PVUSD's fiscal woes are far from over

Don't make it look like the teachers won't take furloughs, Sentinel and Dorma.

Though not finalized, as a union, we have agreed to take 6 days which is a 3.3% cut in out salary. The principals have agreed to seven days, which equals the same percentage. It is upper management that can't get it together and agree on talking the same 3.3%.

Try interviewing teachers, Donna, and not going off the press releases the D.O. sends out.

"That means instead of saving the anticipated $2 million from increasing class enrollment, the district would only save about $500,000. The other $1.5 million will have to be found elsewhere in the coming round of reductions..."

That means they have to keep cutting - plenty of room in admin and at the top.

Cut $'s, not hours!

I'm confused. We (employees) were told by the union just before Christmas that district officials had decided five days of furlough that would have had the school year end early weren't needed. Was this true? I believe these furloughs have widespread support. How much would these 5 days save? I was under the impression it was a million a day. Would it be possible to post the budget of this public entity online?

Cuts: New teacher program staff, all site coordinators, migrant ed program, new mother program, outsource: payroll, food service, landscaping, janitorial, and for God's sake, fire all of the consultants!

"SC Taxpayer: Cuts: New teacher program staff, all site coordinators, migrant ed program, new mother program"
Is that all, why not cut all of the teachers and let the kids (K-12) run free in the streets? Then Watsonville can qualify for a big Federal bail out grant to hire more police to arrest them all, and a new jail to put them all in! Oh yeah, we already tried that in Oakland and LA and it does not work.
Wake up Buddy, why don't we reduce the YEARLY INCREASE in war spending by a piddly 5% and give all the teachers a raise and starting teaching our kids about something other than failure!

SC TAXPAYER wrote:

Cuts: New teacher program staff, all site coordinators, migrant ed program, new mother program, outsource: payroll, food service, landscaping, janitorial, and for God's sake, fire all of the consultants!

In addition, we need to do away with providing free education to all illegals, who make up the majority in these schools. The ones who are hurt the most by these cuts are the legal students, meaning children of legal citizens.(I don't count anchor babies in this category. Misinterpretation of the 14th Amendment is the only reason they are considered citizens. Hopefully this will end soon.) These legal students see programs cut endlessly, have had to endure increasingly large classes, endure the 'dumbing down' of the class material to cater to non-English speakers and endure lack of teacher-student time, as the teacher is forced to spend more time helping the non-English speakers. This is a complete injustice to our legal students. They don't seem to have any rights or attention any more.

Still no mention of cutting any six figure salaries or positions of administrators, still no mention of the teachers union (CTA) being held to a renegotiation of wages and benefits to a reduced compensation, and while still forcing the taxpayers to pay for the education of approximately 7,500 Spanish Language English Learners (Children of Illegal Immigrants) in PVUSD costing the taxpayers nearly 52 MILLION DOLLARS a year to educate!
No possibility of a positive resolution in sight given the continued circumstances. Just ensured of more of the more of the same old Democrat talking points of raising taxes as the solution!

SC TAXPAYER wrote:

Cuts: New teacher program staff, all site coordinators, migrant ed program, new mother program, outsource: payroll, food service, landscaping, janitorial, and for God's sake, fire all of the consultants!

Don't forget the SEIU costs forced into the equation. Still no mention of cutting any six figure salaries or positions of administrators, still no mention of the teachers union (CTA) being held to a renegotiation of wages and benefits to a reduced compensation, and while still forcing the taxpayers to pay for the education of approximately 7,500 Spanish Language English Learners (Children of Illegal Immigrants) in PVUSD costing the taxpayers nearly 52 MILLION DOLLARS a year to educate! Don’t forget the influence of the SEIU. SEIU President Andrew Stern was the most frequent visitor to the White House last year per FOIA records especially considering the SEIU gave 60 MILLION DOLLARS to Obama’s election campaign for 2008 and are the biggest proponents of Nationalized Government Health Care because the majority of their members are employed in heath care including hospital and Medicare provider services care and the education system! No possibility of a positive resolution in sight given the continued circumstances. Just ensured of more of the more of the same old Democrat talking points of raising taxes as the solution!

