Gov Brown AGAINST school construction bond

Governor Brown has come out against the school construction bond on November's ballot.  He says ""It's a blunderbuss effort that promotes sprawl and squanders money...."  The construction industry wins out.  ( http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-pol-sac-jerry-brown-school-bond-20160212-story.html )

We should not be comparing our buildings to the buildings at Arcadia HS and Monrovia HS.  Instead, we should be comparing how many of our graduates go to elite colleges and have meaningful careers.  We should not be trying to win the "State School Beautification Award."

What will the extra tax get us if our district is already ranked top in the State as we have been told so often when measures are published?

What "Our Children Deserve" is, for example, academic counseling so parents don't have to hire outside counselors to get a child into the UC system.

What "Our Children Deserve" is to have the HS library open during finals week because the librarian had a family emergency and we did not get a substitute librarian to fill in.  Would the HS cancel an English, Biology or Math final because the teacher was out during finals week? Our Parcel Tax info says it will keep the libraries open.

NO MORE SCHOOL RELATED TAXES.  There are many ways to save 10-15% of our existing budget but it is easier to pass parcel taxes using the fear of declining property values and lower school performance. 

Our buildings are just fine and have made SMUSD one of the top performing districts in the State.

NO MORE NEW TAXES IN SAN MARINO

NO MORE TAXES for San Marino.

 

Do you remember the Sep14, 2015 email titled "San Marino USD Top Performing District in State" sent out by Dr. Cherniss?

 

So what is another tax burden on homeowners going to do?  Make SMUSD better than the Top Performing District?

 

For many, many years now, SMUSD has always been ranked at the top with our current facilities. 

 

How transparent and impartial can the needs assessment be if the firm is selected by the School District that wants the new tax to pay for a construction project?

 

VOTE NO on any new taxes for San Marino.  More to come later.
 

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Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2016 10:04:47 -0500
From: enewsletters@san-marino.k12.ca.us
To: ko_andrew@hotmail.com
Subject: What Our Schools Need, What Our Children Deserve

