(By the way - Susan is speaking now about this now.)
If the board decides not to have a levy, then the reduction would be higher. This is a risk to do during an election year.
State indicators from Pawlenty are that they will NOT reduce state funding to school districts due to the crisis that all school districts are facing.
Pawlenty will NOT be recommending any additional revenue either.
(It would be really helpful to have the handout that Susan is reading from!)
If we went out for a levy, we would not have to reduce next year. They want to maintain around a 5% buffer.
There are choices. [First time we have heard about the ability to make other choices -- which is great!]
The sheet she is reading from basically runs several scenarios.
This same story is being played out in districts across the states.
It was a hard conversation with the govenor. What are the solutions? He (Pawlenty) believes it will need to be a very serious crisis before people will come to the table.
He believes the school districts are a business that overran their costs, but with greater constraints due to long term contracts, unions, etc...
The responsibility has unfortunately shifted to the local tax payers.
In conclusion, I want to say that we do have options.
We are getting more funding for special education -- again it will be on the web site tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Starting
They have a bunch of guest speakers. They have a TON of people in the working session. It sounds like all principals are there -- all assistant superintendents. Of course all of the SB (School Board). None of the building repurposing could be discussed at the strategic negotiations meeting that was earlier.
Mike Lubby is running it.
3 hours set aside currently. This could be very interesting.
Financial context - (it is in the School Board Room because there is such a large group).
Financial context - anticipating a midyear adjustment at the end of March/beginning of April. Kelly is going to share info concerning midyear adjustment.
Kelly: Budget is approved in June/July timeframe -- adjustments need to be made mid-year. Could not come through in Fall because they did not receive updated formulas. In Jan. a few components of the formula became available. In Feb 15 more became available. They are STILL waiting for the full formula for the late.
SO FAR THERE WILL BE A POSITIVE ADJUSTMENT OF AROUND $3.5 MILLION!!!!!!!!!
Decrease in fuel budget and transportation and teacher contract settlement. Are they positive or negative. On average, the midyear adjustment was +/- 1.2 to 2.4% on average (past five years).
Three of last five years have been positive - two negative. I wonder if this helps us save schools??????
Until the formula comes in from the State, we can not be absolutely positive. They will put this information on web site tomorrow.
Fall levy -- we would NOT have to make any reducation for 2009/10 school year. However, if we do NOT pass a levy, we would have to cut $4+ million next year.
Mike Lubby is running it.
3 hours set aside currently. This could be very interesting.
Financial context - (it is in the School Board Room because there is such a large group).
Financial context - anticipating a midyear adjustment at the end of March/beginning of April. Kelly is going to share info concerning midyear adjustment.
Kelly: Budget is approved in June/July timeframe -- adjustments need to be made mid-year. Could not come through in Fall because they did not receive updated formulas. In Jan. a few components of the formula became available. In Feb 15 more became available. They are STILL waiting for the full formula for the late.
SO FAR THERE WILL BE A POSITIVE ADJUSTMENT OF AROUND $3.5 MILLION!!!!!!!!!
Decrease in fuel budget and transportation and teacher contract settlement. Are they positive or negative. On average, the midyear adjustment was +/- 1.2 to 2.4% on average (past five years).
Three of last five years have been positive - two negative. I wonder if this helps us save schools??????
Until the formula comes in from the State, we can not be absolutely positive. They will put this information on web site tomorrow.
Fall levy -- we would NOT have to make any reducation for 2009/10 school year. However, if we do NOT pass a levy, we would have to cut $4+ million next year.
The view
The sea of parents is here as usual -- a few less considering this is just a working session. I would say that there are about 100, which is pretty good considering we are just here to observe. Red and yellow with an orange accent. All are here in spirit.
The board room isn't open since there is no public comment. We are in the Forum room.
The board room isn't open since there is no public comment. We are in the Forum room.
Saving Schools does NOT equal Firing Teachers
One argument that consistently comes up is that "the money has to be cut somewhere" and if schools are not closed, then teachers have to be fired thereby increasing class sizes.
I would argue that firing more teachers is NOT saving any schools.
There are millions of dollars worth of cost-cutting ideas that do not involve cutting additional teachers on the Save District 279 web site. (Some of the ideas do cut teachers, but many, many of them do not.)
The Save District 279 proposal actually asks the School Board to use part of their reserves ($800,000) to keep the schools open and NOT fire anyone -- teacher, administrator, anyone.
