Community Comments - Continuation

July 14, 2008

• Subject: Rethinking Priorities

  Please, let's re-think our priorities.  And one more thing, students need green areas.  We need more trees and grass for the students.  Students complain about burning feet on the blacktop during summer months. Are we cooking student's soup?

• Subject:  Budget Crisis

  I would like the administrators and the government offices to take the pay cut and put the money back into the schools.  What ever happened to the money from the lottery that was supposed to come to the schools?  Why do the kids need to be affected?  This is our future we are messing with. 

• Subject: Budget Adjustments

  Will there be a caucus re: Budget Adjustments

• Subject: Budget Challenge

  At least I can see what my priorities [are] when it comes to using the money wisely.

• Subject: Budget Challenge

  I don't think it's fair to lump teachers, administrators and support staff into the salary reduction question. Administrators make almost three times more than teachers. There's ample fat to trim there. Plus it's also not fair to lump closing schools and offices together. Schools can be open without district offices open. There's ample fat to trim there.

• Subject: Eliminate Local District Superintendents
             
  We need to eliminate mini district superintendents and all of the coaches be placed [back] into the classroom.  Maybe the superintendent should take a pay cut!

• Subject: Busing is Wasting Money
                         
  I think a lot of money is wasted on the busing issue -- sending children all over the city costs money, has an environmental impact and directly affects neighborhood schools that absorb children out of area and in many ways displace the own resident area's children.  Middle-class families end up fleeing public schools because many of the children bused into their areas affect the learning environment in a negative way.  I am sure the transportation issue and the cost of gas etc. would be better served in keeping kids close to home, near parents and in their communities. 

• Subject: Early Retirements

  Offer early retirements instead of cutting the next generation of teaching staff, i.e. new teachers.

  There are too many program "experts" in the bureaucracy. They need to be placed evenly in the classrooms of schools they serve, that way they can be "experts" in-house.

  Review the necessity of academic coaches.

  Review the necessity of many out of school-site administrative positions. Offer retirement as many are close to that point.

  **Please do not cut teachers and counselors; do not raise class size; and do not cut reading and math programs as these have the most direct impact on student achievement.

  Thank you.

• Subject: Budget Challenge Options

  It does not give options to cut partial programs - too all or nothing of course. You forgot about cutting summer school.

• Subject: Budget Challenge Choices are One Dimensional

  Your choices were one dimensional and showed as little creative thinking as did the states attempt at this same process.  How about eliminating the public relations department in total?  Why in the world would you cut administration staff to the exact same degree that you do teaching staff?  Where are the savings that were promised from the mini districts?  Administrative expenses have increased every year.  If you really are serious about handling this budget crisis, and you want a teacher who is not beholden to the Union or the administrative politicians who are unwilling to do what is called for, let me know.

  
  
  July 7, 2008
  
  
• Subject: Option Needed to Separate Administrators and Teachers in Budget Challenge

  Administration/teacher layoffs must be separated.  Administration should be cut but not teachers at this point.   To combine administration and teacher cuts under one swipe of the knife is ensuring that one cannot "chop from the top".  When you separate these two, one can proceed in the LAUSD Budget Challenge.

• Subject: School District Cuts           

  I think it’s a shame that every time there's a budget cut, the school district is the first place they take from. There are already not enough after school programs for our kids and that’s why the crime rate is increasing among our youth. They have nothing productive or positive to do.

• Subject: Budget Cuts

  DO not lay off teachers

• Subject: Budget Crisis

  Things can be done without touching the amount of teachers and administrators you currently have on staff.  The schools need to keep class size reduction in place and also keep all the teachers intact.  A job is better than no job at all and students are better served by having low class size.

• Subject:  The Budget Challenge Has No Option to Just Cut Administrators
             
  [I] SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CUT ADMINISTRATORS WITHOUT CUTTING TEACHERS.  THERE IS WAY TO MUCH FAT AT DISTRICT OFFICES.

• Subject: Budget Challenge
             
  This is a great idea.

• Subject: Budget Challenge

  The positions where I would cut back were not given as a choice! While this was a distraction, it was not an activity that left you feeling like anything had been accomplished.

• Subject: Finer Breakdowns for Budget Challenge

  Separate out administration in schools, in districts and at Central Offices at Beaudry. Identify how many of the cuts were filled versus empty spaces and at what salary levels. What the mix of higher paid versus working troops, clerical and functionary analysts.  Create it in a format similar to Great Cities report breakdowns.

