Education tossed out again wrote on Jan 10, 2008 11:56 PM:Lake Elsinore Superintendent should be cloned! Bravo for reacting immediately to the governor's proposal (not yet passed) by announcing a freeze of administrative salaries, cutting the 'fat' in district office/administrators's pockets. Betcha, if this hideous education cut is passed, Roach and other North County Supes would not donate a dime of their outrageous salaries to the classrooms or children with special needs. How can New York spend ten times what California does, on the children? Because they CARE and know drop outs mean homeless, uneducated baggage on the system. I really thought our Governorator wanted Caleeeeefornia to climb out of the bottom spot (in education). Guess not. No wonder families are not moving here anymore.

Randy wrote on Jan 11, 2008 1:54 AM:Special Education has previously been cut to the core!

Charge a fee to all wrote on Jan 11, 2008 3:01 AM:those who are "illegal". Users pay concept. It is time the illegals pay for their education. Stop sending money to Mexico. If you want to live here, you gotta own up to your fair share. I think it is called "tuition".

Gullible wrote on Jan 11, 2008 6:13 AM:Yaaay! The California Lottery will give our schools the necessary funding! OK, forget about that one. No wait! The Indian Casino Compacts will give the State the necessary funding! Yaaaay! Fool me once, blah blah.

Beans for Brains wrote on Jan 11, 2008 7:30 AM: Time has come for the illegals to "pony-up" their tuition money.

Fireman wrote on Jan 11, 2008 8:01 AM:Why don't they cut all the programs encouraging young uneducated women to have kids without a plan. Like WIC, xxx, and the list gos on and on. don't cut our future by cutting education. Cut welfare not education.

dave from oceanside wrote on Jan 11, 2008 8:07 AM:Our schools, roads, city infrastructure, police departments and hospitals are hemorrhaging due to people who are here illegally.
We need to elect a president who will solve this problem once and for all.
We can't even keep criminals in prison due the illegal population.

GFN wrote on Jan 11, 2008 8:19 AM:So what? No one is going to do anything. The children of illegal immigrants suck up a huge amount of the school budget and no one does anything about that. We are on a downward slope with lots of misery ahead. Actually, this is the normal state of affairs when people get lazy, greedy, and hedonistic. It's not a God thing; it's a human thing.

Why would wrote on Jan 11, 2008 8:26 AM:the Fraudinator cut money to the Charter schools. They are the only thing that is working educating the kids. Lets go to the Unions and the Administrators and start cutting salaries and start paying for performance. ...

April wrote on Jan 11, 2008 8:53 AM:Education is too expensive due to overpaid teacher and educators. Teachers have now been off in the Vista School Dist since before Christmas. They are not sceduled to return until Jan 14, Before Christmas they were off for 4 days for Thanksgiving Every Holliday they are off for 3 to 4 day weekends. I am a Registered Nurse who make the same as a teacher with over 20 years experience and I work every other weekend do not get holliday off I have returned to school to obtain my teaching Credentials so I can earn the same pay or more for half the hours that I work
I also have 3 children and volunteer and work for free in the classrooms 6 days per month. Teachers also get off in the summer for several weeks. Dont start that nonsense that they dont get paid their salary is yearly not hourly

Also bring in the so called heros fireman they only work 9 days out of the month because they get paid to sleep and eat for free. Military get paid peanuts for keeping our country free Yes my husband is career military.
He has been to Iraq 3 times and has to come home and hear the cry baby democrats and liberal Republicans cry
If the citizens in WW2 has listened we would be speaking German or Japanese
and would not have the freedow we enjoy.
Our troops has now been in Europe and Japan for over 60 years. If we were to leave the World would be in a worse mess then it now is.
Please comment if you disagree and explain why.

Concerned-1 wrote on Jan 11, 2008 9:11 AM:Talk about a catch 22. Schools are faced with keeping up the Average Daily Attendance to secure funding, yet to do that they ignore the obvious impact of non-English speaking students. Add to that an institution, Education, that loves a bureaucracy and you have our dilemma in a nutshell. There are no easy answers. Well, maybe one, but we don't have the will to see it through.

GFN wrote on Jan 11, 2008 10:12 AM:Con-1...bingo...you identified the essence of the problem as succintly as I've ever seen. I assume your unstated answer is to remove the illegals; if I am wrong, please advise.

