Monrovia School Link ~ Number 124 ~ June 12, 2005
Thanks to Ann Freeman for this report. It appears there was quite a lively public comment period at this meeting, with the main topics being about 1) allowing students to leave campus for medical reasons without their parents knowledge or permission, and 2) the elimination of health aides for budgetary reasons.
~ brad@sacklunch.net
By Ann Freeman
The Board of Education Meeting began unpromptly at 7:19 p.m. on June 8, 2005 and managed to end 5 minutes before June 9, 2005. A Parking Lot Discussion took some of us into the new day.
I was prepared to take notes for a "newsletter," but feel I should have prepared for a "mini novel" packed with out purpose, plot, or prose as we might define these terms. When I agreed to take notes and report I was reasonably neutral, but after attending a staff meeting at my site and a CSEA meeting a few days later, I no longer feel objective. I have been appalled with all that is happening and projected to happen in our District. I know now why School Board meetings are held at night - they like to keep us in the dark and then coolly spring surprises our way, hoping our eyes, ears and minds are dim.
Here goes FIVE hours worth of notes as concise and coherent as I get:
All Board members were present except for Betty Sanford.
No action was taken in the closed session concerning negotiations with MTA.
EVERY ITEM to be voted upon tonight was 4-O approved. (I was hoping for at least one or more to abstain.)
Awards Galore:
Outstanding Service from the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce: Rodney Bonwell, Martha Nunez, Erin Avedissian, and Jennifer Sumulong.
Monrovia High Youth In Government day in Sacramento: Delfon Baron, Shayla Dardon, Ashley Dunn, Kristen Hayford, Diana Huerta, Shanice Lockhart, Shannon Mallory, Hilary Mark, Jackie Mena, Vanessa Paniagua, Brittany Rykert, Patty Soberanis.
Each student presented their assigned mock governmental position. (I like student representation.)
Longevity Recognitions for 25-35 years were presented to 18 staff members - 8 were in attendance (I learned the next day that one of those not present was at "The Happiest Place On Earth" and that definitely was not at this meeting).
Retirement Recognitions went to 15 individuals - 5 were present.
A Surprise Recognition went to Ryann Blackshere, the Student rep on the Board. She will be attending Stanford.
After the exit of many, the tone of the meeting changed as public comments were expressed. Because my emotional well-being was being "tested" and the apathy of the Board was evident during most of these presentations (including mine), I will try to summarize as best as possible. Also, many names eluded me because I neither saw them in print, nor heard them clearly - forgive me. My format is weak at this point, too.
4.3 NURSING STAFF CHANGES ("OUCH")
Dennis Jones: Why the need for a second elementary principal at Mayflower?
Answer: To provide leadership for transitional time.
DJ: The public needs to be informed before items are put on the "consent agenda." (My internal question: Were parents informed about the elimination of bus transportation for their children? If so, how were they informed and were there public hearings where options and alternatives could be discussed? Were parents informed about the elimination of health aides for their children? How? When? Discussion Meetings?) I just found out via a phone call from Ann that parents were informed about the bus situation in their Wednesday Green folders - not much time to gather and react for the evening!?!
Michelle Orozco: Expressed concerns about the issue of the District having a policy of not informing PARENTS when their child is taken off campus for "medical" reasons. Who is financing these medical "needs"? Where is the line drawn as to who and why? Who determines the need? How is the student's absence recorded? (How can a parent respond when it is assumed a child is in school and then gets an absence report?) It might be necessary for schools to help some of those in need. Will a WAIVER be provided to help parental peace of mind? " I have entrusted you with our most precious gift - my children".
Laura Wildes (sp.?): Regarding the Confidential Medical Policy: Parents are feeling the impact deeply. Severe cases might require confidentiality; however, in a crisis situation the child might need a parent or the police need to be called. This proposed law is ambiguous and in need of clarification. Parents WANT to be notified about anything that concerns their child.
David Duesberg (sp.?): Regarding the Confidential Medical Policy: The District is opening itself to major lawsuits and declining enrollment. Due to "secrecy", our children might become depressed and suicidal. Issues are swept under the rug and not dealt with openly.
