wow... wrote on Feb 7, 2008 10:16 PM:It seems like the state is moving backwards (again) with education. Where is all the money from the lottery and the indian casino's? They are paying their share, but where is it going? I think someone needs to audit Sacramento. Our kids deserve the education of the 21st century, not the 1950's. Start writing to our state representatives. Start writing to Arnold. Start protecting our kids from the money hungry, fat wallet politicians of Sacramento.

Blivit wrote on Feb 7, 2008 10:18 PM:There are two ways to make up the $2.6 million shortfall. The first way is to cut class sessions. At $7,000 per child, you'll have to cut 13 entire classrooms (390 students) to balance the budget. The other way is to cut administrators. At $400,000 each, you'd only have to eliminate 7 positions. If education is really a District priority, they won't cut the classrooms.

backseat wrote on Feb 7, 2008 10:25 PM:I guess if the voters had voted to APPROVE the Governors proposal a few years ago to cap state spending we would not be in this position. Now its HIS fault that we the voters would not support him.

Amazed wrote on Feb 7, 2008 10:26 PM:I simply cannot believe that ANYONE is naive enough to think that ANY lottery money has helped with education. That was the bait used back in 84 to sell the thing. Any income for the schools was long ago offset by general fund reductions. Net increase to the schools: NOTHING!

BusinessManSays wrote on Feb 7, 2008 11:35 PM:Loose the vice principals. If a principal whines, give the newly laid off vice principal the whining principal's job.

Don't Hold Your Breath wrote on Feb 8, 2008 5:55 AM:That teacher featured in the TV commercial who helped persuade over half of the voters to pass the Indian casino compacts "for the schools" will not be seen or heard from again when you all realize schools will continue to receive nothing more than an occasional chump change check given solely for PR purposes. Obviously, for those who voted "yes", education has never been much of a priority.

Where is all the money wrote on Feb 8, 2008 7:41 AM:When I was in school (In the LA Unified) we had MORE services with LESS money than the schools get now, and this was AFTER prop 13. (I finished HS in 1988).
School Districts as a whole spend far to much on Administration and far to little on the students.
Why do we need 6 counselors and 3 Prinipals/VP's at a school?
I have a daughter in a local high school, and I pay for all her "extra" activities like the bus for her sporting events, her clothes for dance, and I even buy some of her books for English because they don't have enough.
When someone gets paid over 100,000 for working less than 40 hours a week and 50 weeks a year, the problem is them!

Bad Breath wrote on Feb 8, 2008 8:24 AM:Pachanga gives Temecula, Murrieta,Elsinore,and Hemet school districts millions annually. As a gift to our children. You say "PR". I say with little or no fan fare at all. You ask the parents at your kids school how much Pachanga has "DONATED" to our district last year and I doubt they say 3 million.

To Amazed wrote on Feb 8, 2008 8:48 AM:The Schools do get money from the lottery, but what ever the schools get the government takes that amount away. The lottery has aways given to the schools, but you never hear about it. How about the schools start charging for things. When half to three-quarters of the school district receives free or reduced services don't you think that is going to have some major impact. If they can't supply tax records (not paycheck stubs) then they should pay the full amount.

guess what wrote on Feb 8, 2008 8:57 AM:Education is the favorite thing for politicians to use to raise taxes.
If you need more money for education, maybe the Mexican American community could step up and invest in the neighborhoods they live in. Instead of sending billions home to Mexico, they could give a big chunk of that money to the schools their children attend.
Teachers and schools are very important to education but without the parents making a commitment, all the money and teachers in the world won't make a difference. Education starts with the parents. We have enough money for books and classrooms. It is up to the students and parents whether or not they are successful.

soonerorlater wrote on Feb 8, 2008 9:07 AM:like I have stated before...EDUCATE...NOT...LITAGATE... Thomasian should feel sick to her stomach. She is allowing the special eduaction department to fight parents just to fight parents. I would like to see the $$$ figures on what is spent on those litagations..Shame on you Dr. Sheers for not cleaning house and stopping the power struggle between your director and our parents.

