Channelling Whitney Houston

Tom Pavletic can blame Alameda’s school funding problem on a “management crisis”(1) and “mythical budget cuts”(2) but the in the end regardless of where cuts are made to make up for the potential funding shortfall, it’s going to affect Alameda students and to me that is unacceptable.   Whether cuts are made by eliminating all administrative positions or telling teachers to take a pay cut or by closing and consolidating schools — everything will end up affecting the kids.   So is the solution stonewall and say, “not my problem, take it to the state and find the funding equity there” or do we take a boot strap approach and say “what can I do to help?”  

Community members are stepping up all over the city to do their small part to help out during these difficult times.  It’s time for us all to step up and support our schools.   Let’s not give lip service to phrases like doing things “for the children” when we talk about issues like bus stop placement, development efforts in the city, traffic, etc… if we really aren’t going to think of the children when we have a chance to do something “for the children” and ensure that they have the best educational opportunity that we as a community can afford to provide to them.

When we talk about telling other folks, like teachers and other school employees, to take a hit financially for the good of the students, the ironic thing is that these are the same people who are complaining about paying a $120 parcel tax, as opposed to taking how much more from the pockets of professionals who rely on their salaries to support themselves and their families.   A teacher/blogger from the San Jose Unified School District — really great blog by the way — put it like this when interviewed for a tv newscast regarding the school district holding back their cost of living adjustment:

…I need new stuff, more books, more supplies, better facilities, and so on, but my kids don’t need that stuff. They need me. If you want to close the achievement gap, you want me in that classroom, me and all my talented friends and colleagues. We are the single most powerful factor in determining the success or failure of the individual student, and you need to keep us around.

…

You can’t keep us when you invest in programs over people. So yes, the Governor should understand that you get what you pay for, but budget cuts or no budget cuts, you protect your investment in the teachers whose energy and talent make the difference between advancement and stagnation.

I don’t think anyone could have phrased it any better.

And when we hear stories about this year’s valedictorian at Encinal High School, the school’s first Black valdedictorian in its history, how can we deny the power of what a good education can do for one person, one student, one kid.   One kid whose life could have turned out so differently if it wasn’t for the power of his personal convictions as well as the power of good schools with teachers and staff that truly care for the success of all students.  

Digging our heels and repeating a tired mantra about waiting to see or the school district should do better or persons x, y, and z should take a pay cut isn’t what made students like Anthony Chibueze Anekwe Jr. a success: heading off to college with a full scholarship and seeking to become a neurosurgeon.   It is the efforts of the school district that should do better and persons x, y, and z that supposedly should sacrifice their means of living.

As Anthony A. said:

“I have always believed in education,” … “And I knew that getting an education would give me a better life.” 

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(1) Tom Pavletic Will Vote No on School Parcel Tax Measure H
Editor,
When does a person say about their own personal finances that they have a “budget shortfall?” Most people would say that only in jest … instead they simply acknowledge the fact that they spend more than they earn. If a person’s income goes down, they cut expenditures and draw down their savings account. I view the School District’s problem the same way (disclosure: I analyze City government enterprise funds for a living). The School District does not have a budget crisis. They have a management crisis. Why is it so hard to cut expenditures by 2.5% per year for two years without cutting to the bone?
If a person thinks that the salaries and benefits of top administrators can be adjusted to yield $4 million in savings they should ask the School Board to sketch out the proposal – list the positions and cost out each one. Administrator salaries and benefits are probably only 10-15% of total salaries and benefits. The Superintendent’s salary on July 1, 2008 will increase from about $167,000 to $173,000 (a $6,000 or 3% increase). I maintain that a temporary decrease in the salaries and benefits of top administrators and the Superintendent are only part of the composite approach needed to reduce expenditures.
School District management (the elected members of the School Board and the Superintendent) have many options for decreasing expenditures. They put forth a proposed set of cuts that does not include their biggest expenditure categories – salaries and benefits. Salaries and benefits are over 80% of the District’s General Fund expenditures. School District management needs to justify why employee salaries and benefits should continue to increase over the next few years while the taxpayers, in effect, transfer their salaries to School District employees.
If the School District had maintained a reasonable General Fund balance, like their financial auditors suggested they should, the School District would not need this tax increase.
If their 600+ employees, whose salaries and benefits total almost $70 million per year, temporarily give up their planned 1-3% salary and benefit increases, the School District would not need this tax.
In FY 2006-07, employee salaries and benefits averaged about $108,000 per employee. Why doesn’t one of the School District teachers who is near retirement write in and describe their salary and benefit package? Why doesn’t the School Board tell us what their teachers cost in terms of salaries and benefits in dollars per year. Then we can decide whether School District teachers should get increases to their salaries and benefits. Many employees work only 7 hours per day and most work only part of the year. What is your salary for your full time job? What are your benefits? Will you get a lifetime defined-benefit pension when you retire?
Patricia Sanders, President of the Alameda Education Association, AUSD’s teacher union, stated that the union met and voted “overwhelmingly to endorse the parcel tax.” The unions take 1.5% of employee salaries. I estimate that the unions may contribute over $50,000 to the pro-tax campaign. I estimate that the pro-tax campaign and the school foundation may spend over $150,000 to get this tax approved. When you begin receiving expensive pro-tax advertisements in the mail next week, ask yourself how much they cost.
The unions could have voted to reopen their contracts. They did not. The School District’s management could have requested that the unions reopen their contracts. They did not. The Superintendent could have rejected her $6,000 planned salary increase. She did not. The unions and School District management now want more of my salary. Businesses will pass on this parcel tax to me in the form of price increases. I will vote no on Measure H.
Tom Pavletic