A School Board Mandate: Building Teacher Trust and Support

By Ruth Palmer

When I first ran for the School Board nearly 8 years ago, I primarily did so because I was encouraged by the teachers in this District. As you know, the Board at that time was extremely dysfunctional and trust between the Board, District office and the Association was at an all time low and getting worse. I ran on the simple idea that we had to find a way to work as a team. As you'll recall, the first two years of that first term were very difficult. We didn't make nearly the progress that I had hoped, but with the introduction of Interest-Based Bargaining and the joint training that we all participated in, we finally began to build trust and to improve the teaching and learning environment-together. I can say without equivocation that IBB along with the establishment of the EMPWR Team put this District back on track by emphasizing our mutual interdependence and establishing a deep and abiding trust and respect between all parties. I am proud to have supported and help sustain IBB and will continue my commitment to that process.

Site-Based Planning and Decision Making

When I was first elected to the Board, everyone talked a lot about the merits of Site Based Planning and decision making. Now, eight years later, it is assumed that the sites know best what they need in order to meet the goals and objectives at both a site and District level. Most of the revenues that flow into the District that are not allocated to employee salaries and benefits, goes directly to school sites. Parents, teachers, the site administrator and classified staff work (and at the middle school level, students) together to decide the best use of those funds.

Site based planning and revenue allocation provides another significant linchpin in the area of teacher and instructional support.

Class Size Reduction

Thanks to (ironically) Governor Wilson and the State Legislature, we have had the opportunity to reduce class size at the K-3 level throughout the District. Because of the efforts of teachers, School Board members, District Administration, and parents, we were first to reduce our class sizes and were able to take advantage of the higher funding that came with "early bird" class reduction efforts. This has been an incredible asset in our efforts to help our students learn to read and write at grade level by the end of the 3rd grade. Like IBB, class size reduction has changed and vastly improved the teaching and learning environment in this District. I am proud to have participated in that process as well.

And, yes, class size reduction should also occur at the 4th and 5th grade levels and in the middle school. Unfortunately, and not unknown to the Association, the cost of class size reduction (even K-3) was not fully funded with dollars sent by the state. The combined cost increases associated with an increase in the number of teachers, classrooms, and instructional materials/supplies to fully 'outfit' additional classrooms of students exceeded the state allocated class size reduction dollars. To further reduce class size at the 4th grade level is out of our reach at this time. When we do find a way to fund it (with help from the State and perhaps our community in the form of a parcel tax), I will support it. Simply put, reduced class size is good for both teaching and learning because it gives children and teachers the opportunity to work together to solve individual learning challenges.

Reading Recovery/Literacy Coordinators

I have supported every effort to help students learn to read and write. Nothing is more fundamental to learning. I believe that class size reduction has helped, and that the Master Plan for Second Language Learners will help us all to reach the goal of every child reading at grade level by the end of the 3rd grade. The nearly complete Master Plan for Special Education students will further aid these efforts. In addition, my active membership on the School-Linked Services Executive Advisory Board has provided me with an opportunity to further help students district-wide come to school healthy and ready to learn. In addition, grants from the Noyce Foundation have supplemented (significantly) the revenue we have available for supporting literacy instruction. As a Board member, I have supported all of these efforts, but it is the teachers and the administration that have aggressively sought grants and programs to bring literacy levels up in this District. It has been a privilege to support the efforts of the teachers and I will continue to support the programs that result in successful readers.

4th/5th Grade Prep Time

Designing a program to provide quality instructional time for students while allowing teachers to take the necessary time to prepare is just one example of how IBB works to acknowledge and integrate seemingly competing interests. The Association and District made a commitment and worked hard to bring about preparation time for 4th and 5th grade teachers, and ultimately the Board supported a plan that provided teachers with 90 minutes of prep time divided over three 30-minute blocks per week. During this time, it was agreed that students would participate in a Physical Education program. I believe that supporting prep time has improved not only the teaching and learning environment for students, but also underscored the Board's very clear commitment to working with teachers around identified needs. Staff Development

Staff development is critical to improving student performance. I have consistently supported teachers in every way I could from the early days of AB777 staff development to the current efforts to underwrite the CLAD certifications. Teachers who expand their instructional skills in the areas of Language Arts instruction, mathematics, science, social studies, computer technology, art, music etc. are taking exactly the same steps that skilled professionals take in the private sector. Students in our classrooms today not only represent different languages and cultures, they represent a spectrum of learning styles and teachers K-12 need constant professional development to teach to these diverse styles. I will continue to support staff development particularly in the areas of second language learners and atypical learners who may otherwise fall through the cracks. Talented kids who learn differently need talented teachers who teach differently.

Compensation

I have not mentioned compensation and benefits. With a booming economy, it is incredibly satisfying to offer teachers an increase that is certainly more in line with what they should be paid than in past years. But therein lies the problem. Teachers are not underpaid because of Board or district constraints. They are underpaid because school districts (and this one is no exception) do not receive enough revenues from the State to provide for consistently higher salaries. You know that and I know that. The key is to continue working together to find ways to compensate teachers through training opportunities and a continually improved teaching environment. I have always supported salary increases when the ongoing funds coming into the District insured that we could support those increases. As a Board, we have worked very hard to compensate teachers for their work.

Conclusion

Perhaps the single most important thing that I or any Board member can do for teachers is to monitor and sustain this District's fiscal well-being. I have often said that we are all under the same tent and to me that means each and every action I take (as a Board member) affects teachers, administrators, students, and staff. In the long run, taking care of the District' financial health, more than any other single factor, ensures that every member of the CUSD community will benefit from a robust, crisis-free educational environment. In my view, our economic well-being depends on good management, financial expertise and a high level of fiscal "literacy". Association members have an obligation to familiarize themselves with the District's budget and to develop a deep understanding of how resources come into and flow out of the District. Fortunately, we have an exemplary Business Department and a Superintendent, well-versed in finance and more than willing to share his knowledge.

Though some may disagree, in my view, we have been fortunate to have maintained a stable Board and District office staff over the last several years. If we want to continue the steady stream of improvements in student performance, we would be wise to acknowledge the importance of our shared history. We must not underestimate the importance of continuity and the role it plays in meaningful, sustainable change. Though we may not always agree on every issue or action, we have a commonly held way of talking about our differences that has more times than not led to mutually satisfactory resolutions. I believe that the Association and the Board have worked very hard to build a trusting relationship and that our success has benefited the school (and larger) community. Whether or not I am elected to another term as a Trustee for CUSD, I take immense pride in the fact that working together over the past eight years, we have vastly improved the teaching and learning environment of this District.

There is still much work to be done. I have tried to highlight areas that I believe are important to the Association, and I'm quite certain that I have missed some-maybe many. Even without touching on all of these areas, however, I believe that over the years I have been a consistent and thoughtful supporter of our teachers. Kids learn because teachers are there each day to teach them. That seems like the most important job in the world. I have tried to support you in that effort for the past eight years and will continue to do so regardless of the outcome of this election.