Public Schools Are Free, Great Public Schools Are Not

I have been beyond the point of frustration for some time, wondering how such a large portion of our tax revenues go towards education spending in this state (about 43 percent of the general fund), yet so little makes its way back to our school district.  Our school board and administration have cut just about everything there is to cut, but the state just keeps taking more.  So, I have concluded that there is no way that anywhere near 43 percent of Culver City’s tax revenue is going towards its schools.

Sacramento has obviously found a way to siphon off a good portion of that money to pay for their bureaucracy and special interests.  Many residents have caught on to this racket, and have decided to take matters into their own hands.  The only way to make sure that our money goes where we want it to is to keep it here.

In 2009, the voter-approved parcel tax of $1.2 million per year made a huge difference in maintaining excellence in our award winning schools.  Since then, however, unprecedented annual budget cuts from Sacramento have placed our schools in need again.  This is why the Culver City Education Foundation is launching a million-dollar fundraising campaign for our schools. 

CCEF is not unique in taking on this mission.  Many education foundations across California have taken matters into their own hands, and asked the community to help keep their schools strong.

We are finding that as less money becomes available from the state, more and more “extra” programs and resources become susceptible to being cut.  It is these programs and resources that help separate Culver City schools from the rest.

The money raised from our “ALL FOR 1” campaign will go towards maintaining these “extras” that help keep the bar raised high for our students, and support those who are struggling to get there.

Here are just some of the resources and programs that CCEF will continue to support and help grow with the money raised from our campaign:

Classroom Technology Updates

Brightlink Whiteboard

Clicker Technology

Computers

LCD Projectors

Science Lab Supplies

Academic Support Programs

MESA – Math Engineering Science Achievement:  Works with educationally disadvantaged students so they excel in math and science.

Robotics Team – A fun and interactive program that engages kids through science and engineering.

Math Counts & Math Olympiad – Two programs that promote math achievement through fun and challenging competitions.

College Prep Support – Resources on how to prepare for college; making sure children are on track with academic requirements; sponsoring college prep days on campus.

AVID – Advancement Via Individual Determination:  Focuses on the least served students in the academic middle.  By raising expectations of students, it accelerates student learning, uses research based methods of instruction and has an extremely high rate of success in promoting kids into college.

Success Maker Software – Instructional software that provides elementary school learners with adaptive, personalized paths for mastery of essential reading and math concepts and delivers outcome-based data to inform educational decision making.

Link Crew – Through peer-to-peer mentoring, a high school transition program that welcomes freshmen and makes them feel comfortable throughout the first year of their high school experience.

Partners in Print – Are workshops developed to provide parents and students the tools necessary to strengthen writing skills at home.

Music and Art Programs

Elementary school music programs

Front & Center Theater Collaborative

Academy of Visual & Performing Arts

The HeArt Project

Growing Great Garden Program – Integrated programs that create collaborative school, home and community environments for healthy nutrition and lifestyles.

While spreading the word around our district’s campuses, the most common question I hear is, “Why should I give to a foundation that spreads my money around so many schools?  I would rather have my money go directly to the school that my child attends.

This reasoning makes sense on the surface, and families have that opportunity through their school’s PTA and/or booster club.  However, CCUSD is a very unique Los Angeles County school district where each of its five elementary schools feed one middle school and one high school.  This is one of our strengths.  You don’t want to have a middle and high school that can’t provide the necessary programs and resources for your child’s success, and you don’t want your child’s classmates who come from other elementary schools to be less prepared than your child.  That only makes it harder for your child’s teacher to instruct a classroom of 30 kids.

We are one school district, a family of schools.  And if any school fails it will bring us all down.  This is why our campaign is called “ALL FOR 1:  1 Community, 1 School District, 1 City uniting to raise $1 million for our children’s future.

Public schools are free.  Great public schools are not.  This is the new reality.

Please visit CCEF90230.org to find out more.

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