An appeal to Sharon McClain: Do not let emotion hijack reason

Source: Carmel Valley News, Letters to the Editor

The controversial decision by the Del Mar Union School District board’s recent release of Sharon McClain as superintendent will likely spur challengers to file with the Registrar of Voters to run for school board in the November election.

The school board’s legal counsel advised them to remain quiet about the details of Dr. McClain’s termination due to employer-employee confidentiality and her threat of litigation. Unfortunately, the public has insufficient information to determine whether the school board or Dr. McClain, or possibly a combination of both were negligent in their respective roles. Based upon her age, highest pay level, and years of experience in public education, Dr. McClain will receive an annual pension of $131,720 per year starting immediately. If we deduct her pension from the salary she would have received over the next two years, her gross loss would be $107,560. Since her husband is also a retired school superintendent who is also receiving a substantial state pension, their family income puts them in the highest tax bracket. Consequently, her net loss would only be around $70,000.

Of course, Dr. McClain could take other kinds of work, which would reduce this figure. For example, she stated when she was hired that she loves teaching in teacher/administrator preparation programs at the university level, and with her experience I am certain she could acquire one of those positions.

Logically, the risk outweighs the reward for Dr. McClain to sue the Del Mar School District. Attorney fees will likely eat away any gains she would receive from a lawsuit. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that she would prevail. Moreover, she would be putting herself through a lot of unnecessary stress. Finally, she would be hurting the children of the Del Mar Union School District by averting [sic] money and time towards a legal battle.

I appeal to Dr. McClain not to allow emotion to hijack reason. Instead of focusing on the offense of the three people who fired you, put your focus on the many people who gave you a standing ovation. You had a long and successful career, savor your accomplishments, rather than focus on how some people may perceive your performance due to the school board’s decision to release you.

As the parent of a child who will be attending the Del Mar Union School District in several years, I would like to know the rationale for releasing two superintendents during the past two years who previously had successful track records. An interesting school board race that would reveal answers to the community’s unanswered questions would be if Sharon McClain, Tom Bishop and Linda Crawford ran as a slate and went head-to-head against Annette Eason, Steven McDowell, and Katherine White in the November school board election.

Stephen Cochrane
Carmel Valley

CV News Letters to the Editor

Source: Carmel Valley News

Children will be impacted the most by the school district’s mess

Dear Del Mar Union School District board members,

I was at the Del Mar Union School District board meeting March 31, but decided not to speak. There were so many people that shared my feelings I figured I would let them speak for me. Now I regret not speaking because there is so much I have to say.

First of all, I would like to put it simply to the board members: garbage rolls down hill. You – yes, you and your personal vendettas, political ambitions, and inability to work effectively as a team are up there at the top. You have made a decision and just sent the garbage rolling downhill to:

• The Teachers
• The PTA’s
• The Foundation
• The Parents
• The Principals

And, most importantly, to our children! Our children are the ones who will be impacted the most by this mess that you have created. And that is so sad and so unfair to them.

I can only hope that now that you have decided to let Dr. McClain go, you will put every effort into moving on and seriously improving our district. The morale out there is so bad, you have a lot of work to do. Good luck with that.

Michele Lesher
Carmel Del Mar Parent and PTA Board Member

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DM school board creates problems rather than solve them

The Del Mar Union School District had the opportunity last week to right a wrong, and sadly they continued on their path deferring to “not enough information” and “premature decision making.” Could one of the trustees please tell me why, 10 months later, you still do not have the facts to make a decision? This board has spent valuable employee time and community time on a vicious circle to nowhere. A wild goose chase (aka 7-11 Committee) now deferred to “wait and see what the strategic budget task force” can come up with. Having been at a majority of these meetings, I was beginning to think this board was incapable of making one solid decision. However, now that I look at it, perhaps they are even more crafty and their long-term strategy has been continued deferment until even us die-hard attendees get tired of coming and there are no voices left to stand up against them.

What is even more frightening is that this board should have been expediting a budget process, but instead they have created an even bigger one. By tearing apart our community over possible school closures and co-location, they have turned neighbor against neighbor, child against child, they have created such uncertainty and animosity that our ESC programs are crippled, teachers will be laid-off, and our class sizes will be increased.

Those at the highest level of employment are afraid to speak out lest their jobs go the way of our former superintendent or beloved principals. Or, they put themselves at risk for an embarrassing public flogging to determine if the contracts had enough dotted “I”s and crossed “Ts.”

This board was elected as community representatives, to encapsulate the community voice, and enact what is for the greater good of the whole. Yet, so far all I have seen is four ineffective leaders trying to be corralled by one brave soul encouraging the board to take action and move forward. It is like trying to round up a group of schoolmates who would rather focus on petty grievances or old grudges, when they should be standing up as leaders and saying, “I take responsibility for our failures and suggest that we [fill in the blank with something that looks like progress].

Unfortunately, it is too late to recall this group and we are now forced to continue to watch this pathetic excuse for leadership take its course. However, I urge all of our community to be aware, for the 20 of us who stuck our heads out of the hole at the Feb. 24 meeting have seen our shadows and it looks like nine more months of upheaval.

Heidi Niehart

P.S. The board still has a chance to leave a legacy of progress if they would listen to the realtors and the attorneys and buy a building while it is buyer-friendly.

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The board’s vision of the DMUSD community is flawed

By Suzanne Hall
Parent, Torrey Hills Elementary School

After rejecting Superintendent Sharon McClain’s design for the composition of the Financial Planning Task Force (FTF) in favor of emphasizing community input, the DMUSD board created an unbalanced FTF that poorly represents the DMUSD community as a whole. This inequitable composition threatens the validity of any recommendations made by this task force.

The FTF is, in part, comprised of 13 parents. Logic would dictate that these 13 parents be spread as equitably as possible across the eight DMUSD schools, with no school receiving more than two parent representatives. However, two of the smallest schools in the district — Del Mar Hills and Ashley Falls — each have three parent representatives.

Conversely, the three largest schools in the district — Torrey Hills, Ocean Air and Sage Canyon — have between them a sum total of four representatives.

As a result, four FTF members represent 51 percent of the student population while 19.6 percent of the students have six representatives. Does this seem fair to the board? To parents of underrepresented schools, it falls far short of equity.

In addition, the board itself chose to appoint to the FTF two of the Del Mar Hills parents and two of the Ashley Falls parents. This, beyond the mandated appointment of a representative by the PTA at each school. The board knew that each of these schools already had one representative, and they chose to seat two more. Thus, the board is directly responsible for the inequity in the composition of the FTF.

Does the board truly believe that the voices of the parents of the other district schools matters less than that of parents at these smaller schools?

This board faces a number of challenging issues, including an increasingly divided community of parents. The composition of the FTF does little to improve the latter, and a concern is that it may do little to improve the budget crisis. The other members of the task force, staff and volunteers representing various aspects of the district, will be met with a skewed perspective on what the parents of the DMUSD want to see in dealing with the district budget crunch. How can these parents represent the well-being of the district as a whole when so many of them represent only one point of view?

The board has made a grave error. There is so very little time before they must make significant decisions for the potential benefit of the district, and yet they have set themselves up for failure by not developing an FTF of the composition they so strongly professed they wanted. This FTF does not represent the community of DMUSD. It represents only a small proportion of the community. And the message sent by the board is: it is the only part of the community that matters to them.

In response, I would remind the board: the larger community will be voting, come November.

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Superintendent’s actions cause for concern

I am a fairly new parent to the Del Mar school district, but I have been watching what has been going on during that time. One of the issues raised at the recent school board meeting has caused me enough concern that I am writing to you.

At this last school board meeting, I was watching a parent accuse trustee White of using the DMUSD legal services for her private use. How did this parent get information on district legal bills? I understand this parent made a request to the district for bills, but I have enough experience in my business life to know legal bills are always provided redacted, so that attorney-client privileged information is protected. In all the bills I have seen, the text describing the service is whited out. I am not necessarily concerned with the ignorance of this parent although her behavior was disrespectful and poor role modeling for the children in the audience. I am concerned that a superintendent would potentially put our district at risk for divulging attorney-client information to the public through these legal bills and documents.

I understood when Ms. White explained that her role as board president last year made her point person for legal issues and I understood this role now falls to Ms. Rodriguez. I saw the board explain this and concur this is how they work. But I don’t understand how a superintendent who was involved in an employee complaint which required the district to hire an attorney for this complaint should ethically be looking at these bills and how legally she can provide confidential information to someone. This is wrong.

Ms McClain, when hired for this district, was hired because she claimed to be a team player and a community builder, something this district really needed. Since her arrival, she has been divisive and has pitted school against school. I am now convinced, especially after this very concerning action, that she should be let go. She is damaging this district.

Hanna Morgan

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DMUSD school board tries to terminate second superintendent

By Kate Takahashi, DMUSD parent

How would you feel if your child forfeited his birthday presents to make a school donation only to find that three grown adults snatched it from her and threw it in the Pacific Ocean? If the three-person majority of Del Mar Union School Board succeeds in their agenda of firing Superintendent Sharon McClain, they would do just that, but on a much larger scale. Please read on.

The economic reality

During these tough economic times, we DMUSD parents are scrambling to save the cherished ESC programs that our district can’t afford. Honestly, it’s exhausting, but we do it for our children. And the children themselves are working hard to keep their teachers. I have stories of Girl Scout Troops donating, pancake breakfasts, garage sales... We’re all doing our best to scrape together every penny we can.

The economic crisis is not just affecting ESC. DMUSD’s reserves are millions of dollars below the recommended level for a Basic Aid district. If our reserves dip below 3 percent of expenditures, the state could be required to balance our budget in any way it sees fit — larger classroom sizes, teacher lay-offs – without community input.

The board’s actions

And what is our school board doing about the budget? They are calling their attorneys – daily at times – at the rate of $160/hour. From July through December of 2009, they racked up $21,339 in legal fees. What could be so important? The school board is searching for ways to fire Dr. Sharon McClain, the supremely qualified leader they chose in September 2008 to replace Tom Bishop, the last guy they fired that same year.

