Beyond the Blackboard

Soderberg Guarantees No CUSD Strike This Year

I caught up with Capistrano Unified Education Association leader Vickie Soderberg at Monday's school board meeting to confirm what she'd said during last week's budget hearing: CUSD teachers will not strike this year.

"I can guarantee that," Soderberg repeated to me.

The teachers, after last year's three-teaching-day strike, signed a two-year deal. But that agreement allowed for "re-openers," which means the district and union are starting work now on salary and benefit adjustments in light of the upcoming budget.

(Remember, school districts plan their budgets largely on assumptions based on what the state will do with its budget. A big day for schools is approaching, when the state releases its updated budget.)

Soderberg said an improved relationship with the CUSD Superintendent, Joe Farley, and with the board of education guarantees teachers will accept concessions and stay in the classroom this year. Farley and three board members -- Alpay, Hatton and Pritchard -- are new to the district since the strike, and Brick and Bryson seem to be ... more open ... this time around, too. I haven't heard any trustees publicly state a figure that teachers will have to take as a cut, unlike last year.

CUEA is polling members now to find out what they're willing to accept as far as cuts, Soderberg said.

Stay tuned.

San Clemente Grad Nite in Trouble

from www.sanclementetimes.com

A lack of donations for San Clemente High's Grad Nite may mean this year's event will be the last, according to organizers.

Fundraising chairwoman Vicki Patterson said the economy has hit the community hard and made events like the 2011 Hollywood-themed Grad Night difficult to pull off.

"Everyone has been bitten," Patterson said by email. "Donations are down. We have used up all the reserve funds and are short to put on this year's party."

The event costs $90,000 to put on, and the committee has exhausted its reserve funds, Patterson said. Grad Nite includes food, a casino room, climbing walls and an area for arts and crafts. Organizers must truck in lighting and rental equipment plus pay for security and construction.

Principal George Duarte had not heard about Grad Nite's dilemma, but hoped word would get out to ensure its future.

"High school kids want excitement, so they really do a great job with that," the principal said of the organizers.

The event also helps keep graduates safe.

"There's such temptation to do ill-conceived things, which is really a reason to protect Grad Nite," he said.

Every one of the 700 students who walks at commencement can attend the event. Grad Nite starts at 9 p.m. and finishes at 5 a.m.

"It's a little city 'Fun Zone' for our graduates," Patterson said.

She said to solicit donations, her team has sent out emails, walked in letters to businesses and reached out to local media. She created a Facebook page to generate additional interest. Sponsors will get their names printed on posters hung up around the city, she said.

If the organizing committee is unable to come up with enough donations, the 15-year-old event faces extinction, according to Patterson.

Grad Nite has helped keep seniors safe during graduation festivities because students have a place to gather and enjoy themselves with adult supervision.

"Grad Nite is a unique and spectacular celebration that is alcohol and drug free," Patterson said. "It builds a spirit of togetherness among the graduates as they celebrate with old friends for one last time. A sense of community is developed as everyone works to keep the graduates entertained and safe on potentially the most dangerous night of their lives."

Organizers continue to solicit donations from businesses to ensure the event is offered this year.

For more information about the 2011 Grad Nite, visit schsgradnite.com. To become a sponsor, contact Patterson by phone at 949.413.3586 or email at [email protected].

The Scope of the 'Challenges' at Capistrano Unified

Capistrano Unified School District trustees tonight will consider seeking a waiver to avoid penalties for not meeting class-size reduction requirements.

Part of the submission outlines the problems CUSD -- and every other school district in the state, I imagine -- is facing:

"Capistrano Unified School District is facing a projected budget shortfall in 2011-12 of $12.6-$18.2 million. CUSD has made approximately $90 million in expenditure and program cuts since 2006-07.

"In order to maintain maximum flexibility in providing options to balance the budget in 2011-12, teh district requests a waiver to increase the districtwide average number of pupils per each full time equivalent (FTE) teacher from the current 29.9 (per Education Code 41376) to 33 in grades 4 through 8."

Ouch.

