The month of April presents the administration, staff, and community with many unique challenges. Foremost on our minds are the proposed budget cuts, reduction in force (RIF) and the direct effects these issues have for Revere students. The faculty have demonstrated their professionalism by not involving students in their concerns about the District budgetary issues. However we will need all the support and cooperation from our community in order to impress on the Board of Education the importance of a stable, unburdened educational environment. PTSA/PRIDE have issued, in an e-blast, a form letter for all parents of Revere students. The letter should be printed, signed and mailed (or faxed) to Board members. This will demonstrate our community’s unity in preserving our wonderful teachers, and the rights we have been officially designated under our Charter Document. The current proposals by Superintendent Cortines are extremely drastic involving the following:
· an increase in class size to 39.50 to 1 (in elementary – 24 students to 1 school-wide)This directly impacts the number of teachers per school.
· the elimination of class size reduction in 8th grade
· an increase of 150 students per counselor
· an increase of 250 students school-wide to retain 5 administrators (including the principal)
· a 50% reduction in force at the Central and Local Districts
· a decrease in custodial and other classified staff.
These are issues, we as a community, need to address with the Board. I feel it is vitally important that the entire Complex of elementary schools and Revere Middle School unite as one voice to the Board, in order to present our complaints with some of these proposals that directly impact our collective student body. More importantly, the Complex must present in an informed argument with data-driven proof that achievement by students is directly affected by good teaching and class size.
A community meeting is being arranged, by Complex principals, after the spring break to address these concerns, and discuss actions needed to address our issues to the Board and Mr. Cortines. The Complex plans to invite members of the Board of Education and some District officials to answer questions at this meeting. Hopefully they will attend. The actual vote on Mr. Cortines’ proposals has been postponed for two weeks, therefore the letters from PTSA/PRIDE should be sent a.s.a.p. Now that the facts are clearly stated, and innuendoes and rumors no longer muddy the waters, it is time to send a united protest to protect our terrific teachers and staff, and the structures that support our high-achieving complex.
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