"After-school program closure will have consequences" By Diana Py in Calaveras Enterprise

After-school program closure will have consequences

Posted: Friday, November 22, 2013 9:06 am

2013 Calaveras Enterprise. 

By Diana Py
 

When we moved to San Andreas from the Bay Area five years ago, we did so in order to make a better life for our two boys. In Calaveras County, we found a tight-knit community, a small and local school, beautiful land on which our children could fish and hike and a wonderful group of fellow families like our own. We put down roots and were proud to tell everyone how excited we were to have found such a great community that we would be able to stay in until our children graduated from high school. One of our biggest priorities was being involved in our s’s education and finding a great school in which they would be able to spend their whole elementary school years.

We found that in San Andreas Elementary until the fateful day we learned the after-school program we desperately relied on would be closing. I am a fulltime registered nursing student, my husband is a retail store manager and in order to build our lives and make our family secure, we rely on the San Andreas Elementary after-school program to care for our children until we get home from either school or work. We are just like every other family who uses the program, working parents. Without Kid’s Place, there is no ability to work or to go to school, because our schedules do not permit being available at the times we need Kid’s Place the most – from the end of school until the end of the work day.

Calaveras Unified School District Superintendent Mark Campbell is been quoted to have said that after-school care for our kids is a luxury and that parents like us feel the program is an entitlement. That has no bearing at all to any of our situations. Kid’s Place is a necessity. It is a safe, educational and wonderful place we know our kids will be well taken care of until we get done with our day. It has been said by our superintendent that the Calaveras County School District is broke and has no funds to keep Kid’s Place open.

My message to the school district is this: How much money is this district going to lose when we end up having to move our children to Amador County or other counties that realize working parents need after-school care? I know of several families already looking to move completely out of the county because of this. What are the ramifications of that lost revenue? What are the ramifications of 30 or so wonderful, talented kids moving to an entirely new school district? How much will Calaveras County lose out on when we are putting our tax dollars and expendable income into businesses in adjacent counties? It will take $34,000 of school district money to keep Kid’s Place open until the end of school year. Perhaps additional funding could be looked into at that point, but if this program does not get funded and does close its doors in December, those are 30 children and their families could be lost from this county forever, not to mention any incoming kindergarten families who may choose to not send their children to San Andreas Elementary because there is no after-school care.

Not funding this program is a fiscal mistake as well as a moral mistake. The children who will be affected are ones who could perhaps stay in this county for years to come, except now they will be settling in Amador, Tuolomne or the Mark Twain Union Elementary School District. Our family is looking at this option and we are not the only ones – all of us families are looking into moving school districts.

A few days ago, I picked my children up from Kid’s Place. They sat in a room with 17 other kids dutifully working on homework, spanning kindergarten through third grade. In several weeks, these children, most of them, will not be in the Calaveras Unified School District anymore because of this shortsighted decision. Surely there is emergency money somewhere to keep the program open for a few more months until another decision is made, because the loss of these wonderful kids is going to end up costing the school district and surrounding communities hundreds of thousands of dollars. This isn’t the loss of a “luxury.” This will impact our entire town and something needs to be done. We need to see action, not only words stating nothing can be done. It can be done. The after-school program could remain open, and it must, or everyone will realize how little the Calaveras Unified School District actually cares about our children.

Diana Py is the mother of two children who attend San Andreas Elementary School. Contact her at 

© 2013 Calaveras Enterprise. 

Mark Campbell: Online Petition Passes Goal!

Mark Campbell: Online Petition Passes Goal!

The change.org petition used by frantic parents losing their after school care at San Andreas Elementary has been garnering huge support. Today they reached 200 signatures-and that is 10% of their town's population. 

However, in spite of this achievement, the parents will continue their non stop efforts to prevent the program's closure. And, the program is scheduled to shutter its doors as of Christmas break-only 3 weeks away.

No turkeys. No holiday shopping. Time for more emails to the media, phone calls, facebook posts. The CUSD met with parents this week but nothing was changed at this point. The blitz by parents shall continue!

