Carrying a wide variety of signs and bullhorns, the group first rallied at the park, then marched around the park twice, and finally marched from the park across the street to in front of the district offices.
At that point, most impressively, new Superintendent James Hammond addressed the crowd. He told them this was a most difficult decision that they would have to make and that they will consider it very carefully. While, it was not exactly what the large crowd wanted to hear, there was an appreciation that the Superintendent was not hiding in his offices.
Some of the concerns raised by community members were also captured in a letter from the school PTA to the school district.
There were expressed concerns about the risk of commuting by students to other portions of town. The increased crowding of junior highs back to what it was before Harper (although I believe part of the plan is to move 9th graders to high school, so the problem of overcrowding might occur on the high school campus). There are fears that once the school closes, it might now re-open again even if budgeting would allow it.
One of the big concerns is that there has been no taskforce or planning for the closure of the school.
Proponents of Emerson site Education Code 17387:
“It is the intent of the Legislature to have the community involved before decisions are made about school closure or the use of surplus space, thus avoiding community conflict and assuring building use that is compatible with the community’s needs and desires.”
Just as the education code requires a 7/11 commission to sell off surplus property, so would it seem to require some sort of task force before closing a school.
A number of DaVinci High students both joined in the protest and had their own brief demonstration asking for their teachers and programs to be saved.
COMMENTARY
A few points of commentary that I want to raise at this point.
I listened throughout to people talking about the fact that the seeds for this district’s fiscal mismanagement were laid in the past and the public did not pay sufficient attention. I agree with that. However, I do not think the public really understands the depths of those problems that should be laid firmly at the feet of past school boards, past administrations, and past policies. At the same time, I also do not think the public truly understands the work that the most recent past school board did to fix many of these problems.
Unfortunately, despite those efforts as outlined on this blog in the series on the former CBO, the school district has not been able to escape this problem.
Discussions I have had with people close to state government emphasize that the expectation that we will have the economic problem alleviated by the Democratic Legislature may be less than expected. It is unlikely that the legislature would impose 10% cuts, but everyone believes that painful cuts will occur.
That puts the onus on local school district. The Davis Schools Foundation was working hard to get additional pledges for donations. The raising of these one-time monies could be vital to helping to lessen the pain of such cuts.
The school board as we suggested last weekend, should consider an emergency ballot measure for temporary funding relief. I discussed this possibility one of the board members on Saturday and it is something that they are considering. The problem is that the public seems so angry right now that they may not be amenable to yet another tax increase.
I spoke to Freddie Oakley and she told me that such a ballot measure if it were mail-in only, would only cost around $50,000.
Some have floated the idea of recall, but frankly that is the last thing this district needs. First, it would be punishing the students in the form of more payments by the school district. It would also distract the district from other means in which to deal with the revenue problem. Finally, for the most part it would punish those not responsible for the bulk of the budget problem. We can all point to decisions by the board we disagree with, but on the whole, the current board has done a decent job given the magnitude of the problem.
Those who wish to punish the kids for the mistakes that some adults have made, might want to reconsider that. If we all join together, we can probably save the schools and programs that we all like.
The final point I would like to make is that while this may be frustrating for all involved–and I remain a strong supporter of keeping Emerson open as well as the Valley Charter School–I was impressed with Superintendent James Hammond. I remember how former Superintendent David Murphy reacted to criticism and protests. There is little doubt in my mind that he would have hid in his offices, as so many government officials would have done, waiting for the protests to end.
But James Hammond had the courage to address the hostile but generally polite crowd and while he could not assuage their concerns, I think he gained their respect in the process. It would have been nice if Board Member Richard Harris had done likewise but at least he and Board President Sheila Allen attended the rally and can report back to their colleagues tomorrow night the community’s concerns.
We all have a stake in the future of Davis schools and we all have to pull together to prevent things like cutbacks in teachers, school programs, and closures of schools.
—Doug Paul Davis reporting
Many good points. Two more that I would like to add:
1. Yes, the community is angry. I think most realize the current crisis and are willing to temporarily set aside the ill will and fundraise for the sake of children and teens. However, there must be some kind of public accounting from the district about what went wrong and how it has been fixed before the community can rally behind a new ongoing tax. So far, all of what I have learned about this situation has come from the Vanguard (thanks!). There have been some guarded statements from the board but what is missing is a complete white paper report (perhaps by an independent commission?) that clearly explains the situation from the district’s point of view. Many people people don’t read this blog and are just in the dark about how this could have happened.
2. Two of the options under consideration would bring 9th graders to the high school. Okay. That might be good in the long run. However, one of those options would put Da Vinci at Valley Oak. If this was part of the ‘grand scheme” all along, why wasn’t North Davis closed instead of Valley Oak? Not that I want NDE closed, especially at this short notice. But how does it make sense to put Da Vinci students a couple of miles away from the high school, when these students take electives, use the library, and participate in extracurriculars at DHS? Wouldn’t the “Facilities Task Force” decision have been different if plans for Da Vinci had been in the mix?
Many good points. Two more that I would like to add:
1. Yes, the community is angry. I think most realize the current crisis and are willing to temporarily set aside the ill will and fundraise for the sake of children and teens. However, there must be some kind of public accounting from the district about what went wrong and how it has been fixed before the community can rally behind a new ongoing tax. So far, all of what I have learned about this situation has come from the Vanguard (thanks!). There have been some guarded statements from the board but what is missing is a complete white paper report (perhaps by an independent commission?) that clearly explains the situation from the district’s point of view. Many people people don’t read this blog and are just in the dark about how this could have happened.
2. Two of the options under consideration would bring 9th graders to the high school. Okay. That might be good in the long run. However, one of those options would put Da Vinci at Valley Oak. If this was part of the ‘grand scheme” all along, why wasn’t North Davis closed instead of Valley Oak? Not that I want NDE closed, especially at this short notice. But how does it make sense to put Da Vinci students a couple of miles away from the high school, when these students take electives, use the library, and participate in extracurriculars at DHS? Wouldn’t the “Facilities Task Force” decision have been different if plans for Da Vinci had been in the mix?
Many good points. Two more that I would like to add:
1. Yes, the community is angry. I think most realize the current crisis and are willing to temporarily set aside the ill will and fundraise for the sake of children and teens. However, there must be some kind of public accounting from the district about what went wrong and how it has been fixed before the community can rally behind a new ongoing tax. So far, all of what I have learned about this situation has come from the Vanguard (thanks!). There have been some guarded statements from the board but what is missing is a complete white paper report (perhaps by an independent commission?) that clearly explains the situation from the district’s point of view. Many people people don’t read this blog and are just in the dark about how this could have happened.
2. Two of the options under consideration would bring 9th graders to the high school. Okay. That might be good in the long run. However, one of those options would put Da Vinci at Valley Oak. If this was part of the ‘grand scheme” all along, why wasn’t North Davis closed instead of Valley Oak? Not that I want NDE closed, especially at this short notice. But how does it make sense to put Da Vinci students a couple of miles away from the high school, when these students take electives, use the library, and participate in extracurriculars at DHS? Wouldn’t the “Facilities Task Force” decision have been different if plans for Da Vinci had been in the mix?
Many good points. Two more that I would like to add:
1. Yes, the community is angry. I think most realize the current crisis and are willing to temporarily set aside the ill will and fundraise for the sake of children and teens. However, there must be some kind of public accounting from the district about what went wrong and how it has been fixed before the community can rally behind a new ongoing tax. So far, all of what I have learned about this situation has come from the Vanguard (thanks!). There have been some guarded statements from the board but what is missing is a complete white paper report (perhaps by an independent commission?) that clearly explains the situation from the district’s point of view. Many people people don’t read this blog and are just in the dark about how this could have happened.
2. Two of the options under consideration would bring 9th graders to the high school. Okay. That might be good in the long run. However, one of those options would put Da Vinci at Valley Oak. If this was part of the ‘grand scheme” all along, why wasn’t North Davis closed instead of Valley Oak? Not that I want NDE closed, especially at this short notice. But how does it make sense to put Da Vinci students a couple of miles away from the high school, when these students take electives, use the library, and participate in extracurriculars at DHS? Wouldn’t the “Facilities Task Force” decision have been different if plans for Da Vinci had been in the mix?
Wouldn’t the Task Force’s recommendations been different if they had focused on anything but closing Valley Oak?
Wouldn’t the Task Force’s recommendations been different if they had focused on anything but closing Valley Oak?
Wouldn’t the Task Force’s recommendations been different if they had focused on anything but closing Valley Oak?
Wouldn’t the Task Force’s recommendations been different if they had focused on anything but closing Valley Oak?
I LOVE how the man in the picture of Superintendent Hammond is holding a sign that reads, “Keep teens in there Hood!” The subtle blend of colloquialism and misspelling is classic!
Goes to show we might need to spend a little more on education after all…
I LOVE how the man in the picture of Superintendent Hammond is holding a sign that reads, “Keep teens in there Hood!” The subtle blend of colloquialism and misspelling is classic!
Goes to show we might need to spend a little more on education after all…
I LOVE how the man in the picture of Superintendent Hammond is holding a sign that reads, “Keep teens in there Hood!” The subtle blend of colloquialism and misspelling is classic!
Goes to show we might need to spend a little more on education after all…
I LOVE how the man in the picture of Superintendent Hammond is holding a sign that reads, “Keep teens in there Hood!” The subtle blend of colloquialism and misspelling is classic!
