A CRY FOR HELP!: “When the District leadership is failing to support schools, you cannot label schools as failing without calling yourselves failures.”

“On top of the financial chaos, the District is reorganizing into a model that makes little sense to many of us in the field.”

Associated Administrators of Los Angeles Weekly Update: Week of March 12, 2012 | http://bit.ly/xDp7jw

On Thursday, March 1, 2012, Michelle King, Dr. Jaime Aquino and Dr. Donna Muncey issued a memo to all principals and Local District Superintendents entitled, ―FY 2012-2013 Categorical Allocations.

The memo indicated that, ―. . . due to significant budgetary constraints, the District has been compelled to take steps to address financial shortfalls. Resources are needed to fund the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) Voluntary Agreement, Teaching and Learning Initiative and Implementation of the Common Core State Standards and Assessments. The memo enumerates major reductions in categorical allocations to schools. Almost immediately following the issuance of the aforementioned memo, many phone calls and e-mails flowed into the AALA office protesting the major loss of funding to schools.

The memo below from Dr. Randy Delling, Principal of North Hollywood High School and President of the Senior School Principals’ Organization, to Dr. Deasy is a sample of the numerous communications that were sent to AALA. Randy’s memo captures the essence of the concerns mirrored in the many messages we received. Wouldn’t it be interesting to know how much the District is spending on the OCR Agreement, the Teaching and Learning Initiative and on the Common Core Implementation? Given the facts that California is 49th in the nation in funding for public education and that the District’s current financial crisis is even worse than last year’s, AALA questions whether this is the time to further erode funding to schools in order to underwrite these initiatives.

After carefully reviewing the categorical allocations memo dated 3/1/2012, from Michelle King, Dr. Jaime Aquino and Dr. Donna Muncey, I believe it will be virtually impossible to serve the students of North Hollywood High School for the 2012-2013 school year. It appears that North Hollywood High School will not have the services of a school nurse, school psychologist, special education/bridge coordinator, testing coordinator, librarian and a staff member to sustain our school network. Only teachers and counselors will be available to accomplish the schools mission that “all students will graduate proficient and prepared.”

The District leadership needs to thank school administrators for what we have been able to accomplish with an existing bare-bones budget and recognize that you cannot provide us with the resources needed to be successful under any accountability system. The District needs to postpone accountability measures such as the performance meter/tier system. I hold you (LAUSD Leadership) harmless because you did not create this problem and because you cannot give me what I am telling you I need to operate an effective instructional program. However, I need you to let me know that you hear me and will hold me harmless for not being achievable to the District-imposed accountabilities under this resource starvation scheme. A reality check by senior staff would include setting aside some initiatives until such time as adequate State resources become available.

When the District leadership is failing to support schools, you cannot label schools as failing without calling yourselves failures.

An administrative team cannot work 18 hours a day and weekends without jeopardizing the health and well-being of individuals.

Again, I understand that you did not create these conditions, but you can do a lot to promote as positive a condition as possible for our students and employees by suspending most, if not all, accountability systems until a realistic funding scheme is returned to education that will allow us, as professionals, to do our jobs well again. Senior leadership’s credibility is at stake. Please consider returning sanity to the District.

ONE OF MANY RESPONSES TO RANDY’S MEMO

AALA thanks Heather Daims, Principal of Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, for sharing her response to Randy.

Well said, Randy. I have been formulating a very similar letter in my head but have not yet put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) yet.

After sitting down yesterday to review next year's likely budget with my two assistant principals (which will become one at the start of the new year), we have determined that we will most likely lose our college/career counselor, the remaining three days of our nurse, our librarian, our Title I/Bilingual/Special Education/Textbook/Main Office clerk (yes, that is one position on this campus), our microcomputer technician, the last day of PSA time we have left, the school psychologist and two additional teachers (minimum). I also am curious about the expectation that we continue to raise the bar with absolutely no support staff. We haven't even heard, yet, about additional cuts that are still likely to our security, custodial, cafeteria staff and to our athletic director and athletics program.

At a school where there is no QEIA, no SIG money and the only certificated staff out of the classroom are the principal, one assistant principal and the two counselors who do not have a teaching credential, I wonder how we will provide the needed support to students, not to mention the fulfillment of the mandates which grow more numerous each day.

On top of the financial chaos, the District is reorganizing into a model that makes little sense to many of us in the field.

Thanks, Randy, for expressing what I am certain most of us are feeling. Wishing you a good weekend!