Disaster either way

If the board fires Dr. McClain for cause, she could sue for the length of her contract, plus benefits, plus attorneys’ fees. That could amount to as much as half a million dollars. If they buy out her contract for one year, that could approximate a quarter million dollars. Either way, that money comes from the district coffers to educate your child.

Incidentally, this board, in pursuing this wasteful litigation, is choosing to triple-pay a superintendent’s salary. Remember Tom Bishop? He’s Superintendent 1, and we are still paying his buyout. If they fire Dr. McClain – or Superintendent 2 – then the district would pay her while paying an interim superintendent, or Superintendent 3 (if they could find anyone willing to work here). So DMUSD would be paying Baby Superintendent, Mama Superintendent, and Papa Superintendent all at the same time, for a grand total that could approach a million dollars. Now I’m asking, Are you outraged yet?

Did I mention Dr. McClain doesn’t deserve this?

At the hard-to-believe age of 65, she is at the top of her professional game, having won Pepperdine University’s Superintendent of the Year Award, and having taught school governance at seven different universities. She has worked with and for children her whole life, having been an elementary teacher, university instructor, principal, assistant superintendent, superintendent (three times), mother, and foster mother. At this stage of her life, she has chosen her most challenging job yet as superintendent of DMUSD, and she has thus far guided us through this financial crisis with optimism and smart ideas.

And, gratefully, she’s still here. Let’s be there for her.

What we can do:

1. Talk: Tell people what you have learned about this board. If you are unsure about any facts or figures in this editorial, ask DMUSD about what public records you have a right to see, including their attorney bills. Research past articles from local papers.
2. Make it a daily task to log on to dmusd.org in order to know if a board meeting is taking place. If it is, go to “view agenda.” Be on the lookout for “Public Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release.” If that is there, there could be a closed meeting to terminate Dr. McClain. The board must hear public input before they go into closed session. Fill out a speaker slip, wait for your name to be called, and you will have three minutes to tell the board how you feel. If you are uncomfortable speaking, write a letter to the board and have a friend read it and/or send a letter to the board.
3. Vote: Cast your ballot this November. Tell your friends to vote, as well.

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Solution to the problem is obvious

Sometimes there is an obvious solution to the problem. Del Mar Union School District Superintendent Sharon McClain came with previously used and not the best idea of changing school boundaries again to fill low enrollment schools. Superintendent Bishop tried just that. He wanted to force parents of children living next to Torrey Hills and Sage Canyon schools to drive their children to and from Del Mar Heights and Hills schools every school day. Those parents were paying Mello-Roos tax to be able to send their children to neighborhood schools. It took a lot of time and energy to convince him to instead let Sage Canyon accept more children. Do you want to repeat the past?

Why would anyone even suggest adding offices to Torrey Hills school knowing that there is a plan to built a condominium complex just across from this school and the enrollment will increase again.

From Google maps, one can see that the distance between Del Mar Hills and Del Mar Heights schools is 0.8 mile, it takes 3 minutes by car, or 14 minutes by walking. Are there any other schools in the district so close to each other? You have a half empty school, space for additional kids in nearby schools, you need space for the office, what do you do?

Grazyna Krajewska
Torrey Hills

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Leave district boundaries intact, don’t hire vice principals

I wanted to comment on Del Mar Union School District Superintendent Sharon McClain's comment in the Jan. 29 article titled “DM superintendent recommends district buy property for headquarters” which stated "McClain mentioned making boundary changes east of Interstate 5 as a possible cost-saving option. As Sage Canyon and Ocean Air each have around 700 students and Torrey Hills nears that size, the schools will need vice principals. She said the district could save $850,000 by reducing the enrollment size of the three schools through boundary changes (students would be moved to other schools in the district). The enrollment changes would eliminate the need for the three vice principal positions. The re-boundary could also help boost enrollment numbers at Ashley Falls.”

Homes in the boundaries of these three schools are south of the 56 freeway, many have been paying a special Mello Roos tax for a "neighborhood school" for years, and all are several miles away from Ashley Falls (and require crossing a major freeway), making that far from being a "neighborhood school." Before any consideration is given to changing boundaries for these three schools, I sure hope they will eliminate the policy that has grandfathered in many kids outside of these school boundaries.

I used to watch every morning the many dozens of cars from north of the 56 that would cross the freeway bringing their kids over to our area schools. Does it make any sense to have kids driven from homes north of the 56 to school south of the 56, and drive kids from homes south of the 56 to school north of the 56? It wastes fuel, and it breaks up the integrity of having kids who live near one another go to school together, which would facilitate friendships and neighborhood cohesiveness. Another suggestion would be to leave the census and boundaries as is and just not hire the vice principals, if their cost is the issue. I wanted to bring this suggestion to light to the community before it gets much traction.

Kathy Rowe

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School bored, school daze, school wars

By Gordon Clanton

School board politics is the most local politics of all. This may explain the intensity, nay, the rancor that often characterizes school board meetings and school board elections. Until recently, the Del Mar Union School District was spared such struggles. But no more.

In 2006, dissident board member Annette Easton recruited Katherine White and Steven McDowell to help her take over the board. The new majority fired the superintendent. Now the board is feuding with the new superintendent they hired.

Full disclosure: I opposed the insurgent slate in 2006, supporting Barbara Myers and Martha Murphy. I was not persuaded that the incumbent board should be turned out, and I found the strident and expensive insurgent campaign off-putting.

I re-joined the fray when I learned that the board was considering closing the Del Mar Hills Academy. I live three blocks from the Hills school. Although I have no children, I consider the school an important part of my community.

My neighbors with children in the Hills school are upset to learn the school may close. They like the fact that their kids can now walk to school without crossing Del Mar Heights Road. They are alarmed that some parents in the district support closing the Hills school as a likely way of preserving their own neighborhood schools.

By the way, I’m suspicious of estimates that purport to show ever-decreasing enrollments for the Hills school and Del Mar Heights school. What’s happening in my neighborhood is that elderly residents are dying, and young couples with school-age children are purchasing their houses.

So, having sold the Shores school site, the school district needs to find a new home for its administrative offices, thus stirring fears of school closings.

Meanwhile, the Del Mar campaign to pay for the Shores property has come up short, with more than $3.5 million owed.

Nobody asked me but: If the school district were to buy back or lease back the portion of the Shores site it currently occupies, then it would have no need to find a new location. Simultaneously, the debt owed by the city of Del Mar would be substantially reduced. The district could gain flexibility by moving more administrative functions to available space at schools that are under-enrolled.

I hope the board will find a way to keep all the schools open, thus reducing the prevailing anxiety and distrust.

The neighborhood school is part of a social fabric that ought not be casually rent asunder.

Gordon Clanton teaches sociology at San Diego State University. He welcomes comments at gclanton@mail.sdsu.edu.

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Killing two birds with one stone: Resolving multiple issues within the DMUSD

Now that the 7/11 committee has issued its final report, the DMUSD Board of Trustees is tasked with resolving the movement of the district offices. In addition, it has directed that a financial task force begin working on options for cutting expenses within the district. It is imperative that the board considers the financial health of the DMUSD as it makes its determination as to where to place the district offices and maintenance operations.

Superintendent McClain has made a recommendation that the board use the money from the sale of the Shores property to purchase a site for the district offices. The superintendent stated that a decision needs to be made expeditiously. Dragging this process out can cost the district money, as property values of lots for sale will eventually escalate, and interim leasing of a temporary space would bleed badly needed funds from the DMUSD budget. The board is urged to make a decision soon.

One of the superintendent's alternate recommendations is to house the district offices on a school site. This is a bad idea, unless that school site was designated solely for the purpose of district offices and maintenance operations. District offices should be housed separately from students. Joint use endangers children and degrades the atmosphere of the school, which in turn reduces the quality of the educational experience for the children at that site. Further, joint use options at school sites provide no significant cost savings to the district. Resolving the move of district offices without an eye to the financial crisis the DMUSD is experiencing is imprudent.

Closure of a school would allow for the offices to be unified at one site, while providing cost savings needed by the district. The 7/11 committee determined that the DMUSD would save at least $450,000 annually if a school were closed. This could protect the job of one teacher at each of the remaining school sites, year after year.

Closing a school does not completely cover the projected gap in the DMUSD budget for the next two years. However, in combination with other proposed money saving options, such as installing solar panels, school closure can provide more than an estimated $1,000,000 per annum. How many teachers' jobs could be saved with that figure? It is too significant to be ignored.

In summary, the board is urged to keep the district's financial situation in the forefront of their minds during deliberations regarding the move of district offices. It is a certainty that the DMUSD will need to be making cuts to the budget in the near term to make ends meet. Let's hope the board of trustees does not exacerbate the need for cuts by disregarding cost savings measures available to them in making this decision.

Suzanne Hall
Torrey Hills mom

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Del Mar school board has taken district in a new direction — south

Given the realization of the mess their micro-management has created in the last three years, the majority slate of three orchestrated the election of first-year board member Comischell Rodriguez as president of the board at the organizational meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009.

While there was understandable elation in the audience at President Rodriguez’s election, the community needs to be reminded that she continues to remain only one vote out of five on the school board. If President Rodriguez is able to restore protocol and time-efficiency to the conduct of public meetings, that alone would be a significant contribution to the community.

Meetings have become nitpicking marathons of minutiae and seemingly endless time-wasting discussion, with the audience wandering and chatting and eating throughout the entire proceedings. The retreating board members vowed sincerely to support President Rodriguez throughout what will soon become a very challenging year for her. And, we can hold them to their word, can’t we? After all, when the majority slate of three fired the superintendent in February 2008, they indicated that they wanted to take the district in a new direction. Well, they surely did. We just didn’t know that direction was south.