Goes to show we might need to spend a little more on education after all…
anon wrote: “But how does it make sense to put Da Vinci students a couple of miles away from the high school, when these students take electives, use the library, and participate in extracurriculars at DHS?”
It’s been planned from the start that da Vinci would eventually be several miles from DHS — on the west side of the UCD campus. You mention some of the benefits of the current proximity to the DHS. My limited understanding is that the current situation also presents programatic difficulties for da Vinci. As best I can tell, the long-term goal is still for da Vinci to end up on or adjacent to (West Village?) the UCD campus.
RE: “public accounting from the district”
I’ve found the budget material on the DJUSD web site to be somewhat helpful. There are several links from the home page, in particular http://www.djusd.k12.ca.us/
District/budget/
SchoolFinanceAndDJUSDBudget.htm
anon wrote: “But how does it make sense to put Da Vinci students a couple of miles away from the high school, when these students take electives, use the library, and participate in extracurriculars at DHS?”
It’s been planned from the start that da Vinci would eventually be several miles from DHS — on the west side of the UCD campus. You mention some of the benefits of the current proximity to the DHS. My limited understanding is that the current situation also presents programatic difficulties for da Vinci. As best I can tell, the long-term goal is still for da Vinci to end up on or adjacent to (West Village?) the UCD campus.
RE: “public accounting from the district”
I’ve found the budget material on the DJUSD web site to be somewhat helpful. There are several links from the home page, in particular http://www.djusd.k12.ca.us/
District/budget/
SchoolFinanceAndDJUSDBudget.htm
anon wrote: “But how does it make sense to put Da Vinci students a couple of miles away from the high school, when these students take electives, use the library, and participate in extracurriculars at DHS?”
It’s been planned from the start that da Vinci would eventually be several miles from DHS — on the west side of the UCD campus. You mention some of the benefits of the current proximity to the DHS. My limited understanding is that the current situation also presents programatic difficulties for da Vinci. As best I can tell, the long-term goal is still for da Vinci to end up on or adjacent to (West Village?) the UCD campus.
RE: “public accounting from the district”
I’ve found the budget material on the DJUSD web site to be somewhat helpful. There are several links from the home page, in particular http://www.djusd.k12.ca.us/
District/budget/
SchoolFinanceAndDJUSDBudget.htm
anon wrote: “But how does it make sense to put Da Vinci students a couple of miles away from the high school, when these students take electives, use the library, and participate in extracurriculars at DHS?”
It’s been planned from the start that da Vinci would eventually be several miles from DHS — on the west side of the UCD campus. You mention some of the benefits of the current proximity to the DHS. My limited understanding is that the current situation also presents programatic difficulties for da Vinci. As best I can tell, the long-term goal is still for da Vinci to end up on or adjacent to (West Village?) the UCD campus.
RE: “public accounting from the district”
I’ve found the budget material on the DJUSD web site to be somewhat helpful. There are several links from the home page, in particular http://www.djusd.k12.ca.us/
District/budget/
SchoolFinanceAndDJUSDBudget.htm
Maybe my observations are over the top, but please hear me out.
I notice that the most numerous and vocal constituencies during this budget cutting mess have been music, Da Vinci, and Emerson JH.
All three have strong, community building components to them. Music by its nature requires a collaborative community to succeed. Da Vinci is a school that has collaborative projects imbedded in its curriculum; a collaborative community component is necessary to succeed. Emerson JH has been touted for its peer helping program and for its school-sponsored student activities program. One explanation that has been offered for why Emerson JH has the district’s highest JH API score in spite of having its native GATE population siphoned off to other JH campuses is that the site administration and staff have created a collaborative community environment that makes more students feel welcome.
So if you are a family that has been affected by one or more of these three cuts, you begin to feel that community and connection are rather low values for the board and district when deciding on school cuts.
What is really too bad is that these are programs that most affect teens, who really need to have some positive structured community building programs in their lives.
What happens if you don’t have an array of established programs that build positive community connections for teens? The teens will go off and form those community groups by themselves. And one common name for such community groups that young people go off and join? Gangs.
We worry about threats of bullying, racism and teen disaffection. We are staring at the makings of future problems right now.
It was the district staff who initiated the proposed list of cuts. Much of the district staff is new and may not be fully aware of how this school district and community works. It would be nice to see some acknowledgement that student community and positive connections are important values in our schools.
Maybe my observations are over the top, but please hear me out.
I notice that the most numerous and vocal constituencies during this budget cutting mess have been music, Da Vinci, and Emerson JH.
All three have strong, community building components to them. Music by its nature requires a collaborative community to succeed. Da Vinci is a school that has collaborative projects imbedded in its curriculum; a collaborative community component is necessary to succeed. Emerson JH has been touted for its peer helping program and for its school-sponsored student activities program. One explanation that has been offered for why Emerson JH has the district’s highest JH API score in spite of having its native GATE population siphoned off to other JH campuses is that the site administration and staff have created a collaborative community environment that makes more students feel welcome.
So if you are a family that has been affected by one or more of these three cuts, you begin to feel that community and connection are rather low values for the board and district when deciding on school cuts.
What is really too bad is that these are programs that most affect teens, who really need to have some positive structured community building programs in their lives.
What happens if you don’t have an array of established programs that build positive community connections for teens? The teens will go off and form those community groups by themselves. And one common name for such community groups that young people go off and join? Gangs.
We worry about threats of bullying, racism and teen disaffection. We are staring at the makings of future problems right now.
It was the district staff who initiated the proposed list of cuts. Much of the district staff is new and may not be fully aware of how this school district and community works. It would be nice to see some acknowledgement that student community and positive connections are important values in our schools.
Maybe my observations are over the top, but please hear me out.
I notice that the most numerous and vocal constituencies during this budget cutting mess have been music, Da Vinci, and Emerson JH.
All three have strong, community building components to them. Music by its nature requires a collaborative community to succeed. Da Vinci is a school that has collaborative projects imbedded in its curriculum; a collaborative community component is necessary to succeed. Emerson JH has been touted for its peer helping program and for its school-sponsored student activities program. One explanation that has been offered for why Emerson JH has the district’s highest JH API score in spite of having its native GATE population siphoned off to other JH campuses is that the site administration and staff have created a collaborative community environment that makes more students feel welcome.
So if you are a family that has been affected by one or more of these three cuts, you begin to feel that community and connection are rather low values for the board and district when deciding on school cuts.
What is really too bad is that these are programs that most affect teens, who really need to have some positive structured community building programs in their lives.
What happens if you don’t have an array of established programs that build positive community connections for teens? The teens will go off and form those community groups by themselves. And one common name for such community groups that young people go off and join? Gangs.
We worry about threats of bullying, racism and teen disaffection. We are staring at the makings of future problems right now.
It was the district staff who initiated the proposed list of cuts. Much of the district staff is new and may not be fully aware of how this school district and community works. It would be nice to see some acknowledgement that student community and positive connections are important values in our schools.
Maybe my observations are over the top, but please hear me out.
I notice that the most numerous and vocal constituencies during this budget cutting mess have been music, Da Vinci, and Emerson JH.
All three have strong, community building components to them. Music by its nature requires a collaborative community to succeed. Da Vinci is a school that has collaborative projects imbedded in its curriculum; a collaborative community component is necessary to succeed. Emerson JH has been touted for its peer helping program and for its school-sponsored student activities program. One explanation that has been offered for why Emerson JH has the district’s highest JH API score in spite of having its native GATE population siphoned off to other JH campuses is that the site administration and staff have created a collaborative community environment that makes more students feel welcome.
So if you are a family that has been affected by one or more of these three cuts, you begin to feel that community and connection are rather low values for the board and district when deciding on school cuts.
What is really too bad is that these are programs that most affect teens, who really need to have some positive structured community building programs in their lives.
What happens if you don’t have an array of established programs that build positive community connections for teens? The teens will go off and form those community groups by themselves. And one common name for such community groups that young people go off and join? Gangs.
We worry about threats of bullying, racism and teen disaffection. We are staring at the makings of future problems right now.
It was the district staff who initiated the proposed list of cuts. Much of the district staff is new and may not be fully aware of how this school district and community works. It would be nice to see some acknowledgement that student community and positive connections are important values in our schools.
Where was this group of protesters when closure of Valley Oak was being discussed? How much sympathy do they expect to garner in light of having been completely silent when another neighborhood school was being closed? Is the difference the wealth or race of the surrounding neighborhood?
Where was this group of protesters when closure of Valley Oak was being discussed? How much sympathy do they expect to garner in light of having been completely silent when another neighborhood school was being closed? Is the difference the wealth or race of the surrounding neighborhood?
Where was this group of protesters when closure of Valley Oak was being discussed? How much sympathy do they expect to garner in light of having been completely silent when another neighborhood school was being closed? Is the difference the wealth or race of the surrounding neighborhood?
Where was this group of protesters when closure of Valley Oak was being discussed? How much sympathy do they expect to garner in light of having been completely silent when another neighborhood school was being closed? Is the difference the wealth or race of the surrounding neighborhood?
Trying to equate Valley Oak with Emerson is a distraction from the real issue of Emerson closing. It isn’t Emerson families fault for Valley Oak closing. Nor are the two comparable given that there are only 3 Jr. High schools.
