Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to look, read and post comments on this blog. This blog was created for one sole purpose, to allow the Rohnert Park and Cotati communities to have a place where every voice counts. Every single comment, every single suggestion is important. There will be times when we may not all agree but the important thing about those situations is that we still stick together for the cause. We all want to accomplish one thing, keep the Cotati-Rohnert Park schools open. Please continue to post info, comments, suggestions and anything else that you feel is important to this issue. This is an awesome tool for us to use in our fight for what we feel is right and the best way to reach the whole community at one time. Lastly, I ask that you pass on this blog address to anyone you know that would be interested in what we are doing. Residents of our community are welcome to sign the online petitions even if they do not have children in the school system. I cannot emphasize enough that every voice counts so pass it on and lets be heard!

Another reason not to close schools...

Smaller Schools are Better

If our goal is to do what is right and good for our district, this should be taken into account: existing research overwhelmingly supports the idea that small schools are better than large schools. Most research indicates that a “small” elementary school has no more than 300- 400 students. If schools are closed in our district, several of our schools will no longer be small schools. Even if school closures will reduce some of our debt, the costs in other areas far outweigh any alleged savings.

o Small schools have higher levels of participation in extracurricular activities. Students in smaller schools are more likely to hold positions of importance and feel better about their participation.

o Small schools have quality curriculum that is equal to or similar to that in larger schools. While some larger schools may have slightly more varied curriculum, the difference is small, and it requires a great deal of increase in enrollment to result in a small amount of increase in variety of curriculum. In addition, studies have shown that a very small percentage of students take advantage of the extra classes offered at large schools, and most extra classes are not advanced or distinctive classes, but tend to be additional introductory classes instead.

o Small schools can be operated very efficiently, and when compared to many large schools they are more cost effective. As schools grow, more staff is needed to maintain control. This includes assistant principals, yard duty personnel, security, and other support staff. Costs of utilities and maintenance increase with enrollment growth as well.

o In small schools academic achievement is as good as or better than it is in larger schools. “Achievement measures used in the research include school grades, test scores, honor roll membership, subject-area achievement, and assessment of higher-order thinking skills.”(Cotton 1996).

o In small schools students have a more positive attitude toward school than in large schools. Students have a sense of belonging, and more positive self-regard.

o Negative social behaviors, such as truancy, aggressive behavior and vandalism, are less common in smaller schools.

o Small schools have better attendance rates than larger schools.

o Small schools have much lower dropout rates than larger schools.

o Small schools have better interpersonal relations between students, and between staff and students.

o Small schools have higher rates of parent involvement. There is better communication and there are better relationships between parents and staff and between parents and administration.

o Small schools have a narrower achievement gap between poor children and more affluent children.

o In small schools students are more likely to go on to college, and are as prepared or more prepared for college success, as students in larger schools.

o Smaller schools can focus on the needs of the students rather than the organizational challenges of a large school. There is a feeling of community, almost like family, at a small school. Every student is known by the staff and administration, and the students know each other and look out for each other as well.

o Teachers benefit from working in smaller schools as well. There is more collaboration and cooperative learning, and more flexibility in scheduling in a small school. Teachers are familiar with each other and can share knowledge and experience with each other. They are familiar with the administration and have easy access to support and guidance.

o Smaller schools are a better deal for the district in the long run. They offer many benefits that will help our district reach its goal of being a “benchmark organization,” as is claimed on the web site.

Sources:

School Size, School Climate, and Student Performance By Kathleen Cotton. May 1996. http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/10/c020.html

The Answer is Smaller Schools. By Stacy Mitchell. Feb, 2002. http://mackinac.org/pubs/mer/article.aspx?ID=4074

Smaller, Safer, Saner: Successful Schools. By Joe Nathan and Karen Febey. 2001. http://www.edfacilities.org/pubs/saneschools.pdf

Response from Carl Wong

Good Morning Kelly Thomas & Phil Pamatmat,
Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding the difficult decision being addressed by the Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District and Superintendent Vrankovick. Sonoma County has a total of 40 individual school districts serving over 71,200 K-12 students at 177 local school sites. For the past 4 years, over half of the districts, including Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified, have experienced a decline in their student enrollment. Since school finance is dependent upon revenues generated by student enrollment/attendance, local school boards and superintendents have had to make strategic decisions regarding the cost of operating multiple school sites.You are probably aware of on-going countywide discussion on the need forexploring some type of school district re-organization, consolidation and/or unification.The County Superintendent of Schools and the County Board of Education has no legal purview over the authority of local governing boards regarding budget and operational decisions. This matter resides with the Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District Board of Education and Office of Superintendent Vrankovick.
Sincerely,Carl Wong, Ed. D.

