Editor,

Sue Lempert's column Who's To Blame? in the Sept. 28 edition of the Daily Journal is spot on in many areas. Her comment As for the school board, the buck stops there? is the key to this whole fiasco. Those who choose to serve on any board? have responsibility for appropriate and active involvement. Those on a school board are classified as Trustees? rather than Directors.? For good reason they have the responsibility to treat their involvement on such a board with greater concern than their own interest. They are not there to micro-manage the school district but to manage the big picture items.

In fact, if they were looking for the district's budget to achieve the mandated 3 percent reserve requirement then were approving the districts goal to earn a C? grade in money management. This would be the same as schools encouraging students not to achieve but to just do the bare minimum necessary to graduate. Reserves should be higher than the minimum and held for either emergencies or specific purpose. Not spent every year because there are extra funds.

Many boards set up specific working committees to assist in the decision making process. They may have a Finance Committee, Programs Committee, Facilities Committee, etc. These committees usually will have outside participants as well as a board member. They look in depth at proposals from the day-to-day management prior to recommendation to the board for action. Thus the board is making informed decisions with outside expert help rather than relying on just input from management.

This school district has proven beyond a doubt it needs oversight and not rubber stamps by its board.

The events of Thursday night's meeting at Capuchino had at least one positive as it appears Ms. Lees-Dwyer sees such a need.

Frank Hunt, Burlingame

– Written by Jen

In summer of 2003, the SMUHSD Board silently slipped Sam Johnson into the chair of the superintendent. Why members Cohn-Lyle, Hanley, Vranes, and Griffen chose the summer for this move is quite clear. No one would be watching. The Board did not review a single resume, put together a public interview committee, or conduct any type of search for a new leader. The Board did not perform due diligence on Mr. Johnson's qualifications for the position or research his employment history.

Since becoming Superintendent of the SMUHSD, Sam Johnson has turned a deaf ear to public comments that are contrary to his personal agenda. School Board meetings with an angry public are become the norm under Johnson's short leadership and are sure to continue with his latest financial debacle. Johnson is blind and deaf to the public will as evidenced by his own comments regarding the public's response to his attempts to reduce counselors, eliminate librarians, the arts, and vocational courses in an attempt to implement a budget reorganization? to fund the seven period day.

Johnson said the tone and language of speakers at the board's last meeting, when opponents of the plan queued for more than four hours to take on the trustees, was unwarranted to me as a human being and as a superintendent.' (SM Daily Journal March 5, 2005)

Public sources also reveal that Sam Johnson and the SMUHSD Board have been consistently reminded of the financial problems facing the district, yet they have ignored these warnings and have forged ahead with expensive spending programs like the seven period day.

In 2003 the SMUHSD began to feel financial constraints of decreased revunues but it has failed to establish and carry out a long term financial plan.

Although the district squeaked by with enough reserves this year to stave off Sacramento, the level will fall well below the state mandate in a few years if it does not change its course fast. The reserves will be whittled away by increases in expenditures the district faces, such as a 15 percent jump in healthcare costs and adjustments in the cost of living. It is also safe to assume the state will not restore the funding cuts it made this year,' said Associate Superintendent Robert Arnold. If we continue in the same pattern, the reserves will be at about a about 1.6 percent by 2004,? he (Arnold) said.' (SM Daily Journal June 12, 2003

SMUHSD Superintendent Sam Johnson has surrounded himself with a district level cabinet and site principals of yes? men and women who refuse to challenge his will. He is flanked by a dysfunctional Board members Cohn-Lyle, Hanley, and Griffen have stood by as Johnson destroys a once great district. As Board President, Cohn-Lyle has abdicated her responsibility to the public by claiming that the Board has joined with Johnson as a Team of Six.? The Board's role in the policy process is one of oversight, not concurrent action.

Mr. Hanley's embarrassing speech to the public at the last meeting entrenched the divide between the teachers and the administration. Hanley lashed out at the teachers, blaming them for the financial disaster and spreading fear among the students and parents.

Mr. Griffen is calm and collected, but he is also a CPA and should know better.

Its time to tell the Emperor that he has no clothes. The $3.5 million budget fiasco is just the warm-up act to the soon to be released $298 million facilities bond disaster. Hello, Enron? These are not the smartest guys in the room.

The time for change is now.

– Written by JC

From the smdailyjournal.com 9/30/06 – Students divided over budget cuts
By Vanessa Harvey (BHS Senior)
With approximately $3.5 million in cuts on the table for the San Mateo Union High School District, students know it will have an effect on them whether it is new teachers, cut programs or other changes. What is not as clear is how students feel about the situation and how it is being handled by all sides. The teachers argued until the end, losing to the school board's decision to eliminate 6 teaching positions and 30 classified teaching positions, along with other budget eliminations.
Students are somewhere in the middle between the two arguments with their own opinions and predictions of the crisis. Some fear a strike and a loss of class time. Those applying to college have additional fears. Students are unaware of the teachers' decisions for the future. Some students think a strike will happen now that the teachers did not win the district's vote. Case in point, a San Mateo High School student Will Bronitsky stated, I think the teachers will strike when they don't get what they want. And that would be a big problem for me.? Other students disagree with this approach and say the teachers will not strike.
Students are divided on which side to support. While many students support the teachers, there are others angered with them. Students who support the teachers claim they shouldn't have to give up their salaries or jobs for the district's mistake. They see the correlation between the seven-period days and the deficit and understand that it's not the teacher's fault. Those who disagree believe it's wrong for teachers to involve students in something of which they shouldn't be a part especially when it slows learning. These students don't believe it was right to lock doors during lunch or threaten the high school experience.
Other opinions include the claim a 3 percent salary decrease is insignificant. However, with the current revised budget option there will be no decrease at all. Some students wish to remain anonymous when their opinions disagree with the teachers. One such Burlingame High School student said, When the teacher's salary is twice my parent's salary, they shouldn't complain about only 3 percent.?
The high cost of living in the San Mateo district causes higher teacher salaries compared to salaries of other districts. A 3 percent salary decrease can have many different effects. Different goals and expenses of each person determine the severity. On the other hand, can we really sacrifice our classified staff members who are continually the backbone for the functioning of the schools? Students recognize the difficulty of the situation and understand that whatever happens, may not be the best. Emotionally, students are either scared of the situation, or immune. There is a large amount of students who aren't affected right now, and therefore have no opinion on the matter. Some students are affected but are remaining calm and hopeful throughout the ordeal. All these different approaches constitute a general feeling of uncertainty among students.
At the board meeting Thursday evening, it was clear that the students were not organized. Many spoke about their feelings to the board but were ineffective when the decision was made. Student actions created an opposite outcome than desired. On Thursday, students from Mills, Burlingame, San Mateo, and Aragon High Schools walked out of class at 11 a.m. A student from Burlingame High School made and sold T-shirts displaying the quotation by Samuel Johnson: shoot first, aim later.? The board found these attempt to be irresponsible and immature. It also accused the teachers of implanting falacies in the students minds. Students tried to express their feelings about the budget crisis as strongly as possible.
I feel sorry for the teachers who are losing their jobs. This is a horrible situation especially since it will be difficult for teachers to find other jobs in the middle of the school year. The teachers, parents, and students put up a good fight. Hopefully, everything can be resolved in the next couple of weeks. Thank you teachers and administration for your continuing effort to improve education, especially because dealing with high school students is not an easy thing to do.

– Written by Joanne