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February 24, 2010

Acalanes district high schools will need to eliminate seventh period unless an emergency parcel tax passes in May

With the Acalanes Union High School District cutting $4.8 million from its 2010-11 school year budget, laying off 57 teachers,  and losing about $254 per student, the district will no longer be offering students a seven-period day. This is according to Superintendent John Stockton, in an e-mail message he sent out Wednesday.

He said these cuts will be necessary unless voters in the district pass Measure A, "the Emergency Education Act of 2010." It is a $112-per parcel tax that will last five years. This parcel tax would be levied in addition to the $189 parcel tax, which voters extended indefinitely in November. The Acalanes district  includes Walnut Creek's Las Lomas High and Lafayette's Acalanes High. 

Stockton warns that these cuts will hurt students in the district, making it possible that they will lose their "competitive edge when applying for college, university and technical schools."

"While some people may see this as a return to a basic education structure of several decades past, many view this as the decimation of one of the most respected high school districts in the nation," he says.

He says that the district will receive less funding next year by the state than it did five years ago. "During the same period, expenses and state mandates have increased. ... Although it is natural for most of us to have cherished memories of our high school years, it is clear that a 20th century education does not meet today's needs. The mastery of complex academic standards with fewer and fewer resources is simply not possible."

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

And so it continues...the extortion of more and more money from the taxpayers to make up for the mismanagement and bungling of our state government.

If anyone thinks this $112 will be the last trip to the well they've got another think coming.

Anonymous said...

Disheartening but not unexpected.

Jojo Potato said...

Oh Bull. These guys sure don't know how to run a political campaign. Last time around it was the end of the world, whoops, now it is again. Besides I don't know how many kids actually go to seventh period anyway, if you drive by Las Lomas or Acalanes about 2pm, the parking lot is empty and no students to be seen.

Anonymous said...

How many hours a day do students attend school in this town? It seems they are all out and about by 2:15 every day, besieging Taco Bell and skateboarding in the Broadway parking lot. What time do they start class? how long are the classes, what time are they out?

I have always voted for schools even thought I don't have children, but there need to be some answers before any more $$ comes out of my pocket.

Anonymous said...

Can't John Stockton find some other way to "assist" the students? Can't he get some gift from the mailman, Karl Malone?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 2:00 is so right: extortion and mismanagement. JoJo is absolutely correct - few kids actually take a 7th period class. I am glad that folks like 4:57 - who have always voted for schools in the past, finally have had enough!!!
I am sick to death of being threatened by the Acalanes District's superintendent, that the schools will suddenly become lousy overnight if more taxes aren't passed. The schools need to tighten their belts and cut out some programs temporarily until the economy stabilizes and then reinstitute them in the future. Homeowners are literally being sucked dry. Parents need to step up and do more for their own children, in these current economic times.

Anonymous said...

No,No, No on another parcel tax !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stockton and that board need to go.How about some accoun tability by real educational people. These guys express a gross lack of ethical belief...do you know what that means: they are a bunch of g..d...liars!! A real in-depth audit of those districts by the co co county DA auditors would result in jail/fine time and prejudical termination for cause.
Hey taxpayers:wake up-these govt agencies have no credibility at all...just look at sacramento and co co county supervisors...every elected job is a stepping stone to a higher govt job.signed: a disgusted taxpayer...i correct that to read..an unemployed taxpayer

hapamama said...

Few students would be hurt by losing 7th period. I'll be voting no on this one.

Anonymous said...

Wow if $112 a year sucks you dry.... you got bigger problems than what you think.

Anonymous said...

No, until they prove they need it. And that doesn't mean a cindy silva/liar vomit served response, with derision that we expect.

Oh, dear me. That's what we expect..........

Anonymous said...

$112 a year crisis money is too much to pay for the education of your kids? Does "#1 district in the state" mean anything for your property values? Isn't $112 a small price to pay for our "best education in the state" status? Do you know that teachers who don't even have students in this district but have employment here will vote tomorrow give up $2200 in salary next year and the years following to save your district?
Our kids deserve our support!
- a seventh period Las Lomas teacher

Anonymous said...

Dear all,
It is hard to read the comments on this blog, today. If one has an opinion, I believe it is possible to express it without needing to be so mean spirited. There are so many teachers, and other staff, who are being laid off: people who are the bread earners for their families. Even if having a great school, or keeping your property values up is not your priority, at least have a heart for the lives of these people. Their layoffs are being revealed publicly and people are acting like it's nothing and doesn't matter.
I don't think it's a good idea to have these comments posted anonymously. It brings out the base in people. I'm even afraid to sign my name, because of how people talk to each other.

Thank you.
Sharon

Anonymous said...

It is the fault of the teacher's union. Fortunately they will finally have to reap what they have sown.

If there were any justice in this world all teacher's union members would be fired and possibly put in jail.

Anonymous said...

Sharon,

I'm sorry that this blog hurts your sensibilities. Maybe it's time for you, and others, to realize that California is in a lot of trouble and belts will have to be tightened everywhere. Walnut Creek doesn't get a free pass just because it's Walnut Creek.