While not knowing the overall framework of the budget or facilities enough to give alternate solutions, I can tell you the impacts will be real.
Each child will have to navigate the busiest parts of Davis on bike to reach Holmes. Parents will instead opt to drive, which will be 3 to 4 miles each way. This means up to 16 miles of driving each day, 80 miles a week, and 2960 each year. Over 3 years, each parent will add 8880 miles of driving to their vehicle. With 300 students, this is 2.6 million miles driven over their 3-year term at Holmes. When Davis is trying to be a ‘green’ city and Richard Harris ran on a ‘green schools’ platform, this idea of adding that many vehicle trips and that many miles and that much carbon to our atmosphere is unconscionable.
Trying to equate Valley Oak with Emerson is a distraction from the real issue of Emerson closing. It isn’t Emerson families fault for Valley Oak closing. Nor are the two comparable given that there are only 3 Jr. High schools.
While not knowing the overall framework of the budget or facilities enough to give alternate solutions, I can tell you the impacts will be real.
Each child will have to navigate the busiest parts of Davis on bike to reach Holmes. Parents will instead opt to drive, which will be 3 to 4 miles each way. This means up to 16 miles of driving each day, 80 miles a week, and 2960 each year. Over 3 years, each parent will add 8880 miles of driving to their vehicle. With 300 students, this is 2.6 million miles driven over their 3-year term at Holmes. When Davis is trying to be a ‘green’ city and Richard Harris ran on a ‘green schools’ platform, this idea of adding that many vehicle trips and that many miles and that much carbon to our atmosphere is unconscionable.
Trying to equate Valley Oak with Emerson is a distraction from the real issue of Emerson closing. It isn’t Emerson families fault for Valley Oak closing. Nor are the two comparable given that there are only 3 Jr. High schools.
While not knowing the overall framework of the budget or facilities enough to give alternate solutions, I can tell you the impacts will be real.
Each child will have to navigate the busiest parts of Davis on bike to reach Holmes. Parents will instead opt to drive, which will be 3 to 4 miles each way. This means up to 16 miles of driving each day, 80 miles a week, and 2960 each year. Over 3 years, each parent will add 8880 miles of driving to their vehicle. With 300 students, this is 2.6 million miles driven over their 3-year term at Holmes. When Davis is trying to be a ‘green’ city and Richard Harris ran on a ‘green schools’ platform, this idea of adding that many vehicle trips and that many miles and that much carbon to our atmosphere is unconscionable.
Trying to equate Valley Oak with Emerson is a distraction from the real issue of Emerson closing. It isn’t Emerson families fault for Valley Oak closing. Nor are the two comparable given that there are only 3 Jr. High schools.
While not knowing the overall framework of the budget or facilities enough to give alternate solutions, I can tell you the impacts will be real.
Each child will have to navigate the busiest parts of Davis on bike to reach Holmes. Parents will instead opt to drive, which will be 3 to 4 miles each way. This means up to 16 miles of driving each day, 80 miles a week, and 2960 each year. Over 3 years, each parent will add 8880 miles of driving to their vehicle. With 300 students, this is 2.6 million miles driven over their 3-year term at Holmes. When Davis is trying to be a ‘green’ city and Richard Harris ran on a ‘green schools’ platform, this idea of adding that many vehicle trips and that many miles and that much carbon to our atmosphere is unconscionable.
“Robin said…
Where was this group of protesters when closure of Valley Oak was being discussed? How much sympathy do they expect to garner in light of having been completely silent when another neighborhood school was being closed? Is the difference the wealth or race of the surrounding neighborhood?”
You raise a good point, and I don’t know if my response fully answers it.
What I see as troubling is that w/ the decision to close Valley Oak, the district went through what felt like excruciating discussion and deliberation over roughly two years. With Emerson, the idea and decision have all come up in a month or less. It has all the appearance and reality of a very rushed decision that hasn’t been thought out very well. Some of the points that were so carefully made to justify closing VO (rightly or wrongly) seem to be completely ignored for EJH. For instance, distance to travel to the school.
I think you could even have some EJH families conceding to close the school if there were a better sense of due process and community dialog that went on w/ VO.
“Robin said…
Where was this group of protesters when closure of Valley Oak was being discussed? How much sympathy do they expect to garner in light of having been completely silent when another neighborhood school was being closed? Is the difference the wealth or race of the surrounding neighborhood?”
You raise a good point, and I don’t know if my response fully answers it.
What I see as troubling is that w/ the decision to close Valley Oak, the district went through what felt like excruciating discussion and deliberation over roughly two years. With Emerson, the idea and decision have all come up in a month or less. It has all the appearance and reality of a very rushed decision that hasn’t been thought out very well. Some of the points that were so carefully made to justify closing VO (rightly or wrongly) seem to be completely ignored for EJH. For instance, distance to travel to the school.
I think you could even have some EJH families conceding to close the school if there were a better sense of due process and community dialog that went on w/ VO.
“Robin said…
Where was this group of protesters when closure of Valley Oak was being discussed? How much sympathy do they expect to garner in light of having been completely silent when another neighborhood school was being closed? Is the difference the wealth or race of the surrounding neighborhood?”
You raise a good point, and I don’t know if my response fully answers it.
What I see as troubling is that w/ the decision to close Valley Oak, the district went through what felt like excruciating discussion and deliberation over roughly two years. With Emerson, the idea and decision have all come up in a month or less. It has all the appearance and reality of a very rushed decision that hasn’t been thought out very well. Some of the points that were so carefully made to justify closing VO (rightly or wrongly) seem to be completely ignored for EJH. For instance, distance to travel to the school.
I think you could even have some EJH families conceding to close the school if there were a better sense of due process and community dialog that went on w/ VO.
“Robin said…
Where was this group of protesters when closure of Valley Oak was being discussed? How much sympathy do they expect to garner in light of having been completely silent when another neighborhood school was being closed? Is the difference the wealth or race of the surrounding neighborhood?”
You raise a good point, and I don’t know if my response fully answers it.
What I see as troubling is that w/ the decision to close Valley Oak, the district went through what felt like excruciating discussion and deliberation over roughly two years. With Emerson, the idea and decision have all come up in a month or less. It has all the appearance and reality of a very rushed decision that hasn’t been thought out very well. Some of the points that were so carefully made to justify closing VO (rightly or wrongly) seem to be completely ignored for EJH. For instance, distance to travel to the school.
I think you could even have some EJH families conceding to close the school if there were a better sense of due process and community dialog that went on w/ VO.
The amount of denial on this blog is amazing. Yea, keep banging that drum about the “past.” Don’t you get it? It makes no difference who did what to whom in the past. You have to deal with the present. That will mean sacrifice and loss and pain. There’s no such things as a “one-time” bailout such as proposed by the Foundation. It would help for this year only. What will you do this year? No tax measure is going to be put on the ballot. Where do you get these ideas? This is a real emergency and people are going to have to face the future head-on. Your propensity to try to blame former school officials is counter-productive and silly. Do some good. Stop being a critic and find solutions (real ones).
“So if you are a family that has been affected by one or more of these three cuts, you begin to feel that community and connection are rather low values for the board and district when deciding on school cuts.”
The teacher contract stipulates that seniority and credentialing will be the only criteria for cutting teachers. If we wanted to protect certain communities, we unfortunately should have looked ahead a while ago and ensured that there were other criteria the board could use when issuing layoff notices. The DTA contract values seniority and teaching credentials (special ed, BCLAD, reading) ONLY. There are no “community or connection” values in the contract that make those teachers matter more than others. Legally the board went where it could go (i.e. it could lay off only the less senior teachers), and no further.
The cutting of the programs that will be devastated if the cuts are enacted, were in some cases intentional (music, Emerson) but in others (DaVinci, Montessori) it was collateral damage resulting from the fact that those teachers simply happen to have less seniority than other teachers in the district.
The amount of denial on this blog is amazing. Yea, keep banging that drum about the “past.” Don’t you get it? It makes no difference who did what to whom in the past. You have to deal with the present. That will mean sacrifice and loss and pain. There’s no such things as a “one-time” bailout such as proposed by the Foundation. It would help for this year only. What will you do this year? No tax measure is going to be put on the ballot. Where do you get these ideas? This is a real emergency and people are going to have to face the future head-on. Your propensity to try to blame former school officials is counter-productive and silly. Do some good. Stop being a critic and find solutions (real ones).
“So if you are a family that has been affected by one or more of these three cuts, you begin to feel that community and connection are rather low values for the board and district when deciding on school cuts.”
The teacher contract stipulates that seniority and credentialing will be the only criteria for cutting teachers. If we wanted to protect certain communities, we unfortunately should have looked ahead a while ago and ensured that there were other criteria the board could use when issuing layoff notices. The DTA contract values seniority and teaching credentials (special ed, BCLAD, reading) ONLY. There are no “community or connection” values in the contract that make those teachers matter more than others. Legally the board went where it could go (i.e. it could lay off only the less senior teachers), and no further.
The cutting of the programs that will be devastated if the cuts are enacted, were in some cases intentional (music, Emerson) but in others (DaVinci, Montessori) it was collateral damage resulting from the fact that those teachers simply happen to have less seniority than other teachers in the district.
