Dear Parents,
I wanted to take a moment to provide you some context for information that will be forthcoming as we move forward in the spring, particularly in regards to staffing.
As you know, PVUSD was fortunate enough to have had both recent ballot measures supported this past fall, however, those monies are legally and directly linked to capital expenditures, only. This means that funds can only be used for instructional materials, technology, and "bricks and mortar" type costs. None of it can be used for staffing costs. Coupled with managing continued funding and enrollment challenges as a district, staffing will continue to be an issue with which PVUSD will have to be incredibly efficient.
A significant cost savings can be found in the formula for how elementary schools are staffed. In the past, we have been allocated staffing based upon projections per grade level, however, PVUSD will be shifting to a Total Enrollment/A Fixed Number (around 27), and given a total number of teachers to be used, as needed. The benefit in this goes beyond savings; it also allows for some flexibility in where teachers are placed based upon need. Input on this topic will be taken and discussed through School Council each spring. In the end, early projections do not show classes exceeding their current cap numbers. Most of our rooms have been well under their maximum and the reduction will help remediate this "empty seat" reality found in many of our classes.
Unfortunately, most PVUSD schools are having to be reduced in total staffing through this model. In our case, it looks to be several teachers, based upon district seniority. The teachers have been aware of this for weeks and a few have had to consider pro-active action to attempt to control their professional future, as much as possible. Also, those teachers who had officially retired, but had been rehired, are having to be let go (with an opportunity to re-interview), district-wide to make room for teachers who have been displaced by the reduction process. Specifics on this topic will be forthcoming, but I wanted to provide some additional context before those details are decided and discussed.
Having a school with extremely low turnover is a point of pride for PPES. We have managed to provide an increasingly strong learning experience, while keeping the working environment positive and the school a place teachers want to join. The downside of this is that one must go back many years just to find our newest teachers. Although unexpected events may cushion or reduce any losses between now and next fall, it's important that we all remain prepared for the reality of the workplace and increases in fiscal efficiency.
Lastly, I see this as an opportunity to rethink some of the ways we deliver instruction and some of the assumptions we inherently make about how a school should be structured and organized. Our goal should be to provide personalized instruction to students that allows extension, enrichment, and remediation as an integrated part of every day. There is much to be said on this topic, and there will certainly be more to come. However, I very much believe in the following words, which are not mine, but speak to the spirit of our thinking at PPES:
"There's only one kind of kid. The kind that is different from all other kids. Let's design our schools around that."
Obviously, there is much more to be shared in the following weeks. At this point, I cannot answer specific questions about specific staff members, but stay tuned, and I will keep you posted with the information that I can provide, when it can be disseminated.
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Mike
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