Peoria United Parent Council

Standing for Students

ebulletin: January 1, 2010

"Never before in my educational career has public education been in such a crisis. If the budget override is not renewed (in 2010), it is going to be catastrophic for our district," Dr. Denton Santarelli, PUSD Superintendent.

The Peoria United Parent Council will be holding a budget meeting for all parents and community members in the next couple of months (Date TBA). During this meeting we hope to engage district administrators and city officials in an open discussion regarding what PUSD must cut to reduce the budget by 18 million due to the failure of the recent override election, what these cuts will mean for our schools and the cities of Glendale and Peoria. See chart below of possible cuts presented by Dr. Santarelli during a November meeting at the district office.

In this ebulletin you will find (1) a chart prepared by PUSD administration regarding ways to cut PUSD budget by 18 million, (2) a statement from the Mayor of Peoria, Bob Barrett, regarding funding for district schools (3) an recent article by reporter Jeffrey Javier of the Arizona Republic and (4) letters to the editor by a former Peoria city council member (5) a former PUSD teacher and (6) a letter from a PUSD parent regarding Old Main funding as well as (6) the website for the committee that continues to support the need to pass an override election for our schools.

This ebulletin contains strong opinions from members of our community that were published in local papers regarding issues that promise to be in the headlines for much of 2010. PUPC invites your participation in the discussion regarding these critical issues. (Meeting TBA) Finally, the children, teachers and community members of PUSD are depending on your informed vote on ballot issues as well as for candidates who truly support district schools at the polls this November. Your vote is critical to the success of PUSD.

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From Peoria Times/Glendale Star Newspaper report regarding meeting after override failure in November:

Dr. Santarelli presented a possible scenario that illustrated $18 million in cuts and how that would affect non-mandated programs and class sizes.

NOTE: (Cuts are in addition to the expected funding cuts from the state in 2010 and in addition to PUSD cuts that were made in 2009 due to drastically reduced state funding for district schools. The cuts below simply illustrate a way 18 million could be cut if PUSD does not use its last chance in 2010 to pass an override.)

High school ($4.9 million)

- Extra curricular/athletics - $2.2 million

- (Terbush, Override Chair, said athletic fees could go up from $100 to $200 or even $350. Santarelli said studies have shown the positive motivational effects of athletic participation.)

- Assistant principals - $1.7 million

- Increase section size maximum - $700,000 (/Terbush said could be 4-5 student increase in some classes, depending on enrollment)

- Advisors - $300,000

Elementary ($12.8 million)

- Physical education - $3 million (PE teachers are not mandated by state. PE can be taught by classroom teacher or eliminated in many cases)

- Assistant principals - $2.7 million

- PAL (reading) teachers and assistants - $2.4 million

- Music/Art - $2.1 million (EX: Art teachers are not mandated, so art classes could be taught by non-art teachers.)

- Gifted - $1.2 million

- Increase K-4 class size maximum- $950,000 (Santarelli said the maximum in a class is 30 now.)

- Increase 5-8 class size maximum- $450,000

All schools ($3.42 million)

- Instructional specialists - $2 million (Santarelli said, and their numbers have already been reduced by two-thirds due to cuts from the state.)

- Library - $740,000

- Nurse - $680,000

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From the desk of Mayor Bob Barrett

December 2009

The failure of voters to approve the PUSD override is a staggering blow
not only to the school district, but also to the City of Peoria and its
residents. We have been engaged in trying to attract major employers to Peoria
to locate new businesses along the soon to be completed Loop 303 and the high
quality school district has been a major selling point. No major employer,
either foreign or domestic, will locate in Peoria if we allow our schools to
slide into mediocrity or worse. The override is not only a benefit to the school
district but it also is a benefit to the City itself...and therefore to you as
residents. New employers mean new jobs, new money injected into the economy and
that will help prevent the loss of city services, such as libraries, parks,
etc., in these trying economic times. Please help us maintain the high quality
of our schools so that we can maintain the high quality of the city and its
services it provides to you by helping us get the PUSD override approved.