CATCH 22 wrote on Jan 11, 2008 10:24 AM:By your literary reference...it appears as though one of your overpaid and over vacationed teachers must have been able to fit in a great work of literature...between vacations, 4-day weekends, etc...

Left behind wrote on Jan 11, 2008 10:44 AM:Now we will all be left behind. A healthy portion of our education funds go to teaching non-english speaking students so that they can pass the mandated tests. The resources available to average and above average students have been cut - we know they will do well enough on the tests that there is no need to invest in their education. As a result our whole system gets dumbed-down and our education funds are depleted because we have attempted to leave no child behind without fully understanding the implications of what on first glace looks like an honorable concept. I am not opposed to immigration, but we should only accept the number of immigrants that we are ready and willing to educate. Illegal immigration must be stopped and illegal immigrants must be deported.

to I fled Ca. wrote on Jan 11, 2008 10:47 AM:I've lived in many states and would never leave California. Yes it costs alot to live here but is worth it. My husband and I have two very good jobs, and live very comfortable. Even with all the illegal immigrant problems I wouldn't trade live here for anything. The other states I've lived in have their "white trash" problems and it is not any better...sometimes much worse.

Can you say sacrifice? wrote on Jan 11, 2008 10:55 AM:Everybody is up in arms about the budget cuts but nobody wants to allow their cut for something else. Where are you going to get your money? Maybe stones and sand.

Can you say sacrifice? wrote on Jan 11, 2008 10:58 AM:Everybody is up in arms about the tax (service) cuts. You want it all but where do you get the money? Beach sand and stones?

April wrote on Jan 11, 2008 10:59 AM:you are nutz! You need a massage and a stiff drink so you chill out.

Hey there Nicole wrote on Jan 11, 2008 11:04 AM:Don't forget about the Romoland School District - we get the Californian out here too!

The TVUSD's surprised by this? wrote on Jan 11, 2008 11:21 AM:Why, other district's saw it coming, why NOT Temecula? After spending thousands on a budget review last year, that recommended they increase reserves to ready themselves for a slowdown in growth, what have they done? They've continued to deficit SPEND (even in their budgeting, expenses surpass revenues).
Expect the TVUSD, unlike other area districts, and as they have done in the past, to look first to our classrooms when they are forced to make cuts because students here come LAST.
Sorry but the party's OVER. This district can no longer rely on borrowing from its construction funding to appear to remain solvent. Developers fees have dried up and without passing another GOB (General Obligation Bond) this district won't have access to State money to build new schools. (Remember the State bonds that passed in the last election? Districts have to demonstrate they have or can get matching funds to be eligible for those funds.)
HELLO Temecula & Dr. Leighty, the ONLY place we may need new classrooms is at our high schools & possibly middle schools. I say possibly because we've got a TON of unused elementary classrooms & could accomodate middle school students there IF we think creatively (K-8 schools). Does the TVUSD have any plans to build a new HS....NO. Instead this school district plans include two new ESs & two new MSs. I hope the taxpayers here consider this when asked to support another GOB. Please also consider what's happened with the last GOB (Millions LOST in bad investments, those bonds have been refunded which increased the total amount due.........look at your property tax bills & ask yourselves why your share has actually INCREASED over time even though the population has exploded here.......an increase in households should have translated to a DECREASE in your tax for the GOB).
I'll not mention what's happened regarding the CFD bonds (mello roos tax) here except to say THANK YOU (please note the sarcasm) to Temecula for giving the TVUSD the authority to tax us this way (since it's the school district that's responsible for providing oversight to itself!)

Weary Rich Man... wrote on Jan 11, 2008 11:26 AM:I'm a wealthy man who lives in the best part of Rancho Santa Fe. I tire of paying taxes for schools and police. My children went to private school and I hire my own security. Here in Rancho Santa Fe we are getting tired of paying for services that go to the great unwashed. Can you folks please get your acts together and pay your own way? I move among a better class of people and am weary of funding you; the poor and middle class.