The amount of denial on this blog is amazing. Yea, keep banging that drum about the “past.” Don’t you get it? It makes no difference who did what to whom in the past. You have to deal with the present. That will mean sacrifice and loss and pain. There’s no such things as a “one-time” bailout such as proposed by the Foundation. It would help for this year only. What will you do this year? No tax measure is going to be put on the ballot. Where do you get these ideas? This is a real emergency and people are going to have to face the future head-on. Your propensity to try to blame former school officials is counter-productive and silly. Do some good. Stop being a critic and find solutions (real ones).
“So if you are a family that has been affected by one or more of these three cuts, you begin to feel that community and connection are rather low values for the board and district when deciding on school cuts.”
The teacher contract stipulates that seniority and credentialing will be the only criteria for cutting teachers. If we wanted to protect certain communities, we unfortunately should have looked ahead a while ago and ensured that there were other criteria the board could use when issuing layoff notices. The DTA contract values seniority and teaching credentials (special ed, BCLAD, reading) ONLY. There are no “community or connection” values in the contract that make those teachers matter more than others. Legally the board went where it could go (i.e. it could lay off only the less senior teachers), and no further.
The cutting of the programs that will be devastated if the cuts are enacted, were in some cases intentional (music, Emerson) but in others (DaVinci, Montessori) it was collateral damage resulting from the fact that those teachers simply happen to have less seniority than other teachers in the district.
The amount of denial on this blog is amazing. Yea, keep banging that drum about the “past.” Don’t you get it? It makes no difference who did what to whom in the past. You have to deal with the present. That will mean sacrifice and loss and pain. There’s no such things as a “one-time” bailout such as proposed by the Foundation. It would help for this year only. What will you do this year? No tax measure is going to be put on the ballot. Where do you get these ideas? This is a real emergency and people are going to have to face the future head-on. Your propensity to try to blame former school officials is counter-productive and silly. Do some good. Stop being a critic and find solutions (real ones).
“So if you are a family that has been affected by one or more of these three cuts, you begin to feel that community and connection are rather low values for the board and district when deciding on school cuts.”
The teacher contract stipulates that seniority and credentialing will be the only criteria for cutting teachers. If we wanted to protect certain communities, we unfortunately should have looked ahead a while ago and ensured that there were other criteria the board could use when issuing layoff notices. The DTA contract values seniority and teaching credentials (special ed, BCLAD, reading) ONLY. There are no “community or connection” values in the contract that make those teachers matter more than others. Legally the board went where it could go (i.e. it could lay off only the less senior teachers), and no further.
The cutting of the programs that will be devastated if the cuts are enacted, were in some cases intentional (music, Emerson) but in others (DaVinci, Montessori) it was collateral damage resulting from the fact that those teachers simply happen to have less seniority than other teachers in the district.
“The amount of denial on this blog is amazing. Yea, keep banging that drum about the “past.” Don’t you get it? It makes no difference who did what to whom in the past.”
Actually I think you don’t get it, people are angry at the current board and talking recall and criticizing them for things that are not of their doing. So it does matter–a lot in fact in terms of public reaction.
And it matters if you want to pass new ballot measures or gain donations too. If people perceive the district as incompetent or corrupt, it does matter.
That is a very naive viewpoint that you have put up.
–Former DJUSD Employee
“The amount of denial on this blog is amazing. Yea, keep banging that drum about the “past.” Don’t you get it? It makes no difference who did what to whom in the past.”
Actually I think you don’t get it, people are angry at the current board and talking recall and criticizing them for things that are not of their doing. So it does matter–a lot in fact in terms of public reaction.
And it matters if you want to pass new ballot measures or gain donations too. If people perceive the district as incompetent or corrupt, it does matter.
That is a very naive viewpoint that you have put up.
–Former DJUSD Employee
“The amount of denial on this blog is amazing. Yea, keep banging that drum about the “past.” Don’t you get it? It makes no difference who did what to whom in the past.”
Actually I think you don’t get it, people are angry at the current board and talking recall and criticizing them for things that are not of their doing. So it does matter–a lot in fact in terms of public reaction.
And it matters if you want to pass new ballot measures or gain donations too. If people perceive the district as incompetent or corrupt, it does matter.
That is a very naive viewpoint that you have put up.
–Former DJUSD Employee
“The amount of denial on this blog is amazing. Yea, keep banging that drum about the “past.” Don’t you get it? It makes no difference who did what to whom in the past.”
Actually I think you don’t get it, people are angry at the current board and talking recall and criticizing them for things that are not of their doing. So it does matter–a lot in fact in terms of public reaction.
And it matters if you want to pass new ballot measures or gain donations too. If people perceive the district as incompetent or corrupt, it does matter.
That is a very naive viewpoint that you have put up.
–Former DJUSD Employee
Kudos to Dr. Hammond for the leadership he’s shown during his short tenure as the DJUSD superintendent. I really appreciate the fact that he’s willing to engage the community on the whole range of important issues facing our school district, from Valley Oak to Emerson to the current district budget crisis. A demonstrated willingness to have a public dialogue, painful as it often is, is a great first step towards collaborative problem-solving, and in a community like Davis, it’s absolutely necessary!
Kudos to Dr. Hammond for the leadership he’s shown during his short tenure as the DJUSD superintendent. I really appreciate the fact that he’s willing to engage the community on the whole range of important issues facing our school district, from Valley Oak to Emerson to the current district budget crisis. A demonstrated willingness to have a public dialogue, painful as it often is, is a great first step towards collaborative problem-solving, and in a community like Davis, it’s absolutely necessary!
Kudos to Dr. Hammond for the leadership he’s shown during his short tenure as the DJUSD superintendent. I really appreciate the fact that he’s willing to engage the community on the whole range of important issues facing our school district, from Valley Oak to Emerson to the current district budget crisis. A demonstrated willingness to have a public dialogue, painful as it often is, is a great first step towards collaborative problem-solving, and in a community like Davis, it’s absolutely necessary!
Kudos to Dr. Hammond for the leadership he’s shown during his short tenure as the DJUSD superintendent. I really appreciate the fact that he’s willing to engage the community on the whole range of important issues facing our school district, from Valley Oak to Emerson to the current district budget crisis. A demonstrated willingness to have a public dialogue, painful as it often is, is a great first step towards collaborative problem-solving, and in a community like Davis, it’s absolutely necessary!
“Val Dolcini said…
Kudos to Dr. Hammond for the leadership he’s shown during his short tenure as the DJUSD superintendent. I really appreciate the fact that he’s willing to engage the community on the whole range of important issues facing our school”
I agree with that up until about a month or so ago. Right now communicating w/ the district staff and board members is like whispering through a straw. So many anxious constituents, not enough face time for everyone.
At one of the recent school board meetings I was disappointed that Tim Taylor pretty much threw cold water on any open forum that Hammond offered to mediate between the public and the school board, saying (Taylor) that it wouldn’t really be any different from any other school board meeting.
It doesn’t feel like I’m having a dialog w/ my elected representative when I have between 1 and 3 minutes to say something during public comment, and they don’t necessarily have to respond to what I said or asked. It would be spledid to have a somewhat relaxed meeting, no official agenda to pass, relaxed comment/question rules, perhaps mediated by Dr. Hammond.
Even now, I haven’t seen any publicly announced forum where I can talk to Hammond. Granted he and the other staff are under lots of pressure, but this would be a time to have such meetings.
“Val Dolcini said…
Kudos to Dr. Hammond for the leadership he’s shown during his short tenure as the DJUSD superintendent. I really appreciate the fact that he’s willing to engage the community on the whole range of important issues facing our school”
I agree with that up until about a month or so ago. Right now communicating w/ the district staff and board members is like whispering through a straw. So many anxious constituents, not enough face time for everyone.
At one of the recent school board meetings I was disappointed that Tim Taylor pretty much threw cold water on any open forum that Hammond offered to mediate between the public and the school board, saying (Taylor) that it wouldn’t really be any different from any other school board meeting.
It doesn’t feel like I’m having a dialog w/ my elected representative when I have between 1 and 3 minutes to say something during public comment, and they don’t necessarily have to respond to what I said or asked. It would be spledid to have a somewhat relaxed meeting, no official agenda to pass, relaxed comment/question rules, perhaps mediated by Dr. Hammond.
Even now, I haven’t seen any publicly announced forum where I can talk to Hammond. Granted he and the other staff are under lots of pressure, but this would be a time to have such meetings.
“Val Dolcini said…
Kudos to Dr. Hammond for the leadership he’s shown during his short tenure as the DJUSD superintendent. I really appreciate the fact that he’s willing to engage the community on the whole range of important issues facing our school”
I agree with that up until about a month or so ago. Right now communicating w/ the district staff and board members is like whispering through a straw. So many anxious constituents, not enough face time for everyone.
At one of the recent school board meetings I was disappointed that Tim Taylor pretty much threw cold water on any open forum that Hammond offered to mediate between the public and the school board, saying (Taylor) that it wouldn’t really be any different from any other school board meeting.
It doesn’t feel like I’m having a dialog w/ my elected representative when I have between 1 and 3 minutes to say something during public comment, and they don’t necessarily have to respond to what I said or asked. It would be spledid to have a somewhat relaxed meeting, no official agenda to pass, relaxed comment/question rules, perhaps mediated by Dr. Hammond.
Even now, I haven’t seen any publicly announced forum where I can talk to Hammond. Granted he and the other staff are under lots of pressure, but this would be a time to have such meetings.