Peoria Mayor Bob Barrett

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Arizona Republic

This letter to the editor appeared in the Arizona Republic on December 30, 2009. Note: Representative Murphy is also a PUSD Governing Board Member.

Legislators out to destroy schools

The recommendations of Rep. Rick Murphy's Arizona House committee, dominated by hard-line public-school haters, prove the theory that they are bent on dismantling Arizona's tradition of supporting public schools.

The practice of donors/parents "swapping" donations to these scholarship organizations is a great way for private schools to prosper at the expense of those students and parents who can't afford the private tuition.

The committee's refusal to ensure that scholarships go to the financially needy or to give the Department of Revenue or the Department of Education any funding to scrutinize these tuition organizations blatantly shows their real intentions.

The Arizona Legislature is supposed to work together (the Democrats were elected by their communities, too) to solve our problems. Doing away with teaching-contract protections and continuing to find ways to drain public school funds is not a positive step.

And then, on top of this blatant abuse of our system, to suggest that these (private) tuition tax credits should be increased, to drain more money from the state budget that is already billions in the red, is asinine.

These "leaders" should be replaced by representatives who care about more than their own issues. Rick Murphy, a Glendale Republican, is just one of the leaders of this jihad.
—Steve Poe, Peoria

Opinions expressed are that of the author.
Mr. Poe is a former Peoria City Council member and active member of the PUSD community.

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Unified School District teachers feeling pinch

Taja Cantlon/The Arizona Republic

Ray Vasquez is a Spanish teacher and swim coach at Cactus High School. But what most of his students don't know is that he also works at a Blockbuster every weekend for $7.62 per hour.

by Jeffrey Javier - Dec. 31, 2009 09:51 AM
The Arizona Republic

Ray Vasquez is a Spanish teacher and swim coach at Cactus High School in the Peoria Unified School District

He's been teaching in the district for seven years and has a master's degree from the College of Education at NAU.

But what most of his students don't know is that he also works at a Blockbuster every weekend for $7.62 per hour to help make ends meet for his wife and two children.

Because of state budget cuts

and other losses in funding, the district had to cut salaries and require teachers and staff to take two furlough days.

Holly Urbancic, executive director and representative of the Peoria Classroom Teachers Association, said teachers also took reductions in Proposition 301 money, pay raises funded in part by state sales tax money..

She added that teachers participating in the Career Ladder program, a state performance pay program, were also affected and will see a pay decrease.

The cuts affect not only teachers and their families, but the students they teach.

"This impacts children, because it is the teachers who stay late to help students who now will have to say no to extra duties as they work another job to support their families," Urbancic said.

Despite working a second job, Vasquez is wholly committed to teaching

his students.

"My main effort is teaching students Spanish, and because of my time constraints, I've learned how to teach smarter and not harder," he said.

Being efficient is the key to balancing teaching during the school day, coaching after school and working on the weekend, he said. With a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old at home, he strives to not bring too much of his work home so he can be with his kids and help around the house.

But often that time is limited - Vasquez typically comes home between 6 and 7 p.m.

"Family time is the biggest sacrifice I've had to make," he said.

His wife, Lindsay, is also a teacher in the district, but after the loss of their third child in a pregnancy complication, she took a year's leave of absence.

Coaching the swim team from August to October is another way Vasquez earns money to help pay for one of his kids to attend preschool. But the pay was less than he expected after the district reduced stipends for teachers who coached or advised an after school activity

With all the reductions in pay, it's left him with some bitter feelings.

"It's the same kind of work for less pay," he said. "From an emotional standpoint, it tells you what you're worth."

Adam West, co-president of the Peoria Education Association teachers group and a teacher at Cactus High School, said teachers with second jobs don't lose focus or energy when it comes to the students in the classroom. But he added that it doesn't mean that they haven't lost something.