State Schools Superintendent Holding Meet and Greet in Santa Ana on Tuesday

State Superintendent Tom Torlakson, who has warned California school districts of a potentially disastrous budget cycle,  is holding an Orange County Meet and Greet Reception from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19, at the Rancho Santiago Community College District's Board Room in Santa Ana. 

The event is co-sponsored by the Superintendent's Transition Committee, Orange County Business Council, and the CTA Orange Service Center Council. 

In the announcement, Torlakson says “This event is part of a series the Superintendent's Transition Committee is hosting around California as part of the transition effort that began when I was inaugurated as California's 27th State Superintendent of Public Instruction. I look forward to visiting with you and other people concerned about our schools and our students.”

The event will be held at  Rancho Santiago Community College District Board Room, 2323 N. Broadway, Santa Ana. 92706 

For more information, or to RSVP, contact Gloria Omania by email at [email protected]

Furlough Days Restored for Classified Capo Unified Workers

Sorry, I was out yesterday; playing catch up today ...

Capistrano Unified School District trustees on Monday restored five furlough days for the 2010-11 school year and 3.5 days for the 2011-12 calendar for non-teaching employees, a move the board majority contends was required under the contract with the California School Employees Association because CUSD received additional money from the state.

As they did when some of the furlough days in the teachers’ contract was restored, Trustees Ellen Addonizio and Sue Palazzo voted against the move. They are unconvinced the “triggers” in the contract for the restoration have been met. Addonizio again questioned the wisdom of restoring the days, at a cost of $1.9 million, when the district faces a multi-million-dollar budget deficit.

Even CSEA leader Ronda Walen noted the irony when addressing the board on the issue, but said the terms of the contract were clear and the days needed to be restored. She noted, however, that CSEA employees recognize the dire financial situation school districts face.

As districts throughout California have moved into their budget process, school leaders have told elected officials to prepare two budgets; one with modest cuts and one with severe cuts. But that advice considered the potential of voters extending taxes in California. That is no longer feasible, and CUSD officials are preparing for another round of massive cuts.

Here's the staff report: Download CSEA Furlough Days

 

Reardon Sues Capistrano Unified School District Over Salary Restorations

News release from Jim Reardon:

A lawsuit filed March 28 in OC Superior Court alleges violations by the Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) Board of Trustees of the Ralph M. Brown Act, California's "open meeting" law. The suit alleges that the Trustees met secretly to discuss and vote to restore work days and pay to teachers, management and other employees without proper public notice and without reporting to the public the results of their closed-door meeting.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of James Reardon, father of two former CUSD students and longtime supporter of reform in CUSD. According to Reardon, "When it comes to a decision to spend $8 million of public money, the Trustees have an obligation to reach their decision in public. This is not a contract negotiation that could have been conducted privately. Instead, it is a major economic decision made at a time when CUSD faces a huge budget deficit, has depleted financial reserves and faces further loss of funding this year”.

Reardon stated that when presented with the facts, the Trustees denied acting improperly. Instead Reardon said, “They held a sham meeting to reaffirm their earlier, still undocumented, decision. They never bothered to consider whether the additional money being paid to teachers and employees this year actually exists". According to CUSD documentation, the District will have to cut approximately $13 million in the current, 2010-2011 school year and an additional $12 million in the 2011-2012 school year.

Reardon said the decision to file the suit was not taken lightly. “Litigation can be costly” he said. “But the taxpayers and students in CUSD deserve oversight and protection of their scarce education dollars. These newly elected Trustees couldn’t even get past their first Board meeting without trampling the law to spend $8 million that they can ill afford. All we’re asking is that they take credit for their decision in public,” said Reardon.

Reardon’s attorney, Wayne Tate, Esq. of Ostendorf, Tate, Barnett & Tagtmeyer in Laguna Hills said about the lawsuit, “The Trustees are well aware of the laws dictating transparent governance. We gave them every opportunity to resolve the violations without litigation, but they refused to acknowledge any violation, much less correct their violations, leaving litigation as the only option."

****

His lawsuit asks a judge block the district's decisions to restore pay and furlough days. As stated in the release, Reardon's a political supporter of Trustees Ellen Addonizio and Sue Palazzo ... 

Here's a copy:  Download File stampted copy of Verified Complaint-Petition for Dec. Relief, etc.