Comments on: Recall Alameda’s school board members??

By: TManno

TManno — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:52:50 +0000

I’d really like to know what the imbalance of is between what Alameda sends to Sacrament in taxes, and what we receive in return for the city and the schools. The city put itself in this dilemma many years ago when the base was still here. Knowing what the cash flow amount is, if I am assuming correctly, would not only clarify the issue for the city and Sacramento, it might shed some light on how to correct the disparity.

By: Alana Dill

Alana Dill — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 01:07:44 +0000

Closing the schools would be a bad idea – we’d lose a pile of funding. Much better to do an after-school, Spring Break, or Summer Vacation march. It’s important that we use our Right to Peaceful Assembly in a lawful manner. We are relatively early in the protest process and need to figure out things like permits. It wouldn’t do to have a big march on Sac with a mob of truant kids; we’re not out to get arrested, but to be heard. If anyone around here has experience organizing street-level, LEGAL and PEACEFUL activism, I’d love advice on how to get this going. I’m no Gandhi, I’m Irish with poor social skills and fear I may resort to fisticuffs if unduly provoked.

By: Darryl Berk

Darryl Berk — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 02:38:44 +0000

Has anybody heard anything regarding closing the schools for a one-day, state-wide march on Sacramento?

By: Alana Dill

Alana Dill — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:37:12 +0000

Mike (not sure which Mike here): after so many cuts, there’s little deadwood at the top or anywhere else in this district. With a multimillion dollar budget, common sense says a district has to be run like a business – including execs, middle management, accounting, PR, & clerical. Turnover and training are expensive and, for students, disruptive, so pay should be reasonably competitive with the private sector. If you need more accountability, ask for that, but I suggest you look at the job descriptions of those whose jobs you’d cut. Look at a school district as an organic whole: the students need to be taught first of all, but they need safe facilities. Their teachers work hard and deserves benefits. The district needs to negotiate both with parents on one hand, and with state and federal government on the other. There’s staff training, advocacy, inter-school events and communication, insurance, maintenance, bills, and NCLB. There’s vision, GATE, and disability tests. There are shy 6-year-olds, suicidal teens, bullying 10-year-olds and the occasional armed homicidal nut from on- or off-campus. There’s graffiti and other vandalism, repairs to aging campuses, there’s toilet paper, crayons, microscopes, formaldehyde-laced frogs, curriculum decisions and updates. These supplies must be ordered, approved, received and distributed so students can learn in a safe, clean, stimulating educational environment. If teachers, office staff, and custodians were given complete discretion on what to purchase, you’d be complaining that there was no budget planning or oversight. Outsourcing services such as cleaning and printing leaves schools at the mercy of jacked-up profits, so keeping those things in-house makes sense. “What the market will bear” is a cruel joke. We in CA are paying $3+ for gas and will soon see $4+. There’s no way the fleet has been updated with more efficient utility vehicles, or compensated for higher gas prices (or utilities or insurance). Our schools deserve a viable staff, not budget cuts. I do go on!

By: mike

mike — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:14:47 +0000

Why no cuts at the administrative level? All the cuts are being leveled at the kids and the teachers. The deadwood at the top should be the first cuts made.

By: Blogging Bayport Alameda

Blogging Bayport Alameda — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:03:21 +0000

Total Recall…

According to Mike McMahon, who stayed up just long enough after a marathon meeting (ended at 1:45 a.m.) to update his website about the major items. There is no indication about whether the Board decided to move forward on the parcel tax, but it appe…

By: Susan D.

Susan D. — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 06:01:05 +0000

The whole idea of recalling board members as they try to create a balanced budget for the district makes me so sad I hardly know what to write.

It’s not the district’s fault it has to cut $4.5 million from the schools. No one could have seen this coming from a governor who had declared that 2008 would be the state’s “Year of Education.”

I would love to see this community take all its rightful anger and distrss over the budget situation and channel it to fight back–with a parcel tax, with legal action, with private fundraising, and with outreach, networking, and mutual support.

There are a lot of smart, angry, committed people in our community. Let’s work against Sacramento, not each other.