Not true wrote on Feb 8, 2008 9:10 AM:Administrator do not make 400,000 a year even with benefits, not even close. Another thing is you cannot just simply elimintate 13 classrooms like Blivit said. What are you going to do, have 300-400 kids just stay home. The kids are going to come to school and the teachers have to teach them. Over 21,000 Kids are going to show up next year and the teachers are also. The problem with so many bloggers is they are completely unrealistic when it comes to budgets in schools. The cuts must be made away from the class. Examples would be busing, District office personal, Gardners, etc. Why does Murrieta need a superintendant and an associate super? Why do Admin staff at the District office get car allowances, gas cards, and why do they go to conferences? They do not deal with the students, teachers do......

Lori wrote on Feb 8, 2008 9:22 AM:After talking to several people last night and having them say to my face that (at first) the SDC classes will not be touched by this budget and then saying later it was based on need in each class is just plain dirty. I did with less at my schools when I was younger speaking as from a "typical" student point of view. My education may not have been at the "gold standard" but it was as good as my school district and mom could make it at the time! I believe we need to start with the administrative staff within the district. I am not talking about the teachers or aides of typical or SDC kids either! Teachers and aides get treated like crap, get paid nothing and are the one outside of our home who helped bring us all up to be what we choose to become and make of our lives! They all deserve raises instead of being pushed into early retirement if applicable. Out with the old in with the new and at a cheaper price right?! I feel my daughter's services are not facilitated by MVUSD correctly. They leave the aides to run classrooms while teachers are out because the subs are not efficient enough to run the class by themselves as the “boss”. The lack of proper credentials within the MVUSD office to facilitate these services is a joke! Start the cuts with something other than the students, teachers, aides and bus drivers. Give them the break they deserve, a pat on the back, a raise and a hug for everything they do. Start at the top! Start with the Program Specialist's, the salaries of the administrative staff at the District Office and then see how much you can save on the budget! I hope every SDC parent, student, teacher, aide, etc. sees this post and comes to the next meeting. We are the voice for our children! I love Murrieta School's as a whole but trying to solve the problems the way they are is out of the question! Please parents, come to the next meeting, bring your kids if your have too and show them what they are taking away from. I know this goes higher than just MVUSD but our kids need our help before it's too late!

Jake wrote on Feb 8, 2008 9:26 AM:Education is not a priority for any SW Riverside school board, jobs for adminstrators are. Cut administrative staff by 50%, put in more outsourced and computerized solutions for the simple tasks and pass a mandate that NEVER allows administrative overheard (excluding on campus salaries) to exceed 10% of the entire operating budget. But that would be in favor of the students and not the district so it will never happen.

Stanky breath wrote on Feb 8, 2008 9:42 AM:Pechanga donates millions to the local schools? When? You only see a token 50k check to each. 50k...what a joke. Might as well keep that chump change.

all the money wrote on Feb 8, 2008 10:52 AM:all the money comes directly from our community. It is based on taxes generated right here. If we need more money for schools, we just need to choose what we will cut to give the schools more money. Since the government takes about 35 to 40 percent of my income, it seems like there is enough money for schools. We will just need to live with a few more pot holes and other city/county cuts.
If we aggressively inforce our existing immigration policies, we would have a lot fewer kids in California schools. I am sure that Mexico has a very good school system. The children of illegal immigrants could attend school in Mexico while they wait for their visas. This would remove a huge financial burden from our school systems. The school system does not really help the immigrants much anyways since the drop out rate for Latinos is over 50 percent. Make room for the kids whose parents live here permanently and invest money in our own community. With the down turn in the economy and the trend for outsourcing in the US there really is a lot fewer jobs for folks with low or no skill jobs. We need to address this now (we won't) because it is going to get much worse over the next 5 years.

Blivit wrote on Feb 8, 2008 11:08 AM:"Not true" and I are in complete agreement, even though we appear to disagree. Fully fund the classrooms for teaching and maintenance, and use whatever money is left over for administrators. If there isn't enough money left for the bureaucrats, they can be furloughed without harming the educational mission of the schools. You see, it's all about funding priorities: educating the students is more important than hanging on to the deskbound paper shufflers.

New Math wrote on Feb 8, 2008 11:30 AM:How does a decrease in enrollment of 185 students equal laying off 40 teachers? Just wonderin'.

