall success.  This past week, in an unusual move, Senator Dutton in GOP leadership stated that the Republicans would NOT agree to a ballot measure for a tax increase.

Day 44 and counting!

Distinguished Again

Our Middle Schools are some of the best in the county and we have known that for some time by looking at the data.  This past week we were notified that two of our Middle Schools (i.e., Earhart and Gage) are moving forward with a "validation" visit in the California Distinguished Schools process.  There were 2 other schools recognized in the county with a coming visit -- both in Desert Sands USD.  These two middle schools are adding to the growing list of RUSD schools that have won this statewide award one or several times.

Those involved already know that these schools are great schools and performing well.  The "validation" visit to review and understand the signature practices of each of these schools that can be shared with others.  Earhart Middle School is actually the TOP performing middle school in the county of Riverside.  We look forward to these two schools performing well and standing on the California Distinguished School stage in May.

Thank you teachers, classified, and administrators for the GREAT job you are doing with our students and schools.

There's a new Sheriff in Town!!

In January, we had a change of Governors.  Actually, that is not all that unusual.  However, in this case it appears to be far different than before.  When Governor Brown took office there were some symbolic budget reductions but more importantly there is a real reduction of formality and officialdom.   We began to hear of Gov. Brown walking down the streets of Sacramento minus escorts, motorcades, and handlers -- this is different!

As an example, Governor Brown recently attended the State Board of Education meeting without announcing his arrival -- and engaged in an informal conversation with the Board.  Governor Brown was also attired informally.  Overall, there seem to be clear signals that this Governor is much more impromptu and relaxed in his approach.  An excerpt of the State Board of Education meeting can be seen by going to:  http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/pn/nr/yr11sberel01.asp

Last week the Governor needed to get to SoCal ...so like you and I he headed down to Southwest airlines and got on-board (don't know if he was Business Select // in the A group or not) -- and then sat next to real people.  Time will tell, but it would appear that things are happening Sacramento.

Budget Progress

So we are about a month away from D-Day and the deadline for constructing and placing the Governor’s proposed tax extension measure on the June ballot. How’s it going? As come forward from the Governor’s “budget proposal” in early January we are beginning to see things shape up a bit. There are certainly a variety of articles from various sources regarding the merits or lack of with the Governor’s budget plan.

From my perspective, I appreciate the Governor’s courage, intent, and plan – but this seems to be anything other than a “sure” thing at this point. From a distance it appears that:

• The Governor’s plan is an “equal opportunity offender” in that both parties have lots to be upset about:
• The Republicans are obviously upset about the potential of an increase / extension of taxes for 5 more years – and they have signed a “no-tax pledge”
• The Democrats (though in the Legislative majority and the same party as the Governor) are facing huge reductions to some of their favorite programs with the proposed $12 Billion in reductions from Brown
• School officials and constituents are beginning to wrap their minds around the incredible level of reductions that are likely / promised if this tax measure does not make the June ballot and get passed.
• Probably instantly we lose $250 per student in the current year “deferral” that would not get delivered
• We would instantly lose another $350 per student for next year as the Prop 98 guarantee is reduced by $2 Billion – for a total loss of $600 per student
• All of those changes do NOT resolve the “hole” that is left in the Governor’s budget plan (another $10 Billion) – which will arguably mean more schools reductions as we “own” a significant share of the $10 Billion. Current estimates of resolving begin to sound like a $1,000 to $2,000 loss per student in total.

Only yesterday, Dan Walters of the Sacramento Bee and long-time Capitol observer noted well, "Many questions.  As yet, no answers."  Meanwhile the clock is ticking.

Value-added in JROTC

An oft under-represented program in our community / school discussions is the JROTC (Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp) that is provided at 4 of our high schools with 4 of the service groups (i.e., Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines). These groups have dramatic impact on our students / cadets as they are assisted with discipline and training that is supportive of healthy lifestyles and improved academic performance.

I saw one more example of that type of commitment and performance on Friday night with Poly HS JROTC Military Ball (i.e., 95th Annual) at the Riverside Convention Center. The event was attended by 190 uniformed cadets and their dates. There was a formal receiving line, introductions, toasts, traditions, etiquette, and a speech from visiting Major Sagona, etc. – ALL of which was run by the senior cadets.

Nicely done Major Dominguez and Poly Bear Cadets.

