I know these challenging economic times are negatively affecting families across our community. Worrying about changes to our schools is only adding extra stress to an already difficult time. I am sorry for this added burden and want to bring some clarity to the financial condition of the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD) and the process we are following to balance our budget.
 
TTUSD is funded 67 percent by property taxes and 33 percent by other restricted federal, state and local funds. Our budget is based on specific revenue assumptions. At the start of this school year we projected our property tax revenues to grow by 5 percent in 2009-2010 and 5 percent in 2010-2011. As the economy worsened and the housing market collapsed, we lowered those projections to 3.5 percent and 2.5 percent respectively. In addition, certain funds in our restricted budget were cut 15 percent by the state this year and another 5 percent for next year. All of these reductions were in addition to the planned cuts required to afford the multi-year, 12 percent raise given to most of our employees this year.
 
Unfortunately, it is probable that more cuts will befall education this June. The recently passed state budget was based on revenue assumptions, including the passage of several propositions that will appear on the May 19th ballot. Since that time, California’s revenue projections have dropped by $8 billion and the propositions are experiencing stiff opposition. If they do not pass, the state will face a $14 billion shortfall in 2009-10, likely forcing further cuts to education. Accordingly, TTUSD is estimating its own budget shortfall next year to be between $3.2 to $4 million.
 
I know we all agree our most important resource is our employees. And the most important person in a child’s education, besides parents, is his or her teacher. Unfortunately, given that 80 percent of TTUSD’s expenses are employee related, when large budget reductions are needed, it is impossible to avoid cuts to staff, including teachers. The other contributing factors to our cost structure are small class sizes and small schools.
 
For TTUSD to balance its budget next year, very difficult trade-offs must be made. The district’s leadership team is working to squeeze savings out of every non-classroom area and looking to restructure to be more efficient, while still offering a quality education. Regrettably, we have no choice. Class sizes will increase and schools may be reconfigured in order to balance our budget and improve our educational model.
 
What we do NOT know yet, is what form these changes will take. One scenario that has been considered is combining the middle schools in Truckee and the high schools at the Lake. The benefits to the educational program and the budget from this configuration are many, but we understand there is also a very large downside. The other scenarios being analyzed will not have as large an educational and financial benefit, but will mitigate the public’s concerns of excessive bus commutes and potential affects on the community. When those alternatives are fully developed and ready to be presented to the board, we will inform the community so you can give constructive feedback on the choices that must be made. We are targeting the week of April 20th for these meetings. The board’s decisions will not be easy or popular, but will be based on what is best for all 4,000+ students.
 
Our standards for excellence have not wavered and we remain optimistic about the future. We are focused on implementing Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) district-wide, and encourage you to learn more about this proven educational model by visiting our website at http://www.ttusd.org/. Academic excellence has always been a goal of our community. Working positively together will allow us to weather this storm and emerge better than before.

Sincerely,
Steve Jennings
Superintendent, TTUSD

Despite the challenging nature of recent news and actions regarding certificated staff layoff notices and school configurations, the TTUSD leadership team remains focused on implementing a new educational model designed – and proven – to enhance student achievement. That model is called Professional Learning Communities or PLCs.

Earlier this year, principals, administrators and one board member visited the Sanger School District near Fresno, Calif., in order to observe their educational delivery methods and experience the moving parts of the PLC model firsthand. In addition, in January, principals and teachers from all school sites plus board members attended a conference at which the leading experts in the PLC model – Richard and Rebecca DuFour – shared information on successful strategies for improving student learning.  

PLCs are based on the premise of creating teams of teachers by grade level and subject area. The team works together to first identify the essential standards they believe all students should know and then establish how to assess the students’ learning of those standards. The team uses that assessment data in several ways. First, teachers learn from each other’s successes and are able to share their effective teaching strategies. Second, teachers identify which students need further help and which students are ready to take those standards to a higher level. They then work together during specific times of the day to either reinforce what has already been taught or further enhance the concepts, depending on the students’ needs.

“Effective school cultures establish clear parameters and priorities that enable individuals to work within established boundaries in a creative and autonomous way,” explains Steve Jennings, TTUSD Superintendent. “The collaboration that characterizes PLCs is a process in which teachers work in teams, engaging in an ongoing cycle of questions that promote deep team learning. This process, in turn, leads to higher levels of student achievement,” he adds.

According to Gayle Garbolino-Mojica, Placer County Superintendent of Schools, PLC’s have transformed schools and school districts across the country, and the Placer County Office of Education, which oversees the Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District, is committed to support building dynamic PLCs in all schools throughout the region.

Historically, TTUSD has not extensively collaborated between school sites. “We have had many successes within TTUSD; they are simply not systematically implemented across every classroom in the district,” notes Bev Ducey, TTUSD Trustee, who visited the Sanger School District in January. “Basically, we are trying to learn from other’s success so we can accelerate our ability to ensure high achievement for all our students. -

Under the DuFour model, collaboration and analysis of student achievement will allow for greater consistency – and accountability – across the district.

“Currently, a lot of attention goes to the kids who are not achieving at optimum levels. This new model will accommodate not only those children with additional intervention time, but will also address the higher-achieving students with additional enrichment,” Jennings explains.

Ongoing analysis of data is a critical component in the teaching and learning of this educational model. Data are transformed into information that impacts practice because it is easily accessible and openly shared. Teachers use results to identify strengths and weaknesses in their individual practice, to help each other address areas of concern, and improve their effectiveness in helping all students learn. In addition, the focus on results is critical to both the school’s system of interventions as well as a culture of celebration for its successes.

TTUSD has been working on this model for two years. However, implementing and sustaining the concept will require a shift in the current practices, and while some school sites are already on the PLC path, some will be initiating new practices in this direction. “The new model will require hard work and commitment,” says Bev Ducey, TTUSD Trustee. “But when educators do the hard work necessary to put these principles in place, their collective ability to help all students learn will rise as will student achievement,” she adds.

Kings Beach Elementary School Principal Eileen Fahrner, who visited the Sanger District with TTUSD in January, noted that the trip was helpful in developing a common understanding and vocabulary of the PLC philosophy. “(It) helped to reiterate what we’ve already learned about PLCs,” Fahrner noted, “and to build on what we have been trying to create and fine tune at our schools to enhance student achievement.”

Noting that it is a model that TTUSD intends to implement for long range purposes, Jennings adds, “We’re looking at this in terms of what needs to happen now, next year, and into the future to accommodate our kids and allow them to be competitive in college and beyond.”

For more information on the PLC model of education, please click here.