Newsletter – May 21, 2010

Hello, Everyone—this edition of the newsletter is lengthy—so please bear with me and read through to the end!

Whew… Tests Are Done!

Hi everyone.  This past week we finished the CST testing for the year.  Thank goodness that is over and we will wait to see the results in mid- August.  You should receive your child’s individual scores directly via U.S. mail sometime in late August or early September.

Open House

Our next big event will be Open House scheduled for June 10 from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.  Mark you calendar now and make plans to leave work in time to come and see your child’s compilation of work, and celebrate with your teacher one last time. The final play for 5th grade is in the works and there will be one performance that will begin at 7:30 in the evening, right after Open House. 5th grade culmination will take place on the main courtyard on June 17 at 9:00 a.m.

Don’t Forget! Minimum Day Schedule starting June 7 and Friday Off for Memorial Day Weekend

Don’t forget that Memorial Day Weekend includes Friday May 28 this year. So the holiday weekend runs from the 28th to through Monday, May 31st. Then, the minimum day schedule begins on June 7th. School will be dismissed for 1st – 5th grade at 1:55 everyday until the 18th, which is the last day of school. Kindergarten will begin the minimum day schedule on June 10. Kindergarten will be dismissed at 11:30 until the 18th. Yes, summer is on its way!! Teachers will be engaged in end of year professional development and workshops during these early dismissal times.

4th Grade Annual Trip

The 4th grade is looking forward to their annual trip to Sacramento to see first-hand the State Capital, the Gold Rush fields, Sutter Fort and the Railroad Museum—all things that are part of the 4th grade social studies curriculum. They have read about these things in the text books and researched much on the Internet, but there is nothing like the experience first-hand. 3rd grade parents are invited to log on to the World Strides website to book their child’s trip now at last year’s prices!! Please know that World Strides keeps track of all reservations, deposits and payments, not the school. Book your 3rd grader now.

Governing Board Meeting

The final Governing Board meeting takes place on Tuesday, June 15 at 2 p.m. This is a date change in order to not conflict with culmination or the Sacramento trip. The Board will finalize the budget for next year, finalize the calendar for the 2010-2011 school year, as well as honor culminating parents who held leadership positions in PTA, Friends of Marquez and the Governing Councils of Marquez. New governing board members will be welcomed and a thanks will be given to members whose two year term is over.

Two Potential Candidate Statements

So far, we have two interested parties to join the work of the Board. Their candidacy statements are included below. If you are interested in a Governing Board position, please email me your candidacy statement before Thursday, May 27 at 2 p.m. Ballots will be cast if we have more than 2 candidates on the evening of Open House.

Statement of Phil Abrams:

Dear Marquez Staff, Parents and Students,

I seek to serve on the Governing Board of Marquez Elementary School as an opportunity to give back to a school that has served my two children with such quality and care. A resident of the Palisades, I am an actor and educator, and want to further contribute to our community. My son Elijah graduated from Marquez last year after 6 terrific years, and my daughter Vera is completing third grade. Vera recently won a Digital Video Award as a result of work she did in her classroom—proof to me that Marquez offers our kids a broad education, and kudos to our excellent Digital Technology program! Both of them have had wonderfully rich experiences and I hope that as a board member, I can continue to assist in creating an excellent educational environment that serves the children of our community.

Respectfully,

Phil Abrams

abrams.phil@yahoo.com

Statement of Peter Duke:

Dear Marquez Community:

I would very much like to be considered for the Marquez Governing
 Board. I am the very proud parent of a 3rd grade daughter, Katie
 Rose.  Since joining Marquez, when Katie started in Kindergarten, I 
have been very active in working to make Marquez the very best school
 in the area, and a model school for others.
I have been a member of the Technology Committee and designed and built the school website. Marquezcharter.org is a state-of-the art Web
2.0 communication engine that has streamlined communication with
parents, teachers and students, and is well-positioned as a platform
for any e-learning initiatives that the school may consider in the
 future. I believe in working together to continue to improve our very
 special school. Marquez is a great place, and an terrific environment
 for our children to learn, share and thrive. I would consider it an honor to continue to work with this faculty, administration and parent
body to continue to improve and shine the light on this very important
place in our children’s lives.

Respectfully,

Peter Duke

peter@dukemedia.com

IMPORTANT: Measure E

On June 8, we have a chance to make some history by supporting measure E. I’m sure that you have heard that California is at the bottom in spending per child. Did you know that New York City and Chicago support their schools by almost 2:1? How do they do it?  They institute local funding similar to what Measure E will do. It would levy a parcel tax that would go directly to LAUSD schools. We wouldn’t be at the mercy of the State anymore. As a taxpayer and home owner myself, I am worried about Prop 13. In this economic climate, every special interest group dependent upon State funding is going to be attacking Prop 13 and asking for it to be rescinded. I believe that if Measure E and the other measures like it across the State will help to alleviate this pressure. We all know that education funding is lacking and we all want to preserve Prop 13, but if we in Los Angeles don’t pass Measure E, then I’m afraid that the Education community here in Los Angeles will be one of those attacking Prop 13. Measure E supports education here in Los Angeles and no where else. Please read about it, inform yourself and form your own opinion. I know I have a biased opinion: sitting in a position where I can see how education funding affects students, parents, teachers and support personnel on a daily basis. I urge you to form an opinion and to cast your ballot on June 8.