Redevelopment Funds

As part of the Governor’s budget plan/process/etc., he is suggesting that Redevelopment Agencies (RDA) pay schools directly rather than their original intent to support redevelopment projects. This sounds like a “good deal” for schools and the children of this state; however, upon closer inspection the reality is that is probably better for the State than anyone else.

Under the current laws, the State owes schools a particular amount of money by formula. With this RDA shift that amount of money is the same as it has always been (i.e., schools do not get one more dollar under this shift). However, who is paying the bill/obligation is shifting from the State to the local RDA – which makes one think that the State is the winner in this situation.

Meanwhile the capital improvement projects that are supported by RDA funds in the City are lost along with the construction-based jobs that were involved in building those projects.

In RUSD (as well as many other districts in Riverside County), we already get a substantial amount of money on an annual basis from the RDA to support the building of schools and other facilities. If this RDA change should occur, we will not get any more operational funds as defined by state law, BUT we would lose our current RDA funds. The net effect would be that we lose money on this deal!! Lost jobs, less money? I am not so sure that this is a “good deal,” though I appreciate the Governor’s effort to hold public education in “harmless.”

NCLB plus?

Once again we have national/ state test results released and people seem to be wondering "what happened?"  This time the results are for the NAEP Science assessment.  Needless to say, there are folks that are concerned and have actively voiced their opinion on the matter.  Why should I be any different?  So here is my opinion?

What were people expecting, with the clarity of the NCLB focus on essentially reading and math -- it is not hard to figure out that other highly important areas of the curriculum such as: science, social studies, arts, etc. somehow get left out of the equation.  At the same time, in the 21st century, more than ever we need students to be well-informed problem solvers (e.g., The Global Achievement Gap).  While NCLB might be headed in somewhat of the right direction -- with improved performance -- it falls woefully short of what we need.  IF every one of our students, as targeted, were fully proficient with the NCLB math and language arts targets in 2014 (the NCLB target year) -- where would we be?  I would suggest that we would have students that can read and compute -- but have few other skills to meet the challenges of this century.  We need to make sure we don't settle for NCLB targets alone.

In RUSD, the Board and others are actively advocating for much more than the NCLB standard.

The World of Video and Access 24/7

We were recently blessed with a significant grant from the Target Corporation that provides the possibility of virtual field trips for our students along with a number of other enhancements.

For quite some time now, we have provided podcasts of our Board meetings, that a number of you have referred to and referenced.  In addition, since October we have had available (and will continue to have available) videocasts of our regular Board meetings.  In addition to the issues of public access and transparency, these options are provided to you through STUDENT assistance -- which provides great career training.  We have students at a number of our high schools that are engaged in providing the filming and production of these Board videos.

We hope you are enjoying your access to these options.

Cafeteria Food!!

There continues to be much said in the media about how school lunches are not nutritious and there is a need by rule, regulation, or law to require more.  In fact recently, there were new guidelines that are asking for more fruits, vegetables, and grains -- all of which are good.

However, I have to say that I couldn't be more pleased with the kinds of meals and nutrition provided by the RUSD food service division.  They continually survey students and then craft responses to meet the student taste needs -- always keeping in mind the nutritional aspects.  I was involved in one of those sessions lately.  The District Chef (yes, with over 30,000 meals a day, we have a chef!) along with other food service folks were responding to questions and providing information.  They brought samples (food!!) to illustrate what they were offering -- most impressive though was the poster that provided appealing descriptions of what was offered along with clear nutritional information (including calories, sodium, fiber, and fat content).

I don't know about you -- but I don't think this is like any cafeteria food I have experienced before!!  Check out the poster yourself.

Coming Issues?

To continue with the directional issues (for public education) we are hearing about in Sacramento -- what else is out there on the horizon (but less directly related to budget)?  Obviously, this is all speculative, but the pundits and politicos in Sacramento seem to think that the hot issues that will gain traction and discussion in the next year will include:

• Public employee retirement systems and reconciling the budget and compensation issues involved.
• Resolving some the issues and equity issues with what is currently being called "Open Enrollment" schools (formerly, Persistently Low Achieving Schools) -- all of which is part of the Race To The Top legislative legacy.  The reality is that how the list was created and what is now being required of these schools doesn't make a lot of sense.
• "Teacher reform" issues that are really about taking a new look at "evaluations" of all of us, based on some of the press and allegations from the LA Times over the past year.
• The issue of "bullying" at schools -- particularly in regard to sexual orientation.
• Tweaks and twists regarding "on-line" education that have very little definition at this point -- other than the notion that it is functional part of expected system in this century.