Wow, that was quite a screed wrote on Jan 11, 2008 11:27 AM:April at 8:53 AM was all over the map there. She sounds quite bitter about teachers getting so much time off, yet she clearly yearns to become one to "earn the same pay or more for half the hours that I work". If April, or anyone else here, truly believes that teaching is such an easy job, you need to put your money where your fat gassy mouths are and get into a classroom for a day. You'll see that most teachers (not all, I admit) are dedicated professionals who spend not only tons of UNPAID time on their classrooms, but hundreds of unreimbursed dollars per year for supplies that the state no longer provides. The changes to the curriculum due to language barriers are just something that are part of our reality now, good or bad, and must be dealt with appropriately. There is nothing more important than education, especially in the early years, so teachers should be paid more (much more) to attract the "best and brightest".

Concerned-1 wrote on Jan 11, 2008 12:13 PM:GFN, you got it. Subtract the illegals from the equation and it pencils out. Good day to you. C-1

Dang now wrote on Jan 11, 2008 12:21 PM:my Medi-Cal is no good, I will have to go to the ERs as an illegal!

ModernRock wrote on Jan 11, 2008 12:38 PM:The bottom line is that the state gets so much tax money from us it's unbelievable. There is plenty of money for Education etc... It's all the pork programs and state waste where most of the tax money needs to be cut ($100 toilets, trips to Europe, trips to the DNC, etc..). Then the need to cut education won't be necessary.

I Heart Ignorance wrote on Jan 11, 2008 1:16 PM:Wow, is right, I can't believe the ignorance people so willingly fill the need to "blog" on these news sites.

The saying never judge someone until you've walked a mile in their moccasins applies to our daily lives, yet we continue to have posts by bloggers that speak as if they know what it is like to live one day in the shoes of a school teacher.

The comments posted by April are no more ignorant than me saying, "it must be nice to live the military life, what with all that paid travel, tax free income while on tour abroad, discounts on foods and services on base, and housing for an inkling of the costs civilians incur".

As I've said, and will continue to teach my students as teacher, "never judge someone else until you've walked a mile in their shoes".

With this being said, most jobs in the human services industry are underpaid, and persuasive arguments on behalf of anyone in public service who devote their livelihoods to bettering their world and community could be made on here.

Cuts to education, military, fire, police, medical field, etc. etc. are damaging to us all.

My advice, stop whining, and start creating solutions rather than complaining about the status quo.

Doug wrote on Jan 11, 2008 1:40 PM:Illegal aliens are one of the main problems. The freely use our services such as schools, hospitals, prisons, etc, yet don't pay taxes. The state government should levy fines against the companies that hire illegals. That will create an incredible stream of revenue that can go toward the budget. These companies are cheating the system and they must be punished.

What you could do wrote on Jan 11, 2008 3:34 PM:is when funds are wired out of the country in cash, tax it! If they come in with a paycheck and the paycheck shows no tax, tax it before it leaves the country.

A couple of thoughts: wrote on Jan 11, 2008 3:44 PM:To April:
Correct subject-verb agreement would have made your message a little more substantive. I truly feel sorry for you and your bitterness. Try thinking about your positions from a different angle. Firefighters don't simply get paid to sleep while on the clock. They get paid to potentially wake up in the middle of the night and run into your burning house and risk their lives to save you.

To Weary Rich Man:
I assume that your post is satirical. I will follow suit. I don't live in Rancho Santa Fe and I rarely, if ever, travel through your community. Let's make a deal, okay? I will write you a check for the amount of your tax dollars used to pay for my children to be educated and for the police force to protect my community. In return, I will want a check from you to pay for the roads in your area that I don't drive and for the firefighters from my community that helped save your home back in October. While we are at it, I don't drive on I-5 or I-15, so I would like my tax dollars that are used for their maintenance and construction returned to me as well.

Tough being a teacher wrote on Jan 11, 2008 5:38 PM:With a decreasing population in California, cuts in education are going to happen. Hopefully, districts will look at cutting things that are NOT in the classroom. As for Charter Schools being a better education, research has proved that it isn't better and is infact the same as a public school. As an educator, I am appalled that people think we are overpaid - yes some maybe. But I put in almost 10 hour days and often bring my work home where my husband begs me to put it away. Our extended vacations as April put it, are because districts have to accomodate for those wonderful vacations that families decide to take during the school year. Since $$ from the state is based off of student attendance, that's the best thing they can do. Oh, and I also work during my vacations preparing lessons to educate your children.