Martha Cox

Don’t sling mud if you want to silence the ‘mud slingers’

Source: Carmel Valley News, October 9, 2008

Re: Marsha Sutton’s column of Sept. 11, 2008

Once again, we are compelled to provide a response that depicts an accurate picture of the climate among the educators in Del Mar Union School District. The first reaction was to simply turn the page, ignoring the negative and divisive language used in an attempt to drive a wedge between educators in the district. But on further reflection, we felt the community deserved the truth and feared some might read Marsha Sutton’s opinion column and perceive it as fact. Ms. Sutton states, “What Del Mar sorely needs now is to become one united district, intolerant of anything less than full cooperation, support and mutual respect” and yet her comments are laced with inflammatory language and unfounded allegations concerning DMUSD educators. Many of us were shocked to hear statements suggesting that anyone would purposefully “ostracize” our fellow colleagues at Del Mar Heights School. It prompted us to inquire as to whether the Heights staff actually felt this way and the answer was an emphatic “NO.” It’s important to know that staffing within any district is fluid and many of us have worked at more than one school; therefore, we don’t define ourselves as educators loyal to only one school site. We all have close friends and former colleagues scattered throughout the district. We think of them fondly and maintain utmost respect for each other. As professionals, our main objective is to advocate for every student, regardless of which school they attend or the politics of the community. For those of us who have the privilege to teach in the DMUSD, education does matter.

We agree that adults can tear down any progress within this district with unfounded gossip, and therefore have resolved to quickly address any rumors which concern the unified body of educators in the DMUSD. We challenge Ms. Sutton to join us and refrain from turning the handle of the “Rumor Mill.” If you truly desire to silence the “mud slingers,” then stop choosing a side and slinging mud.

Del Mar California Teachers Association

Marsha Sutton’s response:

I understand this response. Most of Del Mar’s 273 teachers are revolted at the notion that some of their peers may be engaging in petty, political conduct. I get that. No one wants to be associated with people whose actions are so unseemly.

I also know from experience that teachers unions can be overly sensitive, sometimes taking a circle-the-wagons approach when any one of their members is criticized. Such criticism, no matter how valid, can trigger an intense reaction that’s often designed to silence, intimidate or humiliate anyone who dares to expose some hidden fault or uncover problems.

But shooting the messenger is not the answer.

I don’t just sit here all day inventing lies and dreaming up ways to upset teachers. I stand by my story. What I wrote about the Heights teachers being avoided by some (some) other teachers and staff in the district has been validated by far too many for far too long to discount its legitimacy.

It’s not hard to understand why the guilty won’t admit it and the ostracized refuse to open up, given the politically charged nature of the culture in the Del Mar Union School District.

Teachers are no different than any other group of people who choose to form an association: most are honest, hard-working, decent and trustworthy.

But not all are angels. This fact of human nature does not in any way demean the entire organization. But to deny the truth, that this situation has existed beneath the radar, is to put on blinders to very real problems that should be addressed.

What this issue sorely needed was some sunshine. For only when light is shed on such divisiveness will it end.

Sutton’s recent editorial: Enough already!

Re: Marsha Sutton’s column of Sept. 11, 2008

As PTA president of Del Mar Hills Academy, and a former parent at both the Hills and the Heights, I found Marsha Sutton’s most recent editorial disturbing. Instead of offering a sincere welcome to our incoming superintendent, Dr. Sharon McClain, she seems intent on berating some undisclosed, apparently small group of parents for a lack of “open, civil discourse” in this school district. In fact, she says, “sneaky is the operative word...”

So I want to address hidden agendas and a lack of full disclosure regarding Sutton’s reporting on DMUSD politics. Specifically, has Sutton ever clarified in print the fact that two of her children attended Del Mar Heights and that, as a result, she is understandably biased in favor of the Del Mar Heights point of view? As Marsha has pointed out to me herself, she writes an editorial, so she has every right to air her own personal opinions. And I’m sure we can all agree that editorials have their place in news organizations. However, Marsha is listed in the Carmel Valley News and Del Mar Village Voice’s “masthead” as its “Senior Education Writer,” which would seem to contradict the very fact that she writes opinion pieces. I would thus suggest that Sutton’s editorial board take the steps necessary to clarify exactly what her official role is at the paper.

Another example of Sutton’s bias was her discussion of Del Mar Heights as “coincidental home to three school board members.” Two of these three school board members just COINCIDENTALLY ran together… with the express purpose of firing Tom Bishop, whom they felt had spent too much time attacking and undermining the efforts of their Del Mar Heights principal. Whether their concerns were justified or not could be debated endlessly, I’m sure, but the school board members’ efforts to get elected are hardly “coincidental.” Then this past spring, the board appointed a THIRD Del Mar Heights parent to replace former school board member Linda Crawford…another fairly well-orchestrated political maneuver, it would seem to me (although I believe that, at first blush, Mr. Doug Perkins is doing an admirable job of remaining fair and even-handed in his approach).

But as I’ve noted before in this paper, “seeming” is everything; what continues to be a source of discontent in this district is the PERCEPTION that the school board represents the views of only one school, because the majority of its members come from that school, and that the main journalistic voice on education in this community is also a Del Mar Heights parent. Surely Sutton can understand that.

And let me clarify a point that I think Marsha Sutton also manages to muddy in her article. Just because many of us in this community object to perceived biases among the school board and the local newspaper does NOT mean that we, ipso facto, despise or in any way wish the parents, administrators, or especially the children of Del Mar Heights ill. In fact, I believe I can speak for my own parent constituency at the Hills in saying that many of us know, like, and respect our counterparts at the Heights.

That is another reason that I find Sutton’s article so disturbing…and potentially damaging…to the community, particularly her comment about “the defamation of Del Mar Heights School, where parents and staff have been deliberately ostracized by principals, teachers, and parents from other schools in the district.” I know that parents at Del Mar Hills found Sutton’s above statement ludicrous. And I think it is an insult to the faculty members of every school in this district to suggest that teachers would let district politics get in the way of their professional dedication and their interactions with their colleagues at other schools.

And that goes for parent leaders as well; just yesterday, I had a great time sitting right next to the PTA president for Del Mar Heights, with whom I share a real friendship and an easy rapport, at a district strategic planning meeting. So I’m wondering where Marsha obtained her information and for what purpose her accusations are intended?

Now, with regard to Tom Bishop, I’ll tell you where “grudges die hard in Del Mar” – right here in Sutton’s columns. I’m pleased to report that most of Tom’s tenure was either before my time in the schools or during that blissful period when I was unaware of rancorous district politics.

So by watching his record denigrated again by Sutton and watching her complain again about his ex-supporters, I must note with bewilderment that the person who can’t seem to get over Tom Bishop is….Marsha Sutton. So here’s a Hot News Flash: the Tom Bishop era is over, a fact Sutton can celebrate (privately, please!) and MOVE ON! This pot doesn’t need to be stirred anymore, and I, for one, am tired of reading about it.

And as for Sutton’s new DMUSD school board —one that includes the candidates she championed personally — the jury remains out on whether they can or will tackle the litany of difficult issues Sutton rightly noted that they face. To date, the only policies of note they’ve managed to promulgate are the firing of one superintendent and the hiring of another…plus the sale of the Shores property at a price far beneath what they could have realized. Meaningful, multi-year decisions on enrichment funding? Support for the Del Mar Schools Education Foundation? The mounting budget deficit? Finding a new district office? On theseissues, we’ve come up empty-handed so far. In fact, as parent leader of Del Mar Hills, I can tell you that they have even stymied DMUSD management attempts to draw up a timeline for hiring a new principal at the Hills this fall. They apparently can’t decide…six weeks into the school year…if they’re going to let us hire a new permanent principal…or a second interim at the Hills.

But enough already…from all of us nay-sayers. What this cranky old parent is looking for is some real journalistic integrity about Sutton’s biases and some serious reporting about the BRIGHTER, more positive side of our school district. I challenge Sutton to write an article about the cooperative and united efforts to improve the education of our children that are going on by the dozens among schools in our district right now! Let’s put the past behind us and REALLY help Sharon McClain be successful, starting with a clean-up of the journalistic atmosphere in which she has to work! Sutton’s biases and divisiveness should simply no longer be tolerated.

Kerry Traylor
PTA President, Del Mar Hills Academy

Easton: Setting the record straight on the Spanish Discovery Program

The Del Mar Union School District is fortunate to be located in such a passionate and proactive community. DMUSD parents are passionate about the education of their children and everyone in the community is rightfully concerned that those entrusted to make fair, fiscally-sound decisions, do so.

These community characteristics have certainly been evident in the discussion about the Spanish Discovery Program proposed for the Del Mar Heights School. I appreciate those in the community who are willing to get involved, to ask the necessary questions, and to contribute fair, rational suggestions that help resolve issues associated with any DMUSD matter. Thankfully, the DMUSD community has raised a number of legitimate concerns that must be answered in order for the Spanish Discovery Program to go forward and to be sustainable.

Over the past weeks, members of the board have talked to many community members and have read hundreds of letters, emails and petitions regarding the proposed Spanish program. I recognize and share many of questions and concerns that have been raised about the program. Unfortunately, some of the information and concerns presented in this mound of material is unfounded and/or inaccurate. As the board resumes its discussion of this issue at the continuation of the board meeting on June 11, I expect the important questions to be asked again and I expect that our capable district staff will be able to provide honest, fair, and fiscally-sound answers to the questions.

There are two facts related to the proposed program that I hope will clear up some of the confusion and misinformation that is circulating regarding the program: 1) cancelling the Spanish Discovery Program will not reduce the ESC staffing at the Heights; 2) cancelling the Spanish Discovery Program will not create a third class section at Del Mar Hills. The enrollment from the Hills/Heights attendance area is projected by Davis Demographics to remain fairly consistent (at about 100 students) for the next seven years. This equates to five classes of kindergarten for the Hills/Heights attendance area. Based on demand from their respective neighborhoods, the Heights has been allocated three kindergarten classes and the Hills has been allocated two kindergarten classes. The additional fourth class at the Heights is a result of Carmel Valley children opting to enroll in the Spanish Discovery Program.