So what do you think will be addressed from a state perspective in the next 12 months?

A Big Day for California

Yesterday, was a big day for Californians as newly elected Governor Brown brought out his solutions and plans to address the multi-Billion deficit/budget problem.  At 11 am yesterday, he held a rather short press conference about his plans including his 12 page PowerPoint presentation.  From my view the comments were blue sky, big concept, and casual -- though frankly lots better than what we had hoped for.  It was certainly nice to hear the Governor say that schools have "borne a disproportionate share of budget reductions in recent years."

So here are the basic specifics:

• A 50-50 proposition to resolve the $25 Billion deficit -- that is 1/2 in program cuts and 1/2 in increased tax revenues (through a 5 year extension of existing taxes).
• A June ballot measure that would allow 2/3 of the voters to determine to extend existing taxes that would otherwise cease at the end of the year (June).  However, this will require Legislative authorization (2/3) within the next 60 days.
• General flexibility measures for education would be continued for an additional two years (including class size reduction).
• Our deferrals from the state will continue and be expanded.

Questions that remain (and there are many) will be resolved in the coming days but some of the most interesting would be:

• Will there be sufficient Republican support to get this on the ballot?  Some have already indicated that such an approval would be a violation of the "no-tax" pledge that was signed.
• Will the voters agree to a tax extension vs agree to further reductions in State services?  If they don't extend the current taxes, then:
• there is an additional $2 Billion loss to K-12 education, and
• a $10 Billion hole that must be resolved with program cuts (that arguable will include public education as well).
• While there is projected $12.5 Billion in cuts to state programs, will they really occur?  Many have NOT occurred in the past several years -- other than in education.
• (While this is NOT our issue, as we have  basically agreed to NO layoffs for the 11-12 school year) -- The proposed ballot issue won't be determined until June -- and school district layoffs have to occur in March / May prior to June -- what should a district do? 

As indicated above there was a lack of specificity and lots of questions still be answered.  I am sure in the coming weeks we find out lots more -- from multiple parties.  Further, we will begin to see what Legislators and others actually do with these proposals.  Also weighing in on the issue included the Sacramento Bee as well as many other media sources around the state.

Déjà Vu All Over Again?

As the new year and new administration in Sacramento begins, one wonders what is in store for us in the world of public education.  A piece of that puzzle is the State Board of Education (SBOE) that is fully appointed by the Governor when vacancies appear.  As there are vacancies on the immediate horizon (actually a majority of the Board is coming up for appointment), who will fill the roles and what will it mean?

The Sacramento politicos seem clear that Governor Brown will appoint Michael Kirst, Professor Emeritus of Stanford.  It is also speculated that Kirst will be the President of the SBOE under Brown's administration.  All of this is interesting, though not surprising, as Kirst also served on the SBOE and as President during Brown's earlier administration.  My understanding is that Kirst also served in an advisory role on education issues during the recent Gubernatorial campaign.

The other name that is being "floated" is that of former State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), Bill Honig (1983-93).  In addition to his state office, Bill Honig has continued to be involved in education with his advocacy for student literacy and reduction of barriers of such.

Coming from a SBOE that has been very pro-charter (and charter-friendly) in their approach to challenges of public education, these potential appointments, their support for public education, and their ultimate impact on public education in California could be most interesting.  At the same time, I know that there is a desire with the current SPI to cooperate and coordinate with the SBOE -- in fact, the notion is that the Governor, SPI, and SBOE are all of the same party and have the same public education interests in mind.  The Governor-elect has also indicated that he will not fill the post of Secretary of Education.  Time will tell and it should be an interesting 6 months from January to July as this begins to reveal itself.

Budget Strategy?

We are all anticipating the first official direction of our new Governor on Monday, January 10th (projected) with his release of his January budget proposal for the 2011-12 school and budget year.  While the numbers are staggering and so out-of-balance that it is hard to know how bad off we are in California, it is clear that the Governor and Legislature has a $28-30 BILLION problem to solve.  Not wanting to live with this budget albatross for the next 4 years, I am sure that Governor Brown will do all that he can to ameliorate the problem early.

