SCC December 8 Meeting Notes
Dear MES ohana,
WOW! What a great turn out by staff, teachers, and parents. It was standing room only for the Dec. 8th meeting that lasted past 8:30pm.
Many of you wanted to attend but could not, and some had to leave early so, here are my notes from the December 8, 2008 SCC budget meeting.
Background info:
Current balanced AFP as proposed by Ms. Arai on Dec. 1, 2008 calls for the elimination of a Kindergarten class. Discussion on prioritizing the supplemental budget, if/when funds become available due to an anticipated increase in enrollment.
Admin report by Ms. Arai included MES scores, “High Performing Complex”, role of teachers and Academic Coaches, and SCC appeals process.
Teacher representative reported on their vote for the AFP and supplemental budget.
Non-certificated staff representative reported on their vote for the AFP and supplemental budget. Non-certificated staff in the audience pointed out that the representative did NOT accurately report the results of their vote. This concern was put off for further discussion later in the evening, but was never re-addressed.
It was reported that the school will lose 1 Special Ed. teacher and a Special Ed aid, for 2009-2010. Admin ensured the audience that Sped students will have their needs met.
Ms. Arai advocates cutting Kindergarten down to 3 classes in order to avoid cutting a grade level teacher in the upper grades thus affecting current MES students. Her proposal would not affect resident incoming Kindergarten students, 3 classes will accommodate them. The CUT will only affect the additional 20 GE students that a 4th K class could accommodate.
Mrs. Oshiro, a Kindergarten teacher informed the SCC that it would be too late to create a 4th Kindergarten class after funds are received due to an increase anticipated increase in enrolment. The funds would not be available until October, and school would have already started. The Kindergarten class has to be in place prior to the start of school so parents know where to place their children.
Major concern with the loss of a Kindergarten class is not being able to accommodate younger siblings of currently enrolled GE students, and the children of our own staff and faculty. This may force out families that our school desperately needs.
Ms. Arai did NOT provide the demographics for the Kindergarten enrollment after being asked to do so. A staff member in the audience provided the following data: Out of the 20 GE Kindergarten students enrolled, 4 were from NCLB districts, 6 were siblings, and 8 were children of staff/teachers. It is also noted, siblings could fall in the NCLB designation, so the 4 NCLB students may in fact be younger siblings. Admin’s claim that only NCLB students will be admitted into the 4th K-class is unjustified. The concern generated that the current number of Kindergarten classes will NOT benefit a significant number of MES siblings and children of staff/faculty is FALSE!
The importance of our GE families to our school was brought up: the need to take care of them as well as our resident families. GE parents are very involved in leadership roles with the PTA. Past PTA president, officers and committee chairs left MES, because their younger child was not granted a GE to MES even though their older child was an MES student. Enrollment may also decline with current GE student leaving because their younger sibling would not be accepted to MES.
Another concern over the loss of a Kindergarten class is the spiral effect on enrollment. Overall enrollment numbers will fall thus digging MES further into a budget crisis.
Ms. Arai stated she will NOT fund a grade level teacher. Therefore in order to restore Kindergarten, Ms. Arai forces us to “identify” the grade level that can best survive a cut and consequential increase to their student/teacher ratio.
Information on the role of the Gifted & Talented (GT), Music, SurfReader/SurfMath, Academic Coach (AC), and clerical positions was circulated. This information was provided to the PTA by the teachers and staff that serve in these positions.
Audience was reminded numerous times that the Academic Coaching (AC) position was not up for discussion. However, the audience repeatedly brought the AC position up for discussion as a means to fund a grade level teacher and balance the budget.
Other schools do NOT have an AC, yet they perform well with the principal filling that role. Prior to having an AC at MES Ms. Arai fulfilled that role. She indicated that she was not qualified to continue in that role for a number of reasons including the perception that she would be viewed as an evaluator making her relationship with teachers difficult and diminish her effectiveness as a coach, thus advocating for an AC.
SCC noted that teachers were asked by Ms. Arai for their input on the AC role, and there was nothing but positive comments, therefore SCC can only assess support for the AC role. It was brought up that the open discussion prevents teachers from being totally open with their assessment of the AC role. Teachers do not want to speak poorly of their fellow peer in a very public forum.
Ms. Arai agreed to consider placing the Academic Coach on the supplemental budget IF the teachers agreed to form a 10 member “focus group” to meet through the summer and the first quarter in order to develop strategies and function as the AC. If funds become available, an AC would be hired in Oct. and the focus group may disband. If funds do not become available, teachers would have to form another 10 member committee to function as the AC. Teachers would not be compensated.
Possible budget balancing options were proposed, but in the end consensus was not reached in a way to fund a grade level teacher.
- The option of cutting a custodial position was defended based on student number, acreage, and union contract stipulations.
- No further cuts to clerical/office staff was advocated due to the position cut they are going to face.
The goal to approve an AFP and prioritize the supplemental budget was not reached. A 5th working meeting to approve an AFP is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008 at 5:00pm in the library, not Monday Dec 15th as previously reported. Please attend, all programs and teachers are at risk until the very end.
Please email your concerns and ideas to our principal, the SCC and PTA.
Denise_Arai/MOANAE/HIDOE@notes.k12.hi.us
scc@moanaluapta.org
pres@moanaluapta.org
I hope this helps.
Lori Shimoda
MESPTA president