“Val Dolcini said…
Kudos to Dr. Hammond for the leadership he’s shown during his short tenure as the DJUSD superintendent. I really appreciate the fact that he’s willing to engage the community on the whole range of important issues facing our school”
I agree with that up until about a month or so ago. Right now communicating w/ the district staff and board members is like whispering through a straw. So many anxious constituents, not enough face time for everyone.
At one of the recent school board meetings I was disappointed that Tim Taylor pretty much threw cold water on any open forum that Hammond offered to mediate between the public and the school board, saying (Taylor) that it wouldn’t really be any different from any other school board meeting.
It doesn’t feel like I’m having a dialog w/ my elected representative when I have between 1 and 3 minutes to say something during public comment, and they don’t necessarily have to respond to what I said or asked. It would be spledid to have a somewhat relaxed meeting, no official agenda to pass, relaxed comment/question rules, perhaps mediated by Dr. Hammond.
Even now, I haven’t seen any publicly announced forum where I can talk to Hammond. Granted he and the other staff are under lots of pressure, but this would be a time to have such meetings.
“Where was this group of protesters when closure of Valley Oak was being discussed? How much sympathy do they expect to garner in light of having been completely silent when another neighborhood school was being closed? Is the difference the wealth or race of the surrounding neighborhood?”
I was opposed to the closing of Valley Oak, and joined in the protest. I am also opposed to the closing of Emerson, and have joined in that effort too.
“What I see as troubling is that w/ the decision to close Valley Oak, the district went through what felt like excruciating discussion and deliberation over roughly two years. With Emerson, the idea and decision have all come up in a month or less.”
Much of the community’s perception of the process in closing Emerson is that it represents a quick fix, with no opportunity for public input. Yet there has been no across the board cut to administrative staff, nor attempts to come up with less draconian solutions. Did the school district ever think about going to the teachers, and trying to get them to voluntarily take a 10% across the board pay cut, so no teachers need to be fired?
“There’s no such things as a “one-time” bailout such as proposed by the Foundation. It would help for this year only. What will you do this year? No tax measure is going to be put on the ballot. Where do you get these ideas? This is a real emergency and people are going to have to face the future head-on. Your propensity to try to blame former school officials is counter-productive and silly.”
I agree that another parcel tax is not the answer, as it would only take care of this year’s fiscal crisis only. However, we need to look at what happened to get us into this fix, to make sure it does not happen again. That means scrutizing past and present school board actions or lack thereof. I, for one, am very greatful for DPD’s thorough reporting on the fiscal mismanagement of school funds. I don’t think nearly enough has been done to make sure our future is fiscally sound.
“Kudos to Dr. Hammond for the leadership he’s shown during his short tenure as the DJUSD superintendent. I really appreciate the fact that he’s willing to engage the community on the whole range of important issues facing our school district, from Valley Oak to Emerson to the current district budget crisis. A demonstrated willingness to have a public dialogue, painful as it often is, is a great first step towards collaborative problem-solving, and in a community like Davis, it’s absolutely necessary!”
You’ve got to be kidding!?! Hammond hardly sought public input in making a decision to close Emerson. Coming outside and saying a few feel-good statements in the face of what was bald arrogance in not including any public input when it came to closing Emerson does not inspire much confidence in his leadership. Hammond is a consummate politician, who says whatever he thinks his audience wants to hear.
“It doesn’t feel like I’m having a dialog w/ my elected representative when I have between 1 and 3 minutes to say something during public comment, and they don’t necessarily have to respond to what I said or asked.”
Furthermore, it doesn’t feel as if the school board is listening to anything the public has to say. Instead, you get the feeling that they suffer public commnet because the law requires it – but the law does not require them to pay any attention to what is said. I get the feeling the current school board is just as condescending as it always has been.
I honestly think the real long range answer to all of this is to have more schools go charter, as hard as that process is. We need to get the funding decisions out of the hands of incompetents (school board/district), and into the hands of the stakeholders (parents and teachers).
“Where was this group of protesters when closure of Valley Oak was being discussed? How much sympathy do they expect to garner in light of having been completely silent when another neighborhood school was being closed? Is the difference the wealth or race of the surrounding neighborhood?”
I was opposed to the closing of Valley Oak, and joined in the protest. I am also opposed to the closing of Emerson, and have joined in that effort too.
“What I see as troubling is that w/ the decision to close Valley Oak, the district went through what felt like excruciating discussion and deliberation over roughly two years. With Emerson, the idea and decision have all come up in a month or less.”
Much of the community’s perception of the process in closing Emerson is that it represents a quick fix, with no opportunity for public input. Yet there has been no across the board cut to administrative staff, nor attempts to come up with less draconian solutions. Did the school district ever think about going to the teachers, and trying to get them to voluntarily take a 10% across the board pay cut, so no teachers need to be fired?
“There’s no such things as a “one-time” bailout such as proposed by the Foundation. It would help for this year only. What will you do this year? No tax measure is going to be put on the ballot. Where do you get these ideas? This is a real emergency and people are going to have to face the future head-on. Your propensity to try to blame former school officials is counter-productive and silly.”
I agree that another parcel tax is not the answer, as it would only take care of this year’s fiscal crisis only. However, we need to look at what happened to get us into this fix, to make sure it does not happen again. That means scrutizing past and present school board actions or lack thereof. I, for one, am very greatful for DPD’s thorough reporting on the fiscal mismanagement of school funds. I don’t think nearly enough has been done to make sure our future is fiscally sound.
“Kudos to Dr. Hammond for the leadership he’s shown during his short tenure as the DJUSD superintendent. I really appreciate the fact that he’s willing to engage the community on the whole range of important issues facing our school district, from Valley Oak to Emerson to the current district budget crisis. A demonstrated willingness to have a public dialogue, painful as it often is, is a great first step towards collaborative problem-solving, and in a community like Davis, it’s absolutely necessary!”
You’ve got to be kidding!?! Hammond hardly sought public input in making a decision to close Emerson. Coming outside and saying a few feel-good statements in the face of what was bald arrogance in not including any public input when it came to closing Emerson does not inspire much confidence in his leadership. Hammond is a consummate politician, who says whatever he thinks his audience wants to hear.
“It doesn’t feel like I’m having a dialog w/ my elected representative when I have between 1 and 3 minutes to say something during public comment, and they don’t necessarily have to respond to what I said or asked.”
Furthermore, it doesn’t feel as if the school board is listening to anything the public has to say. Instead, you get the feeling that they suffer public commnet because the law requires it – but the law does not require them to pay any attention to what is said. I get the feeling the current school board is just as condescending as it always has been.
I honestly think the real long range answer to all of this is to have more schools go charter, as hard as that process is. We need to get the funding decisions out of the hands of incompetents (school board/district), and into the hands of the stakeholders (parents and teachers).
“Where was this group of protesters when closure of Valley Oak was being discussed? How much sympathy do they expect to garner in light of having been completely silent when another neighborhood school was being closed? Is the difference the wealth or race of the surrounding neighborhood?”
I was opposed to the closing of Valley Oak, and joined in the protest. I am also opposed to the closing of Emerson, and have joined in that effort too.
“What I see as troubling is that w/ the decision to close Valley Oak, the district went through what felt like excruciating discussion and deliberation over roughly two years. With Emerson, the idea and decision have all come up in a month or less.”
Much of the community’s perception of the process in closing Emerson is that it represents a quick fix, with no opportunity for public input. Yet there has been no across the board cut to administrative staff, nor attempts to come up with less draconian solutions. Did the school district ever think about going to the teachers, and trying to get them to voluntarily take a 10% across the board pay cut, so no teachers need to be fired?
“There’s no such things as a “one-time” bailout such as proposed by the Foundation. It would help for this year only. What will you do this year? No tax measure is going to be put on the ballot. Where do you get these ideas? This is a real emergency and people are going to have to face the future head-on. Your propensity to try to blame former school officials is counter-productive and silly.”
I agree that another parcel tax is not the answer, as it would only take care of this year’s fiscal crisis only. However, we need to look at what happened to get us into this fix, to make sure it does not happen again. That means scrutizing past and present school board actions or lack thereof. I, for one, am very greatful for DPD’s thorough reporting on the fiscal mismanagement of school funds. I don’t think nearly enough has been done to make sure our future is fiscally sound.
“Kudos to Dr. Hammond for the leadership he’s shown during his short tenure as the DJUSD superintendent. I really appreciate the fact that he’s willing to engage the community on the whole range of important issues facing our school district, from Valley Oak to Emerson to the current district budget crisis. A demonstrated willingness to have a public dialogue, painful as it often is, is a great first step towards collaborative problem-solving, and in a community like Davis, it’s absolutely necessary!”
You’ve got to be kidding!?! Hammond hardly sought public input in making a decision to close Emerson. Coming outside and saying a few feel-good statements in the face of what was bald arrogance in not including any public input when it came to closing Emerson does not inspire much confidence in his leadership. Hammond is a consummate politician, who says whatever he thinks his audience wants to hear.
“It doesn’t feel like I’m having a dialog w/ my elected representative when I have between 1 and 3 minutes to say something during public comment, and they don’t necessarily have to respond to what I said or asked.”
