OUSD Hands Out 51 Pink Slips
Eighty-five percent of budget goes to employee wages and benefits
By Daryl Kelley
For a decade, some Ojai teachers have received pink slips in mid-March, notifying them that their services might not be needed in the fall because of declining enrollment. Usually, most of those notices were rescinded.
But this time, the Ojai Unified School District may have no way to keep dozens of threatened teachers in their classrooms, because state and federal cuts, and fewer students, have left it with a nearly $3-million deficit next fall, a huge drop from this year’s budget of nearly $25 million.
Distraught district trustees voted Tuesday evening to notify 51 part- and full-time educators, including several managers, that they may have no jobs after June. Pink slips went out on Wednesday and Thursday.
That’s fewer than the 76 termination notices sent last year, when few teachers were actually laid off. But this year, officials said, there is little wiggle room in the state budget, and no new federal stimulus money such as the $1.3 million that rolled in this year.
The district could balance its budget by laying off 27 full-time educators, including three managers, but 51 were notified to give the district more flexibility in where and how it makes cuts. State law prevents a teacher from being dismissed unless notice is given by March 15.
This year’s “pink slip list” is especially grim, superintendent Hank Bangser told trustees. And it could reach “a significant distance down the seniority list” of teachers in the district.
Because 85 percent of the district’s budget goes to employee wages and benefits, that’s where trustees must look to cut, Bangser said.
Trustees will also consider soon proportionate reductions in the size of the district’s non-teaching staff, such as aides, secretaries, custodians and bus drivers. Fifteen full-time non-teaching positions need to be eliminated to balance the budget.
“Nobody is feeling there is going to be any relief,” Bangser said. “This is the end” of dodging the budget bullet, he said.
“This is a structural deficit, which means it doesn’t go away.”
That means that Ojai’s public schools will have fewer teachers, fewer class options and more students per class, officials said. There might also be fewer days of school. But just ow that shakes down is still up in the air.
Trustees must make those difficult choices during the next three months, giving final notice to teachers by mid-May and approving a budget by June 30.
“We’re really at this sort of precipice that we’ve never been at before,” Trustee Pauline Mercado said.
Even programs that are popular with parents and teachers are on the chopping block this time.
Size reduction of primary grade classes — kindergarten through third — are at risk. Those reductions to the current 20 students per class could be replaced with classes of 30, saving the district $400,000 as about 10 jobs are eliminated, Bangser told trustees.
“This is not a recommendation,” he said, “but it might be a place we have to go.”
Other options include a compromise, keeping primary classes at about 25 students, which would still save more than $200,000 annually.
John LeSuer, principal at Topa Topa Elementary, asked the board to do everything it can to keep class sizes down.
“At Topa Topa, our low economic sub-groups have doubled,” he said. “It’s really important that we try to keep these class sizes down.”
Advanced placement classes at Nordhoff High School are also in jeopardy, principal Dan Musick told the board. He has already decided to cut Spanish 5 and AP World History from the curriculum next fall, because the budget simply cannot support them any more, Musick said.
“This is the first year that we’ve said we are not going to have these classes next year,” he said. “We’re still going to have Spanish 4, a college-level class. And we still have three AP offerings in history — U.S., European and government.”
A shortened school year is also a distinct possibility.
Last year, teaching days were cut by five to 175. And the president of the Ojai Federation of Teachers, Martha Ditchfield, said that might be an option teachers prefer instead of layoffs. The district saves $100,000 for each of these so-called furlough days.
The teachers’ union distributed a survey this week, asking instructors to list their preferred cuts. The survey should be back by Monday, Ditchfield said.
“We’re asking: ‘What’s most important for you to keep?’” she said. “’What are you willing to give up?’”
If the district follows its 51 educator notices by laying off the equivalent of 27 full-time teachers and managers, and then another 15 non-teaching staffers, that would cut $2.8 million from the 2010-2011 budget, district analysts said.
It would also cut 41 people from the district’s full-time work force of 281: That’s nearly 15 percent of workers.
Under the new budget plan, the district would also reduce its emergency reserves from $742,000 to $217,000, just 1 percent of the total budget. State law requires a 3 percent reserve, but a waiver can be granted in dire economic times such as these.
Board President Kathi Smith asked Bangser to do all he can to survey parents as well as teachers.
And trustees agreed that the district should place a survey form on each school’s web site to gather parents opinions.
She mentioned that district voters had defeated an $89 per parcel tax that could have helped balance this year’s budget by yielding $600,000. Sixty-five percent of voters approved the tax, but it failed by 77 votes.
“Our taxpayers are asking us to diminish the education in this district,” Smith said. “It’s going to get worse.”
Other trustees also expressed dismay.
“I don’t understand the world, almost,” Trustee Rikki Horne said. “Yet, with all that, we’ll continue to educate our kids.”
Linda Taylor, a board member and former teacher, said she can hardly sleep with the responsibility: “All the gains of the last 15 years are really being wiped out, just flushed down the toilet.”
Trustee Steve Fields noted that the district has been shrinking for a decade as Ojai has grown older more rapidly than the rest of the county or state. The 3,000-student district is down about 50 more students this year, but seems to be stabilizing.
“We’ve been cutting, cutting and cutting,” Fields said. “In spite of that we’ve been able to keep what makes the district great.
“But it’s a slow bleed,” he added. “And it’s wrenching.”
Stop educating illegal immigrants on America’s dime. Give the jobs back to Americans and our schools back to the children of American citizens. Problem solved folks – do the math. This is a reality check. Will the true Patriots please wake up? If you care about your country and balancing the budget, the time has come!
American Patriots Wake Up!
4 Mar 10 at 7:59 pm
California – worst test scores in the US. The US? Ranked 47th worldwide in education? Why? Unqualified teachers and illegal immigration. Time for some real “change.”
Time for "change"
4 Mar 10 at 8:05 pm
God bless America!
(unrelated comment deleted again)
Tarantino
4 Mar 10 at 9:40 pm
Illegals are not the cause of the current budget crisis in Ojai. Blame it on the governor and California legislature. We are losing outstanding teachers through no cause of Ojai’s administration.
