Comments on: Does California adequately fund education?

By: Milan Moravec

Milan Moravec — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:01:40 +0000

UC Berkeley steals from our children and their families. Current pay increases for generously paid University of California Faculty is arrogance. Instate tuition consumes 14% of Ca. Median Family Income!
UC Berkeley (ranked # 70 Forbes) tuition increases exceed the national average rate of increases. Chancellor Birgeneau has molded Cal. into the most expensive public university.
University of California President Yudof and Chancellor Birgeneau($450,000 salary) have dismissed many much needed cost-cutting options. They did not consider freezing vacant faculty positions, increasing class size, requiring faculty to teach more classes, doubling the time between sabbaticals, cutting and freezing pay and benefits for all chancellors and reforming the pension system.
They said such faculty reforms “would not be healthy for University of California”. Exodus of faculty and administrators? Who can afford them and where would they go?
We agree it is far from the ideal situation, but it is in the best interests of the university system and the state to hold the line on cost increases. UC cannot expect to do business as usual: raising tuition; granting pay raises and huge bonuses during a weak economy that has sapped state revenues and individual Californians’ income.
There is no question the necessary realignments with economic reality are painful. Regent Chairwoman Lansing can bridge the public trust gap with reassurances that salaries and costs reflect California’s economic reality. The sky above UC will not fall

Opinions? Email the UC Board of Regents marsha.kelman@ucop.edu

By: Number Eight

Number Eight — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 01:58:17 +0000

When will the district prove that the board president is not lying to the TV news media about the $1.7 million. Do that by giving Theresa the cost breakdown for CVHS, cuz CVHS costs and revenues should be a wash. Or else the district has been shorting CVHS for years. The district’s only loss from the CVHS charter is paying all these expensive attorneys to save the empire. What a waste! Golden Fleece indeed!

By: Doctor J

Doctor J — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:35:43 +0000

I still have not seen the SIG Corrective Action Plan that was due on Sept 12 and its not posted on the State site. Could it be that Cooksey, Rolen, Lawrence and the Board were so busy concocting onerous conditions to oppose the CVCHS that they missed a $15 million deadline ? Wait until you hear about the district’s failure to order textbooks on time and from the correct vendor — that mistake cost about $175,000. Theresa, remember old Sen. Wm. Proxmire and his “Golden Fleece” awards for abusive government spending — can’t we get CCT to sponsor the Mt. Diablo Golden Fleece awards ? You could set up a public vote on the most agregious spending by the District. BTW, do you think the district has already spent more than $100,000 opposing the CVCHS charter ? I wonder how much the district consultants themselves cost let alone the lost billable hours of Cooksey and Rolen.

By: Theresa Harrington

Theresa Harrington — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:15:25 +0000

Just J: I have just belatedly posted a blog item that compares 2009-10 per student spending in East Bay schools to 2010 API scores: http://bit.ly/pLuyYb
I started this blog piece in June, when we published the California Watch report. I had intended to include comments from superintendents, which is why I hadn’t posted it previously.
Unfortunately, I got sidetracked and didn’t finish editing the comments. However, based on your question, I’ve decided to post the initial analysis now and can hopefully do a second blog post with the superintendent comments (time permitting).

By: Another MDUSD Mom

Another MDUSD Mom — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:43:47 +0000

4Students,
You are dead on! Nice to have you blogging. When will the leadership in this District understand that the community will not support their efforts without a huge shift in the type of leadership running this District? You are absolutely right about communication, transparency, accountability, and ultimately public trust. Communication and transparency doesn’t just mean a public meeting full of double talk or a sporadic Superintendent memo. It means collaborating with the community, listening to the needs of the students and teachers, honesty when it comes to bonds, solar projects, etc…
Here is what I want to say to our BOE: Don’t tell us what you think will manipulate us into your way of thinking, speak to us honestly. Don’t ignore our pleas to change things at a school site and then only react when it has gotten so bad you have no choice! When you say you want replace our Superintendent with someone who is a leader, a communicator, a uniter, an innovator, etc… Then do that. When you start acting like leaders, we will follow you. When you start acting like leaders we will believe you when you say “Putting Students First”. For now we have no choice but to be a thorn in your side, too much depends on it.

By: Just J

Just J — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:32:17 +0000

Thanks Dr. J!

I am pretty new to all of this education stuff. I really didn’t pay close attention in previous years so I ask a lot of questions to learn.
I have read a ton of information and different articles regarding spending in education. I have compared different states. It seems that there is no hard data that says per pupil spending = a better education. Some states have the highest spending and have the lowest graduation rates and test scores while others spend very little and have the opposite. I am not sure you can say that California needs more education spending or if we need to adjust how we are spending what we have. I often wonder if it is more money needed or if we need to spend more wise? It seems that more of the adults are getting higher pay and benefits and the class rooms are getting less and less. I am not sure the answer is more money because the adults in the game will just pay themselvs more.

Hope that all made sense.

By: Doctor J

Doctor J — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 05:06:02 +0000

@Just J, here is a boatload of infomation. If you can’t find what you are looking for here, perhaps you might try the US Dept of Education website. http://www.census.gov/govs/school/

By: Just J

Just J — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 01:02:38 +0000

What is the per pupil average spening in California vs. some higher performing states?

By: 4Students

4Students — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:59:18 +0000

California school funding is stuck in neutral. Sacramento talks about “fairness in funding” but it doesn’t happen. The 2000 “fairness in funding” bill passed the legislature but was vetoed by Governor Davis, shame on him. Then Sacramento talks about decentralization and local control. At the district level, we need a parcel tax, not another bond! Like Acalanes and San Ramon districts, MDUSD needs to build good communications, transparency, accountability and public trust to pass a parcel tax. But MDUSD is stuck in neutral.