Some have raised concerns that all of the details of the Spanish Discovery Program have not been fully developed. While I certainly agree that we need well-thought out programs, it is important to realize that the education model is somewhat different than a business model.

In business, it is expected that data will be analyzed inside and out, backwards and forwards to develop plans that address every possible contingency. In education, programs are planned with equal care and concern but the process differs upon implementation. Take, for example, our writing program (which is offered only as an example and not a point of discussion). During the year, students have regular minor writing assessments, coupled with periodic major writing assessments. The teachers meet to review the results of these assessments, even with a curriculum that is ‘tried-and-true.” Sometimes, teachers learn that what worked well with one group of students didn’t work well with another group. Sometimes what worked last year didn’t work this year. Based on what is working, and what isn’t working, instruction changes. This is the heart of the Professional Learning Community (PLC) model that the entire DMUSD has embraced. Teachers collaborate to develop a fluid program that ultimately helps all students learn.

I believe the premise of the Professional Learning Community is fundamental to the success of the Spanish Discovery Program. Over many years, Heights teachers and staff have researched and planned what they feel to be the optimum curriculum model for the Spanish Discovery Program and they have determined the best way to introduce the program next year. The creators of this program admit that some of questions cannot be answered at this time but they have the experience and wisdom of the Professional Learning Community to make sure the program is assessed and adjusted to be successful. Certainly there will be adjustments made to the Spanish program, but in my opinion taking an additional year to study/develop the program isn’t what is needed. Sometimes all the answers are not known in advance and we have to trust that our highly qualified staff will do the best to make our programs work.

However, with that said, there are important questions that still need to be answered about the Spanish Discovery Program. Some of these questions are related to the fiscal impact of the program. Most district programs, including the proposed Spanish program, are explicitly linked to enrollment data. Experience has shown that enrollment numbers across the entire district will continue to change over the summer. While district staff can estimate the cost, until actual enrollment is known when the school year begins, the exact cost of a program, such as the Spanish program, will remain an estimate.

Another important question relates to the issue of whether the Spanish Discovery Program needs four classes at grade K. As proposed, this program requires four classes at grade K (two with Spanish and two without.) However, since the Hills/Heights attendance area only generates enough enrollment for five class sections, will the Hills be forever the school designated to have only two incoming kindergarten classes? This is a very legitimate concern.

As a board member, I want to ensure that we do not make decisions that have unintended consequence of this type and that we are utilizing district resources optimally. Discussions with district staff have revealed that there are at least two parts to the answer of this question.

Unfortunately, something that seems to be forgotten in the discussion of the Spanish Discovery Program is that the Heights views 2008-2009 as a pilot year for this program. Principal Wardlow has indicated that during this first year, teachers and staff will be assessing the various components of the program. A different instructional model may be created as a result. For the pilot year, four classes are proposed. Beyond the first year, other options will be considered. Some have suggested, for example, that it might be even better to give all students the option for Spanish Discovery. This would eliminate the need for any specific number of classes.

If the Spanish Discovery Program moves forward, the board must provide explicit expectations for the program’s sustainability. As example, when the Heights returns next Spring for an update and decision about moving forward, I would expect that additional delivery models are brought forward that would not have a long term negative impact on the Hills.

The second part of the issue of whether the Spanish Discovery Program needs four classes at grade K involves the Hills and the district office. In my view it is in the best interest of the district to continue to have both the Hills and Heights be viable schools.

The Hills has a wonderful program. Over time, our other schools have adopted components of the Hills program. However, the way that the Hills integrates and delivers their curriculum is truly unique. If the Hills wanted support from the district office to help their existing, wonderful program grow, I would be committed to ensuring district office support. One potential example of this support could be to create a special “district-wide” class, for the existing program, to ease applications and provide a guarantee of continued enrollment. I am sure that the Hills community has many great ideas as well that can be explored over the next few months.

As the DMUSD moves forward, providing opportunities for continued growth are important. However, the district does face many fiscal challenges in trying to find stable funding to continue to deliver the exceptional programs we already offer. I encourage all of you to be part of the solution.

Annette Easton
President, DMUSD Board of Trustees

Dissension over Spanish Program packs Del Mar Schools meeting

By Marsha Sutton

What was intended to be a rather minimal way to introduce Spanish to a handful of students has evolved into a maximum headache for the Del Mar Union School District.

The two-pronged Spanish language program, submitted by Del Mar Heights School and approved unanimously by the DMUSD school board on Jan. 23, consists of a Spanish Exploration component that provides limited Spanish exposure for all classes at all grade levels. The second, more controversial, Spanish Discovery element was designed to offer more comprehensive Spanish instruction for the primary grades, beginning this fall with two classes in kindergarten and two classes in first grade.

For Spanish Discovery, the plan is to offer 40 kindergartners one hour of Spanish instruction twice a week, and 40 first-graders 45 minutes of Spanish four days a week.

However, unexpected snags in the program’s enrollment process have stalled plans and sparked conflict within the neighborhoods west of the I-5 freeway.

“As of late, there have been some tremendous challenges that have ripped our community apart,” said DMUSD interim superintendent Janet Bernard, at the district’s May 28 school board meeting.

At the kindergarten level, where most of the controversy exists, Heights principal Wendy Wardlow and her team envisioned four classes – only two of which would participate in the Spanish Discovery program. It was designed to be a district-wide program, with one class of 20 students from the attendance area west of the I-5 freeway and the other class of 20 from Carmel Valley.

Limiting the number of students from west of I-5 to only 20, or one class, was important, school leaders felt, to ensure that the program would not “steal” students away from Del Mar Hills Academy, which shares a common attendance boundary with Del Mar Heights.

After 47 kindergarten students from the Hills/Heights attendance area applied for the 20 seats in the west of I-5 Spanish class, a lottery was held May 16 to fill the slots. The remaining 27, plus another 10 who did not want the Spanish program, will be placed in the two non-Spanish kindergarten classes.

After some intense marketing, the east of I-5 kindergarten Spanish class has attracted the required 20 students. The deadline is June 20, and a lottery for that class will be held June 23 if more than 20 students from Carmel Valley apply. This makes four classes – two Spanish Discovery and two not.

With 77 students applying for 80 seats, the pilot program appeared to be going smoothly, until an unforeseen consequence developed: to date, the Hills has only 32 incoming kindergartners registered. This means two classes, when this year and in previous years the Hills has had three K classes.

Hills parents worry that having only two kindergarten classes will drastically reduce their school’s numbers over time, making it a target for possible closure. A reduction in enrollment also means fewer enrichment teachers, who are assigned to schools in numbers proportional to enrollment.

“The Spanish Discovery program will negatively impact the Hills for at least the next seven years,” said Andrea Sleet, a third- and fourth-grade teacher at Del Mar Hills Academy, articulating the Hills’ main concern.

History

Interest in second language instruction began at Del Mar Heights back in 2001 when the school adopted the Global Village concept. A Spanish language task force was formed, and over the past seven years the idea was presented at numerous strategic planning sessions, discussed at the school’s PTA and site council meetings, and raised in both casual and formal conversations with parents, teachers and community members.

The school’s research over the years has included site visits of other schools in the county that offer foreign language instruction, as well as investigations into the extensive data available on the benefits of exposure to second languages at an early age.

According to Wardlow, the concept was tweaked, modified and tailored in myriad ways to accommodate varying points of view. “It took a year to come up with this model that was acceptable to the teachers,” said Wardlow, whose kindergarten teachers are “protective of the developmental needs of a kindergartner.”

“Most of us don’t realize how hard it is to ask any teacher to try something new,” said school board president Annette Easton, a teacher herself, at the board meeting.

Minimizing the impact on the district’s budget was another central issue in the design of the program.

“There’s the impression that this program will cost the district,” said Bernard, calling this a misconception.

Bernard emphasized that there is no additional cost for teachers as a result of the Spanish program. “We have projected three new teachers [in the district], with or without the Spanish program,” she said.

Instructional materials for the program are projected to cost around $25,000, which Bernard said was being funded entirely by the Heights through grants, private donations, school improvement money and the PTA. “It will impact the Heights itself, not the district’s general fund,” she said

Furthermore, the Heights would still be allocated the same number of enrichment teachers, even if the Spanish program were cancelled, Bernard said.

Although the board report states that the effect of the program on the budget is “unknown at this time,” it’s because “things can come up that you don’t anticipate,” Bernard said. Even so, she expected the impact on the general fund, if any at all, to be negligible.

Despite these reassurances, suspicion remains that there are undisclosed or unanticipated costs that could be significant and could impact programs at other schools.

Another major challenge of the program, according to Wardlow, was ensuring that enrollment in the Spanish program would not affect enrollment at the Heights’ sister school, Del Mar Hills.

Because the Hills and the Heights share a common attendance boundary, sensitivity to this issue was paramount.

In designing the Spanish program, Wardlow “seemed very earnest about balanced enrollment,” said Hills principal Laurie Francis, who emphasized that she and her community are “wholeheartedly behind this Spanish program.”

But rumors over the years of closing one of the two schools should enrollment dip too low has spooked both schools’ parents and staff, who are fiercely protective of their schools as a result.

“Both of our schools have dealt with the angst of possible closure,” Wardlow said.

A positive working relationship between the two schools has degenerated lately to reflect what some describe as a less than healthy competition for students – a conflict that was perhaps inevitable, given the way the boundaries are structured.

But the issue has never been as heated as it is today, with the Heights anticipating four kindergarten classes for the fall and the Hills only two.

Limited numbers of students

“It is important to note that Davis Demographics projected only 100 kindergarten students for 2008-2009 in the Hills/Heights attendance boundary,” reads the board report on the subject. “This constitutes a total of five K sections. Canceling the Spanish Discovery program most likely will not result in an increase of class sections at the Del Mar Hills Academy.”

Furthermore, Rodger Smith, DMUSD’s director of human resources and facilities planning, said recent demographic studies project similar numbers from the Hills/Heights attendance area for at least the next eight years. That means no more than five classes of 20 kindergartners each for the foreseeable future. So with or without the Spanish program, the problem remains.