Parent
4 Mar 10 at 10:15 pm
Illegals are exactly the cause of this crisis, and the rest of California’s fiscal problems. Healthcare being the other biggie.
Kevin
5 Mar 10 at 2:38 am
California almost seems to be a lost cause. What will it take to force a change?
an Ojai Dad
5 Mar 10 at 8:56 am
To the first poster, without trying to start an argument (which I know would be futile)I believe you need to educate EVERYBODY. Cutting out one group of people is a recipe for trouble. For some reason, illegals are getting through our borders, unless we are able to somehow get them and their offspring back across the border we have to find a way to integrate them into our system. Better to stop them at the border and the ones who were crafty enough to make it here, let them stay and insist they get an education. Personally I can’t find the hate inside me that some of you others have managed to find. I look at it like this, if I were in their shoes, I would flee Mexico too. If I managed to get across the border, I would do everything I could to be a working member of society.
K. A.
5 Mar 10 at 9:17 am
If the 1% of illegals would not attend the ousd schools it would only mean less money for the schools for having less students.
111
5 Mar 10 at 9:43 am
What on earth is OUSD going to do if things don’t improve? Will we have to close other schools to keep one or two open? I know some of these teachers and they aren’t in it for the money : they care about our children as well. This is sad.
mary_contrary
5 Mar 10 at 10:01 am
What about the LEGAL citizens on the dole? If I had a nickel for all the lazy people I know on foodstamps, disability, welfare, etc..I’d have alot of nickels. HOWEVER, I do believe the public schools in CA has no right for more $$ since the misappropriation of funds within our public schools is completely criminal. Prove a change in the systems, then ask for money for specific reasons I say. The schools with the most improvements get the dime.
AMry
5 Mar 10 at 10:07 am
Some people get rich (OUSD Administrators) and some
people get poor (teachers,students). Do the math.
Libbey Park Bum
5 Mar 10 at 10:33 am
It would be nice to hear from people with constructive ideas on how to tackle this reduced budget. Please put aside the racist attitudes and make some practical suggestions. Contract out the transportation, fees for sports and parking, 10% cut or furlough days for all employees instead of laying off teachers and staff. Increase class sizes, not great but doable. Reduce AP classes again not great but we can live with that. Let’s hear some ideas.
anonymous
5 Mar 10 at 10:38 am
Lets blame everybody else for the problems we as a nation created. It’s patriotic to HATE. I worship at the Chourch of Fox News!!
American Parrots!
5 Mar 10 at 10:39 am
As Pogo so insightfully said,” I have seen the enemy and he is us. ”
California has been making choices since Proposition 13, in 1978 to put limits on taxation of real estate
that have significantly reduced available funds for
public education. There were legitimate concerns adressed by prop 13, but there have been long term
deliterious consequences to all publicly funded
services…with education being the service that affects the most people…and those with the least
power and influence…children.
I write this as an owner of real estate, having no
children and being educated on the public dollars
of a locale outside California. Someone on a fixed income. You could say I have no vested interests
in public education in Ojai or California.
but… the drastic decline in public services in
California including K-12 which has fallen from near the top to near the bottom in quality in the USA.
Higher-college education has become out of the reach
of many furthering the downward economic cycle.
If a community or a state does not invest in the
future …. it’s future is indeed bleak.
The child who is not able to take an AP science class
at Nordoff… any HS…may be detered fro a career in the biomedical sciences… that student may have
been the one to develop treatments for cancer, heart
disease etc. that could save and extend your life.
This crisis is an opportunity for taxpayers and
educators to look long and hard at the status quo..
This situation is the moral if not the actual equivalent of war… More along the lines of WWII
where the entire population sacrificed for the greater good to ensure a future of hope.
The risks this situation presents in California and
around the country certainly exceeds the risk of
the ” wars of choice ” we have been fighting for
over 8 years on money borrowed from the Chinese and
Japanese governments-citizens. No Pay GO..money borrowed against the future of the children facing
cuts in education in California…and aross the country. As far as local solutions… the teachers…the board…and the public need to revisit some assumptions…teacher’s generally under
paid may need to make some accomodation. This is one of the reasons why health care reform is so important.. while the rest of the developed- industrialized world spends 8- 10% of their Gross National Economic Product– the United States is
at 17% of GDP heading toward 20% GDP within a few years predicted by medical/economic experts…
however that substantially greater portion of our
national wealth going into the medical-insurance-pharma cartel is not buying Americans better systemic
care for the population as a whole. On the contrary,
the American life expectancy is lower rate- prescence of chronic debilitating diseases is higher than in all the developed countries countries spending
far less of their national wealth on health care… in
fact the United States ranks below some poorer developing countries who spend a pittance in comparison. A comparison of national health care systemsbased on health outcomes ranks the USA in the mid 30s …below Costa Rica.
The trillion + dollars spent above similarly industialized developed countries on a a per capita
basis are American citizen, s dollars that don’t
get spent on other priorities such as education.
It functions just as surely as any tax in diverting excess dollars without providing competitive outcomes
in terms of outcomess. If there were a board of directors and a CEO of the entire health care system
we would surely fire them grossly inflated costs
with relatively poorer outcomes in comparison to the
health care systems of comporable countries.
The Ojai Unified may have to revisit their contract on an interim basis… set up the Ojai schools as charter schools…. readjust senority and salary scales to provide an equitable out come for all involved… some may have to sacrifice… but that
is often the case whe ” war like conditions and risks ” exist. It is a choice the community as a whole needs to confront.
Pogo
5 Mar 10 at 10:55 am
‘we as a nation created’ Speak for yourself. All I seem to do is pay huge amounts of taxes to watch the state of CA and Washington squander it on nothing that I want anything to do with. No one asked me if I wanted us in IRAQ. No one asked me if its ok to pay public school administrators 6+ figures to do nothing year after year. No one asked me if its ok to let child molestors out of jail. And no one asks me what they should or shouldn’t teach in school whether I go to PTA meetings or not. I vote for people that I think can effect change and they don’t. Relatively speaking, there’s a very limited amount of people in this country that run the show. If you truly worship the ‘Chourch (sp?) of Fox’ you should know this better than anyone since they are so fair and balanced.
