Comments on: Agendas in AUSD Master Plan http://www.action-alameda-news.com/2010/03/10/agendas-in-ausd-master-plan/ Local news in Alameda, California. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:06:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dennis Green http://www.action-alameda-news.com/2010/03/10/agendas-in-ausd-master-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-4096 Dennis Green Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:19:44 +0000 http://www.action-alameda-news.com/?p=3748#comment-4096 Thanks, Barb. I got most of my information from a careful study of the Master Plan and four interviews of the principles, including the Superintendent and two Trustees. But you add an invaluable historic context that most of us "newbies," (I've only lived here 22 years myself!), just don't have. But if enough of us take an interest and really dig into these things, instead of accepting the promotional stories at face value, we'll make more informed choices in the future. And thanks to David for maintaining this site! Dennis Thanks, Barb. I got most of my information from a careful study of the Master Plan and four interviews of the principles, including the Superintendent and two Trustees. But you add an invaluable historic context that most of us “newbies,” (I’ve only lived here 22 years myself!), just don’t have. But if enough of us take an interest and really dig into these things, instead of accepting the promotional stories at face value, we’ll make more informed choices in the future. And thanks to David for maintaining this site!

Dennis

]]> By: Barb http://www.action-alameda-news.com/2010/03/10/agendas-in-ausd-master-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-4094 Barb Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:14:17 +0000 http://www.action-alameda-news.com/?p=3748#comment-4094 Make that enough bailouts to last several lifetimes and I agree with everything. Franklin has already been closed once due to declining enrollment and lack of money. My children "suffered" through that debacle and ultimately graduated from UC Davis and UCLA. They survived and received good educations. I used to give a substantial amount of money annually to Encinal rather than any other school which I attended. After the mismanagement of the district forced the parcel taxes on homeowners I saw no more point in trying to help out. EHS was doomed. Bringing in out of district children, does not guarantee that ADA for the incoming children will cover their basic cost, let alone any other costs coming from having attended school in lesser districts elsewhere. They come primarily from Oakland which has some of the worst and most dangerous schools in the state. If one were able to do a cost per student breakdown, it would probably reflect that the out of district students cost more than Alameda students to educate. Who can blame the children or their parents for wanting to come to better schools? So now we are going to be asked to pay $659.00 per year probably forever, while the district adds more and more children from Oakland to keep schools open, which children will in turn rack up the costs even higher, triggering a need for more money, which will then trigger more recruiting of out of town students as more students from Alameda go to private schools which will then trigger . . . . . a never ending spiral upwards. We need to equalize the ADA per student, so that each student no matter where he or she lives will feel comfortable staying in his or her own neighborhood or City's school. And we need to get back to basics, which in my humble opinion does not include a staff lawyer, Webmaster etc. Make that enough bailouts to last several lifetimes and I agree with everything. Franklin has already been closed once due to declining enrollment and lack of money. My children “suffered” through that debacle and ultimately graduated from UC Davis and UCLA. They survived and received good educations.
I used to give a substantial amount of money annually to Encinal rather than any other school which I attended. After the mismanagement of the district forced the parcel taxes on homeowners I saw no more point in trying to help out. EHS was doomed.

Bringing in out of district children, does not guarantee that ADA for the incoming children will cover their basic cost, let alone any other costs coming from having attended school in lesser districts elsewhere. They come primarily from Oakland which has some of the worst and most dangerous schools in the state. If one were able to do a cost per student breakdown, it would probably reflect that the out of district students cost more than Alameda students to educate. Who can blame the children or their parents for wanting to come to better schools?

So now we are going to be asked to pay $659.00 per year probably forever, while the district adds more and more children from Oakland to keep schools open, which children will in turn rack up the costs even higher, triggering a need for more money, which will then trigger more recruiting of out of town students as more students from Alameda go to private schools which will then trigger . . . . . a never ending spiral upwards.

We need to equalize the ADA per student, so that each student no matter where he or she lives will feel comfortable staying in his or her own neighborhood or City’s school. And we need to get back to basics, which in my humble opinion does not include a staff lawyer, Webmaster etc.

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