Furthermore, it doesn’t feel as if the school board is listening to anything the public has to say. Instead, you get the feeling that they suffer public commnet because the law requires it – but the law does not require them to pay any attention to what is said. I get the feeling the current school board is just as condescending as it always has been.
I honestly think the real long range answer to all of this is to have more schools go charter, as hard as that process is. We need to get the funding decisions out of the hands of incompetents (school board/district), and into the hands of the stakeholders (parents and teachers).
“Where was this group of protesters when closure of Valley Oak was being discussed? How much sympathy do they expect to garner in light of having been completely silent when another neighborhood school was being closed? Is the difference the wealth or race of the surrounding neighborhood?”
I was opposed to the closing of Valley Oak, and joined in the protest. I am also opposed to the closing of Emerson, and have joined in that effort too.
“What I see as troubling is that w/ the decision to close Valley Oak, the district went through what felt like excruciating discussion and deliberation over roughly two years. With Emerson, the idea and decision have all come up in a month or less.”
Much of the community’s perception of the process in closing Emerson is that it represents a quick fix, with no opportunity for public input. Yet there has been no across the board cut to administrative staff, nor attempts to come up with less draconian solutions. Did the school district ever think about going to the teachers, and trying to get them to voluntarily take a 10% across the board pay cut, so no teachers need to be fired?
“There’s no such things as a “one-time” bailout such as proposed by the Foundation. It would help for this year only. What will you do this year? No tax measure is going to be put on the ballot. Where do you get these ideas? This is a real emergency and people are going to have to face the future head-on. Your propensity to try to blame former school officials is counter-productive and silly.”
I agree that another parcel tax is not the answer, as it would only take care of this year’s fiscal crisis only. However, we need to look at what happened to get us into this fix, to make sure it does not happen again. That means scrutizing past and present school board actions or lack thereof. I, for one, am very greatful for DPD’s thorough reporting on the fiscal mismanagement of school funds. I don’t think nearly enough has been done to make sure our future is fiscally sound.
“Kudos to Dr. Hammond for the leadership he’s shown during his short tenure as the DJUSD superintendent. I really appreciate the fact that he’s willing to engage the community on the whole range of important issues facing our school district, from Valley Oak to Emerson to the current district budget crisis. A demonstrated willingness to have a public dialogue, painful as it often is, is a great first step towards collaborative problem-solving, and in a community like Davis, it’s absolutely necessary!”
You’ve got to be kidding!?! Hammond hardly sought public input in making a decision to close Emerson. Coming outside and saying a few feel-good statements in the face of what was bald arrogance in not including any public input when it came to closing Emerson does not inspire much confidence in his leadership. Hammond is a consummate politician, who says whatever he thinks his audience wants to hear.
“It doesn’t feel like I’m having a dialog w/ my elected representative when I have between 1 and 3 minutes to say something during public comment, and they don’t necessarily have to respond to what I said or asked.”
Furthermore, it doesn’t feel as if the school board is listening to anything the public has to say. Instead, you get the feeling that they suffer public commnet because the law requires it – but the law does not require them to pay any attention to what is said. I get the feeling the current school board is just as condescending as it always has been.
I honestly think the real long range answer to all of this is to have more schools go charter, as hard as that process is. We need to get the funding decisions out of the hands of incompetents (school board/district), and into the hands of the stakeholders (parents and teachers).
Could someone please explain to me why the last few school board meetings and the one tomorrow night (addressing the closure of Emerson JHS) are not in a public location that is large enough to accomodate the public that wishes to attend and be heard? The usual locations of such meetings are way too small for the large contingent of parents and students that want to address the School Board. Why can’t these meetings be held at the new Performing Arts Building at DHS? Televising the meetings is a great way for the School Board to communicate to the public. However, there is no way for the public to communicate directly with the School Board without going to great lengths to obtain one of the few seats at the school district office or chambers.
Could someone please explain to me why the last few school board meetings and the one tomorrow night (addressing the closure of Emerson JHS) are not in a public location that is large enough to accomodate the public that wishes to attend and be heard? The usual locations of such meetings are way too small for the large contingent of parents and students that want to address the School Board. Why can’t these meetings be held at the new Performing Arts Building at DHS? Televising the meetings is a great way for the School Board to communicate to the public. However, there is no way for the public to communicate directly with the School Board without going to great lengths to obtain one of the few seats at the school district office or chambers.
Could someone please explain to me why the last few school board meetings and the one tomorrow night (addressing the closure of Emerson JHS) are not in a public location that is large enough to accomodate the public that wishes to attend and be heard? The usual locations of such meetings are way too small for the large contingent of parents and students that want to address the School Board. Why can’t these meetings be held at the new Performing Arts Building at DHS? Televising the meetings is a great way for the School Board to communicate to the public. However, there is no way for the public to communicate directly with the School Board without going to great lengths to obtain one of the few seats at the school district office or chambers.
Could someone please explain to me why the last few school board meetings and the one tomorrow night (addressing the closure of Emerson JHS) are not in a public location that is large enough to accomodate the public that wishes to attend and be heard? The usual locations of such meetings are way too small for the large contingent of parents and students that want to address the School Board. Why can’t these meetings be held at the new Performing Arts Building at DHS? Televising the meetings is a great way for the School Board to communicate to the public. However, there is no way for the public to communicate directly with the School Board without going to great lengths to obtain one of the few seats at the school district office or chambers.
Since the School Board seems intent on closing Emerson without respectfully considering parents’ and community input, why not play hardball with them. Amongst the Davis community, there must be parents who are lawyers. How about asking a Yolo County Judge for an emergency injunction to prevent the School Board from closing Emerson? This would have to be done today (March 20) or soon after.
If this is doable, the question is on what legal grounds would we argue for the injunction?
I don’t know the answers of if this is even practical, but I haven’t seen this idea floated yet so I thought I’d put it out there.
Concerned Parent
Since the School Board seems intent on closing Emerson without respectfully considering parents’ and community input, why not play hardball with them. Amongst the Davis community, there must be parents who are lawyers. How about asking a Yolo County Judge for an emergency injunction to prevent the School Board from closing Emerson? This would have to be done today (March 20) or soon after.
If this is doable, the question is on what legal grounds would we argue for the injunction?
I don’t know the answers of if this is even practical, but I haven’t seen this idea floated yet so I thought I’d put it out there.
Concerned Parent
Since the School Board seems intent on closing Emerson without respectfully considering parents’ and community input, why not play hardball with them. Amongst the Davis community, there must be parents who are lawyers. How about asking a Yolo County Judge for an emergency injunction to prevent the School Board from closing Emerson? This would have to be done today (March 20) or soon after.
If this is doable, the question is on what legal grounds would we argue for the injunction?
I don’t know the answers of if this is even practical, but I haven’t seen this idea floated yet so I thought I’d put it out there.
Concerned Parent
Since the School Board seems intent on closing Emerson without respectfully considering parents’ and community input, why not play hardball with them. Amongst the Davis community, there must be parents who are lawyers. How about asking a Yolo County Judge for an emergency injunction to prevent the School Board from closing Emerson? This would have to be done today (March 20) or soon after.
If this is doable, the question is on what legal grounds would we argue for the injunction?
I don’t know the answers of if this is even practical, but I haven’t seen this idea floated yet so I thought I’d put it out there.
Concerned Parent
“Since the School Board seems intent on closing Emerson without respectfully considering parents’ and community input, why not play hardball with them. Amongst the Davis community, there must be parents who are lawyers. How about asking a Yolo County Judge for an emergency injunction to prevent the School Board from closing Emerson?”
Well, that’s an idea. I’m not a lawyer but clearly there is a community problem w/ the speed of this process. It was first proposed by Tim Taylor at the March 3 special school board meeting. So if they vote to close tonight, then that’s a 17 day decision with only (as far as I know) the March 6 school board meeting available for public comment about the idea. And that really wasn’t an ideal forum because most of the public comment was taken up by the Da Vinci crowd at the time. A few Emerson folks managed to say something at the end of that public comment, way past 11 p.m.
“Since the School Board seems intent on closing Emerson without respectfully considering parents’ and community input, why not play hardball with them. Amongst the Davis community, there must be parents who are lawyers. How about asking a Yolo County Judge for an emergency injunction to prevent the School Board from closing Emerson?”
Well, that’s an idea. I’m not a lawyer but clearly there is a community problem w/ the speed of this process. It was first proposed by Tim Taylor at the March 3 special school board meeting. So if they vote to close tonight, then that’s a 17 day decision with only (as far as I know) the March 6 school board meeting available for public comment about the idea. And that really wasn’t an ideal forum because most of the public comment was taken up by the Da Vinci crowd at the time. A few Emerson folks managed to say something at the end of that public comment, way past 11 p.m.
“Since the School Board seems intent on closing Emerson without respectfully considering parents’ and community input, why not play hardball with them. Amongst the Davis community, there must be parents who are lawyers. How about asking a Yolo County Judge for an emergency injunction to prevent the School Board from closing Emerson?”
Well, that’s an idea. I’m not a lawyer but clearly there is a community problem w/ the speed of this process. It was first proposed by Tim Taylor at the March 3 special school board meeting. So if they vote to close tonight, then that’s a 17 day decision with only (as far as I know) the March 6 school board meeting available for public comment about the idea. And that really wasn’t an ideal forum because most of the public comment was taken up by the Da Vinci crowd at the time. A few Emerson folks managed to say something at the end of that public comment, way past 11 p.m.