AMry
5 Mar 10 at 11:15 am
American Patriots,
I am myself against illegals as well, but if we give the jobs back to americans, are you going to be serving me in McDonalds?
how about wendys, or maybe you could go mow my lawn or harvest my strawberries. ? Is that something you want to do?
To: American Patriots
5 Mar 10 at 11:15 am
American Patriot – apparently you don’t have teenagers looking for jobs. The answer to your question: YES
AMry
5 Mar 10 at 11:40 am
Anybody hungry for a delicious irony? I heard that illegals are the only ones willing to take the job serving them up on a hot plate.
In fact, they offer night courses at NHS in Spanish on how to prepare and serve delicious ironies. Mmm good.
Anon.5
5 Mar 10 at 11:43 am
Last year 78 pink slips and no layoffs. This year 51 pink slips and 27 layoffs? Give us real numbers or is it cry wolf again. OUSD appears to not give us the true story. Try being honest this year and maybe the public will understand.
anonymous
5 Mar 10 at 12:09 pm
Once again in light of the reductions in school funding, I think it is time to take a serious look at the Ventura County Grand Jury report on a plan to consolidate school districts in Ventura County to save on the cost of operations and administration…http://portal.countyofventura.org/portal/page/portal/Grand_Jury/Reports/TAB4579372/8SchoolDistrictAdministrationIstheCostTooHigh.pdf
Jeff Spicoli
5 Mar 10 at 12:27 pm
LOL @ the person who said they have teenagers who definetly want to pick stawberries. Show me one teenager, illegal or legal who wants to pick strawberries.
Loves Berries
5 Mar 10 at 12:47 pm
Why the consolidation of the school districts hasn’t taken place yet is beyond me. But then, all of this nonsense is beyond me. The only folks that don’t want it are the administrators and the teachers that care more about tenure that they don’t deserve than the kids (which are plentiful). It would mean they would have to fight for their positions. worse yet, they may have to prove their worthiness. Let the games begin.
AMry
5 Mar 10 at 1:01 pm
You’re right Anon.#5!! We’ll clear out the illegals then get moving on the liberals, gays, and single mom’s….Makin’ the ol’ USA great again!!!
GOD-GUTS-GUMS
White Tribe Activist
5 Mar 10 at 1:02 pm
love berries – mine HAVE done it. and WILL do it again. They defintitely like earning money for their entertainment needs and have no problem working for it. Unfortunately, though, the larger farms won’t hire them because the illegal hierarchy is quite intense.
AMry
5 Mar 10 at 1:43 pm
In 1978, the CA Sales Tax was 6%. There was no lottery, where “our schools win, too!” Prop 98, guaranteeing 41% of CA State revenue to K-12 education had not been passed. So this whining about Prop 13 is pretty tired, as if it happened in a vacuum; those who want to repeal it should also want to start over with Sales Tax, repeal Prop 98, and the lottery.
The CA government isn’t going to get this fixed, so put your kids into a private school.
Just Another Taxpayer
5 Mar 10 at 2:03 pm
“Gums” White Tribe? Are you thanking God for your gums because without them you wouldn’t be able to masticate your food?
Loves Berries
5 Mar 10 at 3:06 pm
Illegals have nothing to do with the budget cuts, in fact if more of them went to school it would mean more money for the district.
anonymous
5 Mar 10 at 3:13 pm
I’m one better than you, Anon.5.
Anon.6
5 Mar 10 at 3:28 pm
For the people blaming illegal hispanics. I understand the frustration many have especially in these hard economic times. Job employment is extremely low, the state is in huge debt, we are all experiencing some difficulty and hard times. This country will revive, I have faith. In this country however, anyone can aspire to be what they want, which is why it is so great. But blaming illegals for taking “all the jobs” is now getting old. They all get taken advantage of. They are employed by “white” or wealthy people. So don’t get infuriated at hispanics, but at the employers.
Also, it’s sad many teachers are getting laid off. Many people are blaming hispanics as well, but if those hispanic students did not attend, there would be less children, meaning lots of teachers, staff employees without jobs. So because there are hispanics enrolled, there are people with jobs. It’s not because of hispanics that teachers and staff are loosing their jobs, it’s the state and the fact that Ojai is not growing.
Also, taking advice from people who responded to this article, I have a house that could need some cleaning, laundry, dishes, sweeping, ironing as well as some gardening, weed pulling, my lawn needs to be mowed. Any non hispanic, interested, respond.
HA
5 Mar 10 at 4:13 pm
I wholeheartedly agree with American Patriots Wake Up!!
Chris
5 Mar 10 at 4:31 pm
AMry 11:15 a.m. said “all I seem to do is pay huge amounts of taxes”. AMry, you don’t pay that much in taxes, admit it.
Pogo talked about the deletirious effects of failing to invest in education–here’s one more–the tax base. The adults who will be able to pay taxes and contribute to social security in the coming years are going to be less educated and less able to earn large incomes. The only ones with large incomes will be those living off capital gains, and that’s taxed at a drastically lower rate.
Threesmommy
5 Mar 10 at 5:11 pm
Illegal immigration has bankrupted CA. And it has destroyed our schools. Wake up! American Patriots across the USA are uniting. The Constitution belongs to us and we will defend it. You’re either with us or against us.
Patriots Unite
5 Mar 10 at 6:19 pm
GIVE THE JOBS BACK TO AMERICANS. THE TIME HAS COME. (deleted) .
Patriots Unite
5 Mar 10 at 6:22 pm
AMERICA FIRST!!!
Patriots Unite
5 Mar 10 at 6:23 pm
To Patriots Unite: Just like Bush or fox news, blame it on someone else with NOTHING to back it up. It just makes you sound funny.
Lou Dobbs
5 Mar 10 at 7:22 pm
All good white folks are going to do is homeschool their kids, bankrupt the teachers and morons in the legislature, buy more ammo and protect the American Way. We’re ready and we know that the Commie BS in California is not our friend. RON PAUL FOR PRESIDENT
bring it on
infowars
5 Mar 10 at 7:41 pm
RON PAUL 2012
infowars.com
5 Mar 10 at 7:44 pm
You should call yourself “parrots unite” since it appears you are parroting yourself throughout the blog.
