A group of parents is staging a rally at the SAUSD School Board meeting on Oct. 13, 2015, at 5 pm, at 1601 East Chestnut Ave., in Santa Ana.
These parents appear to be blaming the teachers for the district’s woes. However some of their goals are laudatory. They are calling for more tutoring, after-school programs and sports.
The crux of the argument against the teachers appears to be the money generated by Prop. 30, which is referred to as the Local Control Funding Formula. The teachers want a raise but these parents are clamoring for the money to be spent “in the classroom.”
In our opinion the teachers are the ones doing the teaching. The problem at the SAUSD is a bloated administration that pays the Superintendent almost what President Barack Obama makes – and huge money, to the tune of $24 million dollars, blown annually on consultants.
The district is super-focused on testing and collecting data about the students instead of actually teaching them.
The biggest problem in Santa Ana is that so many of the parents don’t speak English. But when was the last time the SAUSD promoted the free English classes at Santa Ana College?
There also seems to be a growing focus at the SAUSD on providing computers to the students. That is not going to solve the illiteracy problems – or the issues these kids have at home. Instead this will blow millions of dollars on equipment and consultants that could be spent instead on teacher’s aides and school librarians!
The SAUSD has been failing our kids for years but don’t blame the teachers. The blame lies on the administration and on the School Board.
Hey Angie, stop posting this crappy movie trailer ;). It’s not convincing anyone.
Did parents really organize this, or is it Cecilia’s cronies who are unafraid to use kids as a political shield?
There’s plenty of blame to go around. I wonder how many of the parents now “calling for more tutoring, after-school programs and sports” took the time over the past TWO years to attend the various Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) public stakeholder meetings?? There is a mechanism in place for parents to drive the discussion and influence policy at the school-site and district levels, it just requires work. It’s easy to be outraged, complain and point the finger but much harder to get and stay informed and involved. The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) provides targeted dollars for kids who are either 1) English language learners, 2) qualify for free/reduced lunch or 3) foster youth. SAUSD has over 90% of its students falling into one/some/all of these categories, so it follows that just about every parent of a SAUSD student should have attended these meetings and been part the conversation on how TOGETHER we could find ways to better serve our students and allocate budget dollars accordingly. We can’t simply wash our hands and point the finger at teachers, administrators, board members, etc. It is our responsibility as parents to advocate for our kids.
The teachers want to tutor, but are being told that they are going to be tutoring 20+ kids. That’s not small group tutoring & it’s not effective. In addition, the district has hired even MORE consultants ($12M to $24M). Consultants do not work directly with the kids. The parents should be asking why small group tutoring isn’t being offered. How many people work at the district office? How many of them work directly with children? How many of them have gotten raises over the last five years? How many superintendents are there? How many assistants do they have? What perks do they have? Teachers are tired of being blamed for all of this nonsense. We’ve also heard that the district spent $18M updating Oracle. Parents need to be starting “there” first. Thanks for your time!
The teachers are not to blame for the District woes. It is the hypocrites we dubbed as the SAUSD Board of Education. I’m a product of the SAUSD. I attended Washington Elementary, McFadden Intermediate and Godinez Fundamental High School. To clarify, this entire outrage is all thanks to Cecilia Iglesias and her negative portrayal she presents regarding the teachers of the school district she represents. She is “giving the finger” to the most valuable asset SAUSD has to ensure the success of each student. In all my years as a student of the SAUSD up to today, I have always admired every single teacher and staff. They dedicate endless hours of their time to ensure that their student is striving for their success. To hear the negative comments that Iglesias posted on social media has not only hurt teachers but myself as well. I am disgusted of what she had to say about the very people who form the heart and soul of the SAUSD. Her statement clearly shows how uninvolved she is in her very own school district. Cecilia Iglesias does not know how much time and effort teachers put into their jobs. They have more commitment to their jobs than she who happens to be a Trustee of the Board of Education. A trustee who should
know how much time and effort her employees put into their jobs and should be recognized and rewarded than be blamed upon for the problems SAUSD is facing. So Cecilia Iglesias, give us one good reason why should we side with you. Teachers put in endless hours to make sure their students are receiving the highest quality of education and to ensure their success. You Cecilia Iglesias, are sacrificing all the hard work teachers put into their jobs for your own public/political agenda. Answer that question Iglesias! The ball is on your court!