"That means instead of saving the anticipated $2 million from increasing class enrollment, the district would only save about $500,000. The other $1.5 million will have to be found elsewhere in the coming round of reductions..."

I could understand missing the estimated savings by 10 or 20% but you missed by 75%!!!! For $180k plus benefits per year I expect better.

These huge salaries are taking up money that should be going to the classroom. They need to stop. The longer you wait, the deeper the cuts and the harder it will be.

Like I have said before, our schools are well funded but they are poorly managed.

SC TAXPAYER wrote:

Cuts: New teacher program staff, all site coordinators, migrant ed program, new mother program, outsource: payroll, food service, landscaping, janitorial, and for God's sake, fire all of the consultants!

Do you read what you post? Work is outsourced TO CONSULTANTS and other professionals. I'm guessing that you wouldn't want a CPA to handle payroll because that person would be contracted just like other 'consultants' Your statement would require that the district HIRE MORE STAFF TO DO THE WORK THE CONSULTANTS DO NOW.

Include these in cuts wrote:

<quoted text>
In addition, we need to do away with providing free education to all illegals, who make up the majority in these schools. The ones who are hurt the most by these cuts are the legal students, meaning children of legal citizens.(I don't count anchor babies in this category. Misinterpretation of the 14th Amendment is the only reason they are considered citizens. Hopefully this will end soon.) These legal students see programs cut endlessly, have had to endure increasingly large classes, endure the 'dumbing down' of the class material to cater to non-English speakers and endure lack of teacher-student time, as the teacher is forced to spend more time helping the non-English speakers. This is a complete injustice to our legal students. They don't seem to have any rights or attention any more.

This speaks more to the truth than I have ever heard before. Bravo!

Right Wing Failure wrote:

"SC Taxpayer: Cuts: New teacher program staff, all site coordinators, migrant ed program, new mother program"
Is that all, why not cut all of the teachers and let the kids (K-12) run free in the streets? Then Watsonville can qualify for a big Federal bail out grant to hire more police to arrest them all, and a new jail to put them all in! Oh yeah, we already tried that in Oakland and LA and it does not work.
Wake up Buddy, why don't we reduce the YEARLY INCREASE in war spending by a piddly 5% and give all the teachers a raise and starting teaching our kids about something other than failure!

Every cut I am proposing is non-teaching, district office staff. The teachers have already been told that they will have 40 students next year and schools have already identified teachers to be laid off. Dorma Baker apparently can't part with any of her legions of administrators and you know that Pajaro is heavy with consultants. PUT THE MONEY IN THE CLASSROOM BECAUSE IN THE END, THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS!

Taxpayer wrote:

<quoted text>
Do you read what you post? Work is outsourced TO CONSULTANTS and other professionals. I'm guessing that you wouldn't want a CPA to handle payroll because that person would be contracted just like other 'consultants' Your statement would require that the district HIRE MORE STAFF TO DO THE WORK THE CONSULTANTS DO NOW.

Once again, you are standing up to support the bloated bureaucracies of the school districts. You apparently think that the district staff is more important than the teachers. When I say outsource, I mean taking work from district, unionized, fully pensioned and benefited employees and hiring outside companies who use cheap, non-union labor. You apparently have never run a business so simple management concepts appear to be beyond your grasp. By the way Mr. Keely, how are things at the county?