To California Voters wrote on Feb 8, 2008 12:46 PM:that voted yes on the props 94-97,Now ask the Governor and the four Gaming tribes how much they can allocate to our schools,or better yet ask Pechanga Tribe.... Murrieta is their Neighbor!!!Dont hold your breath....

union lackeys wrote on Feb 8, 2008 12:49 PM:The reason you cannot cut too many positions is the strong teachers union. They are very powerful here is California.
You can blame the governor but he is one middle of the road republican who favors schools. The state is run by democrats. They have let him stay govenor because he is a RINO and they can blame him if something goes the wrong way.
Wanna fix the schools. Mandate minimums for spending and take it away from the politicians. They use this every year to beat up the average taxpayer (joe middle class) by hand wringing and claiming "its for the children" our children will suffer. They take about 40 percent of the middle class income. You are saying that if everyone in california is paying their fair share that that much money is not enough? Who are you kidding? if I have back 40 percent of my income I could definitely send my kids to private schools. Instead education is used as political football because you can't use the argument that we need more road repairs with the same emotional impact. They use our kids as an emotional bludgeon to get more money out of us. If your school needs more money, allocate it from another account. It means you have to do without something else. No one has the economic freedom to get everything they want. Our government needs to learn the same lesson. Make due with less and prioritize what is important. Geez, it is basic economics and my drop out parents taught me to not live beyond my means. Its soooo simple, unless you live in california.

to Blivit and not True wrote on Feb 8, 2008 12:55 PM:you guys get it! It is so simple. Unfortunately, the teachers union protects these weasely little bureaucrats. We need teachers and a flat administration. Working managers are very popular with most businesses. Give each teacher a small amount of administration duties and spread out the work.

James wrote on Feb 8, 2008 1:05 PM:The California students

Why don't you talk to your employer and have your pay check cut. 4-6 to recieve your BA/BS degree, then 2 more years to get your cred., then more BS because now you have to complete BTSA (1-2 more years). Teachers like myself work hard to get where we're at, now copy and paste that...

to james wrote on Feb 8, 2008 1:22 PM:Hey we are NOT bagging on the teachers. They are doing a job few of us would want. The politicians put you in the middle by using education as a tool to eek out more money from us. We don't mind spending the money for good teachers. We just see the money cut every year to schools and the politicians and school administrators come crying to us saying "we dont have enough". My kids have been in public schools for 12 years and every year it is the same thing old song: its never enough and the children suffer. We have heard it so many times we are sick of it. Politicians will have to come up with a better plan because us baby boomers are getting older. Our kids are out of school and we vote heavily against tax increases. School compete or government money along with police fire, water systems and health care. There is only so much money in the bank and we have to be smart about how we spend it. Do you want to worry about how clean the water is or how soon the fire department can get to your house? Of course not. Its all about balance and efficiency. As the economy turns down there will be more folks on government assistance and less people paying taxes. Its all quite simple. We are overdrawn in our checking account so we need to be wise in our spending going forward. Everyone needs to take the hit in the coming years. Schools are just the first. Hospitals are going out of business. The days of rapid growth and development are coming to an end and with it means less money for everyone. Schools will need to stick the basics and cut the fat just like every other business, organization and household in america. Financial resonsibility is the answer not the problem. BTW... my folks grew up in rural Idaho during the depression. They had remarkable writing and arithmetic skills and common sense. They could live for a year on what most middle class Californians squander on SUVs and big screens. Its all about priorities.

Lori wrote on Feb 8, 2008 1:31 PM:I agree with James. Teachers get paid way too little for way too much work! Some parents even think that teachers are basically there to teach and raise their kids. My mom does well above and beyond what is ever expected of a teacher, gets treated like crap and all for what...kids like our Abbie. She knows my daughter deserves more and better education. She should be getting paid the six figure salary rather than the admin staff and Special Ed Cord. they don't teach the kids yet they make so much more for what! SDC & Typical Teachers & Aides ROCK!