“Since the School Board seems intent on closing Emerson without respectfully considering parents’ and community input, why not play hardball with them. Amongst the Davis community, there must be parents who are lawyers. How about asking a Yolo County Judge for an emergency injunction to prevent the School Board from closing Emerson?”
Well, that’s an idea. I’m not a lawyer but clearly there is a community problem w/ the speed of this process. It was first proposed by Tim Taylor at the March 3 special school board meeting. So if they vote to close tonight, then that’s a 17 day decision with only (as far as I know) the March 6 school board meeting available for public comment about the idea. And that really wasn’t an ideal forum because most of the public comment was taken up by the Da Vinci crowd at the time. A few Emerson folks managed to say something at the end of that public comment, way past 11 p.m.
charter proponent…
You are being silly and over simplistic. Proposing a 10% paycut for teachers? There is NO WAY they would go for that. The teachers would be rightfully insulted. Tell you what…how about every parent with a child in the district take an aditional 10% of their salary and give it to the general fund? How easy it is for someone else to make the sacrifice, isn’t it…
Oh, yeah.. and let’s just have all the schools go charter…yeah, right…that’ll solve EVERYTHING!How about you take a flight back to a place called the real world and try to offer something intelligent.
Please….
You know, I’m willing to bet you’re probably one of the short sighted NIMBYistic fools who didn’t want to “Big Box” Davis, who proposed blocking ANY growth and development, and therefore helped deny Davis of the kind of critical property tax and sales tax revenue that could have prevented this situation in the first place. You have no clue how self-entitled you sound. If I sound angry, it’s because I am, at you and all those like you, who want your cake and to eat it too, who frustrate the daylights out of me with your smug denial and overwhelming sense of entitlement.
Whatever. I’ve said enough…You’re not going to change anyway.
charter proponent…
You are being silly and over simplistic. Proposing a 10% paycut for teachers? There is NO WAY they would go for that. The teachers would be rightfully insulted. Tell you what…how about every parent with a child in the district take an aditional 10% of their salary and give it to the general fund? How easy it is for someone else to make the sacrifice, isn’t it…
Oh, yeah.. and let’s just have all the schools go charter…yeah, right…that’ll solve EVERYTHING!How about you take a flight back to a place called the real world and try to offer something intelligent.
Please….
You know, I’m willing to bet you’re probably one of the short sighted NIMBYistic fools who didn’t want to “Big Box” Davis, who proposed blocking ANY growth and development, and therefore helped deny Davis of the kind of critical property tax and sales tax revenue that could have prevented this situation in the first place. You have no clue how self-entitled you sound. If I sound angry, it’s because I am, at you and all those like you, who want your cake and to eat it too, who frustrate the daylights out of me with your smug denial and overwhelming sense of entitlement.
Whatever. I’ve said enough…You’re not going to change anyway.
charter proponent…
You are being silly and over simplistic. Proposing a 10% paycut for teachers? There is NO WAY they would go for that. The teachers would be rightfully insulted. Tell you what…how about every parent with a child in the district take an aditional 10% of their salary and give it to the general fund? How easy it is for someone else to make the sacrifice, isn’t it…
Oh, yeah.. and let’s just have all the schools go charter…yeah, right…that’ll solve EVERYTHING!How about you take a flight back to a place called the real world and try to offer something intelligent.
Please….
You know, I’m willing to bet you’re probably one of the short sighted NIMBYistic fools who didn’t want to “Big Box” Davis, who proposed blocking ANY growth and development, and therefore helped deny Davis of the kind of critical property tax and sales tax revenue that could have prevented this situation in the first place. You have no clue how self-entitled you sound. If I sound angry, it’s because I am, at you and all those like you, who want your cake and to eat it too, who frustrate the daylights out of me with your smug denial and overwhelming sense of entitlement.
Whatever. I’ve said enough…You’re not going to change anyway.
charter proponent…
You are being silly and over simplistic. Proposing a 10% paycut for teachers? There is NO WAY they would go for that. The teachers would be rightfully insulted. Tell you what…how about every parent with a child in the district take an aditional 10% of their salary and give it to the general fund? How easy it is for someone else to make the sacrifice, isn’t it…
Oh, yeah.. and let’s just have all the schools go charter…yeah, right…that’ll solve EVERYTHING!How about you take a flight back to a place called the real world and try to offer something intelligent.
Please….
You know, I’m willing to bet you’re probably one of the short sighted NIMBYistic fools who didn’t want to “Big Box” Davis, who proposed blocking ANY growth and development, and therefore helped deny Davis of the kind of critical property tax and sales tax revenue that could have prevented this situation in the first place. You have no clue how self-entitled you sound. If I sound angry, it’s because I am, at you and all those like you, who want your cake and to eat it too, who frustrate the daylights out of me with your smug denial and overwhelming sense of entitlement.
Whatever. I’ve said enough…You’re not going to change anyway.
To Former DJUSD Employee:
You criticized my quote: “The amount of denial on this blog is amazing. Yea, keep banging that drum about the “past.” Don’t you get it? It makes no difference who did what to whom in the past.”
You said in response: “Actually I think you don’t get it, people are angry at the current board and talking recall and criticizing them for things that are not of their doing. So it does matter–a lot in fact in terms of public reaction.
And it matters if you want to pass new ballot measures or gain donations too. If people perceive the district as incompetent or corrupt, it does matter.
That is a very naive viewpoint that you have put up.”
Perhaps you should work on your reading skills. I used the word “past” and you ran right over it and began talking about “current.” I meant past when I said past. I did not mean nor ever mentioned current. Therefore you should think a little harder next time before labeling someone’s comment as being naive when you so clearly failed to even read it. Perhaps that is why you’re a “former” (as in the past) employee.
To Former DJUSD Employee:
You criticized my quote: “The amount of denial on this blog is amazing. Yea, keep banging that drum about the “past.” Don’t you get it? It makes no difference who did what to whom in the past.”
You said in response: “Actually I think you don’t get it, people are angry at the current board and talking recall and criticizing them for things that are not of their doing. So it does matter–a lot in fact in terms of public reaction.
And it matters if you want to pass new ballot measures or gain donations too. If people perceive the district as incompetent or corrupt, it does matter.
That is a very naive viewpoint that you have put up.”
Perhaps you should work on your reading skills. I used the word “past” and you ran right over it and began talking about “current.” I meant past when I said past. I did not mean nor ever mentioned current. Therefore you should think a little harder next time before labeling someone’s comment as being naive when you so clearly failed to even read it. Perhaps that is why you’re a “former” (as in the past) employee.
To Former DJUSD Employee:
You criticized my quote: “The amount of denial on this blog is amazing. Yea, keep banging that drum about the “past.” Don’t you get it? It makes no difference who did what to whom in the past.”
You said in response: “Actually I think you don’t get it, people are angry at the current board and talking recall and criticizing them for things that are not of their doing. So it does matter–a lot in fact in terms of public reaction.
And it matters if you want to pass new ballot measures or gain donations too. If people perceive the district as incompetent or corrupt, it does matter.
That is a very naive viewpoint that you have put up.”
Perhaps you should work on your reading skills. I used the word “past” and you ran right over it and began talking about “current.” I meant past when I said past. I did not mean nor ever mentioned current. Therefore you should think a little harder next time before labeling someone’s comment as being naive when you so clearly failed to even read it. Perhaps that is why you’re a “former” (as in the past) employee.
To Former DJUSD Employee:
You criticized my quote: “The amount of denial on this blog is amazing. Yea, keep banging that drum about the “past.” Don’t you get it? It makes no difference who did what to whom in the past.”
You said in response: “Actually I think you don’t get it, people are angry at the current board and talking recall and criticizing them for things that are not of their doing. So it does matter–a lot in fact in terms of public reaction.
And it matters if you want to pass new ballot measures or gain donations too. If people perceive the district as incompetent or corrupt, it does matter.
That is a very naive viewpoint that you have put up.”
Perhaps you should work on your reading skills. I used the word “past” and you ran right over it and began talking about “current.” I meant past when I said past. I did not mean nor ever mentioned current. Therefore you should think a little harder next time before labeling someone’s comment as being naive when you so clearly failed to even read it. Perhaps that is why you’re a “former” (as in the past) employee.
Geez, discussion is getting intense this evening. Let’s try to remember that pointing fingers and blaming each other doesn’t solve the problem we as a community are facing.
In the end it only hurts the children who will be impacted by yet another school closure.
Also, I did not support bringing a big box store, but I am not a NIMBY and I do not support the closure of Emerson, nor did I support the closure of Valley Oak. Target is not solving our community issues. If anything, it will only add to the problems. Just wait and see.
But, back to the issue that is so important. Let’s try to come up with creative ways to solve this issue.
I am donating money and if there are other ideas for raising money I am for that too. Every little amount large or small helps.
Thank you for this story DPD.
Geez, discussion is getting intense this evening. Let’s try to remember that pointing fingers and blaming each other doesn’t solve the problem we as a community are facing.
In the end it only hurts the children who will be impacted by yet another school closure.
Also, I did not support bringing a big box store, but I am not a NIMBY and I do not support the closure of Emerson, nor did I support the closure of Valley Oak. Target is not solving our community issues. If anything, it will only add to the problems. Just wait and see.
