The district has now posted some material about the planned budget cuts. Also, board member Tuyet Dorau provided me with a copy of the material that the district provided to board members last night, which you can read here. (The handwritten notes in the margins are hers.)
UPDATE: The district has now posted those board materials as well.
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27 comments:
Does anyone out there know if it is true that the higher up district level employees receive better health coverage than the rest of the employees in the district? IF this rumor is true why wasn't that looked at as a place to cut in the budget? Is that something the board should look at? Also, are these cuts final? Can anything be done to protest them?
I'd like to see the board have an anonymous reporting process (directly to itself) where teachers and other personnel, especially those who work closely with students, could offer their perspective about where possible cuts could be made and ask questions of the board. I've seen this work quite effectively in the past.
It's also long past the time to take a hard look at the AEA's and ICCSD's administration and eliminate any duplication.
I also see no reason why the administration (and not at the building level) can't take a bigger hit.
Just to be clear: that's $30K cut from athletics, $444,000 cut from music...also hundreds of thousands from languages. Nice to see these great priorities.
I've been hesitating from offering opinions on what should or should not be cut.
I personally don't think any positions or programs should be cut that directly influence students whether it be an athletic team or a music program.
That being said, I'm not sure it is a fair comparison to compare cuts that affect fourth graders vs. seventh graders. I'm not sure that they actually represent priorities.
That being said, my kid will be affected by the loss of foreign language in seventh grade, the loss of football, the loss of the general music class and the potential loss of keyboarding. Where are the priorities there to make so many cuts to potentially affect seventh graders?
I'm still waiting for anyone at all(school board member or school official) to tell me what will happen to the time that would have been blocked out for classes like keyboarding or general music.
Like I said I hesitate to say X should be cut and Y should not...I'm not sure it is productive. I did see someone remark that 7th grade football is one of the activities that has the highest participation of FRL kids. Should that matter at all in the decision making process.
That being said...here is a random remark that Chris can decide to publish or not. I was at a multi school music event at City High tonight. Right after Dr. McReynolds encouraged the audience to keep abreast of issues related to the budget cuts, a certain school board member comes parading out into the gym displaying the new band uniforms as if she personally as a school board member had financed them. I'm not sure whose bright idea that was, but it was completely disgusting to me and a bad PR move in my opinion.
KD, I think the "Community Relations" spot is one that is on the chopping block. In my opinion, the disctrict does a terrible job with PR and community relations, I doubt we, the community will feel the cut. I think what you point out about the school board director seemingly taking credit for the new band uniforms is an apt representation of how our district "relates".
KD - Dr. McReynolds asked the Board member to do it and that Board member's child is in band. It was Dr. McReynolds' "bright idea." You may want to direct your criticism toward him.
I think the above criticism is an apt representation of how hypercritical the public can be about only certain members of the Board.
Anonymous -- I wasn't at the band concert and don't know which board member we're talking about, but I have to agree with KD that the day after making large cuts to the band and orchestra programs is maybe not the moment for a school board member to be taking a bow at a band concert for providing new uniforms (no matter whose idea it was). It's not a big deal, but it does seem a little tone deaf, and it's not surprising that people in that particular audience at that particular moment might find that grating.
I can think of a lot of people more worthy of feeling sorry for in this situation than school board members who have to put up with being criticized.
Wow, I must have been tired/upset/in a hurry when I wrote last night...why did I write "that being said" so many times?
At "anonymous" I'm well aware her child is in band. Whoever made the decision, I think people were stunned at her parading around the gym like she was some hostess on a game show. It was odd to say the least. People simply weren't in the mood to see that on the same day they heard about massive cuts.
To the other or the same anonymous, are you able to provide reasons why you used the words "hypercritical". She's the longest serving member of the Board. So of course the public has had more years to form an opinion of her. She in past years has attempted to shut down public expression by attempting to ban anything that could be considered signage at at a Board meeting. Are you able to provide information about positive things she has done for the district? Does she make an effort to respond to emails from the public? I can say personally she has never responded to one email I have sent her.
Chris - The Board hasn't made any cuts or recommended any cuts. The Admin presented their suggestions for cuts. The Board didn't even see the suggested cuts until the Admin presented them at the 11th hour at the work session. The Board approved the overall budget numbers; specific cuts to achieve those numbers are yet to be decided, ultimately by Admin. Perhaps the Board member was taking this opportunity to share her support of the arts. The Board can still direct the Admin to consider different cuts.
KD - You obviously have issues with this Board members' performance as a Board member. This Board member and all Board members should be able to act sometimes as parents. In this case this Board member was acting as a band parent and doing as asked by the band director. I believe your level of criticism for this Board member in this situation is, therefore, unwarranted.
Also, as I mentioned in my other post, the proposed cuts are coming from Admin, not the Board. The Board has been given little to no time to digest the recommendations and give direction back to the Admin. It might be better to work with the Board member as a potential supporter of music programs.
Anonymous: That's a fair point, that the specific cuts can still change. But isn't the board now committed to the line items in the budget it approved? So, for example, it can't now change the bottom-line figure for "instruction" as opposed to "general administration," or can it?
It's also true that the cuts are originating with the administration, but ultimately the board is in charge. I do think it's premature to assess who (if anyone) is responsible for the situation, but I hope the board will do what it can to at least scrutinize the narrative and the response provided by the administration.
Anonymous, if you were at this concert you'd know that some of the performers were fifth and sixth graders who will be affected by the proposed cuts, upon entering junior high. The sixth graders have already registered for classes that are slated to be cut.
Did you get a program...how many fifth and sixth graders do you think were there...150? 200?
I can say judging by the reaction of people around me, I'm not the only person who felt this way. There were audible gasps when she came out and started prancing around the gym.