He has indicated in multiple settings that the January proposal will not be optimistic and in fact, has suggested that we all be "sitting down" when we see it for the first time.  It seems that the strategy is to provide us all with a dose of reality regarding the severity and size of the problem.  So what happens after January and we head to the spring when budget-building gets serious?  The common theory (in Sacramento) is that the Governor will be advocating for revenue enhancements (i.e., tax increases) to offset the horrific impacts of trying to reconcile a budget deficit of $30 Billion.  The high-risk strategy is that when we see how big the problem is we will all agree (at least 2/3 of us) to increased taxing capacity -- which would "buy-back" the budget and service reductions.

As to public schools across the State of California, there are several possible impacts -- based on the apparent budget strategy:

• As we in K-12 education are about 40% of the California budget, we will take reductions like the many other departments and services throughout the state.  As one very veteran and influential staff person said, "the budget you have right now, is the best you will have for the next two years."  He thought we could begin to see things begin to improve in 2014.
• An attempt to move the funding of schools back to a more localized approach (rather than state) where local citizens can determine how they would like to support their local schools.  This also has the impact of making more of the $30 Billion problem a local problem rather than a state problem.

So from all that I can gather from our multiple Sacramento and State sources -- we need to be prepared to batten down the hatches and prepare for the storm ahead -- always with the realization that there is always the calm on the other side of the storm.

Highly Valued Work

So as the year starts and there certainly are questions and anticipation about what the Governor will do on the January budget proposal.  There are sometimes questions and aspersions about us as educators, teachers, and district staff.  As we start this year, I am reminded that, while there are many other noble professions and contributions, I know of none better than that of the education of our youth. 

As a reminder of this, I will share not my words but those of Michael Josephson of Character Counts.  I believe he captures the best representation of what is going on in classrooms everyday with our teachers, principals, and support staff.  AND it takes them all.  Thank you!!

No Layoffs Continued as Sacramento continues to Churn!!

I congratulate the CSEA team and applaud their efforts.  Last night they, as the teachers, ratified by 80% (to 20%) a tentative agreement that "freezes" the existing furloughs, contracts, and MOUs -- thereby guaranteeing no layoffs until June 30, 2012.  Kudos to all!!

At the same time, Governor Schwarzenegger called another Special Session (along with the swearing in of new Legislators) to resolve the $25 Billion budget deficit.  Needless to say, there are those that aren't sure that they wish to resolve the budget mess with a "lame duck" Governor.  On Wednesday, Governor-elect Brown began his messaging about where he intends to go with the budget -- with the first of 3 budget forums.  Senate leader Steinberg summed the situation up fairly well saying, “When you boil down all the complicated formulas and the complexity of the state, it comes down to one question: ‘what do we want as a state and how are we going to pay for it’?”

And guess what, NOW we have a $28 Billion deficit (based on the federal estate tax actions).  The news is NOT improving.

On a positive note, the Governor-elect did acknowledge that with national comparisons with other states, we are in trouble and need help.  He specifically recognized that we are ranking 49th in teachers-per-student, 49th in counselors-per-student, 50th in librarians-per-student, and 47th in administrators-per-student. The new governor seems aware of the magnitude of the problem our schools and students face.

Stay tuned, it should be an interesting couple of months!

NO layoffs!!

I was most excited to hear a couple of weeks ago that the RCTA team along with the RUSD team had reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) that essentially “froze” the existing agreements including furloughs, etc. – and we would guarantee NO layoffs. GREAT work on their part.

Friday, I was even more excited that the agreement was approved by the members of RCTA – which moves the issue forward to Board for ratification on Monday night. It is my sincere hope that CSEA members will similarly ratify the TA on Wednesday with their vote.

The idea that we will NOT layoff employees is tremendous. This is good NOT only for our staff members – it is good for our students and their learning. Some relief of this tension allows us to focus on the real work of our District – our students.

There are certainly “unknowns” about the budget and what exactly the state will or will not do with their budget. But to provide this certainty at this time is important for us all. Who is to say what things in California will look like in 18 months? Dan Walters posted a very interesting (somewhat counter-intuitive view of the budget situation). All signs, signals, and conversations with Sacramento tell us that the “deferred” $1.8 Billion promised just a couple of months ago – is none existent and will certainly be taken away. The larger question that seems to be will there be a mid-year reduction or additional reductions for 2011-12.