Someone: Sickened at the possibility that our schools will allow our children from that ages of 12-18 to leave campus without parental knowledge or consent. This gives the child the message that there are no consequences and that lies and deceit are acceptable.
Ann Freeman: I stated that I stood on behalf of the many children in our district who would be without the services of a health aide when needed. I held a plaque that had been awarded to Carol Flores, Wild Rose Health Aide for "Sincere Appreciation" for 30 years of dedicated service to our children and staff. I told the Board that Don Montgomery had asked Margie Snowden to become a health aide 27 years ago when the District could not afford LVNs. Now the District can afford LVNs, but they cannot afford to keep the women who have tended to these little children so lovingly for all these years? I asked members of the Board and Panel to stand if they were there on behalf of the children. Not one stood and I and others had our answer. My trust in these people to do what is in the best interest of our children and our community is badly shaken, if not destroyed. If a "balanced budget" is more important than the lives and well being of others, then the "balancers" should reconfigure or be forced to do so. Perhaps an outside agency is not a bad idea. The District (at our expense) can afford highly paid consultants and lawyers to defend their causes, but do the employees and those whose services have been denied by the Board have equal access or rights? No!
Karla McGlone: No longer feels like being an advocate for Monrovia School District. Parents have been misinformed. So many cuts on services and supplies for the children that now the parents have to supply. She sees few cuts on a district office level and would like real solutions - not empty words. Many parents are considering putting their children in private schools. A story goes - In Africa the question asked is, "And how are the children?" This is because the children are valued in spite of poverty. The proper response one gives is, "The children are well"! (Are our children a priority and valued enough in this District so that their health and safety going to and from school and while they are at school is insured? I think the decisions made at the district are potentially putting the children in harms way on a daily basis).
Irma Walling: Her daughter, standing by her side tonight, has Type 1 Diabetes and will be losing her valued nurse at Mayflower. This poses a major concern - who is going to be trained to help her daughter? Are all the teachers going to be trained? Wants to be assured by the district that all the children who need special care or immediate care will be safe and have their medical needs attended to be someone who knows and understands their medical needs and conditions.
Tina DelRegno: Children are our priorities - they need stability in their lives. People they know and can trust provide this for them. Our health aides have approximately 30 or more visits by students a day. Health aides dispense medication, provide documentation of visits and illnesses, provide TLC to those who have disruptive home lives, whenever a child is found to have a communicable disease (such as head lice), notices are sent home to parents, all siblings have to be checked at our school and other schools. Hundreds of students are given vision and hearing tests each year, immunization records are checked and updated for all students, each students entering the school has to have a validated physical, the health aide is responsible for importing and exporting school records, and child with a report of abuse has to be understood, listened to, and reported about in an appropriate manner to the appropriate authority. A healthy child has a greater ability to learn and will produce higher test scores. The health aides are here for the children and to lose them will be a tremendous hardship on everyone.
Clare Chesley stated the concerns were acknowledged - in others word, time was up for that part and the Board needed to move on. (I think they removed earplugs at this time - but saved them for future.)
Bruce Carter reported that he attended a Sacramento Legislative Action Conference. If Prop 98 were funded, we would not have to face cuts. California is #44 in funding per child and heading for the bottom (I think we are 50 for academic performance and not much bottom left). By law, we have to have a balanced budget in MUSD. (Is this to match the State and U.S. Government in balancing theirs? Again, at whose expense is this budget being balanced?) California has the highest number of students per teacher and the fewest Librarians.
Bryan Wong thanked participation from the audience (Is the thanks mandatory, polite, or automatic?)
Monina Diaz stated she would write letters to State Legislators stating the Policy regarding Confidential Medical Release forces the District to take part in deceptions to families. (This was the most positive, intelligent, and proactive statement from any board member this evening. It appeared that Monina had listened to the concerns AND understood AND was willing to challenge/change a most destructive and dangerous proposal.) Monina was impressed with the work of Mary Ann Barry and her French National Honor Society at the High School. They are planning a 2006 trip to France.
Ryann Blackshere reported on the upcoming activities for Seniors at MHS.