  Identify the construction breakdown and layering of organization both in LAUSD proper and in Construction. Those are standard tools along with clearer planning to squeeze an organization to achieve the most with the least.

  Until the shell games stop, sympathy will be hard to come by. When exorbitant salaries reside with a few at the top, who would resist this kind of thinking. We have not really gotten the message across.  Sitting in a major large organization where we had gone through a series of supposed cuts, only to have the top man finally step in at fourth iteration and admit the past was eye wash and we no have to cut for real was eye opening. I saw too many parallels to that process in the budget meeting last Sundays on Channel 15 to believe that we have reached that point.

  Getting healthy on the backs of the teachers really doing the jobs in the trenches is not the way to go. There is too much real work to be done. Teachers in many instances are the most accountable in the whole system, much more accountable the many above them all the way to the governor.

  If this had been happening all along, we wouldn't have the fake mess, we now do, all the way to the governor and even to the president. Mistakes are opportunities to learn. We are doing that on the taxpayer dollar and it can be done much more effectively. 

• Subject: Stop School Construction

  Construction of new schools (especially elementary and middle) should be halted. It does not make sense to continue to spend money on new schools when we are facing declining enrollment and being forced to host charter schools as a result. I found it interesting that cutting administrative costs at the Local Districts and Central were not an option on this exercise.

• Subject: Budget Cuts

  Budgets deal with people.  EITHER one must cut adults or cut children.  I chose adults but ALL affects the children and more disproportionally poor children.  I would like to hear from you what you have decided about the budget cuts. You had a question on cutting extracurricular activities. We do not have any, so what are you going to cut?

• Subject: Options for Budget Challenge

  As usual, there are hard choices, but I would modify options.  Example: Rather than layoff 1,000 teachers and administrators, I would lay off fewer people, but focus on administration positions, restructure to reduce management layers, consolidate programs and analyze whether the Local District system works and should be reinforced, or if it failed, then eliminate the staffing.

  I would absolutely minimize cuts at the schools themselves or immediate administrative functions. I would shut down LAUSD offices and use the teacher buy-back days for those days to maintain 180 academic days.  If I could cut teacher salaries and support personnel 1 percent, I would cut top salaries 5-10 percent for all salaries above $90,000 annually in order to avoid further cuts.  I would ask computer companies (Dell, HP, etc.) for large donations for classroom computers in exchange for tax write-offs, while keeping the low-level District computer support personnel and asking computer-savvy parents to chip in more assistance and training at schools.  I would eliminate BTSD days for staff training for one year, maintain all other training, if possible, outside school hours.
  
  
  June 30, 2008

• Subject: Make Cutbacks Now
  The District should make the cutbacks it needs to make now.  Waiting to make cutbacks later will only create a more drastic cut in the future, which is how the state got us in this mess to begin with. 

• Subject: No Option in Budget Challenge to Cut Administrators, Not Teachers
  Your questions are not in isolation. For example, if I wanted to cut administrators but not teachers that was not a choice.  If I wanted to close some district offices but not schools, this was also not a choice.  The questions are saving the district, not a good challenge. 

• Subject: Option Needed to Cut Benefits
  An area not offered in the Budget Challenge is benefit cuts.  Cutting paid benefits to part-time employees and dependent coverage.  The private sector does not offer these benefits.  How would making these cuts offset the proposed budget cuts? According to my calculations, I only saved 77 million.  I'm afraid that is barely a fraction.

• Subject: Consequences of Budget Cuts
  More people need to know about the consequences of these cuts. 

• Subject: Recommendations from the Early Childhood Education Division
  Downgrade the assistant superintendent position. Close one administrative coordinator position. Reduce seven clerical in the administration office. Allow centers to fill 6-and 8-hour positions with an Aide I instead of Aide II. Go back to allowing centers to contract early education center teachers with an AA degree so that all positions will be filled`, centers will be compliant and the cost of salaries will be reduced, therefore reducing ECED encroachment.

  In the Early Education Division, downgrade assistant superintendent position, eliminate one administrative coordinator position, reduce seven clerical positions in main office, allow six- and eight-hour aide 1 positions and allow teachers with A.A. degrees to receive a contract  in order for all centers to be will compliant.

• Subject: Utility Costs
  Electric costs alone could save millions. Every computer and monitor needs to be shut down when it is not being used. This is also better for the environment. The District has around 150,000 computers. If each computer uses a dollar a day and is left on all the time that is $ 54.75 million a year. If the PC is only on for eight hours a day, that is $ 18.25 million. It's simple math. This should be implemented immediately along with other cost saving ideas.