By the way, several people in the administration through informal means have indicated that closing Weaver Lake (not necessarily the other schools) is NOT a budget issue at all. If this is truly the case, then keeping Weaver Lake open does not have anything to do with cutting teachers or any other budget item.
I would argue that firing more teachers is NOT saving any schools.
There are millions of dollars worth of cost-cutting ideas that do not involve cutting additional teachers on the Save District 279 web site. (Some of the ideas do cut teachers, but many, many of them do not.)
The Save District 279 proposal actually asks the School Board to use part of their reserves ($800,000) to keep the schools open and NOT fire anyone -- teacher, administrator, anyone.
By the way, several people in the administration through informal means have indicated that closing Weaver Lake (not necessarily the other schools) is NOT a budget issue at all. If this is truly the case, then keeping Weaver Lake open does not have anything to do with cutting teachers or any other budget item.
Blogging Tonight
I will attempt to blog at the meeting tonight. I might be getting there a touch late. From my understanding there is no community comment. However, it will be interesting to see how the administration responds to all of the community feedback.
Monday, March 3, 2008
The Right Rally
There will be a rally at the meeting on Wednesday. The rally will start at 5p.m. Here is the info:
"Join the United Parent Group of District 279 for a Protest at the Educational Service Center on Wednesday, March 5, 2008, at 5:00 pm. We will be protesting in the parking lot prior to the school board’s 6:00 pm public work session. Bring your banners, signs and proudly display your school colors. Have your voice heard!"
So there you have it. The Save District 279 web site also has a link to a flyer for the rally.
"Join the United Parent Group of District 279 for a Protest at the Educational Service Center on Wednesday, March 5, 2008, at 5:00 pm. We will be protesting in the parking lot prior to the school board’s 6:00 pm public work session. Bring your banners, signs and proudly display your school colors. Have your voice heard!"
So there you have it. The Save District 279 web site also has a link to a flyer for the rally.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Race
There are some discussions about race currently on the PCAWLE email list and the implications of race. I recently read a book called Blink: The Power Of Thinking Without Thinking that questions whether or not we really know our own minds. One of the experiments discussed at length in the book is the Implicit Association Test run by researchers at Harvard. It is a test that clearly points out that regardless of the test taker's background, there are implicit associations that point to subconscious bias. They have IATs associated with Skin Tone, Candidates (Presidential -- not School Board *grins*), Religion, Gender, Sexuality, Disability, Age, etc... Here is the link: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Are Minority Opportunities Reduced by the Changes?
I have a few observations about the magnet enrollment and want to bounce some ideas off of everyone.
First my assumptions:
* There were quite a few applications for the magnet school the day after the initial Teamworks proposal was released. I heard around 150 new applications by someone in the administration -- I believe it was during the first working session after the proposal was announced.
* The majority of the new applicants are primarily from the WL area. Sure, there are probably some others, but I believe it is reasonable to assume that most are from the WL area, because they wanted to attend a school close to them.
* The lottery system for enrollment simply picks randomly from the pool of qualified applicants.
Now, given the above if the applicant pool is 50% minorities before (because we are told minorities are well represented currently) and the waiting list is approximately 150 (a number I heard from the administration) then we could approximate that 75 applicants are minorities.
We know that Weaver Lake families are not typically heavily representative of minorities. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they have a minority rate of 20% (Similar to the number indicated as the percent of minorities currently attending WL -- although we know that more minorities come from open enrollment, but we will give them the benefit of the doubt here.).
If this is the case, then let's say there was a rush of new applicants and we hit 150. Of those 150, minorities would more than likely represent around 20% or 30 students. Let's add them up now:
Minority pool: 75 (previously) + 30 (from WL applicants) = 105
Non-minority pool: 75 (previously) + 120 (from WL applicants) = 195
Total pool of applicants: 300
Before the minority population was 50% of the waiting list -- this may be high, but work with me here. I think it is safe to say that the number of minority applications prior to moving to WL is probably higher. So, after moving the percent of minorities is only 35% (105 minorities divided by 300 total applicants).
So, minorities went from representing 50% of the applicant pool potentially down to 35% in just a few days. Wow. If pulled randomly, the number of minorities will plummet.
Are we not actually reducing opportunities for minorities by moving the magnet program?
If moved, the magnet school will eventually look very similar to WL's current population as more and more neighborhood students apply to go there.
Ok, so this entire line of reasoning is probably flawed in a million ways, but if it is correct, then the School Board and Superintendent are actually taking opportunities away from minorities, which is very sad.