The following article was forwarded to me and I thought you might like to read it. It has a somewhat balanced approach to the funding issue.

Schools, PTA Sue California Over Education Funding

Mercury News Article

By Sharon Noguchi

In a case that could radically change how and how much California pays for public schools, a coalition including students, school officials and the state PTA filed suit Thursday to force increased education funding.

The suit, which asks the courts to scrap the financing system and direct the governor and Legislature to create one that is “sound, stable and sufficient,” contends that Sacramento’s complicated way of funding public education violates the state constitution. The suit could prove to be California’s most far-reaching school litigation in decades.

“Schools have been cut to the bone for the last two years. These cuts are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Frank Pugh, president of the California School Boards Association, one of the plaintiffs.

The state is expected to fight the suit, which is unlikely to affect 2010-11 school budgets. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has recommended cutting them by about $200 to $250 per student; more reductions are predicted for the following year.

For most of California’s roughly 1,000 school districts, the state budget crisis has caused per-student funding to fall for two years. But the complaint reaches beyond current cutbacks. For decades, California schools have budgeted according to a complicated funding mechanism determined by multiple laws and court rulings and resulting in unpredictable and different per-student amounts for each district. For example, in 2008-09, Evergreen Elementary School District in San Jose received $7,787 per student, but Palo Alto Unified received $14,214.

The suit contends that the state has neglected to do what the constitution requires: prioritize school funding.  In a news conference Thursday morning, speakers representing the dozens of plaintiffs expressed exasperation with the state and called the suit a last resort. They noted that California set some of the highest standards in the nation, yet ranks nearly last among states in per-pupil funding and in ratios of students to teachers, counselors and nurses.

As a result, they point out, California students perform poorly compared with those in other states.

“The time for patience has passed. We cannot wait to fix our school finance system any more than children can postpone their childhood,” said Jo A.S. Loss, president of the California State PTA.

The governor’s office issued a terse reply. “The governor will oppose this lawsuit and believes the state will prevail,” Education Secretary Bonnie Reiss said in a statement. “The funding of public education in California has long been and continues to be a top priority of California, even in bad economic and budget times.”

Similar suits have been filed in other states, with varying results. In New Jersey, where litigation began in 1970, additional money did improve targeted schools, said Abe Hajela, one of the California plaintiffs’ attorneys.

Erik Hanushek, a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, disputed that. Lawsuits over state funding haven’t improved student achievement, he said. “I do not think this is going to be very helpful,” he said. “There’s no way to determine how much money is needed to achieve the standards if you don’t think about changing how we organize and run schools.”

A state-commissioned study three years ago concluded that California schools needed at least $10 billion more, but emphasized that money alone could not solve fundamental problems — such as effective teachers in all classrooms, more local decision-making and a data system to evaluate what’s working.

Ever since Proposition 13 three decades ago largely transferred school funding from local to state officials, Californians have tried to ensure adequate financing for education. Voters created the state Lottery to provide a small stream of money dedicated to schools. In 1988, they passed Proposition 98 to ensure a minimum amount schools receive.

But that funding is not adequate, and in difficult economic times, Sacramento has both suspended and manipulated Proposition 98, plaintiffs said.

The case, known as Robles-Wong, et al. v. State of California—named for the 16-year-old lead plaintiff, a junior at Alameda High School —was filed in Alameda County Superior Court on behalf of all state public schools and students. The plaintiffs include the California School Boards Association, the Association of California School Administrators, the California State PTA, nine school districts and 60 students and parents. No Santa Clara County districts are part of the lawsuit.

Also on Thursday, several community groups threatened to sue the state over the adequacy and equity of education funding. They demanded that the governor and Legislature “aggressively change the system” for funding within two weeks, or they would file suit, said attorney John Affeldt of the public-interest firm Public Advocates. The firm was involved in a successful lawsuit over the adequacy of textbooks and other school supplies.

Parent Ed

Our own parent education classes have ended for the year, but there is an excellent class coming up that I have been made aware of. “Open Lines of Communication with Your Daughters” is a class designed to improve communication between parents and their daughters. The seminar will bring together women and experts in a conversation about finances, health, and relationships. Although the content might sound advanced, the seminar will be helpful to even parents of younger children. The date is Thursday, May 27 at 6 p.m. The seminar will be conducted at the Donald Bruce Kaufman Public Library in Brentwood, 11820 San Vincente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA.

May 27th Parent Technology Tour 9 a.m.

How is technology shaping Marquez?  Where are we going from here?  How does it impact the budget? Please call the office to RSVP.

Parent Gifted and Talented Meeting May 27th 6:30 p.m.

Open to any and all parents interested in hearing about the GATE program at Marquez – including identification process.
As always, you can reach me at phollis@lausd.net