• Subject: Encourage Input from District Employees
  Please let all employees know that this (the Budget Challenge) is available.  This is a simple way to provide input and understand the budget crisis.

• Subject: Budget Challenge
  I don't think it's fair to lump teachers, administrators and support staff into the salary reduction question. Administrators make almost three times more than teachers. There's ample fat to trim there. Plus it's also not fair to lump closing schools and offices together. Schools can be open without district offices open. There's ample fat to trim there.

• Subject: No Confidence in LAUSD
  Between the fiascos with payroll, Belmont and the enormous cost of the new arts high school I have lost confidence in LAUSD's ability to manage itself wisely. I do not want my taxes increased to make up for your mistakes. I've worked in the private sector for 40 years and many times have experienced pay cuts of 10 percent or more. LAUSD staff should be like the rest of us and live with economic uncertainty. I am a graduate of LAUSD, K-12, 1954-1966, and UCLA after.

• Subject: Cut Administrative Fat
  Cut the fat from administrator and support staff. Keep teachers and classes small.  Reduce ALL salaries.  Keep kids in school and reduce "teacher training hours" when students should be in school.  Stop technology spending for a year - the students won't suffer.

• Subject: More Choices in Budget Challenge
  I wish there were more choices about eliminating certain elements in the budget, such as differentiating between cutting back on teachers and cutting back on administrators; and on extra curricular activities, differentiating between cutting back on cheerleading, for instance, and music programs.  I would reduce the salaries and cut back on administration, and keep the teachers and their salaries.  My son's school has a computer lab and I would rather see the money go elsewhere.  Most kids can use a computer at home.  My daughter's middle school doesn't even offer foreign language.  Both schools have two short days a week, where the kids get out at 1:45 or 2 p.m., and once a month my daughter gets out at 1:30 p.m.  Why are there short days?  They should be in school from 8-3 EVERY day, and foreign language should be a requisite.

• Subject: Budget Challenge Options Not Presented
  An option not presented was cutting administration without cutting teachers.  Every time I go to the LAUSD [headquarters], I see many, many people socializing and not working.  Yet, every time I go to my son's school, I see teachers working very hard and secretaries and support staff doing very little.  You should cut these loafers out of the budget and keep the teachers.

June 23, 2008

• Subject: Spending Increases Not Cuts
  OMG!!! Fight for this. There should be increases in spending not cuts. For the sake of all Los Angeles school children, mine being one, I beg for more thought into this matter. I do believe that there is an opportunity to change the financing structure of the LAUSD. If a cut is going to happen then a major rethinking needs to done or some of these proposed changes here in this Budget Challenge will mean not only will my child not have a second rate education but chances are there will be no job for him anyway. Don't you think that in this economic crisis that we should be looking to strengthen our education system for the sake of our children. Look what they are going to inherit from us.

• Subject: No Option in Budget Challenge to Just Cut Administration
  There was no option to JUST CUT THE ADMINISTRATION IN THE LOCAL DISTRICT AND DOWNTOWN OFFICES. Until the budget is fixed, all employees who make more than $120,000 should be cut to $120K and ALL non-employee consultant contracts should be broken.

• Subject: No Option in Budget Challenge to Separate Teachers from Administrators
  You need to separate school site staff from the administrators at Beaudry. Cut the fat and perks downtown.

• Subject:  Budget Challenge
  Fabulous! This will allow the community to understand the complexity of the anticipated cuts.

• Subject: High-Priced Administrators Need to Retire
  You didn't allow cuts to administrators, district offices, or non-school-based employees. My school would run just fine if the local district was closed every other day (without pay). Also eliminate all of the subject "coaches," they are glorified secretaries for department chairs and administrators. Extremely highly paid administrators need to RETIRE!!!! You know that ones who should have retired 20 years ago and teachers as well. It’s a disservice to students and teacher and the district!!! I would cut all the coaches in math and English that are working at the school. There are so many positions at schools and at the office building that can be cut, without cutting teachers and reducing class sizes. This (the Budget Challenge) really helps to see the impact of making cuts in various areas and the amount of money that budget requires to keep these things open.

• Subject: Cut Local Districts, Consultants
  Cut the mini districts and all the consultants. Put money in the classroom and hire competent teachers.

