April 8, 2005

ESUHSD NEWS BRIEFS

ESUHSD Budget Task Force meetings continue through May 3

Long awaited recommendations near

By Bea Baechle
Editor

Although the East Side Union High School District has rescinded more than 450 of the pink slips it sent 788 teachers and 28 administrators, another 150 or so pink slips are expected to be rescinded before the May 15 deadline.

Evergreen Valley High School freshman Joe Nguyen, with freshman Priya Banwait by his side, encouraged students not to walk out of school, but rather, support teachers and staff by going directly to the district office to protest spending that led to the budget deficit.

The heat is on and here’s why: the ESUHSD board of trustees only authorized the potential reduction in force of up to 169 positions. The board’s final decisions will be based upon the recommendations made by the Budget Task Force.

However, four more meetings are set through May 3 for a very deliberate and publicly transparent Budget Task Force process involving all stakeholders.

And on May 4, there’s a hearing scheduled in San Jose’s Superior Court to determine the legality of transferring $12 million from the Quimby land sale adjacent to Evergreen Valley High School—currently in a restricted capital outlay fund—to the general fund.

There is also discussion about borrowing money from that land sale to help alleviate the projected $10 million shortfall in the district’s 2005-06 budget.

In the meantime, contract negotiations are also taking place between the district and the East Side Teachers Association and the California State Employees Association.

Many pieces to the puzzle need to be in place by May 15. Let’s hope the Budget Task Force meetings begin to deliver solid recommendations in the final step of the process, based on the many months of deliberation that have already been devoted to the process.

The next Budget Task Force Meetings will be held Monday, April 11, at Evergreen Valley High School and Tuesday, April 19, Monday, April 25 and Tuesday, May 3 at the Educational Center in the district office, 830 N. Capitol Ave.
For more information, contact Joel R. Herrera, project manager for the ESUHSD Budget Task Force, (408) 347-5040.

Painful pink slip process takes its toll
Most ESUHSD teachers understand the legal requirement of sending pink slips to any district employee that may be affected by a reduction in force by March 15. But many question the way in which it was done and the depth into the ranks that the pink slips touched when only 169 teacher reductions were approved.

An Evergreen Valley High School teacher who wished to remain anonymous said, “It could have been done in person” in reference to the pink slips that were sent by certified mail.

“It’s a slap in the face to get a certified letter sent to your home when you’re at work and aren’t there to receive it,” she continued. “Then you have to make a trip to the post office to get laid off. It seemed like overkill, and it doesn’t do much for morale.”

Bob Nunez, Chief Human Resources officer, responded that certified mail provides a proof of receipt of the notices and that it would be difficult to track who actually received the pink slips if they were hand delivered. Most districts, according to Nunez, deliver pink slips via certified mail.

He regrets that almost five times the number of pink slips had to be delivered compared to the approved reductions.

But, as a relatively new officer in the top human resources seat, he discovered serious deficiencies in the database of the human resources department that could not verify needed credential and other personnel information crucial for a layoff process that involves seniority, bumping rights and other factors.

Nunez noted that the files should have been updated the last time East Side Union had a reduction in force two years ago. Yet given the large number of updates that have occurred in the past months, he doubts if a full update was done at that time. In hindsight, he regrets that he didn’t begin the files updates earlier in the year.

In a message sent to teachers, Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas acknowledged what a difficult and painful process this was. But the purpose of these notices was to provide the district’s Budget Task Force ample flexibility to provide recommendations that will reduce the district’s spending and bring fiscal accountability to the district.

Mount Pleasant Principal Grettel Castro-Stanley convinces her students to return to class.

“For the past five years, we have spent more money than we have received in revenue,” said Zendejas. “We cannot possibly do this again without major consequences from the county or the state. To date, we have filed two negative interim reports to the county. We must demonstrate that we can manage our district in a fiscal and responsible manner.”

To help mend the rift that the pink slips have created between teachers and administration, Board President Manuel Herrera sent an apology message to the ESUHSD community on March 25. The letter expressed the board’s and administration’s deep regret at the impact the massive number of preliminary layoff notices has had on the district.

He explained that the preliminary layoff notices were never intended to send a message that valuable staff members are expendable from one moment to the next and that legalities are all that need to be observed in managing the human resources of our district.

“With 20-20 hindsight, the board and administration would now have pressed for earlier budget decisions and agreements, even on a preliminary basis, to narrow the scope of those potentially affected by March 15 noticing requirements,” said Herrera in the message.

“Also, an extraordinary effort would have been made to communicate personally with staff prior to the March 15 notices going out, so that a context of understanding—not necessarily agreement—could have preceded the receipt of these preliminary layoff notices,” he continued.

“This budget crisis is affecting everyone, at every level of the organization. When all is said and done, we still are all in this together, and it is only together that we can find needed solutions and tap the inherent strength and wisdom that we have within us,” he concluded.

To read the full messages sent by both Zendejas and Herrera, go the ESUHSD Web site at www.esuhsd.org.

Save the date: May 19

Third annual EVHS Cougar Classic Golf Tournament

The Evergreen Valley High School Athletic Booster Club is sponsoring one of its major fundraisers of the year, the annual EVHS Cougar Classic Golf Tournament, on Thursday, May 19. It will be held at the Los Lagos Golf Course, 2995 Tuers Road, in San Jose.

The booster club is looking for players in foursomes, at $100 per player. In addition to a great round of golf including the car, each player will receive a barbecue dinner and a free T-shirt. What a deal!

The booster club is also looking for event sponsors who would like to advertise their company on a tee as well as on a T-shirt for just a $125. All proceeds will go to the Girls and Boys Athletic programs at EVHS.  

Entry forms will soon be available via the Web site: http://www.evhscougars.com/.

Just print out the entry form, fill it out and mail it in with your entry fee to Evergreen Valley High School, Attn: Dee Quinet, Golf Tournament Chair, 3300 Quimby Raod, San Jose, CA 95148.

For more information, you can contact Quinet at (408) 347-7166 or (408) 710-2618 (cell). Or contact Jane Brehmer at (408) 896-6570 or jane_brehmer@amat.com.