Why doesn't the Board operate with the expectation that the superintendent provide them with better information...if he is their only employee. It is long overdue for the Board to start expecting more from the administration. I'm guessing that at the very time kids were registering for seventh grade classes the administrators knew some of these classes would be cut. That's just wrong.
Chris - Admin is part of general instruction. All the cuts are in instruction so what is cut within instruction can change.
I think we are agreeing that it is time for the entire Board to push back on the Admin regarding the cuts. Yes, the Admin might have known which classes were being cut when kids were registering, but the Board did not.
The crowds reaction to the Board member/band parent bringing out the band uniform seems to be based on some misinformation, which I think is cleared up now.
Sometimes "parading" and "prancing" are because someone is excited and the new band uniforms are exciting.
Regarding the band uniform and the school board member, there was no announcement of why she was there in what capacity. Many knew her in the audience only as a school board member, not as a parent of a kid in band. If people didn't want there to be misunderstanding then the situation should have been clearly handled in a way to identify why she was there. That is the fault of City High and the school board member...not of the audience.
This isn't the first time I've seen some behavior by Board members that could be seen as confusing or questionable at school functions. It is certainly something that school officials should keep in mind.
As for whether the cuts are merely suggested or are a done deal...from my vantage point I don't have much hope.
Anonymous,
An observation on how an action is perceived is NOT necessarily a criticism. The day most of the general public learned of hundreds of thousands of cuts to the music program alone, the Dr McReynolds asked A BOARD MEMBER who is also a band parent to show off the new band uniforms. There were lots and lots of other band parents there. Some one might have pointed out that it might not be a great idea to have that particular band parent show off the uniforms. Patti Fields isn't a Board Member OR a parents she's both and at school functions she is BOTH, at all times. I'm guessing her kid only saw "mom" but to the rest of the audience we saw "board member". Since this isn't her first go round as a board member, I'm guessing she is aware why most of us see her as a board member and not "Susie's Mom"
The class size issue IS being overlooked.. These cuts will increase class sizes at ALL levels and there will be courses and other programs that will be eliminated or reduced by this " attrition". The administration knew the cuts were coming and they waited until the last possible minute to present this to the board--That cant be an accident-- and I hope the board is angry about it.. the boards job in this situation is to question these cuts and what actual impact they will have, instead of accepting the double speak.
We as a community need also need to understand that we created this monster by encouraging the district to build new schools and refusing to acknowledge that other schools may need to close
In some ways we are getting the government we deserve
Here's a thought. Let's see the prancing Board member/band parent as someone who is obviously very connected to the music program. This could make her an ally in the effort to stop cuts to the music programs. Let's focus on that.
StillMad - More info on class sizes on pages 7-9 of this report.
http://www.iowacityschools.org/files/_zJI0X_/85aaf7b3886fcd223745a49013852ec4/Budget_Book.pdf
Anonymous – Again, I can see why the appearance at the band concert might have come across as tone-deaf, given the circumstances. But I agree that it’s possible to make too much of it, and that it’s not worth dwelling on. I would at least take the reaction to it as an indication of how frustrated people are with the situation.
If there’s an opportunity for the board to step up and intervene in the planned cuts—or at least to consider whether intervention makes sense—then I agree that we should give them that chance. If there are arguments that the board bears some responsibility for the crisis, though, then I think it’s good to hear them now.
I’m still not clear on just what, if anything, the board has committed itself to with its vote to approve the budget. It does not seem accurate to say that general administration is lumped together with instruction in the budget: the summary document here lists them (and many other categories of spending) separately, with separate numbers for each. Does that mean that the board is now committed to that amount of spending in each category, and can no longer raise one at the expense of another?
This situation seems to be a power struggle vs. pass the buck. The school district claims that they had to make cuts and that their decision is final. It's a done deal. They have spoken.
On the other hand, the school board says the budget is not their area. They can do nothing. It's the district offices doing and they are powerless.
I am confused here. I thought the school boards job was to direct the superintendent, listen to the people that elected them and and create board policy.
Why does the board claim they cannot do anything regarding the cuts? Why do they give Murley all of the power? Can't they create a policy saying that budget cuts cannot be made without board approval? If the board is powerless, why did write a Fine Arts policy and why aren't they enforcing it now regarding the music program? And why did they have a say in the closing of Hoover if they are powerless? Instead of writing a policy regarding public speaking, they should be writing a policy defining the board directors job, and the superintendents job, stating with how they check and balance each other. This may not help for this budget, but it could help in the future.
Maybe the ICCSD and board should take a some tips from the West Des Moines school district on how a budget cutting process should work: "The proposal is being submitted after a four-month process, which included gathering reduction ideas and feedback from parents, community members and employees. This included holding several public meetings to provide information on the budget, the process being used to determine reductions and to gather feedback on possible reductions." West Des Moines link: http://www.wdmcs.org/category/school-board-news/
ICLocal -- Wow, that is quite a contrast. Here's the clickable link.
Note Item 90 on the West Des Moines list uses Teacher Leadership grants to offset cuts. ICCSD did not even apply for this first round of funding from the state. Most large school districts did. ...
https://www.educateiowa.gov/sites/files/ed/documents/TLC%20Applicant%20List_02%2003%2014.pdf
Let's not forget that sooner rather than later the district will be asking voters to approve a general obligation bond to fund the 10ish million dollar short fall to pay for the new schools. The RPS will not begin to pay for the new buildings.
If this brochure was posted on April 9, then the administration had that budget way before the April 8 board meeting. A full-color, 10-page brochure like this takes more than a day or two to design.
Karen Nichols
karen@knichols.com
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