Loves Berries
5 Mar 10 at 7:48 pm
Illegals stand around on Ojai Avenue every day waiting for work! How about unemployed Americans in Ojai make a stand and get some work for themselves !
Idea
5 Mar 10 at 7:52 pm
Why don’t unemployed true American citizens including American college kids stand on Ojai Avenue, advertise that they are real Americans looking for work? Local land owners will pick them up for work daily. If real Americans need work, local businesses will be happy to oblige.
Idea
5 Mar 10 at 8:12 pm
We know that Illegals have destroyed our economy. We know that Repubs and Democrats are equal criminals. We have awoken –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMTOGZXghhI
We are educated, aware and we know the truth.
UCSB Demontration this week
5 Mar 10 at 8:34 pm
To criticize is futile. Your wasting everyones time. We all know how and why we are in this situation. Although its seemingly overwhelming to many of us, don’t forget to keep things in perspective. This is a temporary screw-up in America. We CAN fix it. It will take time. Roll your damn sleeves up and use the smarts you claim to have to help figure ways we can change or maintain this in a positive light. I keep using this economic meltdown as a learning tool for my son. He is learning the value of education, hardwork, applying oneself and rethinks whether he should use our money on frivolous items or entertainment. Yes, we still have fun but, we think more carefully about calculated choices.
Can our district possibly work with part-time aids helping teachers when classes sizes get closer to 30 or 35 kids? The aids could possibly be college students getting credit for the experience and accountability. It isn’t necessarily the ideal situation but, our children truly can’t get shorted for the mistakes we all have made to some degree. This doesn’t have anything to do with color, nationality or religious orientation. This blog is for constructive ideas not blabbing. I’m not always in agreement with the U. S. politics but, I’m always proud to be an American. Although, we could learn a thing from Japan, England, Sweden…. We really need to check our ego at the door of life.
Almost Wise Old Parent
5 Mar 10 at 8:45 pm
REPORTING ILLEGAL ALIENS
You might contact the following:
On the government side you can try:
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Division´s -”Report Suspicious Activity” line at:
866-347-2423 or 800-232-5378.
Border Patrol´s main phone is: 877-872-7435
Report to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): 800-669-4000
Report to Federal Employment Immigration Case Workers: 202-693-0051
Report to Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI): 202-324-3000 *Fraud cases
Report to Social Security Administration: 800-772-1213
Report to the IRS: 800-829-0433 *Fraud line
coach mike
5 Mar 10 at 9:08 pm
To Hell with Libbey Bowl! Save our teachers, our kids and our schools FIRST!
Rick Hemmert
5 Mar 10 at 9:14 pm
Here are some some basic cold, hard facts to ponder.
The U.S. accepted another 180,000 legal and illegal migrants last month into the United States. All of them in need of a job! All of them requiring housing, food, schools, medical, transportation, and thousands more requiring prison care!
Primary and Secondary Education
Approximately one in 20 students enrolled in public schools is an immigrant and U.S. born children of immigrants represent an even larger burden—14 percent of the total enrollment. It’s even far greater in California. This means 10 million public school students are immigrants or children of immigrants. This includes 1.1 million illegal immigrant children. At an annual cost of $553 billion, foreign-born students account for a disproportionate share of this outlay.
Immigrant Prison Population
In excess of 267,000 criminal aliens inhabit U.S. prisons. At a cost of $63 per day, taxpayers spend more than $3 million every day to house aliens in our federal prisons. Most are thought to be illegal aliens
Welfare
Each year state governments spend an estimated $11 billion to $22 billion to provide welfare for immigrants. Refugees, asylum seekers and all amnestied illegal aliens are exempt from the public charge. Congress decided for us (the American tax payer) that the American people will serve as the sponsors for these immigrants and pick up the tab for their support.
coach mike
5 Mar 10 at 9:22 pm
You go Rick. You mean spend money on education to educate the up and coming stars of America who will help keep this great country moving forward? What special interest is sponsoring you… common sense?
OldOjaiBoy
5 Mar 10 at 9:45 pm
Commenters who keep read “illegal alien” and respond as if the expression meant “Hispanic” or “Mexican” say a lot more about their racial views than they mean to.
Does anyone think if “illegal aliens” were Swedish it would make a difference? Illegals are a financial and social burden, and are breaking the law. It is a disrespect to everyone who comes to the U.S. through legal means, and contributes with skills and taxes.
Just Another Taxpayer
6 Mar 10 at 9:29 am
Enough with the factual numbers! We know there is a messed up system to help everyone. That is what America is generally about. Attend to the bleeding arm of education NOW! You’re spouting off about a State, USA and immigration problems that will not help the teachers and kids in the Valley now. That is another forum.
Almost Wise Old Parent
6 Mar 10 at 9:32 am
Enough with the racial hate speech. This blog is about the OUSD employees who will get pink slips because of the budget cuts. So stay on topic and please OVN adminstrator use your discretion to delete off topic postings.
Anonymous
6 Mar 10 at 9:35 am
Since when does mentioning “illegal alien” mean “racial hate speech”? We are tired of paying taxes for the benefit of people who are here ILLEGALLY (which means that they have no right to be here and their presence is AGAINST THE LAW.) Illegal immigration has bankrupted California and it’s time for the LAW TO BE ENFORCED. What’s wrong with that?
Law and Facts
6 Mar 10 at 10:59 am
Taxpaying American citizens are pulling their kids out of the public education system and putting them in private schools or homeschooling groups. When they have all left (and they are leaving in record numbers), the public education system will collapse. When it is rebuilt, hopefully it will be by those who understand that public education is not a charity childcare institution for families who are not in the US legally. If Obama’s healthcare bill passes, the US healthcare system will collapse for the same reasons.
The future
6 Mar 10 at 11:09 am
Could anyone make a suggestion that could help the school district now! Fact and figures about US immigration policy do little to help the current situation facing the kids of the OUSD. Let’s get practical.
anonymous
6 Mar 10 at 12:06 pm
I love the commenters who have had enough of “factual numbers” and “racial hate speech”, and demand suggestions.
I wonder why they don’t make a suggestion? Because when an unresponsive government pretends that social problems and economic cycles are not real, there are no good alternatives to suggest.
