February, 2011
Volume 19, Issue 6
EYES ON THE BOARD
DO YOU HAVE A JOB?
Presentation to the MISD BOARD - February 21, 2011
Since the 2011 Texas Legislative session began, teachers, librarians, counselors, nurses, paraprofessionals, and all other educational employees have been under attack in Austin and at home.
When the first McAllen ISD budget session began on February 7, 2011, we were informed that there was a Plan A and Plan B for the budget process. Plan A was very harmful to the students of McAllen, and Plan B was even more so.
After the initial presentation on February 7th, then came meetings with educational staff by vertical teams all across the district. As the presentations went on, we learned that Plan A was quickly put into the background and Plan B was to be used. We would like to mention some of the various changes proposed and how staff feels.
We feel that caution should be used before making such challenging decisions. The Texas Legislature has until the end of May to make decisions.
Librarians cut by 50% and library aides cut entirely. Dr. Ponce keeps talking about rigor. A librarian to assist students with research and creating understanding of what is needed to prepare information accurately is rigor. A librarian needs help from library aides to shelve books and take care of the millions of tax payer dollars invested in library books and periodical collections. We need librarians at elementary, middle school, and high school.
Counselors are also being cut in our high schools—2 at each high school. A counselor is one of the most important lines of defense in saving children, planning for their future, and working with parents to achieve graduation. It was devasting last school year when several troubled students died. Those Mast counselors that were cut the previous year had kept those students alive.
High school teachers, teaching an additional 7th class or as many as 210 students is not best for improving learning. Dr. Ponce talks about college readiness, but with so many students per teacher that will slide away.
Middle school teachers, teaching an additional 6th class or as many as 180 students is not best for educational improvement. Our special populations will struggle even more.
We must be deeply concerned about 20% cuts to fine arts and athletics. The students in our area adore music and athletics. These two (2) areas in our budget feed the soul of our children.
The IB program expenditures need careful and thoughtful study.
The new expense of the ninth grade initiative is not a wise expenditure at this time. As a teacher, I had thousands of ninth graders and the plan sounds like high school redesign all over again. Ninth grade is a difficult and challenging population to work with, and you cannot put this age in one style of learning. Career and Technology courses are badly needed to keep this age group in school.
Early College High School is a great success, but expenses must be explained to our taxpayer public.
We need RN’s on every campus. On the state level, Governor Perry is insisting on cutting CHIPS and Medicaid—thus the only health access for most of our children will be the RN on campus.
If the district plans to close Navarro, Bonham, Crockett and Alvarez when will parent meetings be held to let them know. What about the staff of each school? When will you tell them, how will you rezone, and how will staff be able to transfer to a new campus?
The district needs to keep the PCI Clinic open to make sure our employees keep illnesses to a minimum.
Lastly, administration needs to volunteer to take salary cuts. The five (5) administrative jobs added last summer need to be eliminated.
Thank you.
Keeping you Informed
Thanks to all of you who turned out for the peaceful protest. In addition, we had representatives from the McAllen PD and Rio Grande Labor Council. Thanks to all of you who organized the event with posters, calling, and children. Thanks to our retiree members who turned out to help. Channel 5, Univision (Channel 48), and the Monitor were there. I did a 30 minute interview with Channel 5 earlier in the day. I am not sure when the interview will be on television.
I have presented your concerns to two (2) of the postal worker associations, City of McAllen PD officers, McAllen Firefighters, County Commissioners, and parent groups from various schools across the district.
My staff, retiree members, and a private mailing company have prepared and mailed 30,000 flyers to the McAllen registered voter list and examples to our members. We concentrated on flyers supporting teachers, librarians, counselors, nurses, and paraprofessionals.
On March 7, 2011 at 3 p.m. is the next budget session. We are going to campaign to have the session at Lamar Academy at 7 p.m. in the evening. YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. YOU NEED TO BE PART OF SAVING YOUR JOB.
McAllen ISD Board Meeting - February 7, 2011—Dr. Caporusso absent.
This meeting was a discussion of the 2011-2012 Budget. Ponce had Ms. Lopez, Asst. Superintendent read the PROPOSED cuts as follows: Cut 50% of the Librarians; Cut all library clerks; Nurses that resign will be replaced by LVN's. Now there are 7-8 LVN's on probationary contracts. Garcia, Moore, and Vela want to go to LVN's; Cut elementary PE to one PE teacher and 1 aide; cut Pre-K--to 1/2 day; Middle School teachers will teach 1 additional class--teachers will be cut; Secondary School teachers will teach 1 additional class--teachers will be cut; Mr. Saldivar suggested furloughs and cuts in pay rather loss of job; IB on the table--no cuts mentioned at this time; Cut 2 counselors at high school level (Gear Up counselor is gone--grant over. CATE and special education counselors to stay); cut PE extra days and stipend by 15% or as high as 20% (depending on the legislature); cut Fine Arts by 15% (20% if legislature cuts more). Cut stipends and extra days; cut Music teachers in elementary; cut police dept. by 15% (20% if legislature cuts more); Cut custodians paid holidays and some other benefits; Don't buy new buses, vehicles, or do maintenance; Consolidate facilities--unclear what this means; Increase health insurance monthly payments by $44. Lots of discussion about teaching high school classes on-line--that is cutting jobs also; no discussion of Retire/Rehire; no administration cuts.