Hearst Could Be Hit Hard by Proposed School Budget Cuts

The following is the text of a letter sent by Elizabeth Vandivier, LSRT Co-Chair and Hearst Librarian. Although it is not intended to represent the LSRT in an official capacity, this letter speaks volumes for us all.

Support letters from concerned parents can reference this letter.

ELIZABETH L. VANDIVIER
3711 Reno Road, NW
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 537-9001

March 7, 2006

Dr. Clifford Janey
Superintendent
D.C. Public School
Office of the Superintendent
825 North Capitol Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002

Dear Dr. Janey,

I am writing in my capacity as the co-chair of Hearst Elementary School's Local School Restructuring Team (LSRT) and as a parent of children attending Janney Elementary School and Alice Deal Junior High School and as a Library Media Specialist at Hearst. My comments reflect not only my deep commitment to public education but also my concern for the future health and well-being of DCPS and the children we serve.

Yesterday, I chaired an emergency meeting of Hearst's LSRT to review our new budget. Hearst is a high performing school that always meets and exceeds Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. Our enrollment is growing. Parents choose Hearst for our excellent early childhood program, our academics, our small size and our emphasis on the arts in education. Last year, DCPS awarded Hearst additional funds in recognition of our achievements in exceeding our targets for AYP.

When the LSRT examined our new budget, we discovered to our shock and amazement that our budget had been slashed by $300,000.

What happened? Our building is nearly at capacity, we have more students this year than last year and anticipate maintaining our numbers and probably growing based on our crowded open houses and inquiries from potential parents. How does our school lose funds if we are not losing students? Has DCPS somehow reduced the Weighted Student Formula (WSF) per pupil allotment? How is that even conceivable if each school must now use significantly higher rates to budget our teaching, staff and administrative positions. Shouldn't we increase the WSF to accommodate these raises? Raises promised by a contract with the Washington Teacher's Union that is not yet even in place.

Indeed, we all believe that teachers, staff and administrators should be paid more and raises, agreed to and ratified in contracts created through the collective bargaining process, must be honored. School budgets should be increased to meet these increases. But by drastically cutting our budget while hiking the cost of running the school, you force our LSRT to make a Hobson's Choice. We must either cut a teacher and dramatically increase class size in the critical 1st and 2nd grade years (years when our children are learning how to read), or disband our acclaimed arts program which has served as a magnet for parents who feel the arts have disappeared from the public school classroom.

Either choice is unacceptable. Who does such a painful decision ultimately hurt? It hurts our students.

Educating our children is the school system's raison d'etre, it's mission, it's entire focus. Every decision must be made with the end in mind, and that end is creating new generations of educated, informed, curious, imaginative and creative citizens. How will that end become anything but a dead one if inadequate budgets make schools choose between cutting gifted teachers who ignite our student's minds or essential programs that enrich our children's lives.

As a parent, I know that the consequences of these decisions will reinforce negative attitudes many parents already have about the ability of DCPS to ensure each child receives a quality education. Parents are tired of learning that another program or teacher is being eliminated from their child's school. They will continue the exodus away from DCPS and enroll their children in charter schools, private schools and other school systems. If the school system wants to reverse this trend, we have it within our power.

Dr. Janey, your master education plan is an excellent start. The adoption of rigorous standards for teaching and learning which seek to keep the end in mind by envisioning what a student will know and be able to do when he or she graduates is a tremendous achievement. Don't undercut your vision of a school system dedicated to bringing out the best in each student by under funding the local schools.

As I understand this year's budgeting process, Hearst is not the only school being hit with massive cuts. The pain is being borne widely, and other LSRTs are being faced with profound and difficult decisions that will affect their school communities for years to come.

I ask you to reexamine the allocation of resources that the schools are working with for next year. In particular, I question the need to use the new salary numbers in calculating our budgets in the absence of a contract with the WTU. Alternatively, I ask you to increase all local school budgets to enable them to meet the cost of these anticipated raises.

I believe that you are attempting to make historic, proactive and positive changes in DCPS that will lead to a stronger school system able to meet the needs of our children facing the 21st century's challenges. As teachers, as parents, as school leaders, we all are anxious for you to succeed. Help us to help you by giving all schools the resources they need to excel and fulfill their mission of education every child.


Sincerely,

Elizabeth L. Vandivier

CC: Hon. Kathy Patterson
Hon. Adrian Fenty
Hon. Peggy Cooper Cafritz
Hon. Victor Reynoso
Hon. Joanne Ginsburg