As I sat at Linwood E. Howe’s fifth grade promotional ceremony listening to the voices of the delightful children singing Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop Dreamin’ About Tomorrow,” I couldn’t help but think about the future of education in the state of California.
The irony in the lyrics of one of my favorite songs (even though I am certain that it wasn’t chosen for that reason) is that dreaming about tomorrow for educators feels more like waking each day after a terrible nightmare.
In this recurring nightmare, we continue to cut quality personnel and educational programs for at least the next three years. As each day passes, the nightmare gets worse.
Interrupted at the Wrong Time
As Superintendent, my greatest fear is the looming threat that we will be forced to halt and/or reverse the significant educational opportunities we offer our students in the Culver City Unified School District.
Until now, we’ve sustained small classes, provided exceptional support for our new teachers, demonstrated consistent increases in student achievement, worked with our community to provide students with outstanding opportunities in the arts and music, earned statewide recognition for closing the achievement gap.
I could go on.
I am especially proud of the work done each day in the schools of our District by dedicated teachers, administrators and staff members.
A few weeks ago, however, I had no choice but to notify our employees that they may face reduced compensation next year. That’s not an email our hardworking employees deserved to receive.
But we’ve already cut more than $6 million over the past two years. The outlook for next year is even more dismal. We have no choice but to keep all cost-saving options on the table.
We Can’t Wait for Sacramento
Before some of you dismiss this commentary as that of another public school official trying to protect what’s left of public education’s share of the pie, hold on.
I want to be very clear about my concern. I have been an educator for over 36 years, I have served as a Superintendent for the past 10 years. I have cut budgets in every district I have worked in and, through an inclusive process, I have streamlined services.
But I always have done a pretty good job of protecting students and learning.
My nightmare consists of the never-ending slashing of budgets and key positions.
It now includes the sad faces of those Lin Howe students who were just singing about their dreams for tomorrow a few weeks ago. Whether we want to face it or not, Sacramento’s failure to balance the budget year after year has plunged America’s most populous state into unprecedented debt that threatens the viability of the world’s eighth largest economy.
This state’s funding for public schools ranks at the bottom nationally. Its piecemeal approach to school reform has resulted in a myriad of mandated plans that now have no funding.
I believe that unlike Sacramento, Culver City and its locally elected School Board have earned the right to spend our education dollars as we see fit.
We no longer can wait for Sacramento to fix the mess that it created.
Time has run out.
It’s our turn to drive. The School District is looking to pass a parcel tax measure that will keep local monies local and allow us to provide the necessary educational opportunities our children must have and deserve.
We must act soon or the progress we’ve all worked hard to achieve in Culver City will evaporate. The state’s public schools will steadily decline. Our children’s voices will ring hollow when they sing about their dreams for the future.
We must not allow that to happen.
Dr. Cote may be contacted at myrnariveracote@ccusd.org