Dorma Baker is well over her Head and Mary Hart is pulling all of the strings. Those that stay...Friends and Family, those that go...who cares who they are. Very top heavy in Mary Hart's shop...doesn't let go of all the director/managers she keeps to buffer the work from coming up to her level. Safety Coordinator, Energy Manager, Technology Director and Assistant Director,Purchasing Director, Business Director, Facilities Director and many more layers of supervisors, etc. Human Resources has 3 Top Administrators (Assist Supt, Classified and Certificated Director), one of which was recently filled and could have remained vacant due to budget. Dorma has 5 Assistant Supt's surrounding her...wow! Does she really make decisions? Dorma could have come on and saved the day and really cleaned up the mess that Mary Ann Mays left from her vindictive, nasty management approach. Someone, or something...Grand Jury...do another investigation. Better yet; let the state take over. It's time. By way, those English learners get Federal dollars, their parents pay taxes when the farmers actually pay them and they put food on your table and keep the prices down from further inflation due to their cheap labor.Quit blaming the victims.

SC TAXPAYER wrote:

<quoted text>
Once again, you are standing up to support the bloated bureaucracies of the school districts. You apparently think that the district staff is more important than the teachers. When I say outsource, I mean taking work from district, unionized, fully pensioned and benefited employees and hiring outside companies who use cheap, non-union labor. You apparently have never run a business so simple management concepts appear to be beyond your grasp. By the way Mr. Keely, how are things at the county?

You lie. I have done what you say.

And you ignore the question, who will do the work of the consultants when you fire them, angels?

[QUOTE who="...By way, those English learners get Federal dollars, their parents pay taxes when the farmers actually pay them and they put food on your table and keep the prices down from further inflation due to their cheap labor.Quit blaming the victims.[/QUOTE]

These 'victims' crossed the border illegally. Once here, these 'victims' then bred multiple anchor babies for the state aid they can get for each one. These 'victims' don't pay taxes because they don't have a valid SSN. If they do have a SSN, they are identity thieves. If these 'victims' are paid below minimum wage for their labor, it's because they are ILLEGAL. They have only themselves to blame for this - they jumped the border. I would much rather pay more for my produce, if it meant getting rid of these 'victims.' In addition, they don't help our economy when they send most of their under-the-table earnings back to family in MEXICO.

Finally! cut admin, APs and see if test scores go up or down--we managed before w/out any 'AP'in elem., or as many as FOUR APs in hs, so try now. DO so top heavy, and try to see how much those consultants make and if they ever raised test scores as much as -the core group: parents, teacher, students?$?$!

at this point we are close to homeschooling...sounds good..we can get all the kids together for playtime and keep them home...that will save the district's light bill. Eventually the district can get back on their feet and then we can resume education in the schools....effectively. right now we are about to cut the abc's and the 123's. what is there after that?? we are already compromising our kids safety on the playgrounds and in the classroom..way too crowded. the bright spot are the teachers...wonderful, patient and towing the line for our kids! Keep the teachers and ditch everthing else....start from scratch when we can afford it again.

Taxpayer wrote:

<quoted text>
You lie. I have done what you say.
And you ignore the question, who will do the work of the consultants when you fire them, angels?

Look Fred, consultants don't actually work. They call and attend meetings, make meaningless recommendations that won't work and/or will be ignored by the districts. Consultants are a crutch or an excuse for inept managers and nothing more. When you ask who will do the work of consultants, you should know that there is not work. And by the way, these consultants are pulling down $150 -$300 an hour plus expenses to do no meaningful work. Sadly most consultants were inept school administrators who are living large on consulting fees and getting work from former co-workers. NOBODY WILL MISS THEM WHEN THEY ARE GONE, LEAST OF NOT THE STUDENTS.

SC TAXPAYER wrote:

<quoted text>
Look Fred, consultants don't actually work. They call and attend meetings, make meaningless recommendations that won't work and/or will be ignored by the districts. Consultants are a crutch or an excuse for inept managers and nothing more. When you ask who will do the work of consultants, you should know that there is not work. And by the way, these consultants are pulling down $150 -$300 an hour plus expenses to do no meaningful work. Sadly most consultants were inept school administrators who are living large on consulting fees and getting work from former co-workers. NOBODY WILL MISS THEM WHEN THEY ARE GONE, LEAST OF NOT THE STUDENTS.

So no lawyers, speech pathologists, auditors, health and safety pros? You're right, who needs an audit of the books anyway.