January 28, 2016   What Our Schools Need, What Our Children Deserve      In This Issue What Our Schools Need, What Our Children Deserve Quick Links District Website Strategic Plan Board of Education Our Schools San Marino High School Huntington Middle School Carver Elementary School Valentine Elementary School  To Our Subscribers Thank you for being a part of our flow of information.  If at anytime you change your email or your preferences (such as which e-newsletters you would like to receive throughout our District), please click on the "Update Profile/Email Address" link at the bottom of this email. Stay Connected! Download our Apps!    As Superintendent, I am charged with evaluating not only the District's academic programs but also its facilities.  As part of an in depth facilities evaluation, the District hired an architectural firm to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment. This needs assessment, which included input from site principals, teachers, and staff, confirms that the District has significant facilities needs due to aging buildings and increased academic and extracurricular demands.  Many of these facilities were built in the early 1950's and 1960's.   As the premier District in the State of California, we have award-winning programs throughout our athletic departments, our visual and performing arts departments, and in so many of our classrooms. However, in many cases, we are forced with operating first-class programs in second-rate facilities.  I believe we can and should change this. The quality of our programs should be matched by the quality of our facilities.   Our primary goal for all of our facilities is to provide an optimal learning environment for our students. An optimal learning environment looks very different than the traditional classroom many of you are accustomed to. No longer are 30 desks, in five rows, facing a teacher the acceptable configuration.  No longer will our students go to a computer lab to learn how to use technology. In an optimal learning environment, all classrooms are computer labs and these spaces must be designed for maximum flexibility, so our students can work in small groups, one-on-one with teachers, and individually. Additionally, optimal learning environments must span all three of the District's foundational principles; Academics, Arts and Athletics.    Academically speaking, many of our classrooms have inadequate lighting, inadequate heating and air conditioning and inadequate space. Portable classrooms should be temporary learning environments, yet we have several portable classrooms used at Carver, Valentine and Huntington as a permanent solution.  These classrooms do not provide an optimal learning environment for our students.  At the high school, we have classrooms and other facilities built in 1953 and 1960, which are not conducive to 21st Century learning.  These inadequate facilities are poorly lit, poorly equipped and too small.   Our athletic programs bustle with enthusiastic kids, energetic coaches, and supportive parents.  Yet ask our swim coaches and our water polo coaches about our high school pool and they will be the first to tell you that it is undersized and over programmed. The pool is the most impacted athletic facility in the entire District.  As a result, our aquatics programs cannot operate up to their potential.  We can change this by constructing a second regulation size pool so our children can compete at the highest levels.  This pool can be a facility that the entire community can use and enjoy.   Have you been in our high school gyms in the summer when it's well over 100 degrees to watch our kids play basketball or volleyball?  Or have you been to our gyms during the winter when the temperature is well under 50 degrees? There is no good reason why in the 21st Century our gyms shouldn't have central heating and air conditioning.  We must install a comprehensive HVAC to both gyms at SMHS.   Visit our award-winning robotics program, and you'll see some of our best and brightest students working hand in hand with coaches and community partners to create amazing robots from scratch.  These students are future engineers and scientists who work day in and day out, late into the evening on their robots. However, they are crammed into an undersized classroom which doubles as a robotics workshop. The robotics program needs adequate space to continue and expand upon its success.    The talent among our students and our staff in our visual and performing arts programs is second to none as should be our auditoriums.  Have you visited the beautiful new performing arts centers at Arcadia High School built in 2012 or Monrovia High School built in 2010?  Why should our neighboring districts provide state-of-the-art facilities for their band, choir, dance and musical theatre programs and not us?  Our Neher Auditorium and Webb Theatre were built in 1953.  They are without central heating and air conditioning and without necessary lighting, acoustics and technology.  The time has come to construct a modern state-of-the- art performing arts center to provide our children with the facilities that they deserve.  This performing arts center could be a crown jewel for the San Marino community offering many opportunities to celebrate the arts.   And speaking of the arts, the Valentine Elementary school community should not have to rely on the middle school auditorium to hold school concerts and performances.  Valentine Elementary is the only school in the District without an auditorium or multi-purpose room big enough to host school performances.   In addition, Valentine Elementary also relies upon the middle school facilities to feed its students. Why should our elementary age children have to walk all the way to the Huntington Cafeteria just to get a hot lunch? Not only does this take considerable time, but it also prohibits many of our children from spending lunchtime with their friends. Thus, we are proposing the construction of a multi-purpose room at Valentine Elementary so that we can hold school performances and also serve our children lunch.   Have you been out on the expansive field and blacktop at Carver Elementary on a hot day or a wet, rainy day?  Providing shade for our students is not just a convenience.  And while Carver Elementary can provide students with a hot lunch, they must eat it under an inadequate, undersized, and inefficient lunch shelter.  The construction of an expanded lunch shelter as well as shade structures at key areas throughout the campus will be a huge benefit to children.   Have you seen our middle school volleyball students serve from the hallway of our undersized and inadequate 'gym?' This structure, originally built as an art room, cannot hold regulation basketball or volleyball games, is not equipped with HVAC and is too small to accommodate Physical Education classes.  Thus on rainy days or heat warning days, our middle school is forced to cancel PE. Fortunately, our Board of Education along with generous supporters, has already given us the green light to proceed with this very important project, which is set to open in 2018. Given the results of this extensive needs assessment, the District has decided to take the next step necessary to determine community support for addressing our facilities' needs. The Board recently approved the hiring of a company to communicate with parents and other stakeholders regarding their opinions and options relating to facility needs, priorities, and financing.  This is a step-by-step process; and we are now in the information-gathering phase.  The needs have clearly been established and now it is time to gauge the support of the community as to how the District can address our facility needs.   Our children deserve school facilities designed to support championship level arts, athletics and academics.  Modernization of the San Marino Unified School District will benefit the children of this fine community for the next 30 years and beyond.   The best District in the State deserves the best facilities in the State!   Sincerely,   Alex Cherniss, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools San Marino Unified School District

SMUSD Spends Money It Doesn't Have or "If you spend it first, it will come"

Latest email broadcast from San Marino School Superintendent Dr. Cherniss seem to show that new spending has been committed that depends on on-going support from Parcel Tax and donations.

