A "note'' from Mrs. Rad...

    I have been a public school teacher for thirty-five years. My tenure spans the careers of eight different superintendent/principals, multiple school boards, thousands of students, and hundreds of families and colleagues.  After a thirty-five year career in public education, Teacher of the Year under 5 principal/superintendents, and Alameda County Teacher of the Year under Diane Everett, I think I am qualified to share a few thoughts. First off, teaching children is my passion and has been central to my life.  It is with them in mind and my passion for the profession that I share the following thoughts.

    On November 2, the Sunol community is being asked to vote for the two candidates for school board that they feel will best represent the school community and the Sunol community. Without question I feel these two candidates are Diane Everett and Gerry Beemiller.  I feel I can endorse them with authority because I have worked closely with both – Diane for 16 years and Gerry for 8 years.

    Under Diane’s leadership, I was one of the negotiators for the teachers. Although we may not have always agreed on matters, the budget was always an open book.  Diane was knowledgeable and very transparent in every aspect of the budget.  We knew where the money was going and what, if any, was available for raises. She was also very honest and forth giving where her salary was concerned.  If the staff didn’t get a raise, Diane didn’t take a raise.  In fact, there were times that the staff got a raise and Diane did not.  As Gerry Beemiller has stated, when he was on the Board he learned that the practice was to keep the superintendent/principal’s salary closely aligned with that of a principal of an elementary school in surrounding districts. Sunol is one school with 260 students, 11 classroom teachers, a part-time resource specialist, and a part-time music teacher. The classified staff consists of a full-time administrative assistant, a secretary/clerk, a part-time fiscal manager, a maintenance manager, a custodian, and a few classroom aides.

    Neil Davies states in his mailer that to compensate for State cuts to education, Sunol Glen had to increase enrollment in order to balance the budget. I’m wondering if the Board had kept the new superintendent/principal’s salary more in line with a principal of surrounding districts, the budget could have been balanced without increasing enrollment wherein some middle school classes are well over 30. Last year’s 5^th grade class had 36 students. Five girls from Weible School were enrolled two weeks before Star Testing to an already full class of 31. Why?  Mr. Mumford and I had already announced our retirements, a savings of up to $40K each per year.

    Guin Van Dyke states that $80K was raised from generous community members and parents to retain art and music.  Why then are 4^th-8^th grade students still being charged for art and music, with band requiring even more additional funds from parents?

    Don Ball states in one of his mailers that there have been no cuts to music or art in the last two years.  Why then are upper grade students receiving less music time than last year?  Why isn’t there a strings program as there has been in all of my 34 years at the school?  

    The Walkathon, a successful fundraiser started by Paulette Beemiller, was held during the school day this year.  This leaves out the community and the alumni who have always enjoyed coming back to participate as volunteers.  FAME, also started by Paulette Beemiller, is now chaired by a teacher.  Are we short on parent volunteers?  In my 34 years we have never been short on parent volunteers or Community Club members.  Both have been the strength of Sunol’s parent support system.

     In his mailer Neil Davies lists a myriad of “Current Programs”, but fails to mention that most are offered after school and for a fee. Some that are offered during the school day also come with a fee. Foreign language, Spanish, and French, were middle school electives taught by middle school teachers. Spanish and American Sign Language are now after school fee based programs. United Streaming, a web-based library, was brought to our attention under Diane’s leadership.  The District covered the cost.  Study Island is new and is a web-based program for the middle grades much like ST Math (JiJi) is for K-5.  ST Math was purchased under Diane’s leadership and is paid for by the District. Why then must parents pay for Study Island?

    In reviewing the budget report for 2010/2011, a 4% increase is noted for the Certificated Administrator, and a 4.5% increase is noted for the Classified Administrative Assistant.  Could these have been tabled in order to pay for programs for kids?  If we are putting kids first, shouldn’t our Board be questioning salary increases on the tail of a

Community Pledge Drive

to save art and music?

    Don Ball states in his mailer that there have been no layoffs.  That isn’t exactly so. The Fiscal Manager, a Sunol resident, has not had her full-time status returned.

    I retired four years early to help save the District money and to help retain the last three teachers hired by the District. Due to job sharing for twelve years I had to buy 1.84 years to reach the magic “30 yr. vestment”. The District helped by adding longevity steps and for that I am very thankful.  Does it equal what my retirement would have been in four years hitting the maximum 32 years vestment? Of course not.  Am I angry and bitter, as I am being labeled? Absolutely not! I worked very closely with two of these teachers and the third attended an elementary school where my husband was principal. Unfortunately one I worked closely with returned to Pleasanton for this school year knowing she will be laid off in the spring. Sunol Glen could have been home and security to this single parent mom.  Angry?  No, I am sad. I am sad that the culture of our school was not enough to keep this bright, experienced, and talented mentor teacher.

    You see, when I was awarded Alameda County Teacher of the Year, I too, could have gone to Pleasanton.  The difference in pay for me was $20K per year.  That was ten years ago.  Do the math.  Was it worth it to stay?  Absolutely!  I cannot put a price tag on what Sunol Glen has given me over the years.      

    Graham Barnes states in his letter to the Community that “It was Board policy to balance the budget by creating a Magnet-type environment of excellence  . . . a policy resulting in filling the school to capacity, creating a waiting list, and restricting inter-District intake to students with good performance, behavior . . .”.  We have had waiting lists for the last ten years. What we have not had was a system of “picking and choosing”.  Enrollment was based on a system used by every public school in California, date of registration. Selecting students based on behavior and performance has been done, but in a different light. 

    Case in point:  My last eighth grade class was in 1986/87. Principal/Superintendent Dr. Wakeling came to me with a request to place a student in my class.  He had been expelled from our neighboring District, Pleasanton.  He said that it was up to me and I could say no.  I asked him what he would do. I will never forget his answer:  He said that he believed all kids deserved a second chance.  He said some kids can’t function in large school settings or in larger classes. He said my class of 13 might just be his ticket in life. I’ve never regretted the decision to add this boy to our class and to our school.  Running into him many years later as a young adult at Club Sport, Pleasanton, he swooped me into his arms and thanked me for saving his life. He was just one of many to follow. API 909?  No contest!  Let’s get back to really putting ALL kids first, not just the ones who make it easy for us to look good.

    I recently received a letter from an out of district parent who feels that by supporting Gerry Beemiller and Diane Everett I do not have the best interest of the children in mind as she feels they want to dismantle the school.  In my opinion, the school was dismantled three years ago when 6 out of 13 teachers and 2 support staff left the school after this administrator’s first year. There were no retirements. The seventh teacher left in December the following school year, an early, unplanned retirement. These teachers were the heart of the school.  They are bright, talented, caring people with character and integrity.  They would have been great role models and mentors for the bright and talented young teachers on staff now. Retirements would have taken place in a timely manner.

    In closing I ask that on November 2 you vote for the candidates that will not only tell it like it is, but will give unconditional support to the good things that are happening at Sunol and an ear to the things that need improvement.

Vote Diane Everett and Gerry Beemiller for School Board.

Respectfully,

Rebecca Radulovich (Mrs. Rad.)