There is no money. Act accordingly.
Just Another Taxpayer
6 Mar 10 at 12:14 pm
California and the Federal Government are BROKE. Obama has just added another 9.5 TRILLION dollars to the deficit. Complaining about school funding on such a local level is absurd. There is no money to fund public education. The system is completely bankrupt. Why do people not see this? Public education will NEVER come back and is destined for complete self destruction as a symptom of America’s refusal to live within its means. THERE IS NO MONEY. If you’ve been unemployed for more that 3 months and you’re over 40, chances are that you will NEVER find employment. Plan accordingly. Move to Canada, use the private education system or homeschool your kids. It’s going to get a LOT worse for unskilled blue collar families.
Wake up and move on
6 Mar 10 at 12:52 pm
coach mike is NOT sanctimonious boob!
Boris Lolabrigita
6 Mar 10 at 1:03 pm
I hardly think the school district is broke. They will have a $20 million dollar budget. If you cut all salaries 10% across the board that will more than make up for the deficit to the budget.
anonymous
6 Mar 10 at 2:17 pm
If the teachers cared that much, why don’t they face the fact that they are the HIGHEST paid in the nation yet produce the WORST test scores in the nation? Could a teacher please explain this? It’s ridiculous.
CA teachers suck
6 Mar 10 at 2:21 pm
“If I managed to get across the border, I would do everything I could to be a working member of society.”
K. A.
5 Mar 10 at 9:17 am
I agree half way.
The only part I disagree with is the society part,
I for one never agreed to give up my personal sovereignty to join a “society”.
Mexicans don’t give up these sovereign rights as they still join the workforce and are still untraceable (ssn,tin#)
I firmly believe we as sovereign individuals cannot restrict another individual period, who are we to decide?
We can’t even control our bloated rouge government, how can we say go home and at the same time pay them to stay and break an unjust law?
“What about the LEGAL citizens on the dole?”
AMry
5 Mar 10 at 10:07 am
The federal reserve has already killed these peoples ability to sustain themselves.
The bankers and the shadow or “hidden” government wants us dependant on the state.(helpless)
Bottom line is these “public services” are just a big money laundering scam, they just shift the numbers around.
Mad Max
6 Mar 10 at 4:33 pm
The federal reserve has already killed these peoples ability to sustain themselves.
The bankers and the shadow or “hidden” government wants us dependant on the state.(helpless)
Bottom line is these “public services” are just a big money laundering scam, they just shift the numbers around.
“Let’s hear some ideas”
anonymous
5 Mar 10 at 10:38 am
Careful what you ask for you just might get it.
Mad Max
6 Mar 10 at 4:34 pm
1)End the FED
2)Disband the CFR, IMF, Counsel of 13, disband and investigate, make all records of the CIA public 1962-2006
3)Disband and investigate the World Bank
4)Disband and investigate Skull&Bones at Yale
5)Repeal the patriot act and similar acts
6)Write a law making it illegal to hold a public office and gain a position at a corporation that profits from laws put in place by the public office previously held
7)Disband and charge Black-water and similar private companies
8)Freeze all foreclosure proceedings for one year pending a full investigation
9)Suspend all pay for congress until we the people decide they have earned it
10)Suspend all pay for police chiefs accepting federal funds for tracking U.S. citizens with no criminal history
11)Reinstate Habeas Corpus
12)Pull all our troops home immediately
13)Repeal all no-fly lists
Mad Max
6 Mar 10 at 4:35 pm
14)Freeze n seize all privately held companies owned by Bush Sr, Bush Jr, Clinton, Dick Cheney, etc
15)Freeze all amnesty programs
16)Make it illegal for colleges to charge students for new books every year when the same exact information can be found in the previous years books
17)Completely deregulate the free market repeal NAFTA and GATT
18)Dissolve and investigate AIG, GM, Goldman Sachs, take that money put 100,000.00 in a savings account per child from 1994-2009 just to see what happens (it sounds better than giving it to the bankers)
19)Ban/boycott Monsanto, AT&T, Time Warner, Bayer, kellogg’s, General mills, Foster farms, etc
20)Stop the federalization of our local police demilitarize the police
21)Start a garden and get rid of the useless lawn
22)Get our water back so our local farmers can feed us locally reducing traffic and cost
23)Repeal the CRV law as Pepsi and Coke use it to make us pay for the bottling of their product not to protect the environment, look into it for yourself its another scam
24)Abolish the property tax, as it turns owners into renters and makes true land ownership impossible
25)Home school your kids, abandon the corrupt system that abandoned us long ago
26)Stop using our birth certificates as collateral on the NYSE, make our natural straw-man credit accessible to us again
Mad Max
6 Mar 10 at 4:36 pm
None of these suggestions are illegal or require violence of any kind and will produce real “change”
Mad Max
6 Mar 10 at 4:37 pm
BTW: Hate speech is still free speech,
just because you don’t agree approve or like what someone says, does not give you the right to label it hate speech and silence them.
Mad Max
6 Mar 10 at 4:38 pm
The earth is not running out of natural resources,
the elites are hording them, they are also planning to occupy deep underground military bases during the coming economic collapse.
Society will be plunged into the dark ages, the government threw the continuity of government act,
they will be safe as we tear each other apart on the surface, the only way to avoid this is to talk to your neighbor, network with trustworthy people, this community is unique in that it can be very well defended on all sides from outside threats.
Mad Max
6 Mar 10 at 4:40 pm
Telling you this is not meant to scare or induce fear in anyway shape or form, its to inform you, prepare and all of this can easily avoided and things can be set right.
Mad Max
6 Mar 10 at 4:42 pm
“Mad Max” thanks for alot of nothing. Could you come up with a cogent thought please let us know, the rambling is just the sound of your own voice it does not push the debate.
anonymous
6 Mar 10 at 5:03 pm
Wake up from the American dream before it turns into a nightmare!!
If you believe the official homeland security report on 9/11 or not, the government used 9/11 to get into our lives,
5yr olds on no-fly lists, naked body scanners, mind reading technology, RFID tracking, cashless society, schools watching children at home, gun confiscation, gold confiscation, etc.