Louise Taylor said the Board and District take comments to heart, but not personally. They have challenging decisions and the comments help them understand perspectives better. (I think everyone who spoke felt that the decisions were a done deal before they spoke and I, for one, wondered why they were voted on the night they were presented?) Louise encouraged us to send righteous anger to Sacramento. (Now, if we cannot be understood here in Monrovia by people who know us, what chances do we have with people in Sacramento? If nobody cares here, will they care there?)
Oscar Ibarra gave an impressive PowerPoint presentation on his Students to College program and the success of the AVID Program. Even thoughts of introducing the go-to-college concepts at the Elementary level, as was done at Monroe.
There was a lengthy (yep, by now you know length) discussion about what to do with the vacated Canyon Early Learning Center. (Now, what was the cost of establishing this and how long did it last?). No decisions were made and from my perspective, a decision was made that affects many and there was NO PLAN in place to justify or satisfy. I gathered that a CELC advisory committee will be paid to tell us what the Board will eventually decide to tell us. A city representative is required to be on the Advisory Committee.
Dennis Jones asked if teacher salaries were higher than average. Linda Demsey replied that compared with 30 Districts, we were below the third quartile. (What districts are we being compared to?)
Linda Dempsey gave a report on the budget and budget cuts, which amount to reductions in services - the ones that directly affect our students are the health aides and transportation. (except for special needs students).
Some of the parent concerns are:
- What will be the schedules of the roving LVNs?
- What will the individual sites be responsible for?
- What will be the possible cost of potential lawsuits?
- Are the office managers trained to administer medication?
- Who is responsible for maintaining the actual room and providing all the services that were done by the individual site health aides?
Clare Chesley: What kind of medication can be dispensed?
Linda Dempsey: I have no answer.
Bryan Wong: Are we disconnecting to parents? How do we determine the degree of dispensing medication and aid? When do we call 911?
Linda Dempsey: I cannot comment for Diane Jackson.
Clare Chesley: Illness and injury are not "scheduled out". Is a child just going to be left in the nurses office ( I guess she meant until a "qualified" person arrives)? Is another staff member going to be expected to "drop everything" to attend to these children? (and will the other staff member be "qualified" with personal information on that particular child's needs or procedures to follow?)
Monina Diaz: How do the districts who have cut these services function?
No answers from Linda Dempsey to these pertinent questions.
Louise: Could medical students from our adult education school help? (This question brought a moan from the audience)
Dennis Jones:
- Has there been any investigation of revenue enhancements?
- Where do these cuts fit into the preliminary budget from April? Individual sites? District?
- How can you vote to cut health aides when you have no information and when you don't have the entire "picture" or budget?
Maria:
- Wants the School Board to do what is in the best interest for our children. Our kids are the future of the city.
- How can parents who work be assured that our children will be taken care of?
- All we talk about is CUTTING, why can't we talk about finding funding?
- Our schools should worry so much about "cosmetics" - perhaps parents can assist in repairs or transportation problems.
- What happens on a rainy day - some students come from great distances.
- There is danger in the streets. What an injustice to our kids!
- Many parents have other little kids. Many mothers don't drive. Lawsuits are possible when you carpool with other people's children.
Fernanda:
- Shares Maria's worries. The Health Aides and transportation are SO important.
- Many parents work and cannot pick up their children. This is going to prevent many children from getting to school. What, then, are their chance for success?
Marlene Fitzpatrick:
- Her son has diabetes and he can only attend a school that has an RN. He was transferred to Mayflower and the RN will no longer be there. Whenever there is a field trip or event off campus, the RN or the mother has to accompany the boy, because of the severity. How is her son going to function without this assistance?
Joel Mattiesen:
- His son has a serious heart condition requiring more operations. When he returns to school, he will need medications. Who is going to be there to recognize, diagnose, and treat his son and others?
- The liability to the district could be tremendous.
Emily Ganley:
- We decide what is necessary and valuable and then we decide the budget. (Somehow the budget seems to have been thoughtlessly decided, disregarding valuable employees, needs of the students, and impact upon the school community).
- There is personal liability for improper treatment when minutes and seconds matter in life or death situations.
- One lawsuit will outweigh the dismissal of our health personnel.
Francis Williams:
- Our school nurses are NOT a commodity, but a necessity!