How about report wrote on Feb 8, 2008 2:07 PM:cards on the schools and the teachers and let the parents choose.

voteoutrepublicans wrote on Feb 8, 2008 3:00 PM:Just think about all the money we would have if we had pulled most of our troops out of Iraq, or better yet, never attacked. One Trillion dollars. We could hire 50x the teachers we have today and fix most of our nations poor infrastructure as well as buying health care for all kids. BUT NO! We are spending money on Iraq to do NOTHING! So conservatives-- don't blame the unions or the Democrats-- blame yourselves for giving us the most unethical, failed government of all-time which has completely destroyed the finances of our country, with our deficits tripling. Set the bigotry and racism down for a minute and see the truth.

Murrieta mom wrote on Feb 8, 2008 3:05 PM:I have four children in Murrieta schools from 4th to high school. I believe that they are getting a remarkable education. Vista Murrieta High is an amazing place for kids. With that said, I believe that Murrieta, like most school districts, is way to heavy in administration. Each administrator has a secretary and other support services like already mentioned. Cut Administrator and district office employees, but do not disrupt the great teaching that goes on in Murrieta.

To James wrote on Feb 8, 2008 3:10 PM:If this post is an example of what you're teaching kids, no wonder we're graduating a bunch of illiterates. I only hope you're not an English teacher.

Teachers wrote on Feb 8, 2008 4:17 PM:I think elementary school teachers should be making around 35,000 a year.
I dont see how hard a job it is...
My sons teacher in 4th grade gets to school at 715 and leaves at 2:45.
And has 3 months off a YEAR!
I know engineers who earn 45k with same degrees who work 8am to 6pm 12 months a year and come in on sats.

Hey James wrote on Feb 8, 2008 4:58 PM:You made your bed, now lay in it! You could have chosen any profession when you entered College, and I'm sure you had been hearing for years how underpaid teachers where. I should know, I've been teaching since the early 1980s and I heard the complaints about teacher pay as far back as the early 70's when I was graduating High School! The complaints from our Union have not stopped since then, but I have somehow survived. Even bought a house back in the early 90's during the housing market crash back then. Yep, I saved my money and bought when buying was good! I also invested my income and took a summer job each summer to make extra income. Went to night school to get my MS, and then on to get my PhEd. No, never did make the jump into Administration, but I do teach night school now instead of attending. The extra pay has really helped. But, then again I LOVE what I do, and I take pride in it as well. No complaints here! Cut the fat out of the system and let us REAL Teachers get back to doing what we do best: TEACHING!

James wrote on Feb 8, 2008 5:22 PM:wrote on

Yeah yeah, I completed all my writing courses. I teach science by way, and I know for a fact I do a pretty good job. It's obvious you can't take teaching high school and I'm sure you didn't respect your students therefore you never got respect back, so you had to change your fields. I take a lot of pride in what I do, that's why I still plan on teaching for at least 20 more years. I bet you are one of them teachers that ONLY sits behind the desk on your fat a___ and never does any teaching.

Lori to Teachers wrote on Feb 8, 2008 7:19 PM:Teachers wrote on Feb 8, 2008 4:17 PM:I think elementary school teachers should be making around 35,000 a year.
I dont see how hard a job it is...
My sons teacher in 4th grade gets to school at 715 and leaves at 2:45.
And has 3 months off a YEAR!
I know engineers who earn 45k with same degrees who work 8am to 6pm 12 months a year and come in on sats.



What is this. You would never be where you are today without great teachers and you family. Shouldn't you take a step back and shove off. My mother worker both sessions of summer school every year to pay for my sister and my braces. Step off! Have respect. They have earned it. My mom is a Special Ed teacher and when she goes home she spends more time on IEP's (over 3 hours on eaqch one) and still gets paid the same regardless if she put effort into her job like this for her kids or not. Get a life!

been there wrote on Feb 8, 2008 8:53 PM:blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah- a good summary

to voterepublicansout wrote on Feb 8, 2008 9:47 PM:The Iraq war is a federal issue. School money comes mostly from local taxes. Our state is primarily run by Democrats. Our state is one of the largest economies in the world but almost all of our elected politicians are democrats and we still manage to have lousy schools with high drop out rates. Hmmm....
BTW... I agree that we have wasted too much money in Iraq but that is not the issue at hand. Stay on topic please.
There is enough tax money being collected in California right now to fund good schools but we waste so much of it on needless government spending. The money is already here but our local politicians all have their pet projects and leave us holding the bag. Democrat or republican, they do not put education first.

