Focus on Positive

May 29, 2007

Dear Editor:

During the past several months much has been written and said about the pay increase for local teachers, the departure of the former Chief Financial Officer and the budgeting practices of the Board of Education. Unfortunately, much of the public commentary misrepresents the facts surrounding all of these issues. This has gone on far too long and is now casting a dark cloud over our great school district.

Firstly, the 5 percent pay raise for our teachers was well deserved, long overdue and commensurate with the 5.98 percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) provided by the state. In 2006-07, most teachers in LA County received pay increases between 4 percent and 6 percent. To help put the 5 percent increase in perspective, the average SMMUSD teacher is now earning approximately $75 more per week (before taxes). This is far from excessive!

The teachers I represent are like so many other middle-income professionals living in the LA region, struggling each month to pay their bills. We are not immune to the rising cost of food, housing, gasoline and health care. In fact, according to the LA County Office of Education, since 2001, teacher salaries have failed to keep pace with inflation.

Despite these facts, some have argued that the increase was irresponsible and therefore, the district is mismanaging its finances. Budgets are about priorities and this year, the Board of Education made increasing teacher salaries a top priority. When polled for school funding initiatives, voters in Santa Monica and Malibu have consistently ranked increasing teacher compensation as their number one priority.

There are numerous economic challenges facing school districts in California, including the rising costs of health care, unfunded federal and state mandates and the costs associated with providing all students with a free and appropriate public education.

Locally, in an effort to reduce over-crowding at some schools, the Board of Education strategically reduced student enrollment by more than nine hundred. By maintaining the current permit policy, SMMUSD’s enrollment will decrease by an additional three hundred students over the next two years.

This decrease in student population translates to fewer dollars from Sacramento. The loss of more than $6 million in ongoing state funds is placing excessive downward pressure on the budget. This is the primary economic challenge facing the district, not the recently negotiated pay increase for classroom teachers.

Secondly, some in the community continue to link the departure of the former Chief Financial Officer to his disapproval of the negotiated settlement with the teachers Association. Although this may have contributed to his early exit, it certainly was not the crucial reason. It’s common for organizations to experience institutional instability when there is a change of leadership.

Clearly the departure of our former CFO had more to do with personnel changes, including the departure of top-level administrators in the district and the promotion of others. To protect the integrity of the individuals involved, these personnel matters are properly resolved behind closed doors.

This is not to say that the separation agreement between the district and the former CFO was handled perfectly. Looking back, it’s easy to criticize certain provisions of the agreement. However, it’s wrong to assume or imply that the district was attempting to hide anything from the public. In my seven years as president, I’ve worked with four CFO’s, all of whom I established positive relations with, including Mr. Braham. It’s time to stop playing Monday morning quarterback and move on.

For several years, the Board of Education has dedicated themselves to ongoing improvement in the area of financial management and transparency. School districts in California must have their budgets approved by County Offices of Education and are subject to independent audits.

In addition, SMMUSD, unlike other public agencies, has an independent Financial Oversight Committee. Despite our difference of opinion with the FOC regarding the teacher pay raise, SMMCTA acknowledges the important contributions and expertise of FOC members.

This year the Board of Education held public meetings dedicated solely to the budget. In an unprecedented decision the Board sought the opinion of the Financial Management Assistance Team, an independent statewide organization that specializes in school finance. The independent audit, LACOE’s findings and the FCMAT report all approved of SMMUSD’s budget, including the negotiated pay increase for teachers.

Despite the external factors which place ongoing strains on the budget and the internal change to the permit policy, the Board has maintained its legally required reserves, preserved vital programs, embarked on courageous school reforms and maintained smaller class sizes in grades k-3.

SMMUSD’s performing arts program is the envy of the region, our Academic Performance Index exceeds the state goal of 800 and two-thirds of our schools have API’s of 9 or 10.

Recently, Newsweek ranked SAMOHOI and Malibu High School, in the top 200 High Schools in America. Finally, there is evidence that we are closing the achievement gap. Based on these successes, SMMUSD, although not perfect, is a model for public schools across America.

Rather than focusing on these accomplishments, individuals have remained obsessed with teacher pay, former employees and financial accountability. Public debate and transparency are essential in healthy organizations, especially public agencies. However, with the end of the 2006-07 school year only weeks away, it’s a good time for the adults to redirect our focus to the students and their collective achievements.

Harry M. Keiley, President, Santa Monica Malibu Classroom Teachers Association