• Subject: Enormous Waste in the District
  Why when we talk of budget cuts it is always on the backs of the students. What about enormous waste that goes on within the District (i.e., Beaudry Building). Consultants hired to rectify illogical, thoughtless decisions made by the higher ranks. I am quite sure other cuts could reasonably be done within the District, which would not directly affect our children; or what about putting a cease to the building of new schools since enrollment within the district is declining; what about eliminating the layers of bureaucracy. The list can go on and on.

• Subject: Budget Cuts
  What about reducing resources at the Central District offices? Cut meetings for administrators. Stop using color printers. Have all text books online.

• Subject: More Information Needed in Budget Challenge
  Great idea! I wish that there could have been more information on the impact of each individual budget cut ... like another clickable level of information attached to the menu. Somehow, it was just too easy for me to close the schools and offices for 10 days to make up my budget deficit. I probably needed more information to make me squirm more before I clicked it. Nice job!

• Subject: Budget Challenge
  I don't think these cutbacks are a game.

• Subject: Early Childhood Education Division
  Early Childhood Education Division is top heavy. Management needs to know about ECED and how it functions. Do they really need an Assistant Superintendent with an annual pay of $137.000? Do they really need two Administrative Coordinators at $133.000? Does is it really take seven Administrative Assistants to run the office? Could some of these salaries be used to help the ECED program?

• Subject: Budget Cut Priorities
  It seems as though the most important cuts have not been listed. Those cuts would come by closing all the mini-districts, putting all he mostly ineffective math and open-court coaches back in the classroom and stop paying a computer expert to waste time and money mailing surveys like this. How much did this cost to implement. You can do this but you can't give the hardest working people, the teachers, a raise? My daughter's teacher works tirelessly and gets no respect or acknowledgement from your district. This will only put the onus for all student failures once again on the teachers who are the hardest workers I have ever seen. All these high-paid paper pushers downtown are the ones that need to be laid off. Perhaps you should have wasted all of that money on a failed payroll system, which is likely to sap even more money from the District. Your budget cut priorities are all wrong. Let's see one that will not impact our students.

• Subject: Budget Crisis
  I am glad it is not me making these decisions

• Subject: The Budget Challenge is Flawed
  I realize that it is difficult to cut anything from the budget, but maybe it's a closer look at the original numbers. Why does it cost so much to keep one school open. Start with how to find greater efficiencies and then cut. I saved over $285 million, cut more administrators and the damn consultants. Give the teachers raises. The [Budget Challenge] is flawed because it does not allow you to cut specific departments and programs. It does not allow you to cut the millions spent on conferences, $200 a night hotels, and travel. It does not allow the reader to see the specific costs associated with each department and program. I am a parent and teacher and I learned one new thing. The District spends $45 million on new computers each year, yet I know schools have to use their own funds to buy computers. So now I know that the district buys new computers for the adults who are away from the school while the kids are stuck with old computers. I am not in favor of any pay cuts. We have worked too hard to get where we are. The District needs to go around all schools and review the jobs of some of the staff who have no purpose in being in the schools. Some of support staff does nothing just sits around talking on their cell phones regarding personal calls. When others do a job of more than one person, why do we need to have three principals in the schools. And why must teachers take off so much time from school for training which doesn’t help the kids, anyways and substitutes are being used and cost more money. Substitutes only come and sit in the classroom and read the newspaper, talk on their cell phones and show the students movies. I think this would most definitely is no help the students. The special education aides need to be checked on. Most call in sick a lot, talk on their cell phones, walk around and do not help the students, and are always receiving pay raises.
  
  
  June 16, 2008

• Subject: Budget Cuts
  I think the governor should NOT cut education funding!!!

• Subject: Political Career?
  I think I’ll run for office!

• Subject: Budget Challenge Choices
  Why are no choices available in areas like reducing coaches, administrative salaries, all the extra area district offices and other out-of classroom items that draw money away from students? One of your choices should be the following:

  "Will you be willing to reduce the number of teachers?" "Will you be willing to reduce the number of administrators?" In other words, have them separated.

  Teachers are essential.  Administrators, consultants and other unnecessary positions must be reduced.  After all, we exist to teach our students - the #1 priority.

• Subject:  Budget Challenge
  The Budget Challenge is a] wonderful idea that lets the user see how difficult the task is and how hard the choices of what to cut impacts the chances of meeting or failing to meet the goal.