"We lose creativity," he said. "Teachers will still show up on time, teach the class and grade papers, but when you lose that free time because you have to go to another job after school, that's time taken away for the kids."

Teachers with that extra time can come up with different and creative ways to approach a lesson, he said. Students also lose out when a teacher can't stay after school to tutor or provide additional help.

Vasquez is glad he has a job at Blockbuster in case there are more cuts in education funds. Since the swim season ended, he has also been working with the athletic director at his high school to fill in at other jobs.

"I've been picking up some extra things around here on campus," he said. "I sometimes work the game clock for 12 bucks an hour a couple times a week for other sports."

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This letter to the editor appeared in the Arizona Republic on December 4, 2009.

More cuts to education make this a very sad day

I understand that the state is in a budget crisis, but I am totally offended and appalled by Governor Jan Brewer's quote, "This is a good day." She said this after she signed a bill to cut $300 million from education and social services.

How can making more cuts to education, when our state is already 48th in spending, be a good day? A more appropriate comment would have been, "This is a sad day."

Our teachers are being asked to work harder, with larger class sizes, program cuts and for less pay. Who will suffer for this? Our children, who are our future.

This is indeed a very sad day.

-Pam Moran

Opinions expressed are that of the author.
Mrs. Moran has two grown children, is a former Speech and Language Pathologist and an active member of the PUSD community.

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This letter to the editor appeared in the Peoria Times and Glendale Star on January 1, 2010. Note: Money generated from PUSD Override elections cannot be used to maintain or construct buildings. Override money is used to reduce class size and fund programs for kids. Bond money is used for buildings and is a separate election item on voter ballots.

PUSD Former Board Ignored Old Main Issue

I have never voted against a public school bond or override measure. I consider myself an ardent supporter of public education. I know some of the people on the committee to pass the PUSD Override, and they are good people. However, if any of the PUSD funding is put into preserving the Old Main building for a use that does not directly benefit our students, then I will vote against the Override and any bond that comes up for a vote within the PUSD.

I am all in favor of preserving historical buildings – but the group that approved the plans to rebuild the Peoria High School campus without first considering what to do with Old Main let this community down by ignoring the issue that is before us now. If the building plans had included renovation of Old Main rather than building entirely new buildings on the campus, we would not be where we are today. The former Board made a grave mistake. Let us not perpetuate it by spending millions more to preserve a building that is not fit for use by our students.

Our state budget is a disaster, and school funding will likely be cut again next year. We should not squander scarce dollars on a building that does not have an academic purpose, when we need to pay our teachers at least what they are receiving today to compensate them for the wonderful job they do teaching our children, our future. To continue the excellence of the PUSD, we need to retain excellent teachers and preserve class sizes at current limits.

Old Main is a beautiful building – but when faced with the choice of a crumbling past versus our shining future, I’ll pick our students every time.

-Suzanne Berger

Opinions expressed are that of the author.
Mrs. Berger is a PUSD supporter and volunteer as well as an active member of the Peoria/Glendale community.

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To Learn more about the PUSD override committee visit: www.vote4PUSDkids.com

To contact PUPC reply to this email. To add a friend or neighbor to our mailing list write to PeoriaUPC@aol.com

Please forward this email to anyone interested in issues related to Peoria Unified School District, which serves neighborhoods in Peoria, as well as parts of Glendale and Surprise.

Peoria United Parent Council
Standing for Kids
e-bulletin: December 6, 2005

Hello! In this e-bulletin, please find an update and highlights of Peoria United Parent Council’s (PUPC) efforts to change Peoria Unified School District’s (PUSD) lunchtime policy, a.k.a. open vs closed campus issue and communications regarding this matter with district officials. In addition, you’ll find information about how you can direct your tax dollars to help students and teachers in PUSD. And, you’ll find a quick Challenger Center update as well as information about PUPC’s 2006 Used Book Drive. At the end of this bulletin there is a list of Board members’ contact information, which we will routinely include for your ease in communicating with these elected representatives.

