The CTA Invites School Board Members to Dinner 1/29/09

The local CTA (California Teacher's Assoc.) reps invited some school board members to dinner at the Flamingo for Thursday, January 29th. It was a nice affair.

Of course, this is the first time I've ever been invited to anything by the CTA - usually they are on the other side of the table negotiating salaries. The current budget crisis has made friends of enemies - not that Board members and the CTA are REALLY enemies. "Politics make for strange bedfellows." It's clear that looking at the problem from the same side of the table is better than staring at each other with blameful gazes.

Mid year cuts for 2008-09 will result in a $20million loss for Sonoma County students which calculate out toe $300 per student. The 2009-10 budget is a $12million total loss, or an additional $200 per student difference.

This will put many of our districts into a Negative or Qualified Certification - meaning they don't have enough money to function. Along with that most districts are facing declining enrollment, and two have had to close schools.

Yep, everyone should be on the same side of the table looking at this problem.

Cotati Rohnert Park Board of Education 1/27/09

On Tuesday, January 27th, I attended the CRPBOE special meeting. This was to share the grim financial status with the public, and to hear the public's opinions.

With a deficit of $6.2million there were two options printed out and distributed. The first (yellow paper) reduced or eliminated staff, increased class size by two, reduced special ed, eliminated middle school sports, and reduced the high school graduation requirements, reduced high school sports budget by 25%, eliminated k-5 music program, limited library hours, and many special projects including counseling, tutoring, and GATE programs. The second included an 18% paycut accross the board, eliminating or reducing some staff, increase class size by two, reduce special ed, eliminate middle school sports, and reduce the high school graduation requirements.

About 30 people spoke from the audience. Many about the music or sports cuts, some threatening to take their students to another district. It was very painful.

Another meeting on 2/10.

EAP Advisory Team meeting 1/21/09

This meeting was organized by Katheryn Horton (Sonoma State's EAP Coordinator) and well attended by folks from SCOE, the local high schools, SSU, SRJC, SSU, and PACE was represented by David Plank and Michael Kirst. California passed a bill requiring the JC system to have a pilot project using the CSU EAP for placement.

After Michael presented 'setting the groundwork' theKatheryn and Crista Amouroux provided information about the EAP. Many questions from the crowd. Seems this is not going to be a walk in the park. After lunch breakout sessions wer organized first by educational sector, then vertical team. Good stuff regarding messaging to students (Michael's forte - see The College Puzzle and the Bridge Project) and alignment with CSU/JC testing.

Katheryn also handed out a CSU publication I've never seen called The Early Assessment Program Handbook for School Site Leaders. Another thing to research: The American Diploma.

Robert Moss - Secret History of Dreaming

Robert Moss was guest speaker at Copperfields Sebastopol.

Intetesting guy. Really excited about Obama's recollection of dreams. Moss proposes Obama's dreams show he has compassion for the past (ancestory) and willingness to help and practice patience --- and he's not afraid to talk about it.

Dreaming is about waking up.
Dreamers are time travelers.
Library fairy - the books will come to you. A life of whimsy and coincidence.

His book is about famous people's dreams and how the dreams helped them get to where they need to go: Harriet Tubman dreamed of the slave's escape routes. She'd scout while dreaming and vision arial maps.

The big stories find the right people to tell them.

Live bravely and boldly.

www.mossdreams.com