Something similar to this happened in Los Angeles. The magnet schools were put in neighborhoods that really didn't need them. Then, everyone in the neighborhoods applied. Soon, it was considered a private school attended by those that did not need it and funded by the public education system.
Just some thoughts. Go ahead and rip them apart. :)
[Edited: Removed the reference to Pat Brink. I believe the number was shared during the first working session after the proposal announcement.]
First my assumptions:
* There were quite a few applications for the magnet school the day after the initial Teamworks proposal was released. I heard around 150 new applications by someone in the administration -- I believe it was during the first working session after the proposal was announced.
* The majority of the new applicants are primarily from the WL area. Sure, there are probably some others, but I believe it is reasonable to assume that most are from the WL area, because they wanted to attend a school close to them.
* The lottery system for enrollment simply picks randomly from the pool of qualified applicants.
Now, given the above if the applicant pool is 50% minorities before (because we are told minorities are well represented currently) and the waiting list is approximately 150 (a number I heard from the administration) then we could approximate that 75 applicants are minorities.
We know that Weaver Lake families are not typically heavily representative of minorities. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they have a minority rate of 20% (Similar to the number indicated as the percent of minorities currently attending WL -- although we know that more minorities come from open enrollment, but we will give them the benefit of the doubt here.).
If this is the case, then let's say there was a rush of new applicants and we hit 150. Of those 150, minorities would more than likely represent around 20% or 30 students. Let's add them up now:
Minority pool: 75 (previously) + 30 (from WL applicants) = 105
Non-minority pool: 75 (previously) + 120 (from WL applicants) = 195
Total pool of applicants: 300
Before the minority population was 50% of the waiting list -- this may be high, but work with me here. I think it is safe to say that the number of minority applications prior to moving to WL is probably higher. So, after moving the percent of minorities is only 35% (105 minorities divided by 300 total applicants).
So, minorities went from representing 50% of the applicant pool potentially down to 35% in just a few days. Wow. If pulled randomly, the number of minorities will plummet.
Are we not actually reducing opportunities for minorities by moving the magnet program?
If moved, the magnet school will eventually look very similar to WL's current population as more and more neighborhood students apply to go there.
Ok, so this entire line of reasoning is probably flawed in a million ways, but if it is correct, then the School Board and Superintendent are actually taking opportunities away from minorities, which is very sad.
Something similar to this happened in Los Angeles. The magnet schools were put in neighborhoods that really didn't need them. Then, everyone in the neighborhoods applied. Soon, it was considered a private school attended by those that did not need it and funded by the public education system.
Just some thoughts. Go ahead and rip them apart. :)
[Edited: Removed the reference to Pat Brink. I believe the number was shared during the first working session after the proposal announcement.]
Friday, February 29, 2008
Observation
One idea that came out last night from an official from Osseo was that if we have all of this excess capacity -- why don't we close the ESC building and move the administrators into the excess classroom? A logistics nightmare -- but really no worse than spinning the boundary wheel.
Public Hearing
A huge thanks to all those that spoke yesterday. We still have a ways to go to come together completely as a community. WL parents have taken a lot of heat, but continue to reach out, keep an open mind, and resist engaging in negative behavior (as do others). I am proud to be a part of a group of parents (WL and others) that wants to make a difference.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Internet not available
They have their network locked down. I could only do this on my blackberry, which would not be fun.
You will need to catch this on channel 21.
Sorry.
Public Hearing on Thursday, February 28
I will be attending the Public Hearing tonight. Since it is in the Osseo Senior High, I'm not sure that I will have either an Internet connection or enough power in the laptop. However, I will take the laptop and if the opportunity is there, I will blog it.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
next
Speaker - Alan Lee - WL
* Nervous -- $800k for closing schools. Closing schools should be the last reducations.
* A lot of details around closing school. Why close close schools?
* We hope and wish.
* I am angry. Four board members have not even answed a question.
* Nervous -- $800k for closing schools. Closing schools should be the last reducations.
* A lot of details around closing school. Why close close schools?
* We hope and wish.
* I am angry. Four board members have not even answed a question.
speakers
WL -
* appreciate how difficult this is for everyone.
* Disappointed with lack of options
* Disappointed with lack of getting community enrolled.
* Why can't magnet school be integrated into a school that has excess capacity.
* We could also keep students where they have been.
* Biggest concern - they are not for the betterment of this community.
Barry Nelson - OV
* Alot of questions answered.