How about cutting back the spending to align it with a budget?

I spent 2 months with the new high school athletics operations director to educate him that requiring tennis team members to "volunteer" to buy a uniform is prohibited by the CA Education Code.  Do we really need a new athletics administrator?

Governor's Budget Proposal "Great for Most School Districts, Simply Not Good Enough for San Marino USD"     In This Issue Governor's Proposal Quick Links District Website Strategic Plan Board of Education Our Schools San Marino High School Huntington Middle School Carver Elementary School Valentine Elementary School  To Our Subscribers Thank you for being a part of our flow of information.  If at anytime you change your email or your preferences (such as which e-newsletters you would like to receive throughout our district), please click on the "Update Profile and Email Address" link at the bottom of this email. Stay Connected! Download our Apps! Many of you have knowledge of Governor Brown's May Revise to the state budget, and the associated 2015-16 budget for K-12 Education.  What you have probably heard is that California schools are getting billions of dollars in new money.  This is only part of the story.  The truth is that most of these new funds go to large urban districts like LAUSD. In LAUSD alone, per pupil funding would reach $11,000 per student, up nearly $3,000 from the current year.   Unfortunately, this is not the reality here in San Marino USD. Next year's budget would increase our per-pupil funding by only 2.8% more than the proposed budget from January 2015.  In dollars, SMUSD would receive approximately $7,400 per student under the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) (i.e. $40.65 per student per day), which is lower than most California school districts and considerably less than many school districts in the nation (e.g., New York and New Jersey at $20,000 plus per student).   The harsh reality for us is that San Marino USD continues to receive proportionately less state funding than most school districts in California under the Local Control Funding Formula because the LCFF benefits those school districts with high percentages of English language learners, low-income students who qualify for free and reduced price meals, and foster youth.   Despite the unequal and unfair funding formula, however, San Marino USD will benefit from the additional monies and will continue to provide new and innovative programs for our students.  For 2015-16, the District is planning to expand reading, Common Core, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), and technology classroom support.  We also plan to add a Transitional Kindergarten (TK) class at Valentine and a full-time Athletics Administrator at the High School. The High School will offer additional classes like zero period Chemistry, AP Mandarin, and Honors Humanities at the Huntington Library. Computer Coding classes will be offered at both SMHS and Huntington Middle School. We also plan to maintain low class sizes District-wide to offer more individualized attention for our students.   So how do we continue to be on the cutting edge of K-12 education? The answer is simple... It is because of all of you, our school community supporters.  Based on the generous support of approximately $2.5 million this year from the San Marino Schools Foundation, the District is able to provide for an additional 32 teaching positions throughout the schools at all grade levels. Additionally, with your support we were able to renew the local parcel tax, which provides an additional $4M per year to the District, which we continue to use to fund our lower class sizes and extra-curricular programs. Support from the PTSA and PTAs has been crucial to providing enrichment programs at all schools.   My message to all of you is to recognize that what is good for most of California school districts is not good enough for San Marino USD. A good public education may be free, but an exceptional public education, one that we expect here in San Marino, comes at a cost. I thank you for your continued support of our school district, through the giving of your time and your resources. Respectfully,         Alex Cherniss, Ed.D.   Superintendent of Schools   San Marino Unified School District

Oh My Gosh: More Violin Sessions from San Marino Schools

Live WITHIN your means, PLEASE???!!!!??? Get a lawyer and challenge the Unions and Contracts. Please, cut your expenses and get rid of the crappy teachers.

"Throughout the coming months the Board of Education will be regularly communicating the steps to address the current fiscal crisis as they happen. PLEASE partner with us by keeping up on the news as it happens. "

Unions

An article about Washington DC's head of schools Ms. Rhee:

Since being appointed in 2007 to head one of the nation's worst school districts, Rhee has clashed with the union on issues like merit pay, which she advocates and the union staunchly opposes. Efforts to sign a new contract with the city have so far proved unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, under Rhee's leadership the district's test scores have risen and the high school dropout rate has eased.