Both the Hills and the Heights have been able to each have three, and sometimes four, kindergarten classes by attracting students from Carmel Valley, either by choice or because Carmel Valley’s neighborhood schools were overcrowded or not yet built.

But now that the district has eight schools, and neighborhoods are being well-served, the Hills and Heights will have a total of five classes unless efforts can be made to attract more students from the east.

“By and large, people like to be in their neighborhood,” Francis said, which makes it harder and harder to attract Carmel Valley students. “I’m a strong supporter of small schools, but it makes us very vulnerable. We’re dealing with unprecedented territory.”

“There are only so many students to divide between the two schools,” wrote Hills PTA president Janet Pecsar in an email to other Hills parents. “If Del Mar Heights is allowed to implement their Spanish Discovery program and require four sections each of kindergarten and first grade next year, Del Mar Hills will lose one kindergarten class and teacher.” She worries that “this pattern will continue year after year.”

Because the Spanish program gives the Heights four classes and leaves the Hills with two, the Hills would like to have the classes split three and three.

The problem with that, according to Bernard, is that it wasn’t part of the board-approved program back in January. “They would have to create a new model,” she said.

Secondly, Wardlow wants the ability to regroup the kids annually, and to do that she needs two classes each of Spanish and non-Spanish. One Spanish class of Hills/Heights kids can be mixed in subsequent years with the Carmel Valley Spanish class. But having only one non-Spanish class means those kids would stay together every year as they move through the grades.

“They would be tracked all the way through,” Bernard said.

Although she agreed with Wardlow’s position on regrouping, Bernard understood the anxiety at the Hills. “Any time you lose sections, there’s cause for concern,” she said. “There is the perception that this is the beginning of the end.”

Bernard hastened to reassure Hills parents and staff that there are no plans to close the Hills, which she described as a wonderful school.

Easton agreed, saying, “Our entire district appreciates the innovation of the Hills.”

In an impassioned speech before the agenda item was open for public comment, Easton said she “was not comfortable with the Hills being limited to two kindergarten classes forever” … but “cancelling the program is not necessarily going to bring another kindergarten class to the Hills.”

A new proposal

Still hoping to change what’s already been approved by the board, the Hills community has put forth a new proposal that asks the Heights to consider enrolling all kindergarten students in the Spanish Discovery program and limiting kindergarten to three sections.

“There’s more interest in Spanish than there is room,” Francis said. To meet the demand, she said the Heights could “make all three Spanish Discovery classes.”

According to Francis, this ensures the viability of the Hills by giving her school three kindergarten classes also. Since there were 47 kindergartners from the Hills/Heights attendance area who wanted Spanish Discovery, and 27 have been turned away, this proposal gives access to the Spanish program to another class of 20. And it provides Wardlow with the ability to regroup the students every year.

Although the idea is intriguing, Wardlow would like the program as originally proposed to move forward for one year to see how it goes. “I absolutely understand her position,” she said. “[But] we would really like to try the two models. Let’s see how it works. In a sense, we’re doing a research project.”

Asking for patience, Easton said 2008-2009 was a pilot year for the Spanish program. “It’s not a ‘forever’ program,” she said. “They will study different options as they go. Is it the best model? Probably not. But they will have a chance to try this out.”

Eight years ago, when the Hills became the Academy and adopted a new model for the integration of the arts and sciences into core curriculum, “there were a lot of unknowns,” Easton said. “But we gave it time.”

Bernard agreed, saying the Heights needs time to assemble a working team. “We have to wait ... We’ll have a better feel for it once you get your teachers in place.”

Wardlow said she never intended for her Spanish program to close down the Hills. “I never considered this a seven-year sentence,” she said. “I hadn’t looked at it that way before.”

But Wardlow insisted that “two kindergarten classes do not challenge the viability of the school. We need to establish trust, and we need to start having regular conversations.”

Bernard said the Heights plan was developed with “the best interests of the students in mind” and that Wardlow had tried to be thorough and thoughtful about the program.

“Foreign language is deeply, deeply important, and the Heights has been at the forefront of foreign language,” Bernard said at the school board meeting. “They’ve had many discussions over the years about implementing a foreign language program.”

Bernard encouraged other school communities to develop “innovative programs that would enhance the education of our students” and said she expected the school board would welcome such proposals.

Francis said it was important to understand that the Hills is not against a Spanish program – which she said she, her parents and staff fully support. She also was insistent that the problem not be portrayed as a fight between the two schools.

“We have to work together to make change,” Francis said. “I feel confident that it can be worked out.”

Because of the late hour, trustees adjourned the board meeting at 11 p.m. after hearing all public comment, and will reconvene on June 11 at 6:15 p.m. at Del Mar Hills Academy to resume discussion of the Spanish issue and the remaining items on the May 28 agenda.

Unpredictable staffing needs create uncertainty for Del Mar schools

Source: Carmel Valley News, June 5, 2008

By Marsha Sutton

Another standing-room-only crowd greeted trustees of the Del Mar Union School District at their May 28 meeting, as they tackled the volatile issues of staffing, enrichment classes and a new Spanish language program.

Staffing projections, presented by DMUSD director of human resources and facilities planning Rodger Smith, indicate a need for three new teaching positions for the 2008-2009 school year. However, kindergarten enrollment remains a moving target.

“Kindergarten is the most difficult grade level to predict,” Smith said to the board.

Normally at this time of year, the district is 85 to 90 percent certain of its kindergarten enrollment, Smith said. To date, enrollment for kindergarten is near or at capacity at four of the district’s eight schools: Carmel Del Mar (with three classes), Ocean Air (with five classes), Sycamore Ridge (with three classes), and Torrey Hills (with four classes).

Smith said enrollment is lower than predicted at Ashley Falls, which projected 60 kindergarten students but only has 40 to date, and Sage Canyon which projected 100 kindergarten students and currently has 84 registered.

Because of uncertainty surrounding the newly proposed Spanish language program at Del Mar Heights, kindergarten enrollment at the district’s other two schools – the Heights and Del Mar Hills Academy – is fluid. Data as of May 30 show 77 students for kindergarten at the Heights and 32 students for the Hills.

This would normally indicate four kindergarten classes at the Heights and two at the Hills. However, these lopsided numbers have prompted an explosive reaction from some Hills parents and staff members, throwing the future of the Heights Spanish program into question (see related story, page 1).

The board briefly discussed moving students from site to site to balance enrollment and class sizes at each school. Although the policy is unpopular, Smith noted that “the district has a long history of relocating students when there wasn’t room” at their neighborhood schools.

According to Smith’s enrollment figures presented to the board on May 28, the district’s eight schools, for the coming school year, would be allocated enrichment teachers and would increase or decrease the total number of classes from last year as follows:

School	# Enrichment Teachers +/-	# Classes
Ashley Falls	4	-1
Carmel Del Mar	3.5	-1
Del Mar Heights	3.5	+3*
Del Mar Hills	3	-1
Ocean Air	4	+2
Sage Canyon	5	0
Sycamore Ridge	3.5	+1
Torrey Hills	4.5	0

[* two classes dependent upon implementation of Spanish language program in kindergarten and first grade]

The figures show that three classes will be lost, while six are gained. Interim superintendent Janet Bernard said the district planned to hire three teachers to accommodate the three additional classes in the district, although nothing is certain because “the numbers fluctuate this time of year.”

If the Heights Spanish program is allowed to move forward this fall in both kindergarten and first grade, Bernard said two new teachers would be needed for each grade who have credentials in both Spanish and English. A third teacher is needed at the Heights due to increased enrollment in fourth and sixth grades.

Ocean Air needs another teacher for kindergarten, second and sixth grades, but is losing a first-grade class, for a net gain of two. Sycamore Ridge needs another teacher in both first and fourth grades, but is losing half a teacher in kindergarten and second grade, making a net gain of one.

Meanwhile, the district has notified 23 temporary teachers that they may not be returning next year. Speaking on behalf of those temporary teachers was Del Mar California Teachers Association president David Skinner who asked the school board to consider rehiring them.

Del Mar Hills fourth-grade teacher Victoria Hemerick also addressed the board on this matter, voicing through her tears her concern for the plight of the district’s temporary teachers.

Bernard clarified that the district did not issue any layoff notices, or pink slips, to any permanent teachers this year, explaining that temporary teachers are not tenured teachers and are hired with the understanding that their positions in the district are not guaranteed.

Even though they understand that their jobs are temporary, “many times these temporary positions can convert into a probationary status,” Bernard said. “We are hopeful we will be able to call back as many as we can.”

Enrichment staffing

Also of interest to parents and teachers at the meeting was the presentation on enrichment staffing. Enrichment instructors in Del Mar are credentialed teachers of art, music, science, technology and physical education – also called extended studies classes.

Smith’s agenda item detailed “a significant flaw in the formula” for determining how many ESC teachers each school site should receive. “The formula was overly generous,” he said, outlining a complicated process that resulted in a calculation of two additional enrichment teachers in excess of the number the district actually needs.

Although the item was for information only, with no action to be taken by the board, there were 20 speakers who wished to address trustees on the matter.

Ashley Falls sixth-grade teacher and DMCTA collective bargaining lead negotiator Mary Ann Loes spoke on behalf of the district’s enrichment teachers, saying the subjects they teach are essential to learning and integral to students’ education. “We believe these five subjects are part of core curriculum,” Loes said.

Other teachers – including classroom teachers as well as art, music and technology instructors – emphasized the value of enrichment programs to the district and its students. Uma Krishnan, ESC science teacher from Torrey Hills who was just named the 2008 DMUSD teacher of the year, also spoke on the issue.

No school board members disputed the value of the enrichment program or the ESC teachers.

“All of the teachers do a fabulous job,” said board president Annette Easton, who agreed that the ESC program enriched learning immeasurably. The problem is the cost of the program, which she warned was burning through the district’s reserves.

