'A sad day for education'

"It's a sad day for education."

Pleasant Valley School Board member Patty Lerner's lament summed up much of what was felt by her and the district's other top officials when it was determined late last week that 27 teaching positions in Pleasant Valley School District will likely be eliminated in 2009-10.

The Pleasant Valley School Board must approve $3.2 million in cuts at its March 19 meeting.

The district is expected to cut about 20 percent of its teaching force next year, due to a budget shortfall. There are 357 full-time teachers in the district. The board will probably vote to increase class sizes for kindergarten through third grade from 20 students per teacher to 24 per teacher, which will save the district $622,000.

"It's all very aggravating and sad," Lerner said. "Going 24 to 1, students will still receive a high education."

Superintendent Luis Villegas said that his staff briefly considered going to a 30to1 studentteacher ratio.

"Our board would not support that," he said. "I would not support that."

Villegas said he is perturbed that mostly younger teachers, many of them just beginning their careers, will be the first to be released.

"The last thing our board wants to do is see young teachers lose their jobs," the superintendent said. "Our principals are heartbroken by it. . . . Across the board, this is the last thing we want to do. But we're being forced into it."

California has a budget shortfall of $42 billion, and public schools across the state are expected to take an $11-billion hit. Lerner called it a "disproportionate" load.

Pleasant Valley is also expected to cut $540,000—or 19.9 percent—in categorical funds for Tier III programs. The cuts include reductions in instructional materials, a library improvement grant, physical education, an art and music grant, Gifted and Talented Education programs and supplemental counseling services.

Teachers have agreed to cut their paid work days from 184 to 182. Administration and classified staff will also take two furlough days in 2009-10. The off days will save the district about $292,000.

Seven classified and 16 certificated teachers are expected to retire, which will save Pleasant Valley an additional $304,000.

A 10 percent reduction in district supplies and services will save $145,000.

Linda Peralta, assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and assessment, said Oak Park Unified School District is the only public school district in the area that is trying to maintain the 20-to-1 classroom size standards. Villegas said Oxnard Union High School District is the only district in the county that will not issue any pink slips to its teachers.

Today, in honor of "Pink Friday," many Pleasant Valley teachers will wear pink and picket in front of their respective school sites to protest the state cuts. Villegas said he'll wear a pink tie and attend protests at Las Colinas Middle School this morning and a larger rally along Victoria Avenue in Ventura.

"We're getting to the point where anything we cut in some way, directly or indirectly, will affect kids," Lerner said, "and it's because we've made so many (cuts) over the years. At this point, the cuts from the state are so dramatic."