While Rhee faces potential troubles in the nation's capital, she is being heralded in the new documentary "Waiting for Superman," which made its debut over the weekend at the Sundance Film Festival.

After seeing the film, Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert wrote the following about Rhee's battle with the union: "The most powerful opponents to better teaching are the teachers' unions. I am a lifelong supporter of unions. But 'Waiting for Superman' makes this an inescapable conclusion. A union that protects incompetent and even dangerous teachers is an obscenity."

Since San Marino's layoff notices had nothing to do with performance, maybe it is time we start using performance as a Key Performance Indicator for our teachers so that our children can benefit.

Water Conservation Ordinance 0-09-1219

This Ordinance is a good idea but how do you cite someone for "Excessive Water Flow or Runoff?"

How do you measure "Excessive." Dr. Richard Sun, Mayor, was a dentist as I recall. He must have had Chemistry classes in college. I don't ever recall a measure called "excessive."

Excessive to one is not excessive to another. If you are caught for speeding, there is a measurable speed limit.

This Ordinance is great for politicians but difficult to enforce some sections.

Let's see if we can find a "Excessive" measuring cup somewhere!!!

What is it like to deal with the City of San Marino?

1) In May 2009 my neighbor erected a fence that was over 6 feet tall and less than 2-inches from the property line in some spots. I called the City Planning Department. Over 3 phone calls with inspector "Billy Bob" I pointed out that the fence is over 6 feet tall and less than 2-inches from the property line. These requirements are clearly stated on the City website in the Zoning Ordinance Chapter 23. At the end "Billy Bob" said "He complied in spirit and I am going to approve it."

I didn't know you can comply with Zoning Ordinances in "Spirit."

2) The same neighbor had a crew with chainsaws trimming the oak trees in his back yard and his parkway strip on a Saturday. The Parks and Public Works manager said no permit is required. That is not what is stated in the Zoning Ordinance. More "in Spirit" compliance with zoning requirements!

3) In Aug/Sep, I had an inspection of my fence for a pool I am installing. "Billy Bob" said my driveway gate was an inch too low and the cross-bar was a few inches too low. Hey, what happened to "in spirit" compliance?

I called the Planning Director and left him a voicemail asking if I can comply in spirit as well? Why is a non-white resident required to comply to the letter of the zoning requirement?

Then another inspector showed up!! He left a note saying my side panel is too low as well. I already knew how these "little people" would react and had asked my contractor to an inch to the height.

Then I pointed out to "Billy Bob" that he should measure the driveway gate from the ground and not just the height of the gate itself. There is a 2-inch premissible gap on the bottom and so my driveway gate is 1 inch over what is required.

4) In November, my contractor went to pull a permit for a side fence. He was told I needed to get a survey done before a permit can be granted.

On Nov 16 I went down to Cith Hall myself because I didn't read that as a requirement anywhere.

The lady tried to tell me the same thing. I asked her to please show me where it says a survey is required for a fence. Then she backed off and said you need a fence line agreement or the fence has to be 2-inches away from the fence line. I told her it is 2 inchese away.

My wife appointed me as her agent by signing the agent appointment form. We needed info on the contractor so I had to come back on Tues. I asked the lady if she can witness that my wife was here and signed the form. She made a copy of her driver's license and said it will be fine tomorrow.

Well, on Tues, the other lady behind the counter said I need to have the appointment form "notarized." I asked her to show me this. She pointed out the form which said "driver'slicense, notarized letter, or....." I said "excuse me, it is "or" not AND" She said "I know my english." I don't think you do.

Then she said "My Director wants this." I said Mr. Saldana can want all he wants but if it is not the law or zoning requirement, he can take a hike. Then I asked, if you need a "notarized" form, where is the place for the notary to sign and put his seal? She said "you have to provide that yourself." Right.

I got my permit.

5) Now the stories I have heard about a realtor passing tickets for a ice skating performance comes to mind. Maybe I should have included a box of Krispy Kreme do-nuts when I submit my permit application. Then I can comply in "Spirit" as well!

San Marino is a nice Southern town. All we need is Detective Virgil Tibbs to come in and clean it up.