But, back to the issue that is so important. Let’s try to come up with creative ways to solve this issue.
I am donating money and if there are other ideas for raising money I am for that too. Every little amount large or small helps.
Thank you for this story DPD.
Geez, discussion is getting intense this evening. Let’s try to remember that pointing fingers and blaming each other doesn’t solve the problem we as a community are facing.
In the end it only hurts the children who will be impacted by yet another school closure.
Also, I did not support bringing a big box store, but I am not a NIMBY and I do not support the closure of Emerson, nor did I support the closure of Valley Oak. Target is not solving our community issues. If anything, it will only add to the problems. Just wait and see.
But, back to the issue that is so important. Let’s try to come up with creative ways to solve this issue.
I am donating money and if there are other ideas for raising money I am for that too. Every little amount large or small helps.
Thank you for this story DPD.
Geez, discussion is getting intense this evening. Let’s try to remember that pointing fingers and blaming each other doesn’t solve the problem we as a community are facing.
In the end it only hurts the children who will be impacted by yet another school closure.
Also, I did not support bringing a big box store, but I am not a NIMBY and I do not support the closure of Emerson, nor did I support the closure of Valley Oak. Target is not solving our community issues. If anything, it will only add to the problems. Just wait and see.
But, back to the issue that is so important. Let’s try to come up with creative ways to solve this issue.
I am donating money and if there are other ideas for raising money I am for that too. Every little amount large or small helps.
Thank you for this story DPD.
“Proposing a 10% paycut for teachers? There is NO WAY they would go for that.”
How do you know, unless you ask? I suspect if such a question had been asked prior to the Supt. handing out pink slips, teachers collectively might have considered doing it for one year, rather than face the possibility of being one of the 91 to be given pink slips. It never hurts to ask…
“Tell you what…how about every parent with a child in the district take an aditional 10% of their salary and give it to the general fund?”
Actually, parents are floating out the idea of accepting another parcel tax as a way of fixing this mess, and many are donating to the Davis Schools Foundation to the tune of $139,000…and there are moves to encourage parents to donate their tax refunds to the Davis Schools Foundation…Parents are putting their money where their mouths are…
“Oh, yeah.. and let’s just have all the schools go charter…yeah, right…that’ll solve EVERYTHING!How about you take a flight back to a place called the real world and try to offer something intelligent.”
VOCS proponents seem to think charter schools are a viable alternative to closing schools. Why? Because they are tired of trying to convince incompetent School Board members that closing schools is a bad way to balance the school budget. If Emerson is closed, what then? Just accept it and move on…I would rather there be some attempt to bypass the incompentent School Board and reprise the school as a charter school. Same with DaVince if it ends up defunct, and the Montessori School as well. A charter school is better than losing schools…
“You know, I’m willing to bet you’re probably one of the short sighted NIMBYistic fools who didn’t want to “Big Box” Davis…”
Wrong! My son actively worked on the “Yes on Target” campaign. I strongly believe in promoting business to increase tax revenues – although it has nothing to do with school funding that I can see…
“You have no clue how self-entitled you sound. If I sound angry, it’s because I am, at you and all those like you, who want your cake and to eat it too, who frustrate the daylights out of me with your smug denial and overwhelming sense of entitlement.
Whatever. I’ve said enough…You’re not going to change anyway.”
Goodness, where does all this hostility come from? You don’t know me, or what I stand for. Disagree with me if you want, but don’t degrade the commentary into personal insults that do not offer solutions…
“Proposing a 10% paycut for teachers? There is NO WAY they would go for that.”
How do you know, unless you ask? I suspect if such a question had been asked prior to the Supt. handing out pink slips, teachers collectively might have considered doing it for one year, rather than face the possibility of being one of the 91 to be given pink slips. It never hurts to ask…
“Tell you what…how about every parent with a child in the district take an aditional 10% of their salary and give it to the general fund?”
Actually, parents are floating out the idea of accepting another parcel tax as a way of fixing this mess, and many are donating to the Davis Schools Foundation to the tune of $139,000…and there are moves to encourage parents to donate their tax refunds to the Davis Schools Foundation…Parents are putting their money where their mouths are…
“Oh, yeah.. and let’s just have all the schools go charter…yeah, right…that’ll solve EVERYTHING!How about you take a flight back to a place called the real world and try to offer something intelligent.”
VOCS proponents seem to think charter schools are a viable alternative to closing schools. Why? Because they are tired of trying to convince incompetent School Board members that closing schools is a bad way to balance the school budget. If Emerson is closed, what then? Just accept it and move on…I would rather there be some attempt to bypass the incompentent School Board and reprise the school as a charter school. Same with DaVince if it ends up defunct, and the Montessori School as well. A charter school is better than losing schools…
“You know, I’m willing to bet you’re probably one of the short sighted NIMBYistic fools who didn’t want to “Big Box” Davis…”
Wrong! My son actively worked on the “Yes on Target” campaign. I strongly believe in promoting business to increase tax revenues – although it has nothing to do with school funding that I can see…
“You have no clue how self-entitled you sound. If I sound angry, it’s because I am, at you and all those like you, who want your cake and to eat it too, who frustrate the daylights out of me with your smug denial and overwhelming sense of entitlement.
Whatever. I’ve said enough…You’re not going to change anyway.”
Goodness, where does all this hostility come from? You don’t know me, or what I stand for. Disagree with me if you want, but don’t degrade the commentary into personal insults that do not offer solutions…
“Proposing a 10% paycut for teachers? There is NO WAY they would go for that.”
How do you know, unless you ask? I suspect if such a question had been asked prior to the Supt. handing out pink slips, teachers collectively might have considered doing it for one year, rather than face the possibility of being one of the 91 to be given pink slips. It never hurts to ask…
“Tell you what…how about every parent with a child in the district take an aditional 10% of their salary and give it to the general fund?”
Actually, parents are floating out the idea of accepting another parcel tax as a way of fixing this mess, and many are donating to the Davis Schools Foundation to the tune of $139,000…and there are moves to encourage parents to donate their tax refunds to the Davis Schools Foundation…Parents are putting their money where their mouths are…
“Oh, yeah.. and let’s just have all the schools go charter…yeah, right…that’ll solve EVERYTHING!How about you take a flight back to a place called the real world and try to offer something intelligent.”
VOCS proponents seem to think charter schools are a viable alternative to closing schools. Why? Because they are tired of trying to convince incompetent School Board members that closing schools is a bad way to balance the school budget. If Emerson is closed, what then? Just accept it and move on…I would rather there be some attempt to bypass the incompentent School Board and reprise the school as a charter school. Same with DaVince if it ends up defunct, and the Montessori School as well. A charter school is better than losing schools…
“You know, I’m willing to bet you’re probably one of the short sighted NIMBYistic fools who didn’t want to “Big Box” Davis…”
Wrong! My son actively worked on the “Yes on Target” campaign. I strongly believe in promoting business to increase tax revenues – although it has nothing to do with school funding that I can see…
“You have no clue how self-entitled you sound. If I sound angry, it’s because I am, at you and all those like you, who want your cake and to eat it too, who frustrate the daylights out of me with your smug denial and overwhelming sense of entitlement.
Whatever. I’ve said enough…You’re not going to change anyway.”
Goodness, where does all this hostility come from? You don’t know me, or what I stand for. Disagree with me if you want, but don’t degrade the commentary into personal insults that do not offer solutions…
“Proposing a 10% paycut for teachers? There is NO WAY they would go for that.”
How do you know, unless you ask? I suspect if such a question had been asked prior to the Supt. handing out pink slips, teachers collectively might have considered doing it for one year, rather than face the possibility of being one of the 91 to be given pink slips. It never hurts to ask…
“Tell you what…how about every parent with a child in the district take an aditional 10% of their salary and give it to the general fund?”
Actually, parents are floating out the idea of accepting another parcel tax as a way of fixing this mess, and many are donating to the Davis Schools Foundation to the tune of $139,000…and there are moves to encourage parents to donate their tax refunds to the Davis Schools Foundation…Parents are putting their money where their mouths are…
“Oh, yeah.. and let’s just have all the schools go charter…yeah, right…that’ll solve EVERYTHING!How about you take a flight back to a place called the real world and try to offer something intelligent.”
VOCS proponents seem to think charter schools are a viable alternative to closing schools. Why? Because they are tired of trying to convince incompetent School Board members that closing schools is a bad way to balance the school budget. If Emerson is closed, what then? Just accept it and move on…I would rather there be some attempt to bypass the incompentent School Board and reprise the school as a charter school. Same with DaVince if it ends up defunct, and the Montessori School as well. A charter school is better than losing schools…
“You know, I’m willing to bet you’re probably one of the short sighted NIMBYistic fools who didn’t want to “Big Box” Davis…”
Wrong! My son actively worked on the “Yes on Target” campaign. I strongly believe in promoting business to increase tax revenues – although it has nothing to do with school funding that I can see…
“You have no clue how self-entitled you sound. If I sound angry, it’s because I am, at you and all those like you, who want your cake and to eat it too, who frustrate the daylights out of me with your smug denial and overwhelming sense of entitlement.
Whatever. I’ve said enough…You’re not going to change anyway.”
Goodness, where does all this hostility come from? You don’t know me, or what I stand for. Disagree with me if you want, but don’t degrade the commentary into personal insults that do not offer solutions…