Even though a portion of the $2.3 million enrichment program is funded by the district’s foundation and the generosity of private donors, the remainder is absorbed by the district.

“My challenge to staff is to come back with some really creative options that will keep us fiscally sound,” Easton said. “If we don’t figure out a solution, we’ll be a state-run district. We can’t continue the way we are.”

Despite the dire warning, the district was prepared to support the program for at least one more year as currently structured.

“Your recommendation is that we continue with the enrichment program even though it will have a negative impact on the budget?” Easton asked Bernard.

“Yes, that is correct,” Bernard replied.

Bernard intends to assemble an enrichment action team, with teachers and union negotiators, to participate in a collaborative discussion in the coming months that she hopes will yield a plan that can financially support the ESC program well into the future.

A perspective from a parent with children at both Del Mar Hills and Heights

I am writing because I am perhaps the only parent in the district with children at both Del Mar Hills and Del Mar Heights this year. In addition, I am the incoming PTA president for 2008-09 at Del Mar Hills. My oldest two children (4th and 6th grade) have attended Del Mar Hills for a number of years, and my husband and I have been enormously pleased with the program there. My children have both had exceptional teachers at each grade level, and we have been quite impressed with the amount of art, music, science, and technology that is truly infused within the more traditional “3 Rs” curriculum at the Hills. The school is an idyllic place in which to educate one’s children.

However, special circumstances led us to place our youngest daughter in kindergarten at Del Mar Heights this year. Since she is a child with a late September birthday, we thought she would benefit from two years of kindergarten, and we felt a year at each school would ensure that each of her kindergarten years was unique. Thus, we placed her at the Heights in the current year, and intended to move her to the Hills this coming year, where she could be with her brother. However, when the Spanish Discovery program was announced, we felt such an enrichment program would be very good for her in her second year of kindergarten, and thus made the decision to put her name in the kindergarten Spanish lottery. Our lottery number does not ensure that she will be enrolled in the Spanish Discovery program; thus, we may choose to send her to the Hills for a second year of kindergarten, as originally planned. However, we need time to make this decision, and refuse to allow current district politics to influence our decision…and the life of our 5-year-old.

I feel compelled to speak in this atmosphere of anger and mistrust, because I feel I truly have a more balanced perspective than most other interested parties. I applaud Wendy Wardlow’s initiative and tenacity in developing a Spanish language program at Del Mar Heights. She is a terrific leader of another truly exceptional institution. Obviously, as a parent with my child’s name in the lottery, I hope that the program will succeed. However, as an involved Hills parent, I am sympathetic to the case made by parents at all schools other than the Heights.

The Spanish program and the future of the ESC allocations in the district are inextricably tied, so I do not see how the school board in good conscience can plan to reduce enrichment staffing allocations at all eight schools, while simultaneously instituting a new “enrichment” foreign language program at one school, particularly when it will serve only 20 to 40 new children each year from the schools east of the freeway.

Yes, I agree that foreign language is long overdue in the district and that it would benefit all who are exposed to it tremendously. However, the fact remains that we have a $1.5 million dollar deficit in the district’s general fund, and the board still has not disclosed the total financial impact of the Spanish Discovery program. Therefore, it seems to me that we have to consider the implementation of the Spanish Discovery program within the larger context of a five-year budgetary plan for the district as a whole. As a former consultant for the U.S. Department of Education and the national Head Start program, it makes my heart bleed that we have to make these terrible choices, but that is what our state…and nation’s…voters have done over many years to our public educational system.

I say this even though I recognize that if the Spanish Discovery program at the Heights is not implemented, my own daughter will not reap its benefits. I am that concerned about the fairness of the program’s implementation. I am also extremely concerned that if the program is not implemented fairly, the current atmosphere of mistrust and anger within the district will continue and may approach a critical juncture that effectively paralyzes the board’s ability to move forward in any direction. To my mind, we have yet to see any actions by the board that move the school district forward in the almost two years current board members have been in office. Reasonable minds can disagree about whether removing Tom Bishop at a cost of $300,000 or providing tepid support for the Del Mar Schools Educational Foundation were appropriate decisions. I think at this point that we need to stop arguing about those issues! However, moving forward, we need to see actions by the board that unquestionably improve the district in the minds of the majority of its constituents. With a board comprised of four out of five current or former Del Mar Heights parents, this board must work extra hard to dispel charges of favoritism and bias. I hope they will have the wisdom to deal with the Spanish Discovery issue effectively at next Wednesday’s school board meeting – for it seems to be a lightning rod for so much political controversy and community animosity that need desperately to be avoided at this point.

Kerry Traylor
Del Mar Hills and Heights parent
2008-09 Del Mar Hills PTA president

CV News - Letters in response to Sutton Column

The following letters to the editor appeared in the May 22, 2008 edition of the Carmel Valley News in response to Marsha Sutton's May 8 column, The Prep Time Quagmire.

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We’re supposed to be a team working together to educate children

Ms. Sutton thinks the enrichment classes funded by the foundation are nothing more than a way for teachers to sneak some much-needed planning time into the school day. Here’s the truth: Del Mar teachers have had planning time for over 20 years, well before Tom Bishop was the superintendent. Teachers finally formed a union while he was superintendent, and then negotiated guaranteed planning time while students were in these special classes. The only new aspect of this “juicy perk” is that it is now written in our contracts.

State and federal laws require the teaching of art, music, technology and science. Ms. Sutton suggests using local artists and musicians to teach some of these classes. Here’s another fact: that is against the law. The state of California requires that all adults teaching children be certified by the state. Luckily, many of our current enrichment teachers not only have their teaching certificate, but they have real world experience in their area of expertise. If Del Mar cannot afford $75,000 (a number quoted by Ms. Sutton that I assume includes benefits) to pay each certified enrichment teacher, having a foundation with generous donations by the community is a plausible way to fund this.

Another hot button that Ms. Sutton pushed related to teacher planning time in general. I did some quick research and asked several Del Mar teachers to estimate how many hours they spend outside the school day planning, making copies, grading, etc. According to my survey, the average teacher at my school is working a 51-hour week. That’s 32.5 hours from 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. during school, plus 18.5 extra hours working before school, after school, and on the weekends. That’s how much we’re working even with our contracted planning time. In other districts, I have seen a lack of planning time result in teachers giving busy work during the school day so they can grade papers or plan lessons. Would that be an improvement? Hardly. To maintain our top position throughout the county and state, teachers need their planning time to effectively prepare and assess students. Is it really such a big deal that we can get work done while our students are in enrichment classes covering standards? Besides, I know most of the parent community highly supports these valuable enrichment classes.

As for planning time being something that only we in Del Mar get to enjoy, that is just plain wrong. While it is true that districts like the Escondido School District do not give teachers any contracted planning time, many districts do. The San Diego Unified School District gives teachers at least 60 minutes per week, and some schools get more if parents donate money to pay for it. Solana Beach gives teachers about 225 minutes for grades 4-6. These minutes are not necessarily guaranteed in a contract, but teachers in those districts would like to move in that direction. Out-of-state-districts such as Naperville 204 in Illinois give teachers 175 contracted minutes a week. All schools across Minnesota are required by state law to give 5 minutes of planning time per 50 minutes of instruction. I could go on and on. This practice is not a perk, but a common practice all over the country in elementary, middle, and high schools. Let’s not forget, according to Time Magazine, the number one reason teachers quit their profession is lack of planning time.

Many of the finest teachers end up in Del Mar due to the great reputation, family support, and the “juicy perks” like contracted planning time. Taking away opportunities for planning and collaborating will not only upset teachers, but more importantly it will directly impact the students’ learning. Remember: we’re supposed to be a team working together to educate children. Let’s stop trying to take away the tools we need to successfully do that.

Michelle Brashears
Del Mar Union School District Teacher

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The path to improvement should be grounded on solid evidence

Her letter appears as an angry rant as opposed to a well-thought out and caring argument towards the betterment of the schools. Ms. Sutton’s “article” is short-sighted in several ways:

• understanding the California Education Code
• understanding the Del Mar School District, and
• understanding her responsibility as a public voice.

Understanding the California Education Code:

The California Educational Code is not unclear in explaining the law regarding a credentialed teacher in each classroom. There is no gray area with this and it has been upheld in court; there must be a credentialed teacher with the students. Ms. Sutton poses the question “is Del Mar over-the-top in its strict application of California’s Education Code?” Were the leaders of Enron over the top? If you are speeding are the police “over the top” if you get a ticket? This kind of “eek-my-way around rules and laws” thinking and behaving is how students learn to be irresponsible and dismissive of the laws that govern us as a people. If a law is unfair, petition for its revocation; I am all for change for the good of the whole. Purposely ignoring a law because it is inconvenient is irresponsible and arrogant — like the Enron leadership was. This kind of thinking erodes people’s participation in a representative democracy, which is what we are arguably trying to teach our students — how to think, act and participate as a responsible citizen in a democracy. Ironically, Ms. Sutton also criticizes past rumors of Del Mar Schools ignoring rules governing their behavior. Do as I say, not as I would do?

The training that goes into becoming a credentialed teacher includes child development and training in a supervised environment. Throwing someone into a classroom from industry may make sense financially, but the health and well being of the students are an important factor. Ed. Code accounts for this by making it law that teachers go through the supervised training.

Understanding the Del Mar School District:

Del Mar has figured out a way around a problem that many districts can’t — that is the lack of outside core classes. Music and art are crucial for developing different ways of thinking. The language of music makes the brain respond in different ways than other thinking. The district has ensured that all students get to experience these disciplines that some other districts do not.