You're Invited!!

What: 5oth Anniversary of Rohnert Park
Where: Santa Alicia Park
When: Friday, November 30 @ 5pm

You're all invited! Tell your family, friends and neighbors. This is a community event celebrating Rohnert Park. Let's make this a fun and friendly rally reminding the community why we all chose to raise our families in the Friendly City of Rohnert Park.

Banner Making

Thank you everyone for coming out last night to make banners. We had a great turnout and got a lot of banners made. Thank you to the PTA who supplied cookies, juice and supplies. We can't wait to see everyone at Santa Alicia Park this evening at 5pm to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Rohnert Park and to show the community that we care about our schools and neighborhoods.

Response from the Governor

Thank you for your email about our public schools. I appreciate
hearing from my fellow Californians on the quality of education
we’re
providing for our children.
I have visited schools all over our state, and I’ve been able to see
firsthand the terrific work being done by our students and teachers.
To support those efforts, my proposed 2007-08 May Revision budget
fully
funds Proposition 98 at $57.6 billion, an increase of $2.6 billion
over
last year. This money will bring per pupil spending up to $11,562 –
an all-time high for the state.
As Governor, I remain committed to ensuring that all students have
access to the resources they need to succeed in California’s public
schools. To achieve that goal, my budget includes a number of
education
initiatives, including $12 million to create the EnCorps Teachers
Program
to add 2,000 experienced retirees to California’s teaching corps.
It
also includes $50 million to continue the Low-Performing School
Enrichment Block Grant for a third year. To support Career Technical
Education (CTE), my revised budget includes $125 million to expand and
improve
CTE throughout the state.
In this budget and through state initiatives, we are hard at work
addressing some particularly pressing needs that include teacher
shortages,
access to information about particular schools, Career Technical
Education, low-performing schools, school safety, preparing students
to
graduate from high school and improving student health.
Again, thank you for taking the time to write. I value the comments of
people who appreciate the important role education plays in
California.
Sincerely,
Arnold Schwarzenegger

Candlelight Vigil

Let me start by saying I am not trying to shoot down any ones ideas or say that they are bad but let me explain to you why I think that the vigil is not a good idea. In discussions with parents at the school and friends that have nothing to do with our school, I have found that the majority of people associate candlelight vigils with mourning or death. In our situation it would be looked at like we are declaring defeat. A candlelight vigil is to recognize a passing or the end of something. I am personally not ready to proclaim this "the end". We still have research to do and a lot of "door to door" work for petitions to get signed. I want to exhaust ALL of the possibilities before I give up, before we give up. I understand the thought behind the suggestion of the vigil but I am afraid that it would be looked at in the wrong way by outsiders. There is talk of calling the papers to let them know that it is happening. I feel like we would be sending the wrong message to the public. Instead of holding a vigil, why don't we spend our energy in more useful demonstrations. Why don't we take our posters and signs to the board meeting an hour prior to start and rally there? It just seems more positive and not so much like we are giving in. I did not post this so I could receive hateful comments because I am sure that some people will disagree. Just leave your thoughts with a simple, "Yes I think the vigil is a good idea.", or "No, I think we should use our energy elsewhere." Thank you for taking the time to hear me out and posting your thoughts.

Addl info for rebuttal committee

Here is some info I pulled from the handouts the district gave us. The number of K-5 kids living within 1 mile of a school is 6720 and the number of k-5 students attending a CRPUSD school is 2924. We are only pulling in 43.5% of available students. Why are we not focused on reaching the 56.5% of the kids that are leaving the district?

In addition, in terms of additional ADA from outside of CRPUSD Gold Ridge has 27 interdistrict transfers which comes to $156,017.30 (half the savings of closing the school) which may be lost. La Fiest has 12 which is $69,341.04.

I am still running the numbers but another factor to add in is the cost of 8 portables (approximately $840,000 one time cost) as well as $7,200 annual leasing for 2 years ($115,200) so we are spending approximately $955,200 to save $600,00 over the next two years not to mention the deferred maintenance costs at Evergreen and Hahn.