I'm sick wrote on Feb 9, 2008 6:10 PM:To the people that keep saying teachers deserve less pay, you don't know what you are talking about. Teachers work 184 days per year, on the books. Most spend at least another 7+ on their own time throughout the year preparing their classrooms. Then, there is the time at home, communicating with parents, correcting assignments, and developing lessons. Add to that the thousand or more dollars I spend each and every year on supplies, books, incentives, etc. Plus arriving every morning around seven and never leaving before four, usually after five, and I'd say we deserve each and every cent. Unless you are in your child's classroom, you really don't know what kind of job his/her teacher is doing, or what kind of time on their own they are spending.

concerned student wrote on Feb 23, 2008 11:59 AM:well the sudents point of view: I am not a democrat I am not a republican but what I do know is that my school is loosing 3 or 4 teachers! I go to a continuation high school and i believe that my school is by far the best in the district and we are losing some of the best teachers simply because when ignorant voters who probaly just turned 18 or because they did not care to research the difference between the candidates decided to voter the Terminator and that is exactly what happened what got terminated was our school funds our teachers and and some extra curriculars. So our school that just started a book club will probably not have the money to support it next year! I agree with "Im Sick" teachers pay dont need to be cut! My teacher just spent 380 dollars on buying books for the entire class to read and out of his own pocket he isnt being refunded in any sort of way! I met some of the best teachers in the world this year and they are going to be gone by the end of the summer our school has only 1-2 teachers per department we cant afford to lose any yet we cant afford (literally) to keep them so California and everyone else don't be ignorant chose wisely when voting and to the politicians make up your mind do you support the education system or do you want to bring them down yor never gona have enough for the education department so do something about it!

haha I agree with james wrote on Feb 23, 2008 12:31 PM:its concerned student again. I had one of those teachers the one that writes down what he wans done out of a book and then sits down and plans out his next basketball game because our beautiful distinguished high schools think a track and field coach or a basketball coach is a math teacher! Try being the student! I was confused I walked in grabbed a book if I grabbed the wrong one no one notticed and if did all the work out of the wrong book then get the right book and do it over again dont tell the teacher he could care less I sat down and did math problems out of a book for 2 and a half hours straight and did not say a word to the teacher and the teacher sat there told people to be quiet turn off their ipods and put their cell phones away. Heaven forbid you ask for help then this said genius of a teacher walks over looks at you with a look of digust and explains it the way he would to a college graduate with a PHD. But no our schools arent going to cut him because he is the basketball coach! Im glad i dont go to that school Im better off at the continuation high school I go to! wonderful well educated teachers are being cut and the basketball math genius is kept! Parents do you really want your children taught this way because they dont have enough money to hire a real math teacher or because the real math teacher got fired?

concerned student wrote on Feb 23, 2008 12:48 PM:"Teachers wrote on Feb 8, 2008 4:17 PM:I think elementary school teachers should be making around 35,000 a year.
I dont see how hard a job it is...
My sons teacher in 4th grade gets to school at 715 and leaves at 2:45.
And has 3 months off a YEAR!
I know engineers who earn 45k with same degrees who work 8am to 6pm 12 months a year and come in on sats."




Dont be ignorant are you an elementary teacher? didnt think so do you create lesson plans to keep kindergardeners to 5th graders interested!? I have nieces and nephews I baby sit and it takes a lot to get a child interested in something for 7 hours and 30 minutes especially if its education related. Then you have children who have dissorders such as ADD and ADHD who are not only distracting themselves but distract other studens as well. Teachers dont go home and rest the all day they go home and correct papers, create the lesson plans for the next day and prepare and or go buy things for crafts and they go buy supplies for the classroom that the district cant pay for.

The California students wrote on Dec 31, 1969 4:00 PM:come first. So stop the whinning and start making the cuts in payroll on administrators and teachers salaries. How much can be cut in benefits is another area that will have to be studied. I am affar to much on Administration and far to little on the students.
Why do we need 6 counselors and 3 Prinipals/VP's at a school?
I have a daughter in a local high school, and I pay for all her "extra" activities like the bus for her sporting events, her clothes for dance, and I even buy some of her books for English because they don't have enough.
When someone gets paid over 100