Understanding her responsibility as a public voice:

I applaud questioning leadership and the system in which we teach children. Honest questions designed to raise awareness of how to better serve our students, particularly the underserved and underrepresented, are important and empowering, even noble. If Ms. Sutton began her discussion of the Del Mar School District in this manner, I applaud her. However, what the Carmel Valley News/Del Mar Village Voice chose to publish does not come across as being focused on the best practices for children, but an angry article serving to misinform and mislead; on accident or on purpose I do not know. Public dialogue and good research showing the best practices in teaching is crucial; divisive, misinformed finger pointing is destructive to a community and its children, and we as a community can do better for ourselves and our children. I want all community children to experience what the Del Mar Schools have to offer; I do not want any children reading that article or the Carmel Valley News/Del Mar Village Voice if this is representative of its reporting. Is there room for improvement in teaching? Of course, that is why it is a practice, a profession. The path to improvement should be grounded on solid evidence, logical proceedings and the best interest of the students and community at the forefront of the conversation in order to create a world where laws matter, people have a deeper understanding of their community and heresay (sic) and rumor mongering are a thing of the past.

If she wishes to continue the conversation, along with Rory Devine of NBC San Diego, I would love to have an opportunity to discuss this further.

Erik Conklin
Doctoral Candidate, Education
UCSD/CSUSM

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Time, research, and planning are required to provide instruction that will meet the goals of students

If you will recall the history of Del Mar Union School District, we use to staff enrichment courses in a similar manner to Solana Beach. The Del Mar Foundation committed to raising funds to acquire certified teachers for those positions to meet the needs of the California State Standards and a growing district with high expectations. This model was set up long before the contract was formed between the teachers, board members, and administration.

Now, enrichment teachers have a specific credential to instruct in science, music, physical education, technology, and art. This has fostered a higher level of achievement among the students in Del Mar. Students have benefited from the instruction that has come out of having a teacher with a subject-specific credential for those areas of the curriculum. In turn, this has affected the educational community of Del Mar as follows:

Benefits to the Student

California has a plethora of standards that each student must learn within one year. Every teacher in Del Mar is committed to meeting these standards with each student. During the 180 minutes that are allotted each week, the classroom teacher ensures that all lessons incorporate the essential standards. It takes time and forethought to combine standards that will produce a high level of achievement with students. Secondly, as Del Mar teachers, we are committed to planning lessons that accommodate all learners in the classroom. Next, there are seven known styles of learners; teachers are committed to representing those styles in each lesson, therefore, hands-on materials must be prepared for each lesson to ensure student success. Finally, teachers across the district are committed to providing individualized instruction to students who need this to be successful. Time, research, and planning are required to provide instruction that will meet the goals of these students, often student by student. In addition, the teacher must be prepared for meetings that regularly occur regarding these individualized plans. The teachers of Del Mar have committed to increasing student achievement.

Benefits to Parents

Because the Del Mar teachers and the Foundation understand that parent involvement is crucial to the learning process of each student, it is my belief thatwe share the common goal of providing prompt feedback to parent’s questions and concerns. On an average, a teacher receives eight to 10 e-mails and phone calls a day. These e-mails usually involve a request that may require planning, research, and a reply. It takes time to accomplish this. In addition, teachers regularly update a Web site to further communicate with students and parents. We are committed to communicating with students and parents.

I have been actively involved in the Del Mar Teachers Association since being hired. Our association recognizes the professional responsibilities we have to the students and parents. We utilize interest-based bargaining for that sole purpose. Viewing the glass half full, all stakeholders come to the table to mutually agree upon guidelines between the teachers, board members, and the administration so that the focus of the district remains on the student. The current contract allows for openers from each side, on a yearly basis, which would prevent any stakeholder from feeling permanently bound to the contract. It is my main goal to continue to foster the professional relationship between the teachers and the community we serve.

Mary Ann Loes
Lead Negotiator—Del Mar Teachers Association

Shores property: DM school board members should keep in mind that they have options

So what is the big deal about the sale? Why not sell it for fair market value and be done with it? Because there are regulations about how to “dispose” of government owned surplus property and it can get a little tricky. Fair market value is not an option when selling government to government because there needs to be a substantial discount. So here are the steps as I understand it: public agencies selling real property must first offer it to other public agencies (for example, city, county, state entities) at a discounted rate, though the discounted rate facet seems to be debatable when reading various legal opinions on this. If the various tiers of public agencies and non-profit entities are not interested in the property, then the property may be offered at auction to any bidder.

In 2007 the DMUSD made a deal with the city of Del Mar to sell the approx. 4.94 (or 5.3)-acre piece of land at a discounted price of $8,500,000. In March, just a week before they were scheduled to close escrow, the city asked for a 30-day extension. It gets a little “sketchy” here, since personnel issues are secret and our board isn’t talking in open session about the Shores property, but somewhere in the middle of all this re-negotiation talk the board forced the Superintendent’s resignation. Is this the “rest of the story” as Paul Harvey might say? Why would this be an issue worth spending nearly $300,000 of reserve money to buy out a contract unnecessarily? Oh, and by the way, what is the fair market value of the Shores property?

From what I have learned from reliable sources, a private trust is (or at least was) ready to make an offer to purchase the Shores property for a great deal more than $8,500,000 – I have heard numbers between $20,000,000-$25,000,000, just to let it sit. (Sounds logical since I recall that the Solana Beach School district paid $4M+ for each acre of land they purchased to build Solana Pacific School a few years ago.) I was told that this particular Buyer would preserve the integrity of the property as a ball park and school for a number of years. This seems like it could be a win-win for everyone if the city is unable to purchase the land.

I feel that we as parents and community members must take note of the spending and big financial decisions being made by our board of Trustees right now. If we add up the ancillary implications of just one decision to oust the Superintendent, that’s close to $300,000. Add to that $500,000 more this year (or next) to make up for the fundraising crises caused to the Foundation by the board’s decision, along with hiring costs of a new Superintendent, this brings us well over $800,000 in unforeseen expenditures from our district reserves! Is it worth it?

Personally, I am not proposing that the district sell The Shores to one entity over another. As a matter of fact, the sale is pretty much a done deal now. What I am asking is that the board of trustees bears in mind that they have had options. Their decisions affect everyone in the Del Mar Union School District boundary area and they should work with all diligence to make decisions that will best benefit the entire district and move forward.

More recently, there has been a movement to call in to question budgeted expenditures that have been a part of DMUSD's successful Strategic Plan. These expenditures afford our teachers planning time and parallel and vertical collaboration opportunities at their school site and throughout the district. I would hope our families will take the time to really understand the benefits our district has enjoyed by daring to be unique. Please don't forget that we can boast having the finest schools because we dare to think outside of the box and be all we can be by working together!

It is obvious that the board of trustees wants control of our district and now they have it. So from this point on I would expect them to make responsible decisions and point us in a positive direction, not a non-specific, non-clarified direction. They should stop the micromanagement and begin supporting the very capable staff in place, empowering them to do their jobs.

I would hope they want to move forward together with a collaborative plan to heal and stabilize our district from the repercussions of their decision. What’s done is done, and now representatives from the Foundation, PTA, community at large, and district personnel from throughout our district should have a say in our future. The next superintendent should be chosen together and given authority due them under the law to be the district’s “CEO.” The superintendent should feel supported by the board of trustees and be allowed to make personnel decisions and over-see the day to day learning at the school sites- keeping our children’s successful education always first and foremost!

Comischell Bradley-Rodriguez
Concerned DMUSD Parent and Volunteer

CV News - Letters to the Editor

Residents of Del Mar/Carmel Valley fortunate to have a refreshing columnist like Marsha Sutton

I want to commend you for greatly adding to the public dialogue about local public education by featuring Marsha Sutton's column in your paper.

I wish we had a refreshing columnist like Ms. Sutton on our local newspaper staff (I live in the Sun Valley area of Idaho; Ms. Sutton's column was recommended to me by my sister who lives in Del Mar). Excellence in local reporting about public education seems to be integral to the process of creating real improvement. What a public service Ms. Sutton is providing— the people of Del Mar and Carmel Valley should be grateful.

Liz Schwerdtle
Hailey, ID

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Shores property: DM school board members should keep in mind that they have options

So what is the big deal about the sale? Why not sell it for fair market value and be done with it? Because there are regulations about how to “dispose” of government owned surplus property and it can get a little tricky. Fair market value is not an option when selling government to government because there needs to be a substantial discount. So here are the steps as I understand it: public agencies selling real property must first offer it to other public agencies (for example, city, county, state entities) at a discounted rate, though the discounted rate facet seems to be debatable when reading various legal opinions on this. If the various tiers of public agencies and non-profit entities are not interested in the property, then the property may be offered at auction to any bidder.

In 2007 the DMUSD made a deal with the city of Del Mar to sell the approx. 4.94 (or 5.3)-acre piece of land at a discounted price of $8,500,000. In March, just a week before they were scheduled to close escrow, the city asked for a 30-day extension. It gets a little “sketchy” here, since personnel issues are secret and our board isn’t talking in open session about the Shores property, but somewhere in the middle of all this re-negotiation talk the board forced the Superintendent’s resignation. Is this the “rest of the story” as Paul Harvey might say? Why would this be an issue worth spending nearly $300,000 of reserve money to buy out a contract unnecessarily? Oh, and by the way, what is the fair market value of the Shores property?

From what I have learned from reliable sources, a private trust is (or at least was) ready to make an offer to purchase the Shores property for a great deal more than $8,500,000 – I have heard numbers between $20,000,000-$25,000,000, just to let it sit. (Sounds logical since I recall that the Solana Beach School district paid $4M+ for each acre of land they purchased to build Solana Pacific School a few years ago.) I was told that this particular Buyer would preserve the integrity of the property as a ball park and school for a number of years. This seems like it could be a win-win for everyone if the city is unable to purchase the land.

I feel that we as parents and community members must take note of the spending and big financial decisions being made by our board of Trustees right now. If we add up the ancillary implications of just one decision to oust the Superintendent, that’s close to $300,000. Add to that $500,000 more this year (or next) to make up for the fundraising crises caused to the Foundation by the board’s decision, along with hiring costs of a new Superintendent, this brings us well over $800,000 in unforeseen expenditures from our district reserves! Is it worth it?