Mark Campbell Faces API Scores Dropping At San Andreas Elementary School

Schools see API scores drop
API Scores Dropping At San Andreas Elementary School 
 

Written by Union Democrat staff September 03, 2013 12:30 pm

Most Tuolumne and Calaveras county schools slipped this year in a marker of school quality known as the “Academic Performance Index,” though many still cleared goals established by the state.  As part of California’s system for holding schools accountable, the API assigns schools scores from 200 to 1,000 based on standardized test performance. The state has established a target score of 800 for all schools.    Scores for spring 2013 slipped at nine non-alternative Calaveras County schools and 10 in Tuolumne County, according to data released Aug. 29 by the California Department of Education.    The biggest drops at non-alternative programs were at San Andreas Elementary School, where the API slipped by 45 points, and Tioga High School, which saw a loss of 59 points. Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools Joe Silva noted many local schools are still “high performing,” meaning they scored at the state goal of 800 or higher.    Nine did so in Tuolumne County — all schools but Jamestown Elementary, Chinese Camp Elementary, Twain Harte Middle School and schools in Big Oak Flat-Groveland Unified School District and Sonora Union High School District.    Eight Calaveras County schools had APIs of 800 or higher, including all three schools in the Vallecito Union School District and both within Mark Twain Union Elementary School District. Bret Harte High School, Jenny Lind Elementary and Valley Springs Elementary came within only a few points of the goal.    But the drop in API scores helped set many Mother Lode schools behind on what the state defines as “Adequate Yearly Progress,” a system mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. California calculates Adequate Yearly Progress from a combination of STAR test scores, participation rates, and graduation rates and High School Exit Exam results for high schools.    The benchmark, widely criticized as unrealistic and unfair, required about 90 percent of students to score at the “proficient” level or better on this year’s math and English STAR tests.    If parts of the standardized testing system weren’t being suspended, schools would need to have a full 100 percent of their students scoring at the “proficient” level in 2014 — or face penalties.    “That’s almost like saying all students in school will get A’s on every single test they ever take, and we know it’s not statistically possible,” said Tuolumne County Deputy Superintendent of Schools Margie Bulkin. “It’s our biggest criticism of this whole ranking system.”   Furthermore, the consequences of failing to make Adequate Yearly Progress only apply to schools that accept federal funding for disadvantaged students known as Title I funding.  The non-alternative Tuolumne County schools that made “adequate” progress in all subjects for 2013 were Belleview Elementary School, Chinese Camp Elementary School, Black Oak Elementary School, Summerville High School and the smaller  schools also within Summerville Union High School District.   In Calaveras County, the non-alternative schools that met benchmarks were Mokelumne Hill Elementary, Rail Road Flat Elementary and Mountain Oaks Charter School.  When schools that accept federal Title I money fail to meet the annual targets established by No Child Left Behind, they enter what the law calls “Program Improvement” status and must take corrective measures — at least on paper.    The requirements get progressively more stringent if the school fails to improve. In the first year of Program Improvement, schools must offer families the choice to attend another school without that designation and pay for transportation costs.    Several local schools, including Sonora High School and Soulsbyville Elementary, are in their third year of Program Improvement. Curtis Creek is in its fourth, but the only Calaveras County or Tuolumne County school in its fifth year is San Andreas Elementary.     The school would have had to replace most of its staff, reopen as a charter school or take other drastic measures if the requirements were strictly enforced.  Calaveras Unified School District Superintendent Mark Campbell said that “realistically,” San Andreas Elementary is doing what it always does — examining data, not just the STAR tests, to identify and correct shortcomings in programs.    No Child Left Behind is “ill-informed legislation created by primarily non-educators,” Campbell said in an email. He pointed out that statewide, a “staggering” number of schools aren’t meeting the impossibly high Adequate Yearly Progress targets.  Bulkin said Program Improvement statuses will become moot next year because the Elementary and Secondary Education Act — which includes No Child Left Behind — must be reauthorized.    “In many ways, the consequences for program improvement have lost their steam because we’re transitioning to new state standards and new accountability standards,” she said.  She and Silva have both stressed that STAR tests and API scores leave out subjects like world languages, fine arts and other areas where many students and schools shine.  New standardized tests being rolled out next year, called the Smarter Balanced Assessments, will more fairly assess students and provide a more well-rounded picture of their abilities, Bulkin said.

Calaveras County-San Andreas Elem. School Needs Its After School Program! Mark Campbell, Sherri Reusche,Evan Garamendi,Gregory Gustafson,Karan Bowsher, Zerrall McDaniel

Here they are folks! These are the people who voted for the closure of our crucial after school program at San Andreas Elementary School in Calaveras County, California. They think after school care is a privilege and an entitlement--not the necessity that it is for families in the rural area of San Andreas--and across the United States. Educate them. Their first lesson is to have them deduct from their school budget the families who will be yanking their kids out of Calaveras County schools and enrolling them in neighboring Amador County schools. Estimated loss per student-per year-will be $6,000. This will commence Jan 1, 2014. Teach the school board that the cost to maintain the after school program through June 2014 is only $34,000. Have them do the math. 5 kids transfer out at loss of $6,000 per student=$30,000 per year. Hence, loss to CUSD for 6 months=$15,000. Amount needed to save after school program drops down to $19,000 which can be pulled from the general reserve until grants roll into place for fall. Let's remind the folks below that this after school program is necessary to their school budget, and to parents.