* It's not just a budget issue.
* Is it integration?
* Is it desegregation - again only one school.
* Integrationo of FA and OV.
* Will OV go up or go down?
* Will the scores drop at OV.
[Side note -- some SB members actually look like they might be sleeping.]
* Four board members have not asked questions. I do not have trust for the board.
Next Speaker
* ECE is great to expand.
* Two future magnet school participants.
* Loves the Edgewood opportunity.
* Very popular program.
* Met AYP every year.
* Edgewood has strong parental support.
* Feel strongly that everyone should learn about the magnet.
[Battery and fingers are going. I'm going to shut down shortly.]
Next speaker
* Diversity in decision making is ultimately the goal.
* Deeply collaborative by all stake holders "shared decision making"
* Ultimately collaboration.
* appreciate how difficult this is for everyone.
* Disappointed with lack of options
* Disappointed with lack of getting community enrolled.
* Why can't magnet school be integrated into a school that has excess capacity.
* We could also keep students where they have been.
* Biggest concern - they are not for the betterment of this community.
Barry Nelson - OV
* Alot of questions answered.
* It's not just a budget issue.
* Is it integration?
* Is it desegregation - again only one school.
* Integrationo of FA and OV.
* Will OV go up or go down?
* Will the scores drop at OV.
[Side note -- some SB members actually look like they might be sleeping.]
* Four board members have not asked questions. I do not have trust for the board.
Next Speaker
* ECE is great to expand.
* Two future magnet school participants.
* Loves the Edgewood opportunity.
* Very popular program.
* Met AYP every year.
* Edgewood has strong parental support.
* Feel strongly that everyone should learn about the magnet.
[Battery and fingers are going. I'm going to shut down shortly.]
Next speaker
* Diversity in decision making is ultimately the goal.
* Deeply collaborative by all stake holders "shared decision making"
* Ultimately collaboration.
Speakers
Jennifer from OE
[9% battery]
* Every parent believes theirs is the best.
* OE enrollment has increased by 23%. 20% diversity to 30% diversity.
* Model school for district.
* Large diversity changes take time an energy.
* Closing OE is like firing a productive employee.
[Thanks a ton to Charlie for letting me use his laptop!!!!!!!!]
* Incredible opportunities with seniors in the area.
* Osseo students return after many years.
* There is lots of deep history there with multiple generations.
* Families are very deeply rooted there.
* Please look at other ways of balancing their budget.
[9% battery]
* Every parent believes theirs is the best.
* OE enrollment has increased by 23%. 20% diversity to 30% diversity.
* Model school for district.
* Large diversity changes take time an energy.
* Closing OE is like firing a productive employee.
[Thanks a ton to Charlie for letting me use his laptop!!!!!!!!]
* Incredible opportunities with seniors in the area.
* Osseo students return after many years.
* There is lots of deep history there with multiple generations.
* Families are very deeply rooted there.
* Please look at other ways of balancing their budget.
Zellers & Peppin
Peppin is addressing the school Board with Zellers (4 minutes).
Thanks us for allowing them to speak. Do appreciate all the work you do.
Some comments about fully funding education at state legislature. Fully funding education is a great catch-phrase. We have to balance a lot. What is "fully funding"? What is the total dollar amount of fully funding?
We have constitutents that want us to fully fund education/transportation/parks/etc..
49% of our state budget is made up of educational spending.
Now is the time to work together between board and legislature. Slow down process and get parents involved.
Zellers - appreciation to all. Request from our constituents - we have heard from everywhere. We do agree that the way we fund education needs to change and share difficulties. It is ultimately our goal. Request to slow down the process and explain why we can't slow it down. We have parents that are some of the best in the field. Doctors, lawyers, managers -- meet them half way and use their expertise.
Thanks us for allowing them to speak. Do appreciate all the work you do.
Some comments about fully funding education at state legislature. Fully funding education is a great catch-phrase. We have to balance a lot. What is "fully funding"? What is the total dollar amount of fully funding?
We have constitutents that want us to fully fund education/transportation/parks/etc..
49% of our state budget is made up of educational spending.
Now is the time to work together between board and legislature. Slow down process and get parents involved.
Zellers - appreciation to all. Request from our constituents - we have heard from everywhere. We do agree that the way we fund education needs to change and share difficulties. It is ultimately our goal. Request to slow down the process and explain why we can't slow it down. We have parents that are some of the best in the field. Doctors, lawyers, managers -- meet them half way and use their expertise.
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