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On PUSD budget cuts
As a 19-year Pleasanton Unified School District substitute teacher and former Walnut Grove PTA president, I was taken aback by Trustee Justin Brown’s comments regarding reducing certificated substitute teachers’ pay by 11%.
Mr. Brown dismissively states that the reduction is “actionable and doesn’t directly impact our staff”. Not only does he not view certificated substitute teachers as staff, but he also appears to be unaware of how classrooms are staffed when permanent certificated teachers are unavailable.
He seems oblivious that certificated substitute teachers are in fact employees who coordinate with permanent teachers to ensure no learning loss while permanent teachers are out.
During long-term assignments, certified substitutes sign off on attendance reports, manage lesson plans, grade assignments and tests, and enter those grades into the system. All substitute teachers must complete the same training videos that other district employees complete, but substitute teachers do not get paid for their time completing the required training.
I recognize that given the current state of PUSD’s budget, cuts are required. To callously state that an 11% pay reduction does not affect “staff”, however, is apathetic and exemplifies poor leadership.
In light of the actions and results of the current Board of Trustees, Mr. Brown should vote to cut the trustees’ stipends by at least 11%.
PUSD’s current board failed to implement their own superintendent transition plan (voting against it after voting in favor of it for several years), wasted money on a superintendent search then re-appointed the interim superintendent for another year. The Board of Trustees has shown no financial acumen resulting in a negative certification for PUSD’s budget.
There is an election next year. Our students, staff, and the community deserve better.
– Paige Wright-Henry
Great column on coach
Dennis, I enjoyed your story regarding you and some of your team members getting together to visit coach Mike.
The story reminded me of my high school soccer coach, Tom Simonds. He was our high school coach in my junior year at Amador, 1968. It was the first season that soccer became a varsity sport in the EBAL. We finished in second place. I remember telling coach that we would be back next season to take care of unfinished business.
The next season 1969-70 we took care of the unfinished by going undefeated and bringing the first of many championship banners to hang up in the Amador gym.
Many of the teammates kept in touch with our coach, who obviously made an impression on many of us. We had a team reunion dinner with him and five years later helped him celebrate a birthday with him. Several years after that, a number of us attended his funeral.
Not the end of the story because when I read your article in the Weekly, it brought back a lot of my favorite memories. Thank you Dennis.
– Frank Gomez, Amador class of 1970
Help save a life
As your family gathers for the holidays, ask about your family’s health history. The future of your (and your family’s) health is written somewhere in the past. Knowing your family’s health history can be the key to a longer, healthier life. And it can help your healthcare provider identify traits that may put you at risk for certain health conditions or diseases.
The first step is to talk to your immediate family members. Include three generations. Include siblings (and half-siblings). Your grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews may all have helpful information.
Gather information about any major medical conditions, age of onset, and for relatives who’ve passed away, causes of death in the family. If anyone has the death certificate, look at the official cause of death, their age, and other medical conditions.
If you have a family history of a condition, it’s important to find out if you have any shared genes that may be related. While you can’t change your genetic makeup, there may be steps you can take now that could help you stay healthy.
For assistance in tracing your family tree, contact the Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society. We assist people in tracing their family tree. I’m on their Board of Directors.
– Felicia Ziomek
District must address achievement gaps in formal meeting
Pleasanton Unified must directly confront the significant academic achievement gaps affecting students in our community.
Recent incidents of race-based hate behavior at Amador – three in just six weeks – along with additional concerns shared privately by parents and teachers, reflect deeper cultural issues that we cannot ignore.
School culture and academic achievement are inseparable. Students who do not feel safe, valued, and supported cannot learn at their highest potential.
Who is leading this work? At present, multiple “supports” appear to be operating independently, without a cohesive framework to ensure consistency, accountability, and measurable impact.
It is past time for a formal board meeting dedicated to these issues. Not to produce instant solutions, but to ensure trustees receive accurate information, without spin, and can openly discuss what is happening in our schools. Because trustees cannot deliberate outside a public meeting, this conversation can only occur if it is placed on a board agenda – and that requires at least three trustees to agree.
I urge our board to take this necessary step. It may be uncomfortable, but discomfort is not a reason to delay action when students are being harmed academically and culturally.
– Christina Nystrom