Mad Max
6 Mar 10 at 5:56 pm
Mad Max you are either a leftover radical of the 1960′s or a Chomsky sycophant with a twisted identity.
anonymous
6 Mar 10 at 7:13 pm
Mad Max, give it a rest!
Chilly Willy
6 Mar 10 at 7:28 pm
How about proof of citizenship/residency for all families attending Ojai schools? A simple request. BTW How’s that “hope” and “change” working out for you Obama folks? Things sure look rosy now. Or is it still Bush’s fault? lmao
Idea
6 Mar 10 at 8:48 pm
RON PAUL 2012. Time to clean up the neighborhood.
Idea
6 Mar 10 at 8:50 pm
Time for real American Patriots to stick together. Liberal policies are destroying our country and our schools. All true American Patriots in Ojai should fly Old Glory in their front yards starting NOW. Let’s let each other know who we are. Raise the flag! Spread the word!
Raise the flag
6 Mar 10 at 9:02 pm
Yes put a flag in your yard and bring back President Bush because things worked out so well for the country. So pick up a rifle and join the fight, sign up at the nearest USMC recruting office. Money talks, bs walks.
Anonymous
6 Mar 10 at 10:17 pm
I have worked for school districts and I have to say there is allot of money wasted. First when they get new computers or furniture they can’t sell it because it is illegal to do so because it is paid for by taxes. So what happens? it gets trashed and thrown away. Secondly most support staff are lazy and are waiting for retirement and count the days and can get away with it because they have thugs like S.E.I.U. to back them. Finally most of the teachers are the same way, they lost their passion to teach because of all of the negativity from other teachers and they are not allowed to be innovative. This is good…
I believe charter schools and home schooling is the key NOW!The teachers at these schools don’t make allot of money and the benefits are small, but they have a passion to teach and do so! I’m not sorry to say too bad for the layoffs, but wake up calls are necessary
O-Tay
7 Mar 10 at 8:39 am
Get with the program fire all the teachers and the staff and start over!
get-with-it
7 Mar 10 at 9:11 am
Home schooling is generally sub-standard education as well as charter schools. I have had first-hand experience with both and prefer my children to have a “normal” experience and learn to work with others in the public school setting. Teachers are vastly unappreciated.
Parent
7 Mar 10 at 10:34 am
Home schooled kids actually learn skills needed in life, like basic English, Math and Social Studies. There are many organized groups of homeschoolers who put together opportunties for their children to work and play with others. They also go to college at a far higher rate (50%) than public school kids (20%).
Kids in public school are subjected to lowest-common denominator curriculum, and are forced to co-exist with gangs, drugs, and peers that are poor influences. Teaching, especially in public schools where the 10th grade C-BEST is the metric for competence, is a cushy 9-month/year gig with union benefits and early retirement. More money won’t get better teachers, and won’t improve the level of learning.
There is no money. Act accordingly.
Just Another Taxpayer
7 Mar 10 at 1:20 pm
Start over. Let’s look at merit pay systems. The good teachers could make $135,000/year and the bad teachers would look for new employment.
anonymous
7 Mar 10 at 2:11 pm
There is no money. California and The US are broke. Stop asking for money that doesn’t exist. Close the public schools and balance the budget. Those who can’t afford to privately educate or homeschool should move to Colorado or Washington State or wherever their income is more “typical.”
Grow up
7 Mar 10 at 3:46 pm
Logic leaps, i.e. “the state is broke, so close the schools” by those practicing the “limited hangout” method of disinformation (just google it!) show how desperate the special interests have become.
Homeschooling costs very little, btw. And Colorado and Washington states actually have higher household incomes than California. http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/statemedfaminc.html
If 85% of the school budget goes to employee wages and benefits, that tells you where the cuts have to be made. State bonds, Prop 98, the lottery, special exemptions, increased sales taxes and property tax measures, all this money yet year after year public schools deliver half-educated kids unprepared for the world. And still public schools ask for more.
Public schools pay no taxes, just like the Catholic church! And people shouldn’t have kids they expect the state to raise!(See, now THAT is a limited hangout.;-))
Just Another Taxpayer
7 Mar 10 at 5:18 pm
I see some truth in many of the contibutors and zero in others…I do tend to agree that throwing $$ at a problem is rarely/never a solution.
What I know for sure is public schools worked pretty well in my generation, but they were a far cry from what exists now.
I agree that non-contributors (illegal-aliens) are part of the problem, political correctness and unconcerned teachers (I’m told they are forced to promote students reardless of progress)and un-involved parents, campus drugs & violence all contribute.
Particularly disturbing are unconfirmed reports that class progress is retarded in many cases due to LANGUAGE barrier- the pace of english curriculum is held back to accomodate non english speakers. I don’t know for sure that this does happen, but some parents say it does.
My grandkids are getting a great education at a local private school. The school itself is old, buildings would not meet public school standards, etc. The teachers are paid less than public school teachers and get FAR LESS benefits. They have smaller class sizes and I’ve yet to encounter a cynical attitude. They produce superior results and test scores.
So teacher salary would not seem to be the problem!
dukester
7 Mar 10 at 6:25 pm
A school voucher system is ulimately the best solution. Let the parents make the decision regarding where to send their kids, and the innovative, successful educational institutions will thrive.
coach mike
7 Mar 10 at 9:41 pm
Ipods, Cell Phones, Ugg Boots ect… If we can spend hundreds of dollars on these material things for our kids, affording them or not, why can’t we donate to our schools?
JN.
7 Mar 10 at 11:50 pm
Coach Mike is NOT a naive boob who watches to much Fox News!
White Tribe Activist
8 Mar 10 at 8:48 am
How to improve the schools. See New York Times Sunday March 7th article on education and why firing all the teachers versus retraining them which may be a better idea.
anonymous
8 Mar 10 at 11:27 am
threesmommy – YES I DO pay too much taxes!!
AMry
8 Mar 10 at 2:04 pm
JN, donate to schools? That’s why we pay taxes. The country is broke. Besides, why should folks who send their kids to private schools pay one tax dime to fund public education? The NYT is right on. The teachers should be fired. Perhaps we can import more educated teachers from India then our kids might actually learn something.
