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LUSD board favors revamp of curriculum department
The Lodi Unified School District seems ready to replace six laid-off curriculum coordinators and their respective secretaries with two new program administrators in an effort to streamline program improvement oversight and textbook adoptions, among other things.
No decision was made at Tuesday's regular school board meeting, but trustees favored the reorganization idea presented by Associate Odie Douglas. Bonnie Cassel was absent.
"If they can bring in these two people and accommodate the tasks of six people ... I'm all for this recommendation," Trustee Ken Davis said, summing up the words of fellow trustees Joe Nava and Jeff Thompson.
English teacher Jeff Johnston, however, is against the creation of new administrative positions.
"(It) is irresponsible, in my opinion, and in bad faith for our community, our teachers," he said.
The department, which also oversees curriculum in an effort to ensure state and federal mandates are met, was all but eliminated with the district's recent budget adoption. Its department head, Lisa Kotowski, is the only one who remains.
Under the reorganization plan, the district would hire two new program administrators whose tasks would be similar but not the same as the former curriculum coordinators, Douglas said.
"The level of responsibility has increased significantly," he added.
The six employees laid off will have to apply, and it will be a competitive process, he said.
The two new positions were originally included in the 2009-10 budget adopted last month and will be fully funded with categorical money, funding set aside for special programs. Their combined salaries would be $254,256.
Johnston, however, took issue with new administrative positions being added "when you have 130 to 150 teachers still laid off," he said. "From a personal perspective, I think it's an easier pill to swallow to restore someone."
At a study session at the beginning of June, Davis made his pitch to reinstate the department, or at least its function. At the time, he voiced concerns that without a system of delivery to school sites regarding compliance, the district will fall further into program improvement status imposed by the federal government at some of its sites, and there could be issues with future textbook approvals.
"These positions will help us accomplish these tasks more effectively and efficiently," Kotowski said Tuesday.
The department is at the center of a claim filed by former Curriculum Coordinator Anne Cecchetti. Among other things, she claims she was among the women over 50 years old who were targeted for dismissal by the district office.
Because of her tenure, she has since been reassigned, according to her claim sent to the school board at the end of last month.
Earlier in the meeting, the board decided at this time not to move forward with an alternative instrumental music program for elementary-age students because it was cost-prohibitive, a report by Associate Superintendent Catherine Pennington found.
Additionally, due to teacher scheduling conflicts, there was not enough time to launch a pilot program at Silva Elementary for the 2009-10 school year, which begins at the end of the month.
However, the group, whose members include teachers' union president Sue Kenmotsu and music teacher David Collum, will continue to meet with hopes of re-launching the elementary instrumental music program for the 2010-11 school year.
"I don't want to give up on it," Trustee Calvin Young said. "When we look at the budget for next year we will again be looking at our priorities, and I want to make sure instrumental music doesn't get lost in this process."
Contact reporter Jennifer Bonnett at jenniferb@lodinews.com.
In other action
On Tuesday, trustees also:
Several classified positions were also reinstated.
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Bob Hussein Loblaw wrote on Jul 11, 2009 7:57 PM:
edumacation wrote on Jul 11, 2009 5:55 PM:
Bob Hussein Loblaw wrote on Jul 11, 2009 2:56 PM:
edumacation wrote on Jul 11, 2009 1:16 PM:
edumacation wrote on Jul 11, 2009 1:13 PM:
edumacation wrote on Jul 11, 2009 1:09 PM:
Thats the way police investigators work. Squeeze one of them and they will squeal on the rest. That is the main reason for the emphasis on "Loyalty". But "blood oaths" only work in the movies. Once they start telling "secrets", the architects of the scams will have to start lying more. They will get caught. That's why infamous criminals get lower sentences even for heinous crimes, they blab about the higher ups, and the Grand Poobahs will spend all of their time and energy plugging leaks and weaving more webs.
Engineer Bill and others saw this coming and got out before it got too hot.