When you think that teachers are overpaid, think about how much you pay, would pay, or did pay for child care during the year. Well, sometimes I fell like I am babysitting 160 of those everyday, giving them wonderful lessons about this world, dealing with parents who don't care much about their child's education and are not willing to work with a teacher to ensure their success!!

Another Overpaid Whiner wrote on Jan 11, 2008 6:33 PM:Yep, I'm a teacher! I work in a public school and previously worked in a charter school. The only difference is the label - think prescription drugs - ones the brand name ones the generic and you'll get the picture. Anytime you want to pay the thirty five thousand dollars that it cost me to become a teacher only to make forty thousand gross (which after union fees etc is closer to 24k take home) you let me know! I'm now a single mom with three kids - thank god I have an education since the military screwed up my ex and he walked out! However I've had my electricity and my water both turned off this year apparently my excessive pay doesn't allow for such luxuries! As per firemen - my father is a retired LA County Fireman and he worked a lot more than 9 days a month. In fact he worked almost every holiday, birthday etc. We used to say my father had two families - the dept and us and usually we lost out! Yeah he made a heckuva living but so would you if you worked for a week straight (24 hours a day) Heck a walmart employee with those hours would make a decent salary given current labor laws! BTW my good friend from HS has an Associate Degree and is an RN she works three nights a week and has a live in nanny - she makes almost twice what I do with a Master's Degree!

To April and Others... wrote on Jan 11, 2008 7:02 PM:As an educator it gets tiring to hear you who are obviously fairly ignorant whine about something you know nothing about. We challenge you to spend a day...no, half a day...in a classroom and manage to make sure that the students are healthy, happy, and learning to the standards. You will run screaming in less than than that amount of time if you are in it solely for the money. Teachers are there for the heart of it and for the dedication to the betterment of children's lives. We take them as they come to us, and we love them through their trials, tribulations, and challenges in learning. April, IF you go back to school to get your credential, I suggest you start at a junior college or night school to get your writing skills up to par...otherwise you will not have much to offer the students you will teach...It's 7:00 p.m. on a Friday night. I think I'll go home now since I'm overpaid.

Auf Wiedersehen Herr Governor wrote on Jan 11, 2008 7:28 PM:Well, as a new teacher, I got my walking papers today--that's ok though, it will free up more time to work on the "Recall the Guvernator" campaign. Well, Mr. Guvernator, watch out, what goes around comes around...

taxpayer wrote on Jan 11, 2008 7:46 PM:Funding for education is comparable to automatic raises without accountability. Time to stop the gravy train and make local boards accountable to real life. When stocks go down, investor benefits are lowered....private business owners save for retirement....no guarantee of tomorrows increased benefits. There is no free lunch...make the "public servants" take the hit on this and balance the budget for the future generation. Enough already...stop the insanity of overspending. Administrators are in charge of budgets....they need to take the hit first. Unfortunately their "recommendations will be otherwise. At community colleges, the students will take the hit with less access to class sections. Go figure....then they will raise fees and blame lower enrollments on the fee. Repeat 2003.

Rocky wrote on Jan 12, 2008 4:24 AM:If we enforce the labor laws, fine employers who hire illegals (No Hillary, women CAN be illegal), charge tuition to illegals in our schools instead of giving them a free ride, and turn them over to Immigration after they are treated in our hospitals, we would not have a budget problem. Oh yes, and elect a president who will enforce immigration policy and CLOSE THE BORDER!

Mark wrote on Jan 15, 2008 3:29 PM:Well, again we are up against the wall.
Let's face it, the systeem is broken...and broken real good. Everybody has there hand out and no one is around, who can fill up the hands. We've become a socialized society where everyone is secure, taken care of, and gets rewarded for being average and needy. But we've taken care of everyone with "borrowed" money, deficit spending, over and over again...it's so easy to do just print up the bills and spend, spend, spend.
Then when more is needed, Tax, fees and cutbacks are the order of the day.

temecula parent wrote on Jan 23, 2008 3:34 PM:get rid of the illegals and help solve
our problem, it is not right that
taxpaying american families have to sit by and watch their childs education
ruined by these illegals that do not pay taxes, take american jobs, and
live off the system that us americans
are paying for, lord knows, they dont pay taxes, they send their money back to mexico. we need to stand up for
out rights as tax paying americans and
get these illegals out, now!!!!!!! before its too late.