Mr. Mark Campbell Superintendent Calaveras Unified School District Board Members   Sherri Reusche    District Area 1 Elected: 2004 Term Expires: 2016 Evan Garamendi Board Clerk District Area 2 Elected: 2006 Term: Expires: 2014   Gregory Gustafson District Area 3 Elected: 2012 Term Expires: 2016 Zerrall McDaniel District Area 4 Elected: 1999 Term Expires: 2014 Karan Bowsher Board President District Area 5 Elected: 2010 Term Expires: 2014

Calaveras County: San Andreas Parents Using Social Media to Stop Closure Of Their Kids' After School Program

Calaveras County: San Andreas Parents Using Social Media to Stop Closure Of Their Kids' After School Program
Media savvy worried moms and dads turn to social media for help

Nov 20, 2013: San Andreas, CA: Politicians use it. Corporations use it. Everyone is using it. Social media has become the fast-track highway to use if you want to get attention for anything you are doing. Just two weeks ago, worried parents whose kids attend San Andreas Elementary School have launched a marketing campaign to save their after school program from pending closure.

Spokesperson Nancy Vicknair said: "An online petition, drafted by a retired gramma, was the first to be put in place. We chose change.org and it has been amazing. We have almost 200 signers and the results have been fantastic."

After the petition went live, the parents drafted many press releases and email letters which were sent en masse to local media including the sympathetic Calaveras Enterprise. Another dad created a national press release on pr.com which discusses the issue. "Our kids are thrilled to see their school all over the web!" said one busy mom recently.

Last night there was a big meeting of the Calaveras Unified School District and the meeting was packed. Lots of speakers spoke from the heart about their concerns about losing their important after school program. Some said they would have to quit their jobs. Others declared they would have to move their kids to another school-in another county-as of Jan 1 2014. Diana Py said " For every child that is denied after school care and is forced to transfer to another county school district will cause a huge reduction in revenue for CUSD."

Parents from San Andreas Elementary School stated they will continue their fight to change Supt Mark Campbell's decision to close their after school program. The battle will continue up until Christmas.  No turkeys or holiday shopping for these savvy parents--they will be online as often as their work schedules permit to gain continued support for their campaign.

http://www.pr.com/press-release/527940

http://www.change.org/petitions/calaveras-unified-school-district-superintendent-mark-campbell-keep-the-after-school-program-open

Mark Campbell Responds "Facts about after-school program closure" Still The Same Story Though!

Facts about after-school program closure

Calaveras Enterprise

Posted: Wednesday, November 13, 2013 12:20 pm

Mark Campbell
http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/opinion/article_eef391be-4ca0-11e3-922f-001a4bcf887a.html#_=_
 

After hearing the testimonials at a recent board meeting outlining all questions, issues and concerns with the pending closure of the after-school program at San Andreas Elementary, Kids Place, I felt it necessary to provide additional insight on the topic.

First, let me convey that I am sincerely sorry for any hardship this decision creates for all families involved. I am not insensitive to the impact the closure has on the parents and students, as well as the community.

The question was raised as to why San Andreas Elementary is closing but not other programs. San Andreas Elementary was funded by a federal grant and the most recent application for a renewed grant was denied, due to lack of sufficient funds at the federal level. Other school sites in our district that are grant funded will remain open. Jenny Lind and West Point elementary schools are funded through state grants. I remain fully interested in dialogue regarding options to keep the San Andreas Elementary School after-school program open, but that would have to be an option that does not impact the Calaveras Unified School District budget. I would entertain options to provide a facility to a qualified entity offering after-school care in a very user-friendly lease arrangement.

While it is true that the district has been able to provide this program to parents, students and the community for many years (and it has been very pleased to be able to do so) what we have provided has been a benefit and privilege – an additional service – in that our only responsibility or obligation is to provide the standard school program (academics, meals, enrichment, etc.) during the course of the six-hour school day. The fact that we have had the luxury of offering the after-school program, I believe, has created a sense of expectation that I understand but is unrealistic. 

The reality that we are no longer able to afford the program should not result in the district being viewed in a negative light specific to any impact to families and our community. That is a perspective that is misguided and unfair.

At the end of last year, the district school board voted to approve closure of the program. This was done early enough so staff or parents could make whatever adjustments were necessary. The timing does not negate the negative impact this has on all involved but this was not a last-minute decision. As the district looks for options to reduce the deficit that exists in its budget (exploring areas to cut or reduce program) it does not make sense (fiscally) to keep the program open. 

Any conversation about keeping the San Andreas Elementary after-school program open would need to also include what we are willing to cut (people and programs) in order to free up the funding to pay for it – which might include closing a small school, reducing programs elsewhere or using district reserves at the risk of future fiscal stability.

The closure is not a judgment on the program. The staff has done a fantastic job of providing high-quality service to students, and I am grateful and appreciative for the dedicated efforts of all involved. I am sincerely sorry for the impact on children, families and staff. I wish I had a better decision or direction to move forward with. However, external circumstances dictate our reality, as outlined above, regretfully.

Mark Campbell is the superintendent of the Calaveras Unified School District. Contact him at mcampbell@calaveras.k12.ca.us.