I. PUSD’s Lunchtime Policy, a.k.a. Open vs Closed Campus Issue

Community members can sign a petition that asks PUSD to close all HS Campuses at lunchtime, in front of the Bashas’ store, located at 75th Ave. and T-bird on Sunday, December 11th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. PUSD policy currently allows all junior and senior students to leave campus for the approximate 38 minute lunch period.

Anyone who currently has a petition should contact committee chairperson, Kathy Entringer, at 623-878-4717 ASAP. If you would like to help circulate petitions, please contact Kathy as well.

*See brief history of this issue and a recent news article after the numeral VI, toward the end of this bulletin.

II. Tax Credit Dollars Help Peoria Schools

Please consider directing a portion of your tax dollars to Peoria Schools. The AZ tax law allows taxpayers a TAX CREDIT for those that contribute to extra curricular activities at public schools. This year, as per Jim Cummings, tax dollars can be directed to Grad Night Celebrations---safe parties for seniors. You can access more information about the tax credit program by visiting the district’s website at www.peoriaud.k12.az.us or pick up a form at your neighborhood school. Mail (postmark by December 31st) or hand deliver your form to the Peoria Unified School District Administration Center, 6330 W. Thunderbird Road, Glendale, Ariz. 85306. Maximum-$300 per family. For more information, please call 623-412-5250.

III. Challenger Update

As you may recall, after a tremendous effort and many, many hours of time dedicated by members of the Peoria United Parent Council, the PUSD Governing Board finally removed funding from the budget that was being diverted to the Challenger Space Center, a private organization and not a part of the public school system. At this point, the district is having discussion about selling land to the Challenger Space Center. Dr. Erb has agreed to notify our organization when information regarding sale of the land becomes available. PUPC has unofficially asked for public records regarding the land transaction and repayment of the current debt to the district from the Space Center, which is approximately $800,000.00. Dr. Erb has communicated that there is no new information to share at this time.

IV. Used Book Drive

We will begin collecting used books from the community during our January meeting. It is our understanding that the district will once again assist us with collection efforts and they are looking for a space somewhere in the district to store the books as our collection grows. The used books will be given to children in the district that may not have books at home to call their own. Last year, PUPC collected more than 3000 books and distributed them with the help of students from the Cactus High School Hockey Club to students at Peoria Elementary School and Sun Valley Elementary School.

V. Your School Board and PUSD Superintendent

Pati Coury, pcoury79@cox.net Diane Douglas, dmdouglas@cox.net Pat Galbraith, patlgalbraith@aol.com Debra Raeder, debraeder@aol.com Pam Ferguson, pamferguson@cox.net

PUSD Superintendent: Jack Erb, jherb@peoriaud.k12.az.us

VI. RE: Open vs Closed Campuses. Article published in the North West Valley News

The leadership of the PUPC does not understand why Board members would make the statements made in the article below. The issue of closing campuses for all HS students has been discussed with district officials, by both Parent Council representatives and by individual parents repeatedly and for a long, long time.

Only HIGHLIGHTS: This issue was brought to the attention of Dr. Erb during a meeting with a parent in February of 2004. PUPC discussed forming a committee to pursue this issue during their December 14, 2004 meeting. On December 15, 2004 an e-bulletin announcing the formation of this new committee was sent to everyone on the database. The district’s Superintendent and the President of the PUSD Governing Board, Debra Raeder, as well as other Board members, regularly receive all announcements, meeting summaries and e-bulletins from our organizations, including this one.

In January of 2005, our PUPC Secretary met with the Deputy Superintendent and corresponded with an assistant Superintendent regarding this issue. Also in January, Debra Raeder and Pati Coury attended a PUPC meeting where Debra Raeder was one of our guest speakers and another speaker, Dr. Jennifer Johnson, addressed the topic of open vs closed campus. The following was copied from an e-bulletin that followed the January meeting. Again, the PUSD Governing Board President and Superintendent receive our bulletins.

