The Pajaro Valley Unified School District is sitting on $20 million, while students and teachers are suffering in overcrowded classrooms. Those funds are needed to alleviate the burden resulting from recent reductions that have undermined essential programs for our students.

What was cut?

What were the consequences in the classroom?

What can you do?

Support children and educators as we unite for quality school services and fair treatment from the School Board and Administration on Wednesday, November 16th at 6:30 p.m. click for details

Cuts during the last 4 years included:

• Drastic layoffs of teachers, nurses and counselors
• Elementary class size increase from 20 to 30 students
• Furlough Days in 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years
• Layoffs of bus drivers, office staff, cafeteria, custodians library media techs and maintenance workers
• Elimination of many successful educational programs

Is this what you want for the children of our community?

Affects of Cuts in the Classroom: (actual examples from PVUSD educators)

• Spending more time managing behaviors, less time instructing students.
• A higher number of high-risk, high-need students in one class impacts all student instruction.
• The ability to meet with kids in small groups is hindered, it is difficult to provide immediate feedback.  (One example is a veteran teachers who used to do 3 literacy groups per week, can now only do 2.)
• Less time with small groups in general means less time to get to know students, to listen to them, and to provide deeper explanation of concepts.
• Now have more combo classes so the above points pertain but are amplified even more.  Combo classes affect the entire school community.
• Detrimentally affected bi-lingual programs.
• Classes are louder, more students to distract each other- takes away from instructional time.
• Work stress and overall working conditions have deteriorated.  More teachers out sick= more substitute teachers.  This all impacts student achievement.
• Adult to student ratio campus-wide is down.
• Recess is crazy!  Not enough supervision.
• More overall discipline problems (with less supervision) on the playground trickles into the classrooms. More bullying.
• Due to 33% increase in student numbers, teachers spend less quality time on each report card.
• Due to 33% increase in student numbers, less quality time spent in parent conferences.
• Less overall quality of instruction:  “I know what we need to cover but I just can’t get to it!” – Elementary Teacher
• Not enough furniture for students! Very crowed classrooms.
• Students carrying chairs overhead to reading groups is a safety issue.
• Standardized Assesments take longer resulting in less instructional time.
• There are fewer if any field trips.
• Students with health issues (allergies, seizures, asthma etc.)  and medical needs are not being met or monitored since there are fewer school nurses and too many students in the classroom.
• Computer time is limited due to more students.
• Special Education referrals are more difficult to detect due to less teacher- student interaction.

What Can Be Done?

We need to reinstate class size reduction, and we do not want to disrupt our current classes yet again this year. Therefore, we support a plan to reinstate programs and services to the same level as 2010-11, as provided by AB 114.

One possible scenario is to hire an additional certificated teacher for each school, elementary or secondary, that does not currently have class size reduction. This teacher could be an intervention teacher to push into the classroom or pull out small groups, thereby giving students more of the individualized attention that they need.

Attend the upcoming School Board Meeting:

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Gather with fellow teachers at 6:30 p.m.

PVUSD District Office Board Room: 294 Green Valley Rd., Watsonville