NYT is right
8 Mar 10 at 4:30 pm
NYT great idea, let’s outsource the OUSD to India.
Anonymous
8 Mar 10 at 6:57 pm
Well India’s GDP is far great than the US and its children are far better educated. The teachers from India could definitely teach the local hicks a thing or two. Why not? America is a 4th world country. And, after all, China and India OWN America. LOL!
India and China OWN the US
8 Mar 10 at 9:20 pm
Get the facts. India and China combined GDP is less than the United States. So no excuses for having such a poor educational system here in the U.S. We have the money we just do not make education a priority.
anonymous
9 Mar 10 at 12:25 pm
India has a 61% literacy rate. The U.S. has a 99% literacy rate.
Just Another Taxpayer
9 Mar 10 at 2:20 pm
Ummm, wouldn’t it help if there was a ‘realignment’ of schools in the districts? Why on earth are OakView kids bused to Ventura. That would at least boost the enrollment numbers and allow more funding for the district. How about consolidating at least one or two campuses? How about more combo classes? How about the shared teaching positions so that it cuts down on the fulltime staffers? And for heavens sake how about getting the idiots out of Sacramento that are grinding the heels into out kids?
Anon720
9 Mar 10 at 10:03 pm
That can’t work Anon720, or should I say they won’t let it work. Why? Because that would mean a Pharoh/ Administrator woul;d be out of a job. What most people don’t realize is that the elite in the school districts are in charge of some ants but also have to justify their position with a variety of schemes, like busing, strange programs like putting condoms on bannanas,or getting involve in other insightful projects.Also their staff of managers and secretaries would be out of work.Also those schools that childeren are being bused to have low enrolement due to dropouts and so on, a need for racial diversity, and so on. Why should the schools in Ventura suffer or be on the line for closure, when Ojai is just a little town anyways. Come on get real folks… you allow your selves to be decieved and dooped with the phsycobabble of administrators and their psycophants of socialist birkenstock wearing doops. Before you folks get bunged up with that remark, let me tell you, I’m a Jeffersonian. Meanning little government, Liberty/ but no freedom, freedom gives you laws that give you licence to steal, little if no involvement in other countries affairs, and secure boarders for the sake of the U.S..On the other hand I don’t subscribe to the name calling of the right neither.Welfare is only for the purpose to help a person to get back on their feet,medical care is never refused to a citizen based on the Hippocratic Oath,Cival servants like Senitors and congress people get little pay and no benifits, they serve for the sake of serving and will be procicuted for bribery.And the Constitution is followed not twisted.In fact a corparation is suppose to be dissolved after 50 years and no more than 3 chairs may open a new one together. That’s the way it was, but…It makes to mach sense and it means the lazy people become paupers and village idiots, not your governing boards.Read the Synthesis of the Soviet Textbook on Psychopolitics from 1936 and see what you allowed America!Don’t take my word for it, but give yourselves some innitive for researching it, you’ll be shocked. Excuse my poor spelling.
O-Tay
10 Mar 10 at 8:45 am
how about the superintendent throwing in some of his 180,000.00 wages and never again paying some out of town company 20,000.00 to find a super when they have no idea about us here in Ojai. pretty sure we could have found someone on our own who cares enough about our kids to not charge that amount of money
chachi vasquez
10 Mar 10 at 11:13 am
Residents of Ojai!
This is partially a Sac issue, but more over is due to the Aspenization of Shan-gra-la. People are leaving Ojai because they can’t afford to live there. Therefore the district is loosing families and students, which equate to dollars from Sacramento. This isn’t a surprise at all. I don’t understand why people act shocked by it. This is a rudimentary cause and effect.
I’d say get used to it.
Former Husband of Ojai Teacher
10 Mar 10 at 12:37 pm
You got it chachi vasquez! It’s because the are Pharohs/God’s! As Clint said : “Ledgens in thier own minds”.But to question their authority is to bring their power and wrath upon our childeren as retrebution.Charter schools and home schooling!!!The beauty of this is that parent have the abillity to have their childeren educated based on their ideological, political, religious, or whatever belife’s. We can have our own little worlds, and if we are mature enough, teach our childeren to respect others. Who knows, they will probally teach us more and if we are truly open minded, we will learn. The greatest teacher, learns from their students. This is why there is a lack of tolerance in our society, because we are forced to worship anothers point of veiw, rather than to find a commonality. The hardline attitude of the school system based on, : ” Because I say so, and if you don’t respect my authority than you will have to face the consequenses”,should be over by now.Again I appologise for my misspellings, but I am a product of being passed through school and I have Dyslexsia and the school board couldn’t be bothered and would rathersay ” whatever”.Yet I still improve my writting skills on my own reguardless of my pass.BECAUSE I DESIRE TO…
O-Tay
10 Mar 10 at 2:08 pm
Notice how the lower Pharohs will always blame the higher Pharohs for the fault? Former Husband of Ojai Teacher…Then why don’t you on the inside bother to inform the public/ taxpayers of these discrepancies? No you rather spend the time on protesting on union marches and saying where,: ” YOU” are being cheated. What about the Childeren? Now that it’s the time and hour for the insiders comming forth on the chopping block, now is the time they wish for our support. You were willing to play the game, now pay the price and gather your chips in dignaty and find greener pastures. Like the rest of us need to. And don’t complain on how unfair it is when you had the power to change it, and have community support.
O-Tay
10 Mar 10 at 2:16 pm
When I sent my kid to public school here in Ojai in the not too distant past he had great teachers like Chris Smithers. At Matilija he had great teachers and Nordoff, again great teachers. He now has his degree in physics and a great job. I honestly can’t join the throngs of folks complaining about the system. It worked for us.
Pondering this whole blog
10 Mar 10 at 3:52 pm
I wonder, there is a blogger who said people are leaving Ojai, as a long time resident and reader of this blog my own two cents says most of the people like myself , are not moving from Ojai. We like it here. I love it here. I’m not moving and my roots are so deep I don’t know if I could if I wanted to! However, the kids are grown up and gone, they have moved away. So , nothing left here in the same old homes but they same old folks now without kids and the kids are not coming back to populate Ojai with their own kids. Maybe Ojai is becoming more old folks oriented because those of us who had kids are staying. Come to think of it, I see this scenario with a lot of the parents of my kids friends who still live in Ojai.