Dr. Johnson offered background into how the closures came about and her experiences as principal on a campus when it was closed. She said parents at Thunderbird High School, along with administrators sought a solution after nine Thunderbird High students were killed in traffic accidents (not all were at lunchtime, however). In addition to safety concerns, administrators in the GUHSD looked at absentee rates and discipline referrals following lunch on an open campus. Following the study, the school closed lunch to any vehicular traffic, only allowing students to walk off campus for lunch. After three students nearly died of drug overdoses at a fast-food restaurant, the school closed completely at lunch, requiring all students to remain on campus during lunch. Dr. Johnson said, while she wasn't the most popular principal among students for making the change, she and her district recognized that adults are charged with making the best decisions for the safety of students, who don't always make the best decisions for themselves.

Between January and May of 2005, Jan Wilson and Kim Olsen had multiple conversations/communications with district administrators regarding closing all HS campuses. In fact, Kim Olsen, Co-Vice President of PUPC, had two face-to-face meetings with Dr. Erb regarding this issue as well as many others. During this time frame, district administrators agreed to meet with PUPC representatives specifically about this issue after PUPC’s May meeting, the agreed upon meeting never occurred.

In May of 2005 PUPC held another meeting where the open/closed campus issue was the main topic of discussion. In addition to Governing Board members, all PUSD HS Principals also received a special invitation to this meeting. Governing Board members Diane Douglas and Pati Coury attended, a PUSD Assistant Superintendent was one of our guest speakers, and Jim Cummings, PUSD’s Director of Public Relations took notes as he regularly does during all PUPC meetings. Approximately 80 parents and community members attended this meeting. Only three individuals in attendance signed in favor of keeping campuses open and there were pages of signatures collected in favor of closing campuses during this same meeting.

After each and every contact with district officials, members of the Parent Council followed the district’s step-by-step instructions, including contacting Principals after being told it was a site decision, asking for a investigatory committee and communicating with specific administrators. Early on, when PUPC asked for a district committee to study the issue, as instructed to do, no such committee was ever formed. Since all efforts to follow the chain of command had been exhaused, in August of 2005, the PUPC Executive Board allowed the committee of parents to begin collecting petition signatures at an event where two Board members were present.

Also in August, the PUPC officers wrote to Debra Raeder, Dr. Erb and Dave Moore, on behalf of hundreds of parents within our organization, again asking for a committee to study the issue and that this issue be placed on a PUSD Governing Board Agenda for public discussion.

In September, after more than 30 days had passed with no reply, the PUPC Executive Board again wrote to the President of the Governing Board, the Superintendent, and an assistant Superintendent with the same request.

In the meantime, Diane Douglas, the only Board member to recognize that the community wanted to be heard on this issue, asked five times for the PUSD lunchtime policy be added as an agenda item for a public meeting. Each time the other four governing board members did not indicate any interest in this topic and Ms. Douglas’ requests were denied.

Dr. Erb finally responded to PUPC on November 1, 2005 as follows, “this (open vs closed campus) presently is not being considered as an agenda item. If it changes, I will let you know. We will have staff in attendance at your meeting (November) in case there are other questions that they can answer.” Staff members did not attend this meeting as promised, except for Jim Cummings who said he was just an interested observer and refused to answer questions from those in attendance.

During this 3rd meeting, on November 17, dedicated to the lunchtime issue, only one person signed in favor of keeping campuses open while 45 signatures in favor of asking PUSD to closed all HS campuses for all students during the lunch period out of concern for student safety was collected.

On November 22nd, Jan Wilson, President of PUPC, gave an impassioned plea, along with other parents, to the governing board during a regular board meeting asking them to allow public discussion on this matter. To date, more than 500 PUSD residents have signed a petition in favor of closing HS campuses.

Yesterday, the leaders of PUPC asked Debra Raeder, President of the Governing Board, exactly what else parents could have, or should have done to bring this issue to the attention of the proper district authorities.