Karla McGlone:
- If parents cannot pay for an ambulance, who will pay?
Jana Bridges:
- A student has severe allergic reactions to peanuts. A teacher is not qualified to diagnose and deal with the medical issue of the student. These skills cannot be learned by an office manager in a few hours.
- Our health aides prepare packets for field trips- who will be qualified to do this?
- Will substitute teachers be trained and prepared?
- The health aides work to keep students healthy and in school.
- Let's work together to explore other options.
Bryan Wong
- The Board doesn't have the ability to know the budget before making decisions. (Is this a right hand/left hand situation? Who passes out the blindfolds and ear plugs?)
- Expertise in finding funding is welcome. (I thought the District had hired consultants to assist them when they did not feel qualified to make decisions. Are these funding experts going to be paid out of funds from the health aide account?)
-Perhaps all students needing health care can all go to the same school. (Another moan from the audience in pure disbelief. Some families have several children in various grade levels. How many school sites would one parent have to walk the students to and from at various hours if 1 was in Kindergarten, 1 was in second grade, 1 was special needs, one was in fifth grade, 1 in middle school, 1 in special needs middle school?)
Bruce Carter:
- Creative accounting by Linda Dempsey is not an option. (This is true, but creative options might make for more acceptable accounting?)
- We should not put up with the state funding for our schools. (Bruce goes to Sacramento to represent Monrovia, Does Bruce persuade "Sacramento" to provide funds for us? How can we persuade Bruce to persuade "Sacramento" to provide funds for us?)
Clare Chesley:
- No new information will prevent the cuts. (We sorta knew this from the beginning after having followed the trail of those who have blazed before us and wasted their intelligence, time, and heartfelt concerns upon predetermined atrocities).
- We have no other options. (Say what? You could have poled the audience or other audiences. You have become a majority of 4 or 5 people that affect the lives of thousands).
- This has become a wake-up call to reality. Things have to get bad before people take action. (Whose reality are we talking about? What type of action do people have to take to get the Board to wake-up to reality?
- Monrovia is "tapped-out" when it comes to fund raising. (What is the evidence? Our parents and P.T.A. are continually fundraising. I would venture to say that every P.T.A. not only has a balanced budget, but a surplus. They constantly are providing supplies, events, educational and recreational opportunities for our students and staff. They are thoughtful, considerate, compassionate, and dedicated. Have you noticed a contrast?)
Bruce:
- We have no choice, except we have to have a balanced budget. (Why are we in this predicament? At whose expense are we making irrational decisions?)
Monina:
- What would it mean to not have a balanced budget? (Good question)
Linda Dempsey:
- All funding would be cut off. (I think she said something to the effect that we would become "wards of the state". After the last few months I am beginning to think this might not be a preferable choice).
Monina;
- We would lose the public trust if we don't have a balanced budget. ( Excuse me, what are you losing now? Are the students, parents, and staff not "the public"?)
- We will find a way to make it work. (Make what work?)
- I encourage you to look for donations and matched donations. (For what? I am looking at some BIG RAT HOLES about this time of night)
- Put your energy toward lawmakers. (We put our heartfelt energy toward the District and Board. Are the lawmakers going to be kinder toward us?)
Dennis Jones:
- Can you vote for the reductions without losing the positions?
Joel Shawn:
- There is no way for the district to do it.
Although more and more was said and less and less was done, I was on brain and heart overload after five hours of observing and trying to record the events of this meeting.
Business Service Report for this meeting - Reader can do the math and draw your own conclusions.
Bids and awards of contracts
Fix Painting Co. - 178,000
Interior Painting 7 HM Carpet - 38,600
Current Enterprises - toilet room - 561,490
Cam Painting, Santa Fe - 129,000
Commercial Roofing - $272,460 to $343,860
Harik Construction - $297,000
Personnel Services expenditures:
Consultant - $70.00 hr.
Substitutes - $105-$180 a day
Muralist - not to exceed $1,190
Consultant - not to exceed $3,450
Multitude of summer school teachers - $32-$34.85 hour.
Stipends for athletic coaches - 35,888
Multitudes of other bonuses and changes of status, conferences and travel.
After attending this meeting I am disheartened.
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