Disgusted. wrote on Jan 23, 2008 5:23 PM:I am apalled and dismayed that people will so brazenly admit their lack of caring for others behind the mask of the internet.

As a teacher I work hard; as a firefighter my husband works just as hard. We finally had to call a truce in the house and just admit we both work hard though we do it in different ways. My husband works in one of the most dense homeless populations in the nation at what is literally the busiest fire station in the nation. He works holidays, and over-time days, and when there is a state or city emergency he stays at work no matter what we have planned or what holiday it might be. Day-in and day-out he sees the remnants of an America citizenry drugged-out and mentally ill. It is a population that I haven't seen addressed by anyone other than the one firefighter blogger. What do other propose to do about situations like that?

The budget cuts will effect us all in the months, possibly years, to come. I am going to be laid-off at the end of this school year. Imagine being told you are to be laid-off... but you must still put in as much effort as possible in order to meet the needs of the students, parents, and the mandates of "NCLB."

Those who believe the answer is to "send the illegals back" are utterly kidding yourselves.

Nobody seems to realize: in order for there to be the middle class (that we "bloggers" are seemingly a part of) there must also be an upper and a lower class.

Even more ridiculously is the fact that the number of "illegals" in Temecula is nothing compared to those impacting schools in nearby urban cities. And, if we "get rid" of them (illegal immigrants) what will we do with the major loss of jobs experienced by teachers in those (mostly) urban schools with a 50+ (illegal) immigrant population?

I understand the desire to keep our homes and communities safe for our children, but realistically there are better ways to address these issues that are logical and unprejudiced.

Why don't all school districts offer an "opt-out" program for teachers with other benefit options-- thus saving themselves hundreds of dollars per employee/ per month?

Why don't community members allow the institution of a parcel tax-- thus spreading the financial deficit across tens of thousands homeowners and saving both teacher and personnel jobs along with community morale?

Heck while we're at it, why not just go year-round and forget about building other schools?

Oh, I remember... the proliferation of ignorance and fear. Think about it.

A teacher wrote on Jan 29, 2008 8:03 PM:In regards to April's comment 1/11 about teachers being overpaid, she truly has no idea. You are in for the shock of your life when and if you get into the teaching profession. We work countless hours at home and on the weekends. Not to mention the nights we wake up thinking how we can better serve our students. Walk a mile in my shoes and then let me know if you think teachers are overpaid. Please do not go into education for the pay. Teaching has to be something you are passionate about and your hourly pay amounts to less than minimum wage when all is said and done!

a mom wrote on Jan 29, 2008 9:31 PM:Teachers are the stepping stone to our children's futures. If you ask me they don't get paid enough! I'm not a teacher, but I do work for a school as a classified employee and it's certainly not for the money! I LOVE working with children, nurturing them, helping them and guiding them. They enrich my life as much as I pray that I enrich theirs. Working with children is something you either love or you don't, it's not for the monetary benefit. I pray that with all of these budget cuts I'll be able to stay employed because I feel I'm a lifer when it comes to working with kids. I am saddened for all of us in this time of crisis, and face it, that's what it is when you take away any percentage from our children's, OUR FUTURE, education!

VIVA LA REVOLUTION ! wrote on Mar 14, 2008 6:30 PM:most of Latinos are here because of the great inflation that was caused by American companies in Latin America. Aside from that, many are seeking a life away from the puppet democracies that were funded by the United States; places like El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru, Columbia, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Republica Dominicana, and not just Spanish-speaking countries either, but Haiti and Jamaica as well.
I want a better life for my family and for my children, but it doesn't have to be at the expense of millions of lives in my homeland. We're given the idea that if we didn't have these people to exploit then America wouldn't be rich enough to let us have these little petty material things in our lives and basic standards of living. No, that's wrong. It's the business giants and the government officials who make all the real money. We have whatever they kick down to us. My enemy is not the average white man, it's not the kid down the block or the kids I see on the street; my enemy is the white man I don't see: the people in the white house, the corporate monopoly owners, fake liberal politicians those are my enemies. The generals of the armies that are mostly conservatives those are the real [ones] that I need to bring it to. ...

the mysterious one wrote on Mar 18, 2008 4:54 PM:its all the terminators fault