Budget Crisis Continues to Affect Local Schools

As schools statewide feel the impact of the budget crisis, initial suggestions of FVSD school closures and district rezoning prompted several Moiola parents to make their pleas Thursday night to the Fountain Valley School Board to keep Moiola open.

Not only has the K-8 school performed well academically, Moiola has also provided a unique learning experience and success for students in special education, said parent Lisa Allen.

Allen told the board that she moved near the school three years ago to give her special-needs son an equal opportunity to thrive in school, and that since attending Moiola, Allen's son has overcome academic and social obstacles with the help of the special resource program on campus.

Superintendent Marc Ecker addressed the concerns, and said school closures will be the last resort only if no other opportunity arises to help balance the budget. Final recommendations for school closures or district rezoning will be presented in the fall.

In other business, five members of the Action Committee for Education took the floor to highlight important topics discussed at 2011 Sacramento Safari in hopes of creating a brighter future for local schools.

Lori Gilmore, a Tamura Elementary parent and representative, felt that an education reform in measuring teacher effectiveness and student achievement by adopting the Common Core State Standard tests is key to a successful future for public education.

The new program would allow teachers to be assessed by student test scores collected throughout the year, instead of state standardized tests, which are given once to students at the end of the year.

Gisler Elementary representative Lisa Schultz agreed with Gilmore and added that in addition to providing a better method of teacher effectiveness, a re-evaluation on the value of a high school diploma. She recalled the days when young adults were able to get a job after graduating high school. However, that era has passed and students are expected to earn a college degree in order to be a candidate in the job market, she said.

With the hike in college tuition, higher education may not be an option for those who are not able to afford the cost, said Schultz. She suggested that additional professional skill-related programs be included in order to help students find jobs after graduation.