[Editor’s Note: Mr. Mielke is President of the Teachers Union, and this letter is addressed to his members as well as the community.]
Friends —
I hope you are sitting down. The Culver City Unified School District, which is eliminating electives at the Culver City Middle School, laying off our elementary music teacher and asking you to take furlough days next year, is planning on hiring a new District-level administrator.
I have just reviewed the agenda for this Tuesday night’s School Board meeting.
Lo and behold, CCUSD wants to create yet another Irving Place administrator: Assistant Director of Special Education.
Also on the agenda are the new contracts for the Assistant Superintendents of Business and of Educational Services.
Neither position is being reclassified to “Director” status, which would save CCUSD funds it says it needs.
Both positions are retaining their six-figure salaries, 225-day work years, 22 vacation days and their $250/month “mileage allowances.”
We need you to attend Tuesday night's meeting and bring a parent with you. I've spoken with Debbie Hamme, President of the Classified Employees Union. She will have classified employees there as well.
This Board needs to be reminded, not only from employees but from our entire community, that education happens at the school sites.
Districts around the state are streamlining their district offices as they try to maintain quality education for their students in these tough times.
CCUSD is bucking that trend, expanding administration while “streamlining” its course offerings to students.
No one saw this coming.
What we do know is that Rose Ecker is retiring this year as Director of Pupil Services. Drew Sotelo, our current District Attendance Officer, has been designated to replace her. (Not so incidentally, this is the second District-level administrative position that the Board has filled this year without opening the vacancy up to other applicants.)
Drew is a capable and hard-working employee. He's done a good job as our attendance officer (another new administrative position). But he has little or no experience in Special Education.
Is this the reason for this new position?
Does it make any sense to hire two administrators to replace one?
The meeting begins at 7 o’clock on Tuesday night at the District Board Room, 4034 Irving Pl.
Those who wish to speak can fill out a speaker’s card, and you have up to three minutes to teach your lesson. Others can express their concern simply by attending or by calling your activist parents and inviting them to attend.
During this unprecedented fiscal crisis in our schools, the entire school community needs to help the Board remember: The kids come first.
Mr. Mielke may be contacted at david.mielke@ccusd.org