• Subject: Make Cuts in Administration
  Teachers NEED to be paid more!!!  If you want to save money, cut jobs from the superintendent's office down, not from jobs like teachers, student aides and up. There are too many people in administration, not in teaching. Kids need computers, after school activities, physical education, basketballs, footballs, volleyballs to use after school and during lunch. MUSIC. They don't need a bunch of lazy administrators who do nothing and get paid for doing nothing.  The LAUSD is top heavy - get rid of the upper jobs, not the teachers. The LAUSD is building a brand new high school in downtown L.A., dedicated to the arts. Instead of building a new high school, you should have put that money into the already existing schools, keeping music, art, after school activities.

• Subject: Cutting Benefits to Non-Employees
  Another option to reduce spending is to only give health benefits to the employees. If they want to buy benefits for the family they could have that option. They are getting more money per year than someone with no dependents.

• Subject: School Furlough Options
  We should have the option of closing everything for 12 days. IF WE CLOSED SCHOOLS FOR 12 DAYS THERE WOULD BE NO NEED TO LAY ANYONE OFF.  

• Subject: Going Back to Basics
  I wonder what the cost is for all the special interest programs implemented by the District. Cut those out and go back to teaching the basics (i.e. reading, math, science) of education to see how it would work.

• Subject: No More Schools
  STOP BUILDING MORE SCHOOLS!!! KEEP YEAR ROUND [SCHOOLS]!!! USE THE ADULT SCHOOLS AND VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS ALREADY IN PLACE TO PICK UP THE EXTRA. YOUR NEW SCHOOLS HAVE SERIOUS PROBLEMS, WITH UNTRAINED STAFF, USE WHAT YOU HAVE!!

• Subject: Balance a Real Budget
  You did not suggest combining District offices, taking a break from increasing the charter schools so administration can catch up, and decreasing administration at Beaudry. I wish you would give me a true budget and let me try to balance it instead of you blanket categories.

• Subject: No Options to Make Central Office Cuts in Budget Challenge
  Why doesn't this survey include cuts to the people working downtown, and all of the people who do not see the students on a day to day basis?  Why don't we cut the mileage for district personnel, the lunch catering for downtown meetings?  I would have voted to cut that kind of spending.  This is a ridiculous survey that makes parents and community members think that the only place to cut spending is in and around the classroom.

  I would arrange for the best minimal cost for our employees pertaining to the family coverage - the employee would have paid benefit, but any additional members linked to the one employee would cost.  This would be implemented effective the fiscal year 08-09 for any new employee.  With the District having a large employee population, I believe the participating health plans would provide reasonable cost for additional memberships.  Because current collective bargaining agreements are already in place, a compromise would be mandatory between the District and all Unions.

• Subject: Budget Challenge Was Very Informative
  I think there is a lot of waste in the District that would account for lots of money for the budget.  This was very informative.  Thank you for setting this up.  Unfortunately, cuts will need to be made to accommodate the decreased budget.  Hopefully, the District will take into consideration these challenge summaries.

• Subject:  Unsure of Where the “Fat” is
  It is not possible for me to know whether some schools should be closed.  With family size decreasing, consolidation may in some instances be a viable option.  It is also not possible for me to know where there is too much "fat" in the current budget.  Obviously, a cut in salaries across the board saves the most money.

• Subject: Budget Challenge Options
  How come there were no options to cut people at Beaudry?  Or consultant fees?  Or our superintendent's exorbitant salary?  This was really a ridiculous challenge.  Cuts should be made as far away from the classroom as possible.  That is my opinion.

• Subject: Cut Unnecessary Spending
  A correct choice would have been to eliminate administrators that spend the day playing Hearts or Solitaire on the computer most of the day. Start cutting unnecessary spending.  District positions.   Directors to check on a director to check on a director?  How much supervision do we need?

  We need more people in the front lines, teachers, playground supervision, teachers assistants, counselors, nurses and psychologist, and not superintendents for superintendents for superintendents whose salaries can pay for many other positions.  What about smaller buildings for District offices?  Can they all cram in bungalows like we do with students.  Do they need the luxurious spacious offices?  They can make three offices in one, just like we do in the schools. 

  What about updating fiction books every couple of years?  Reference books are fine, but fiction books?  What about paying supervision aides more and paying the electricians, elevator technicians, locksmiths a bit less?  Locksmiths at our school have charged $250 a lock to replace them.  They replace about five locks an hour.  What about $1,000 to install each television!  That is ridiculous, more expensive than the televisions themselves.  We spent more on these "technicians" a year than we do in our kids.