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THE ARTICLE BELOW WAS TAKEN FROM THE NORTHWEST VALLEY NEWSPAPER

Publication: Northwest Valley News; Date:Friday, DEC 02, 2005; Section:News; Page 4
PUSD board to debate open campus policy

Jennifer Prine Northwest Valley News

After nearly a year of campaigning, the parent group that has pushed to change the Peoria district’s lunch leave policy will see t h e d i s c u s s i o n o n a n upcoming governing board agenda.

Board President Debra Raeder and members Pati Coury and Diane Douglas said they would like to see the item on a future agenda after presentations from the community urging the district to close campuses during the lunch hour.

"I think we are a responsive board," Raeder said. "Up until this point, I hadn’t been contacted. I hadn’t been presented with the information that shows this has become a priority issue for so many."

Currently, junior and seniors at Peoria’s six high schools are permitted to leave campus to eat lunch. The policy has been the source of debate pushed by the Peoria United Parent Council — a group that describes itself as an informational outlet for parents. There have been three community meetings on the subject sponsored by the parent group since January.

"People are saying this needs to be done," said PUPC President Jan Wilson. "I personally have not had one single person say they want (campuses) open."

PUPC members said they are concerned students are putting themselves at risk for accidents while rushing between campus and eateries during the short lunch period. The PUPC first brought up the issue in January and later led a community informational meeting in May.

A third meeting was in November, and parents could sign petitions the group had taken around the community. Also at the November meeting was a presentation by Donna and Dennis Ebel, who have worked to close campuses around the Valley. The couple started the "Drive Kind" program after their daughter, Krystal, died in a lunch-hour accident near Mesa’s Dobson High School last December.

"People are passionate about this," Wilson said. "For every one parent that wants campuses open there another 24 that signed a petition to have them closed." She and a few other community members made presentations to the board about closing high school campuses during the Nov. 2 2 g o v e r n i n g b o a r d meeting.

Douglas asked the board to consider a discussion on closing the campuses for more than two months. However Raeder, Coury and board member Pat Galbraith said in past meetings that they did not feel the discussion was necessary for the time being.

Raeder said she changed her mind after receiving more responses from the community.
"Certainly this issue would have been brought to the board sooner, but it seemed as though this was all done without involving (the governing board)," Raeder said. "As soon as we became aware that this had become a community issue, we moved on it."

Coury said additional information came to light that convinced her to change her mind about the discussion. "Additional input that provided additional insight is what pulled it over for me," Coury said. "Putting the issue on as an agenda item for discussion is a good beginning. I still don’t know if closing campuses in the answer, but I think the answer will come about by looking at all aspects of the issue."

The item likely will appear on the board’s Dec. 13 agenda, district officials said.

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Please mark your calendars and plan to join us:

On Sunday, December 11th at the Bashas’ Store, located at the NW corner of T-bird and 75th Avenue, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 5p.m. to sign or turn in a petition regarding the open vs closed campus issue.

On Tuesday, December 13th at the district office during the regularly scheduled PUSD Governing Board meeting, PUPC will once again ask that the district to form a committee charged with determining whether or not it is the community’s will to maintain the current PUSD lunchtime policy as well as to determine the steps that need to be taken, immediately, if it is determined that campuses should be closed for all students.

For the next Peoria United Parent Council’s meeting at 7 p.m., on Thursday, January 19, at the district office.

The Peoria United Parent Council is a large group of parents and community members who have come together to advocate for the children of Peoria Unified School District. You can contact us by writing to PeoriaUPC@aol.com. If this free bulletin is being forwarded to you and you would like to receive it directly, please send your email address to PeoriaUPC@aol.com.

This letter to the editor appeared in the Arizona Republic on December 30, 2009. Note: Representative Murphy is also a PUSD Governing Board Member.

Opinions expressed are that of the author. Mr. Poe is a former Peoria City Council member and active member of the PUSD community.

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Unified School District teachers feeling pinch

Opinions expressed are that of the author.
Mr. Poe is a former Peoria City Council member and active member of the PUSD community.