On the positive side, we can all hope that the financial situation improves under the new representatives in Sacramento – which would give us all the opportunity to get things back on track.

Our "New Normal" Future from DC?

Since we seem by state and financial initiative to be increasingly linked to the action and direction of those in Washington D.C. it would seem appropriate to consider what is in our future with them.

In the middle of November, U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan contended that we have a "new normal" and should "do more with less".  At a time when the Department of Education has far more resources than ever before -- Secretary Duncan lays out to the American Enterprise Institute that we need to reduce waste and seize new opportunities in our "new normal."  Secretary Duncan opened with a bold statement. “I am here to talk today about what has been called the New Normal,” he said. His basis for his statements would seem to be his 7 years as the CEO of Chicago Public Schools [which BTW in 07-08 when he left, was funded at $11,536 per student -- or twice RUSD levels].  The Secretary's suggestions for the transformational reforms that can also boost student outcomes would include such actions as:  rethinking policies around seat time requirements, class size, compensating teachers based on their educational credentials, the use of technology within the classroom, inequitable school financing, and the over-placement of students in special education.

Duncan goes on to argue that "In some cases, government may have to spend more now, to get better returns on our current investment. Race to the Top and i3 are good examples."  For me, I am a little unsure of what "return on investment" he might be referring to at this time.

Finally, Secretary Duncan lays out what we can anticipate with the coming reauthorization of federal educational programs and their related categorical funding. "Our ESEA reauthorization proposal consolidates 38 programs into 11 new funding streams -- so we can focus on achieving fewer, larger goals, better -- and it reduces red tape for people at the state and local level. Congress accepted the administration's proposal to eliminate four programs in fiscal 2010. And in fiscal 2011 we proposed eliminating six more programs.

I would agree with Secretary Duncan it looks like we will be "in" for a "new normal" from the Department of Education in Washington D.C.  What seems to be missing from the discussion is some idea of what we "get" in terms of outcomes, with our "new normal."

Interesting Thoughts from Around the Nation

• Digital Education’s Description of a New Partnership Between The Florida Virtual School and Pearson: “The Florida Virtual School and educational publishers Pearson have announced a partnership that will offer FLVS-designed courses through a program called Pearson Virtual Learning… Schools worldwide will be able to choose from one of four options to offer middle and high school content to students. The programs vary based on whether a subscribing school is using its own teachers and learning management system, and whether it is paying for courses on a per-student or a subscription basis. Information provided by Pearson does not include more specific pricing models for the program.” (Digital Education)
• Jay Matthews (Washington Post) questions how we might be more creative with school options including motivation regarding assessment and performance:  ...What would happen if we would only provide an "I" for incomplete rather than an "F" for failing on student report cards or records?  "Would the Washington suburbs [or anyplace else] ever tolerate a system in which families could choose schools with radical approaches, such as insisting students pass the final exam or retake the course? Would any parents expose their children to such experiments?"  (Washington Post)
• On the Opinion Side of the Map ...Friedman cogently comments on the State of the Economy and Role of Education: Friedman provides a very concise, though compelling view, of the triple whammy (i.e., globalization, technology, and superior education) driving our economic situation both from a personal and national (and arguably Riverside) perspective. And then fosters the notion that high-quality education is the way out with the view from immigrant parents that, "learning is the way up." (New York Times)

Thanksgiving

Obviously this is the time of year for Thanksgiving – the holiday. As such we take the week off for students, staff, and families to enjoy the season and their time with each other. However, it is also the time for me to be thankful for all that I have been blessed with, including my family.

I would also like to say that I am tremendously thankful for all of you here in Riverside. We have a great teaching staff that is highly committed to doing the best for students.  Additionally, we have a great support staff that is committed everyday to do what they can to make instruction successful for students.  Frankly, there is NO place that I would rather be than here in Riverside.  What we can do together is tremendous and exciting.

On a more personal note, I am thankful for all of those in Riverside who have befriended us since our arrival.  In the true Riverside spirit you have welcomed us.  Indicative of that spirit, 2 years ago when we arrived on Christmas Eve (literally), we were greeted by Gary and Collette Lee along with warm soup and a small Christmas tree.  That same spirit by many others has prevailed since our time here.  I am thankful.