Lastly, if the plan is still to have a rebuttal letter written and left at the podium for people to read in 3 minute increments does anyone know when it will be available for people to say. I know I would like a chance to read through it once before Tuesday. Thanks Jodie Palmigiano.

Contact Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey

I have been in contact with some of Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey's offices to see if we can get them involved as well. I was told to contact Anita Franzi who is the congresswoman's field representative. I have left messages, but so far have not heard back.

If anyone else is interested, here is the information to contact her as well...I figure the more of us that are calling the more serious they realize that we are:

Anita Franzi
Field Representative for Congresswoman Woolsey
(415) 507-9554

- Leisa

Candlelight vigil

A candelight vigil is great idea. It would be great if we get could people outside of our community to partcipate perhaps business owners or property owners near the affected sites. It could help communicate it is a community based issue not just one of parents with school age children. Maybe fliers door to door inviting them to join us? Jodie Palmigiano

Keep up the great work!

This site is just one more example why I love what I do. I am touched by all the hard work, time, and effort that the parents have expressed since the "recommendation" to close two schools in Rohnert Park. You all inspire me and I am constantly moved by your dedication to your children, their education, and all those who support it. Keep writing those letters :)
Heidi

Banner Making

Please join us Thursday, November 29, from 6-8 pm in the MU at Gold Ridge for banner making. Paper, juice, and water will be provided. Please bring art supplies and cookies to share. We will be making banners and posters to put up around town. See you there!

Candlelight Vigils Tues.

Last year a school in Mountainview was spared with help from a stunning turnout at a candlelight vigil. I am sure that the Gold Ridge community can make quite an impression if we turn out in full force.


Tuesday December 4, 2007
Candlelight Vigil at Creekside 1 hour prior to the School Board Meeting.
We want to be out there when the board arrives.

RP Anniversary Celebration

There is a community celebration taking place at Alicia
Park on Friday November 30th from 4 to 7 celebrating the 50th
Anniversary of the opening of Rohnert Park's first neighborhood. It
might be a great place for people to go and spread the message about the
impending school closures. Here we are celebrating our community for its
great "Master Plan" and the vision of Paul Golis where "the school would
be the nucleus of a cohesive community" when all the while, two of our
elementary schools are on the chopping block. Seems like a contradiction
to me and a slap in the face to the founders of our city. Kind of puts a
damper on the celebration! It would be nice if we could get a booth or
maybe do a picket to inform people about what is going on. -Tobi Honey.

Small Schools Project

"This report will show that there are many economic arguments in support
of small schools, and that it is fiscally responsible to spend
school construction dollars on small school facilities. Many people know intuitively that small schools work best for children and teachers, but now
there is research to prove it. Unfortunately, many communities have already lost their good, small schools because they could not argue successfully against
educators and policy-makers determined to implement “economies of scale” through consolidation."

http://www.smallschoolsproject.org/PDFS/dollars_sense.pdf

Sample Letters

If you have written any letters to school board members, city council members, etc., please post them here. It may be helpful for some people to read through them and get ideas and inspiration for their own letters. If you do use someone else's letter for ideas, be sure to alter or personalize it a bit. Get those letters out soon. The more the better. Anyone can write letters, they don't just have to be from Gold Ridge Parents. School closures will have a negative effect on the whole district, not just the schools that close. You can even have your kids write letters if they want to!
Click on "comments" to see sample letters.

Great Job

Thanks for taking the time to set the blog up!


Todd Hart

Upcoming Dates

Nov 27th-Rohnert Park City Council Meeting, City Hall, 6PM

Dec 4th- School Board Meeting- Public Hearing, Creekside 7PM

Dec 11th- School Board Meeting-Final recommendation for discussion, Creekside 7PM

Jan 15th- School Board Meeting-Action by board, Creekside 7PM

http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/10/c020.html

check this link for research we can quote in regards to school size and student performance.

Here are some addresses for us to send letters. Please encourage everyone that you know to send some sort of correspondence regarding school closure to the school board!

Board of Trustees Cotati-Rohnert Park School District
5860 Labath Avenue
Rohnert Park, Ca. 94928
email: school_closure@crpusd.org

Rohnert Park City Council
6750 Commerce Blvd.
Rohnert Park, Ca. 94928

Dr.Carl Wong, Superintendent of Schools
Sonoma County Office of Education
5340 Skylane Blvd.
Santa Rosa, Ca. 95403
email: cwong@scoe.org

Remember, every voice counts!
Jamie Mitchell