The best policy for any new Superintendent is to NEVER trust the sycophants who come up with suggestions. They are usually the people responsible for the problems. "
jeff wrote on Jul 11, 2009 12:38 PM:
edumacation wrote on Jul 10, 2009 11:27 AM:
1) Arrange some chairs, back to back, allowing one chair (job) less than the number of players (edumacrats).
2) Get someone (or yourself) to play a tune.
3) At once the players (edumacrats) should start to walk or run round the chairs (pretend to work), to the sound of the music.
4)When the music stops, each player must try to find a seat (job), and as there is one chair short, some one will fail to do so, and is "out". He/She/It must carry a chair away with him/her/it.
5) Keep repeating the instructions until there is only one person left in, with no chair to sit upon. This person has won the game.
Wash, rinse and repeat. "
so sad wrote on Jul 9, 2009 9:51 PM:
She would be an excellent choice for a replacement for Barbara!
GO for it anne! : ) "
Bob Hussein Loblaw wrote on Jul 9, 2009 4:45 PM:
~crickets~ "
mom of 2 wrote on Jul 9, 2009 8:24 AM:
Lou wrote on Jul 9, 2009 6:31 AM:
Question: Why in the world has Mr. Davis graced us with his wisdom (as a Board member) for 17-years. Is there such a thing as a career Board member?
Come on everybody...these folks control the lives of 29,000 students; they control a $245,000,000 budget and nobody will tell us what their top-line administrators do. Please, please, if you know someone is honest, has some common sense and likes children...tell them they need to consider running.
These crooks need to go and they need to go soon. There are four seats up for re-election in 2010...go for it. "
Bob Hussein Loblaw wrote on Jul 8, 2009 11:26 PM:
mom of 2 wrote on Jul 8, 2009 9:49 PM:
Lou wrote on Jul 8, 2009 8:09 PM:
Let's find seven within our citizenry who feel "something" "anything" about helping kids learn. With the exception of one or two, none of these kleptocrats gives a damn about kids, and in the past, have told us so, yes?
Let's say we run seven people who are teacher-student oriented and who understand that teaching and learning are just different sides of the same coin. Nobody has ever learned anything from an administrator. Therefore, we should have as few administrators and as many teachers as is possible.
Here's the first plank in the platform of the "new seven"... hire each and every teacher back who lost their jobs and fire as many vice principals, assistant vice principals, assistant to the assistant of the vice principals and kleptocrats at kleptocrat-central as is needed. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
I'll betcha' I can find at least 20 million in this formula...yep 20M. So, what say you?
"Bueller, Bueller...anyone." "
perspective wrote on Jul 8, 2009 5:46 PM:
so sad wrote on Jul 8, 2009 3:01 PM:
They want to hire more Administrators??
What a bunch of CRAP~ If you are not "in" with the Good ol Boys then you are "OUT" of the little circle of trust.....We should have a sick out and let them run the entire show! "
Contrapasso wrote on Jul 8, 2009 2:19 PM:
commonsense wrote on Jul 8, 2009 2:00 PM:
mom of 2 wrote on Jul 8, 2009 12:05 PM:
mickeyluvr wrote on Jul 8, 2009 11:42 AM:
edumacation wrote on Jul 8, 2009 11:23 AM:
mom of 2 wrote on Jul 8, 2009 11:07 AM:
edumacation wrote on Jul 8, 2009 9:17 AM:
The ESC does this all the time. It started years ago, and the practice continues under the guise of "reorganization". The bottom line is that the persons selected will be those who have proved themselves "MOST LOYAL" to the Grand Poobah.
GO ANNE C. GO! You have seen the edumacrats in action. Women over 50 are targeted to be replaced with younger more compliant sycophants.
The deception at the LUSD ESC is in plain site.
There is NO requirement for these curriculum coordinators. Most teachers are teaching highly scripted lessons and independent instruction according to individual student needs has been extinguished. Its called "Cookbook" teaching. "
Bob Hussein Loblaw wrote on Jul 8, 2009 7:18 AM:
Lou wrote on Jul 8, 2009 7:10 AM:
First, they go from six to zero ...now it's back to two. Can anyone say mismanagement. "
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