Personally, I am not proposing that the district sell The Shores to one entity over another. As a matter of fact, the sale is pretty much a done deal now. What I am asking is that the board of trustees bears in mind that they have had options. Their decisions affect everyone in the Del Mar Union School District boundary area and they should work with all diligence to make decisions that will best benefit the entire district and move forward.

More recently, there has been a movement to call in to question budgeted expenditures that have been a part of DMUSD's successful Strategic Plan. These expenditures afford our teachers planning time and parallel and vertical collaboration opportunities at their school site and throughout the district. I would hope our families will take the time to really understand the benefits our district has enjoyed by daring to be unique. Please don't forget that we can boast having the finest schools because we dare to think outside of the box and be all we can be by working together!

It is obvious that the board of trustees wants control of our district and now they have it. So from this point on I would expect them to make responsible decisions and point us in a positive direction, not a non-specific, non-clarified direction. They should stop the micromanagement and begin supporting the very capable staff in place, empowering them to do their jobs.

I would hope they want to move forward together with a collaborative plan to heal and stabilize our district from the repercussions of their decision. What’s done is done, and now representatives from the Foundation, PTA, community at large, and district personnel from throughout our district should have a say in our future. The next superintendent should be chosen together and given authority due them under the law to be the district’s “CEO.” The superintendent should feel supported by the board of trustees and be allowed to make personnel decisions and over-see the day to day learning at the school sites- keeping our children’s successful education always first and foremost!

Comischell Bradley-Rodriguez
Concerned DMUSD Parent and Volunteer

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We’re supposed to be a team working together to educate children

Ms. Sutton thinks the enrichment classes funded by the foundation are nothing more than a way for teachers to sneak some much-needed planning time into the school day. Here’s the truth: Del Mar teachers have had planning time for over 20 years, well before Tom Bishop was the superintendent. Teachers finally formed a union while he was superintendent, and then negotiated guaranteed planning time while students were in these special classes. The only new aspect of this “juicy perk” is that it is now written in our contracts.

State and federal laws require the teaching of art, music, technology and science. Ms. Sutton suggests using local artists and musicians to teach some of these classes. Here’s another fact: that is against the law. The state of California requires that all adults teaching children be certified by the state. Luckily, many of our current enrichment teachers not only have their teaching certificate, but they have real world experience in their area of expertise. If Del Mar cannot afford $75,000 (a number quoted by Ms. Sutton that I assume includes benefits) to pay each certified enrichment teacher, having a foundation with generous donations by the community is a plausible way to fund this.

Another hot button that Ms. Sutton pushed related to teacher planning time in general. I did some quick research and asked several Del Mar teachers to estimate how many hours they spend outside the school day planning, making copies, grading, etc. According to my survey, the average teacher at my school is working a 51-hour week. That’s 32.5 hours from 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. during school, plus 18.5 extra hours working before school, after school, and on the weekends. That’s how much we’re working even with our contracted planning time. In other districts, I have seen a lack of planning time result in teachers giving busy work during the school day so they can grade papers or plan lessons. Would that be an improvement? Hardly. To maintain our top position throughout the county and state, teachers need their planning time to effectively prepare and assess students. Is it really such a big deal that we can get work done while our students are in enrichment classes covering standards? Besides, I know most of the parent community highly supports these valuable enrichment classes.

As for planning time being something that only we in Del Mar get to enjoy, that is just plain wrong. While it is true that districts like the Escondido School District do not give teachers any contracted planning time, many districts do. The San Diego Unified School District gives teachers at least 60 minutes per week, and some schools get more if parents donate money to pay for it. Solana Beach gives teachers about 225 minutes for grades 4-6. These minutes are not necessarily guaranteed in a contract, but teachers in those districts would like to move in that direction. Out-of-state-districts such as Naperville 204 in Illinois give teachers 175 contracted minutes a week. All schools across Minnesota are required by state law to give 5 minutes of planning time per 50 minutes of instruction. I could go on and on. This practice is not a perk, but a common practice all over the country in elementary, middle, and high schools. Let’s not forget, according to Time Magazine, the number one reason teachers quit their profession is lack of planning time.

Many of the finest teachers end up in Del Mar due to the great reputation, family support, and the “juicy perks” like contracted planning time. Taking away opportunities for planning and collaborating will not only upset teachers, but more importantly it will directly impact the students’ learning. Remember: we’re supposed to be a team working together to educate children. Let’s stop trying to take away the tools we need to successfully do that.

Michelle Brashears
Del Mar Union School District Teacher

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The path to improvement should be grounded on solid evidence

Her letter appears as an angry rant as opposed to a well-thought out and caring argument towards the betterment of the schools. Ms. Sutton’s “article” is short-sighted in several ways: 1) understanding the California Education Code, 2) understanding the Del Mar School District, and 3) understanding her responsibility as a public voice.

Understanding the California Education Code:

The California Educational Code is not unclear in explaining the law regarding a credentialed teacher in each classroom. There is no gray area with this and it has been upheld in court; there must be a credentialed teacher with the students. Ms. Sutton poses the question “is Del Mar over-the-top in its strict application of California’s Education Code?” Were the leaders of Enron over the top? If you are speeding are the police “over the top” if you get a ticket? This kind of “eek-my-way around rules and laws” thinking and behaving is how students learn to be irresponsible and dismissive of the laws that govern us as a people. If a law is unfair, petition for its revocation; I am all for change for the good of the whole. Purposely ignoring a law because it is inconvenient is irresponsible and arrogant — like the Enron leadership was. This kind of thinking erodes people’s participation in a representative democracy, which is what we are arguably trying to teach our students — how to think, act and participate as a responsible citizen in a democracy. Ironically, Ms. Sutton also criticizes past rumors of Del Mar Schools ignoring rules governing their behavior. Do as I say, not as I would do?

The training that goes into becoming a credentialed teacher includes child development and training in a supervised environment. Throwing someone into a classroom from industry may make sense financially, but the health and well being of the students are an important factor. Ed. Code accounts for this by making it law that teachers go through the supervised training.

Understanding the Del Mar School District:

Del Mar has figured out a way around a problem that many districts can’t — that is the lack of outside core classes. Music and art are crucial for developing different ways of thinking. The language of music makes the brain respond in different ways than other thinking. The district has ensured that all students get to experience these disciplines that some other districts do not.

nderstanding her responsibility as a public voice:

I applaud questioning leadership and the system in which we teach children. Honest questions designed to raise awareness of how to better serve our students, particularly the underserved and underrepresented, are important and empowering, even noble. If Ms. Sutton began her discussion of the Del Mar School District in this manner, I applaud her. However, what the Carmel Valley News/Del Mar Village Voice chose to publish does not come across as being focused on the best practices for children, but an angry article serving to misinform and mislead; on accident or on purpose I do not know. Public dialogue and good research showing the best practices in teaching is crucial; divisive, misinformed finger pointing is destructive to a community and its children, and we as a community can do better for ourselves and our children. I want all community children to experience what the Del Mar Schools have to offer; I do not want any children reading that article or the Carmel Valley News/Del Mar Village Voice if this is representative of its reporting. Is there room for improvement in teaching? Of course, that is why it is a practice, a profession. The path to improvement should be grounded on solid evidence, logical proceedings and the best interest of the students and community at the forefront of the conversation in order to create a world where laws matter, people have a deeper understanding of their community and heresay (sic) and rumor mongering are a thing of the past.

If she wishes to continue the conversation, along with Rory Devine of NBC San Diego, I would love to have an opportunity to discuss this further.

Erik Conklin
Doctoral Candidate, Education
UCSD/CSUSM

---

Time, research, and planning are required to provide instruction that will meet the goals of students

If you will recall the history of Del Mar Union School District, we use to staff enrichment courses in a similar manner to Solana Beach. The Del Mar Foundation committed to raising funds to acquire certified teachers for those positions to meet the needs of the California State Standards and a growing district with high expectations. This model was set up long before the contract was formed between the teachers, board members, and administration.

Now, enrichment teachers have a specific credential to instruct in science, music, physical education, technology, and art. This has fostered a higher level of achievement among the students in Del Mar. Students have benefited from the instruction that has come out of having a teacher with a subject-specific credential for those areas of the curriculum. In turn, this has affected the educational community of Del Mar as follows:

Benefits to the Student

California has a plethora of standards that each student must learn within one year. Every teacher in Del Mar is committed to meeting these standards with each student. During the 180 minutes that are allotted each week, the classroom teacher ensures that all lessons incorporate the essential standards. It takes time and forethought to combine standards that will produce a high level of achievement with students. Secondly, as Del Mar teachers, we are committed to planning lessons that accommodate all learners in the classroom. Next, there are seven known styles of learners; teachers are committed to representing those styles in each lesson, therefore, hands-on materials must be prepared for each lesson to ensure student success. Finally, teachers across the district are committed to providing individualized instruction to students who need this to be successful. Time, research, and planning are required to provide instruction that will meet the goals of these students, often student by student. In addition, the teacher must be prepared for meetings that regularly occur regarding these individualized plans. The teachers of Del Mar have committed to increasing student achievement.

Benefits to Parents

Because the Del Mar teachers and the Foundation understand that parent involvement is crucial to the learning process of each student, it is my belief thatwe share the common goal of providing prompt feedback to parent’s questions and concerns. On an average, a teacher receives eight to 10 e-mails and phone calls a day. These e-mails usually involve a request that may require planning, research, and a reply. It takes time to accomplish this. In addition, teachers regularly update a Web site to further communicate with students and parents. We are committed to communicating with students and parents.

I have been actively involved in the Del Mar Teachers Association since being hired. Our association recognizes the professional responsibilities we have to the students and parents. We utilize interest-based bargaining for that sole purpose. Viewing the glass half full, all stakeholders come to the table to mutually agree upon guidelines between the teachers, board members, and the administration so that the focus of the district remains on the student. The current contract allows for openers from each side, on a yearly basis, which would prevent any stakeholder from feeling permanently bound to the contract. It is my main goal to continue to foster the professional relationship between the teachers and the community we serve.

Mary Ann Loes
Lead Negotiator—Del Mar Teachers Association