Schools

Letter to the Editor: Lawsuit to Save Union Jobs Will Hurt Our Culver City Schools

If a lawsuit against CCUSD by the Classified Employee Association goes ahead, it would prevent parents from creating, funding and maintaining positions on campus to enhance our children's education.

The following open letter to Culver City school parents was submitted to Culver City Patch by Hector Flores.

Dear CCUSD parents,

According to the Culver City Unified School District, Debbie Hamme, president of the Classified Employee Association, has threatened to sue the District. Her lawsuit would prevent parents from creating, funding and maintaining positions on campus to enhance our children’s education (like positions parents have created at Farragut, Linwood E. Howe, El Marino and Culver City Middle School and hope to do soon at La Ballona and El Rincon). It could also discourage parents from volunteering “too much” to help teachers or otherwise enhance your children’s education at school.

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Such a lawsuit is without merit. Due in part to ongoing negotiations between the district and Ms. Hamme’s bargaining team, however, the District has told El Marino’s Advocates for Language Learning El Marino (ALLEM) leaders that it may choose not to fight the lawsuit.

Such a decision by the school board could end all positions funded by parent fundraising. The parents would be required to raise the extra funds to pay for the positions to be filled by employees of the District and members of the classified association instead of using contract workers. Most of the dozens of hardworking employees being funded by parents in those positions would immediately be fired with little hope of regaining their position.

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The District has heard from Ms. Hamme. Now they must hear from us parents.

We are looking to the school board to present concrete proposals to safeguard the rights of parents and our children at the February 14, February 28 and March 13 school board meetings.

Please let us know which one(s) you will attend.

Board meetings begin at 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 14-District Office-4034 Irving Place
Feb. 28- City Hall Chambers-9770 Culver Blvd.
Mar. 13-District Office-4034 Irving Place
Sign up at http://goo.gl/QEi2T.

Sincerely,

Paul Walsleben, Linwood Howe Boosters

GinaMarie Walker, El Marino ALLEM

Heather Moses, La Ballona Parent Leader

Steven Levin, Farragut Parent Leader

Tracy Davis, CCMS, CCHS Parent Leader

Diana Aceves -- CCHS Booster Club

Anne Burke - OCD Parent Advisory

Alisha Martin -- El Marino Parent Leader

Editor's Note: Letters to the Editor may be edited for brevity and clarity.

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