Dear Ms. Strauther;

To: Grace Strauther, Local District 3 Superintendent
Date: Monday, April 15, 2007
Re: SB1133 Funds


Dear Ms. Strauther;

In anticipation of receiving funds based on Senate Bill 1133, the Los Angeles Senior High UTLA Chapter has discussed the best way to utilize these funds. We have sought and continue to seek the input and support of students, parents and teachers. Our interpretation of the qualifications to receive funding has given us confidence that Los Angeles Senior High school will likely be receiving a significant sum of funds from SB 1133. [JT1] As we presently understand it, SB 1133 funds are for class size reduction at API 1 and schools that receive monies from the High Priority Schools Grant schools. Based on this analysis and the reality of an impending enrollment drop, we believe it is critical to make a plan right now and not wait until the final decision naming schools to receive SB1133 money is announced.

Accordingly, this letter serves as notification that we intend to allocate a large portion of the first years’ funding to retain teachers over the norm. Presently, we anticipate losing up to twenty-three teachers and two counselors due to a reduction in enrollment relating to the opening of West Adams Preparatory High School in the fall of 2007. Retaining these 20+ teachers over the norm will help our school reduce class sizes; avoid losing quality teachers; and reduce the burden that will be placed on our school resources of recruiting and hiring new teachers. We would like to use SB 1133 funds specifically to pay the teachers salaries without lapse starting in the summer of 2007.

We are concerned that SB1133 funds will not be available to pay teachers and counselors at the beginning of the school year. As we are a year-round school, we worry if positions are not financially accounted for before July 2, 2007, teachers and counselors at Los Angeles High School will feel compelled to secure positions in other schools. This would create disruption and make reaching benchmarks in class size and counseling ratio reduction, the ultimate objective of SB1133, more difficult to achieve in a timely fashion.

We have not yet received the actual numbers of teachers and counselors that we will lose to West Adams Preparatory High School. However, we are notifying you in advance so that there will be no mistake as to our intentions with these SB 1133 funds.

[JT2] We also are writing you because unfortunately, LAHS resources have not always been spent according to locally defined priorities. We’re hoping to preempt that scenario from happening with these funds. To that end we are also seeking an assurance that the that none of the SB1133 monies will be taken for administrative overhead. While we welcome and hope for Local District support from existing personnel as well as trainings around FRDB for our SSC and other councils, etc, we want to keep SB1133 funds for locally determined needs. We also want to make sure that we retain all other funding LAHS is slated to receive. These new SB1133 monies should be prioritized exclusively for overcrowding reduction, not made to serve multiple purposes.

To be clear, we are requesting a meeting with yourself and the local High School Director, Susan Allen, to discuss the following:

We would like to secure a commitment from Local District 3 and LAUSD that, regardless of the availability of SB1133 funds at the precise beginning of the 07/08 school year, that LAHS will be able to maintain and fund our current teacher and counselor levels right from the beginning of the 07/08 fall semester.

We would like to secure Local District assurance that SB1133 monies will be directed by our School Site Council in accordance with the [JT3] plan they developed along with the staff and community, not used for administrative overhead or purposes other than class size and counselor load reduction..

We would like to recommend the date of April 26th at 6 PM in order to allow both community members and teachers to participate.

Thank you for your consideration,

Sincerely,


[JT1]According to Nish on SAT morning, it’s official – we’re getting it.

[JT2]I made this a new paragraph. Just a thought to be more explicit – like we’re demanding more than just teacher retention…

n no money on administrative overhead

n no funding cuts elsewhere that force us to use this money for sources other than class size reduction and counselor load reduction.

[JT3]Single School Plan for Student Achievement