Lot's of people are losing jobs, not just teachers. Many private employers are cutting jobs because they have to. Real estate agents, car dealers, and other who work on commission have been slammed.

My dad grew up during the depression. Times were tough. They lived through it. Please try to get real.

Anonymous said...

Sorry...."Lot's" should have been "lots"....don't want to get flamed for a typo.

Anonymous said...

I went to school in this district. Some students only took 6 periods per day and graduated just fine. If you take 7 periods for 3 years, then in your senior year you can go to school for only 5 periods a day. That means that many seniors can leave school just after 1 PM.

Eliminating the 7th period will most likely not affect too many people. Students need to earn a certain amount of credit to graduate. As long as they earn the proper amount, they will be fine. Eliminating a 7th period might just mean that some seniors won't have a shorter day during their senior year.

Anonymous said...

One of the Top High school districts, give me a break. There are so few high school districts. Just make it K-12 in each city and save enough to have 8 periods if you want them. Having a fiscally sound K-12 will help property values. Does anyone think that more parcel taxes will be attractive to real estate buyers?

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:58

I venture to assume that you have been living in your property for a very long time. Thus, thanks to Prop 13 your property tax by now is probably very minimal and you are truly shocked by a $112 yearly increase.
Buyers who now buy in the district are already facing yearly property taxes of $10K or more and I doubt that the additional $112 will be as much of a deterrent as a highly rated school district will be an attraction to them.

Anonymous said...

Not only will these cuts take away seventh period, Las Lomas will be the hardest hit because it is the biggest. We are already sooo far behind campolindo and acalanes and miramonte we cannot afford this. We have the youngest teachers in this district yet we are the community who deserves the best school. It is a shame that it has come to this i agree but there is no doubt in my mind that this measure will pass because people in lamorinda have money to spend and the rossmoor tax exemption gives us an even bigger advantage.

Anonymous said...

To those that say eliminating 7th period won't affect the kids, you are wrong. I have two sophmores. One is an A student and planned to take a full course load all four years. He no longer has that option. Next year, he will sign up for AP Calculus, Physics, and French 4 with Honors, along with the basics. We have been told that if there are not enough students to fill a class, it will be dropped. That means he may not get to take the classes he needs for college.

My other son struggles in school, especially with testing, so he needs to take different classes. He also is having a hard time choosing because any class my be cut from the list for any reason.

Also, the kids won't be getting out early. Most kids WILL have a seventh period. They still need to spread out the schedules to go to 3:00, so many kids will have a study hall some time during their day.

Anonymous said...

As a teacher in the district, I don't know what more I can possibly do for your students and do not understand what we teachers have done to earn the anger these comments suggest.

Anonymous said...

Dear Teacher 6:21,
I regret that you are taking this discussion personally. We writers are venting at the District Administration for prior policies, and at the state. I am the parent of 2 Campo alums, with no more kids in the district. I moved here in 2003, at the height of the housing bubble and pay $12,000 annual property taxes, while my next door neighbor (adult child of the house's original owner with 2 young kids) pays $1,200 thanks to prop 13. AS for the district, a few years back, Campo built a new state-of-the art auditorium, rebuilt the football stadium/track with state-of-the astroturf and sound system, then there are the THREE heated swimming pools.
In point of fact, one real reason that many kids who attend Campo get high grades and score well on AP and standardized tests is because many parents have the means to get private tutoring - I know that I hired math tutors, writing tutors, foreign language tutors, and test prep tutors for my two kids. Have you ever noticed that Moraga/Lafayette has Lafayette Academy, Huntinton Learning Center, Kumon Math, etc; not to mention all the tutors that advertise on the Campo Parents association website. Many Campo subject teachers would not permit kids to take their chapter tests nor their midterm exams home to review, since teachers reused them year after year, with the principal's permission. This policy I found to be extremely frustrating, hence the need for me to hire and pay private tutors - to make certain that my kids were learning the material.

Anonymous said...

To Anon 10:59 pm, who said " yet we are the community who deserves the best school." Really? If that is true, then it would necessarily mean that other communities deserve the poorest schools. Could you name those communities?

To the teacher at 6:21 AM: I'm sure you do a lot for your students, but surely you have some idea why people are angry at teachers....actually not teachers themselves, but the teachers union. Here is a positive first step teachers could take that would help raise public support....insist that poorly performing teachers be fired. If the public felt that poor teachers were being weeded out, we'd probably be a lot more willing to through more money to the school system. Instead, we see the CTA protect teachers who are incompetent.

Anonymous said...

sorry " to through" should have been "to throw"

Masterlock said...

The problem here is one of perception, voters are frustrated because they feel like they have voted over and over to fund education only to have it misappropriated and raided at every opportunity by Sacramento. Then we read stories about the bloated pensions and terrible waste and it is no wonder so many voters are frustrated.