Pondering this whole blog
10 Mar 10 at 3:59 pm
Also one of the reasons the kids who left aren’t coming back to make Ojai their own home with their own families is because the jobs aren’t here. Like my son for instance, what is a guy with a degree in physics going to do in Ojai? Geriatric medicine, podiatry, proctologists and possibly plumbers those are the people who could move here and make a fortune.
Pondering this whole blog
10 Mar 10 at 4:23 pm
Sooner or later, the flatulent, fast food consuming poor in Ojai will leave and accept the fact that they can not afford to live here. Ojai’s future is a rich resort destination and a second home zone for the educated and the wealthy. Long term investors are just waiting for the hicks to hit the road. The schools will be great after the current economic purge. Attention pick-up driving folk! Stop ignoring the calls from your banks! Foreclosure is here! Bye bye!
LOL
10 Mar 10 at 8:44 pm
Unfortunately,…Ojai has more puppets than human beings.Cattle and sheep for the slaughter…Sad but true…Ojai can be an Shangrarila, and for a long bit of history was…Yet the politically hungry… found this small haven as a prime breeding ground of “Hate” and took advantage of it…As the song said ” Go ahead and cheat your neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend, do it in the name of heaven you will be justified in the end” Do I need to go on?Learn to take care of your own and those who wish to be part of the whole…Bottom line… If there is a great teacher, willing to teach that has been laid off…Pay them… as a teacher in your own community school/charter school. If they are a “scumbag union begging I deserve what ever I can get from you sort”,Then let the union support them…Folks… bottom line you have the right and the choice… not Sacramento, nor the unions, nor S.E.I.U., it’s all about you…Now… It’s about your children… How much do you really care…Bottom line, How much do you really cares?…The Ones that have always called Ojai home…You Transient,gang banger element,kooky doooky faddyy what everyittakes to shakiyupi the element for my sakekiment,L.A. establi,anti establi,antiwhoever,whantibe.elimentalestsaselishmenelist…evantually you will become : ” Extinct” You are the same type of folks to come to L.SA. in the 70′s to redefine it to your own wishes and destroy it… ass you hope to do in Ojai…Oh… maybe it didn’t work… Your $50,000 pay offs to your promoted consul people…” New Jersey Mikes?”… Oh… that was sad… what next…Cancer is a growth…Community is an action against a Cancer…Fear is a factor to gain control… For over 50 years the people of Estonia have waited, waited for their time for freedom..In one legend it is said,.. The Barn keeper sits by the fire…watches and only acts when the time is right. Patience is a weapon,..Caution, is a virtue…If any of you has any doubt’s about how Ojai can be unified and run… the watch this clip and find out for yourselves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUbfyOVD0ko
Though I have my doubts that the Ojai Valley News will allow me to post this… But if by some miracle… It can happen..and you may be allowed to view this miracle of how a nothing country helped to bring down one of the most powerful nations in the world…This is a story of how culture saved a nation…And how Ojai can save itself…
Ojai… Stand for you self…Know yourself… as you always have…See you simplicity’s and be honored by it…embrace your simplicity, and be honored
ADMIN NOTE: Yes, the OVN will make an exception and allow this off-topic posting. But please, keep posts on-topic in the future.
O-Tay
10 Mar 10 at 10:07 pm
I think the 89 dollar parcel tax was a good idea. All these courses that are being cut out now because the voters shot it down? Why? Did someone tell those people that taxes are unAmerican and evil? That said, O-Tay, do you even live here? Your description of Ojai and the people in it is so far from the truth. We aren’t puppets, there is a lot of tolerance a lot of love and understanding. Do we have problems? Yes we do have problems like all cities but I don’t see the problems coming from folks like myself who have successfully raised kids here who have grown up under the system and now are mature adults with jobs and familys of their own. SOme of the problems with our kids stem from the hate thats like a past time for big companies that make money on music and video games like a light went off in some executives head, hey we can make money off of hate!! Lets feed that emotion it sells $$! Kids are more exposed to hate than ever before, you can’t blame Ojai or the tourists for the hate , looks at what your kids are playing and look at what your kids are reading and listening to. It is not Ojais fault there is a culture of hate out there being sold to our kids. It must be hard for teachers to deal with this phenomenon. My heart goes out to them and those who have received the dreaded pink slips.
Pondering this whole blog
11 Mar 10 at 8:02 am
There is a blogger above somewhere who mentioned the money we lavish on our kids, their ugg boots and everything so why can’t we pay a little more into their education? Maybe we could start a school fund and it would be completely non profit and those who run it would have to be a well respected , long time citizens in our community. We can take up donations , asking a small single donation of 50 to 100 dollars that would go directly to supporting the teachers that teach those important classes that are being cut. Transparency would be the key with a monthly email showing exactly how the funds were distributed and jobs saved …not a thermometer sign stuck in front of the school, but an email or (if not computer) a letter sent to all donors detailing every penny of the fund and how it is being spent. I mean am I being stupid or what? I’ll just stop blogging if Im stupid, I hate wasting peoples time.
Pondering this whole blog
11 Mar 10 at 8:23 am
No one is going to donate because the OUSD is not operated in an efficient manner. No sense throwing money at the problem it will not help the underlying problem. The OUSD is going down as evidence by the recent letter from Dr. Bangser which I appreciated for it’s candor even though it was bad news.
anonymous
11 Mar 10 at 9:18 am
Good point anonymous, and thank you for not replying to me in a derogatory manner.
Pondering this whole blog
11 Mar 10 at 10:59 am
Good. Teaching is a worthless endeavor anyhow.
Anon.6
11 Mar 10 at 5:39 pm
Can all the hicks go home now? Thanks.
Hicks go home
11 Mar 10 at 9:02 pm
Ojai is our home. It always has been a town of hicks. Can you go back to L.A.?
Anon.6
12 Mar 10 at 11:17 am
Er no, it’s time for you to go back to Iowa. Bye!
Hilarious
12 Mar 10 at 8:59 pm