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Cuts have 9-R choosing between teachers and tests

Hise

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: What do you call a bus half-full of schoolteachers on the way to the unemployment line? A good start toward improved student growth and achievement! Whether that’s funny or not, it is the punch line, at least for School District 9-R, since the defeat of Amendment 66 by Colorado voters back in November 2013.

Beginning next fall, there will be 24 fewer teachers returning to our district. That is about 7 percent of the approximately 340 teachers who work with our children. Imagine if we completely shuttered Animas Valley, fired its 24 teachers, early-retired its administrator and spread its 280 students out among the other six remaining elementary schools that serve Durango.

This “downsizing” is not wholly the fault of the district. It is a consequence of statewide shrinking of school budgets resulting from 1992’s Colorado Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. Since that amendment to the Colorado Constitution, the state has dropped to the lowest 10 states in school funding. Amendment 66 was an attempt to redress this shrinkage, but voters rejected it by a two-to-one ratio last year. Now the chickens are coming home to roost.

Despite dwindling money for schools statewide, mandates affecting classrooms continue to be passed, such as the Educator Effectiveness Act. This law required the creation of a teacher-evaluation program aimed at gauging the quality of educators through a thorough, criteria-based observation and reflection cycle coupled with student achievement and growth data derived from a variety of state and district assessments. Teachers must demonstrate instructional skill and show students learn from their efforts. That’s a good thing. Educators statewide answered the call and developed the program, which is in its first year of implementation. Because students are the focus, this law has its heart in the right place. But the state neglected one important thing – money. It was developed and implemented on the diminishing dime.

How long can increased expectations be sustained on declining investment? In Durango, the answer is “this school year.” Next year’s “downsized staff” is the result of this equation. Each district must wrestle with its own shrinking income as weighed against its obligation to provide a respectful, relevant and rigorous educational experience. So what did 9-R decide?

Even though this year’s $1.6 million budget cuts were held down from $3.5 million because of last year’s round of austerity (Herald, Dec. 10, 2013), this cut – aimed at teacher staffing – was still sharp. This targeting makes sense as staffing accounts for about 80 percent of the district’s expenditures. So, the district made the hard decision to focus on classroom teachers. Each principal was charged with whittling down staff while preserving as many programs as possible, a Sisyphean task that was somehow completed. As both veteran and new teachers were told the district couldn’t afford their services, reality hit. There would be less effort and creativity present to lift the increasing load.

But are staff cuts the only avenue available for balancing the budget? District 9-R, in compliance with Colorado’s Public School Financial Transparency Act, provides budgets, financial statements and credit card statements on the homepage under the Finance Department. In that welter of figures, you discover districts pay for many things. Take a look for yourself and ask what is important to you.

I found an expenditure that gave me pause ­– Schoolvault. Beginning in March 2013, District 9-R budgeted $150,000 for the startup of this software program “that tracks student progress and revolutionizes the way teachers assess students’ progress in mastering state curricula” (Herald, Dec. 2, 2013). I am not opposed to the intent of the project; it will be helpful to students and teachers when completed. I just question the timing and amount of the expenditures in a time of severe scarcity. Beginning in December 2013, another $300,000 was allocated to SchoolVault’s development, according to the monthly financials. In February, that allocation was increased to $489,125.

SchoolVault is a collaborative effort between all San Juan Board of Cooperative Educational Services schools, which are also investing as Bayfield did in October 2013 with $50,000. Ultimately, these schools will own this program that will aid in supporting and tracking student growth and achievement. It is a noble endeavor. Marc and Jane Katz – whose support of the community’s schools has preserved music programs, built computer labs and transported students to college courses – also see the value in SchoolVault. Their recent donation of $250,000 was earmarked for the program’s development according to February’s monthly financials. The Katz’s generosity has served as savior in our time of need, and we all benefit from their charity and care. Sincerely, thank you, Marc and Jane.

I wonder if there was another way. It’s easy to critique the difficult decisions of others, but when 9-R’s investment in SchoolVault comes to $889,125, so far, questions well up in me. What affects a child most, a teacher or a test? What do we value more, people or computer programs? In a just world, we would invest in our increased expectations to realize our hopes and dreams. We wouldn’t have to rely on the kindness of philanthropists. But if we continue to expect more without devoting the resources to make it happen, we may find the joke is on all of us.

John Hise is an instructional coach at Escalante Middle School. Reach him at jhise2@durango.k12.co.us.



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