As the president of the Culver City Federation of Teachers, I feel a need to respond. First, we don't have 500 teachers in the District, as Ms. Tam suggests. If you subtract the 40 who received layoff notices on March 15, the School District has just over 300 teachers.

But that’s not the point. Ms. Tam's suggestion that the budget be balanced through teacher pay cuts really struck a nerve with me.

After all, what determines how informed and skilled my 9th grade Health students will be when they make decisions about drugs, alcohol and sexual relationships? And who is guiding my 12th grade Sociology students through our culture’s ongoing struggle with race, ethnicity, prejudice and discrimination?

I’m prejudiced, of course, but isn't the teacher the key here?

In terms of budget cuts, Ms. Tam should know that our Community Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC) has developed a list of prioritized cuts to guide the School Board through this difficult process. Let’s look at some of those recommended cuts, Ms. Tam, before you ask our teachers to balance the School District’s budget.

First, CBAC has recommended that School Board members forego their District-paid health benefits. Board members approved layoffs for teachers, counselors and psychologists — but have not cut their own health benefits.

Second, CBAC recommended that the part-time public relations consultant (who earns what a full-time starting teacher makes) be cut.

The union has suggested that the Culver City High School journalism students (under the supervision of a faculty advisor) write the press releases to our local media and that the site principals send home a monthly newsletter to parents. That p.r. consultant has not been cut.

Third, CBAC addressed the $33,000 the School District spends each year for an outside company to maintain the District web-site. The union suggested that High School web-design students (again, under the supervision of a faculty advisor) take on this task. Our School Board president responded to our belief in our students by dismissing that suggestion as “ludicrous” — and that contract has not been cut.

Finally, CBAC has recommended that our Security Dept. be reorganized. Currently, the 12 guards report to a Security Director whose salary and benefits total $120,000. The union’s suggestion is that the guards can report to the site principals or that one guard could be promoted to the position of “lead guard.”

The Security Director position has not been cut.

These recommendations don’t add up to the additional $1.3 million in cuts we still need to make, of course, but shouldn't we start here before asking our teachers to foot the bill?

To close, Ms. Tam may be surprised to know that a number of neighboring school districts are giving their teachers raises this year, even in these tough times. It may be hard to believe, Ms. Tam, but in some communities teachers are seen, not as a convenient source of money to balance a budget, but as the most important people in the educational lives of their children.