At the same time, it isn't our local schools' fault and their success helps prop up local property values, so I would vote for a parcel tax - this time.

Anonymous said...

Disband the teacher's union and I will vote yes. Until that happens I will vote no.

Anonymous said...

There is a lot more on the line besides losing 7 periods ... variety of classes, number of electives, sports programs, special services, counselors to name a few. The parcel tax is very very important to our students! Please support this measure!

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous at 9:14
As we prepare to voluntarily offer the district a pay cut of 2.7% each, this union of teachers is demanding the same from the district office and the Superintendent. Who would have the courage to do that individually? We know that smaller class sizes means less money available for salary, but our union of teachers collectively bargains yearly for class size reduction knowing we do so at the expense of salary. Who would do that individually?Respecting your right to vote no, your no vote is a small price to pay for the good that my union of teachers does for our school community.

Anonymous said...

Professionals should not be able to be in unions. Unions are for hourly workers. Teachers want to be treated like professionals, but aren't willing to take the downside, which is that you get terminated for poor performance.

Anonymous said...

Definitely not.

I am not giving more money to a broken system.

Yes, schools will suffer but Californians NEED TO GET A WAKE-UP CALL. Call a Constitutional Convention! This system is so messed up.

And the sad thing is, most of these people who are saying "Oh yes vote for the parcel tax, vote for our schools" are to blame. They CONTINUALLY elect the bad politicians. They probably voted for Gray Davis who is to blame for this economic crisis. They continue to elect Democrat or Republican hacks. Vote for some new people that actually care about our state and then our schools will be saved. Remember that we are a representative democracy.

I REFUSE to give any more money.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous at 6:58
Are their other "professionals" that shouldn't "be able to be in unions"? Actors? Police? Firefighters?Doctors?Nurses?Accountants?Lawyers?....or just teachers?

Anonymous said...

I believe salaried professionals should not be in unions. Hourly workers...go for it.

Anonymous said...

I think all teachers union members should be jailed and or assigned to labor camps. Number 1 for the fraud that the teachers union imparts from society. Number 2 for being such dumba$$es as to constantly defend the criminally fraudulent union.

Anonymous said...

Property values will go down when school test scores go down. Reduced funding will lead to a lower quality of education.

People are short sighted. They fear a property tax, but in reality their home values will fall even greater once the quality of schools go down.

Walnut Creek is a city on the edge. Less funding for schools mean kids will be out on the street earlier. When kids are on the street for longer periods of time they will have an opportunity to get into more trouble. It is a vicious cycle that will just keep getting worse.

Just look at what underfunding schools has done for other communities. Vallejo has underfunded schools and their teen crime rate is rising. Their teenagers are out of control and upset over the poor quality of education.

For those who have students in public schools right now, it is an unfortunate time. Children will have fewer classes and less chances to take honors and Advanced Placement classes that could help them get into better colleges.

The fact is that anti-tax people will always be anti-tax. Nothing will change their minds. People who have children in school will be willing to pay. However, the people who are on the fence will be the ones that will determine the outcome of the entire situation.

Anonymous said...

Well said. I will continue to vote extra money to our schools. What better way to spend it. $112 a year is 30 cents a day. And I can improve the futures of 5-6,000 kids. Are you kidding me? I leave more than that each day for the tatooed kid that makes my coffee.

Anonymous said...

There are something interesting statements in some of these posts:

"Walnut Creek is a city on the edge." -- Really? I think this is just a wee bit of an exaggeration. Take a drive around Detroit or, closer to home, Oakland, and get back to us on this one.

"Reduced funding will lead to a lower quality of education." -- Why is the solution always, always more funding? How about showing some cost reductions before asking for more money?

" Less funding for schools mean kids will be out on the street earlier. When kids are on the street for longer periods of time they will have an opportunity to get into more trouble." -- so the school system is responsible for keeping your kids off the street and out of trouble? How far should we extend this? Is the school responsible if your kids ges in trouble at 8 in the evening, or only during school hours?

"Their teenagers are out of control and upset over the poor quality of education." -- Interesting juxtaposition of ideas here. I seriously doubt that kids who are "out of control" are also "upset over the poor quality of education". Some high-achieving kids might be upset at the lack of AP classes, but my experience with high-achieving kids and their families is that they do what it takes to get opportunities.

spidaman said...

This parcel tax is peanuts if it means preserving the quality of the education in the Acalanes HS District. I'd happily pay 2x that if I knew that the schools would have what they needed; the layoffs planned if measure A doesn't pass would be devastating. The community can afford to do better than that.

To all of the tax-angry people: as long as Californians vote for propositions that grow the prison burdens (3 strikes) and artificially dampen property tax (prop 13), the schools keep getting shafted. Until you have real data to quantify the waste and mismanagement of the schools, look elsewhere at the things that tie the state's hands to fund the the things that make our communities great places to live.

Anonymous said...

well sucks for you dipshits. the measure passed and there's nothing you can do about it. quit being so goddamn selfish and support our kids, our future.