EducationNews.org
Seprember 13, 2004

Jamaica HS budget cuts
Monday, September 13, 2004
Dear Mayor Bloomberg:

I am a teacher and the UFT Chapter Leader at Jamaica High School. The staff returned to school on September 7 and received the terrible news that our budget was being slashed this fall when compared to last year. Unfortunately, because of this reduction to our financial allocation, it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for Jamaica High School be able to fulfill our educational mission. Our school has never been fully funded since I started teaching in the eighties. For the Department of Education to force us to endure further budget cuts while they simultaneously ask us to demand that students reach higher learning standards, is unconscionable. We hope you understand the magnitude of the budget cut Jamaica is facing and can help us to secure adequate funding.

This past summer Jamaica's administration, supported by the UFT Chapter, repeatedly asked the DOE to restore our funding to the same, but still inadequate, level we had last year. However, the DOE only reinstated some of the money. Jamaica High School is scheduled to have approximately two hundred more students on register this semester when compared to the spring of 2004. 2,219 pupils attended our school in June; we are scheduled to educate over 2,400 this fall. Therefore, we should get a commensurate increase in funding from the Department of Education. Instead, our school allocation has been decreased by $339,104. The New York State Legislature increased state aid to city schools. Schools Chancellor Joel Klein was quoted in the September 9, 2004 NY Times as saying, "Make no mistake about it, there is going to be significantly more money in our schools this year than last." How is it possible that Jamaica High School's budget is being slashed when funds to schools are being increased? Even though the principal and assistant principal for organization have done everything possible to maintain direct classroom services, the austerity budget Jamaica High School is being compelled to endure will have a terrible effect on the pupils we service. Consider the impact:

• Extra help classes for students have been cancelled. Last year, students were able to take makeup and SAT preparation classes on Saturdays. This year the school was planning on starting an innovative nine period (48 minutes longer than normal) day for pupils who need extra credits. Since we cannot afford this program, pupils will only be allowed to take a basic number of classes. The Saturday program has been eliminated as well.

• The hours scheduled for after school tutoring have been reduced and may need to be eliminated. The most motivated pupils who want to stay after school for extra academic help could be sent home when the school day ends. If the principal restores tutoring, then funds from another area of our budget will have to be trimmed.

• Evening outreach to parents of at risk students as part of our Academic Intervention Services has been ended. In addition after school guidance counseling is scheduled to be curtailed. Students who require assistance after school and/or need to be registered for evening school classes may not have their needs met and might not be able to graduate on time.

• One dean has been eliminated and several security school aides have been let go. This will have an extremely detrimental impact on school safety. Last year we had a zero tolerance policy that led to an increase in student suspensions but we were able to significantly reduce the problems we had with unruly students roaming the halls. The tone of the building improved last year. Chancellor Klein has stated that safety would be a main priority this year in the schools but how can we keep a school safe with one less dean and fewer security aides?

• Important extra-curricular activities may have to be cancelled due to lack of money. Presently, there is insufficient money available to adequately fund the following programs: the Hilltopper (school newspaper), after school work on the yearbook, the scribe magazine, Arista, the law team, the debate team, school printing, cheerleading, Step, and play production. The school cannot fund these important after-school activities unless painful cuts are made elsewhere.

• The attendance office staff and the program office staff have been reduced. This will make it extremely hard for the remaining staff to be able to track students who are truant so that we can attempt to keep them in school. We want to see fewer students drop out but it will be impossible to help them without a fully staffed attendance office. Cuts in the program office will have a negative impact because pupils who cannot get programs straightened out in a timely manner or new students who can't be programmed quickly are likely to become frustrated when they fall behind in their studies. The elimination of several school aides will slow school clerical functions. It will be more difficult to distribute metrocards properly, help students with their college applications and process pupil transcript requests. All of this will inevitably lead to more disciplinary problems as students become exasperated by the system.

• Teachers who teach a condensed teaching load because they assist with administrative functions will have their time for doing administrative tasks decreased. This could cause a particularly harsh dilemma for special education pupils who have school to work services mandated by the Federal Government. It may be unworkable to service the students because of the lack of time teachers will have to do their jobs.

• Four paraprofessionals are being let go. Paras assist teachers in classrooms and many of our paras work one-to-one with at risk students to help them achieve their academic goals and/or help them handle their behavioral or language concerns. Cutting these services could ultimately induce more frustration on the part of the students.

· An assistant principal has been eliminated through attrition. Without even the money for a teacher coordinator to run the Second Language-English as a Second Language Department, these related academic disciplines will have to be split up and supervised by assistant principals who have no expertise in the new subjects that they are supervising.

These horrific cuts have already demoralized us. Pupils are arriving at a school where the staff feels overwhelmed. We need your assistance now. We ask that you investigate the situation at Jamaica High School and at other schools as well. Hopefully, you will be able to persuade Chancellor Klein to restore funds so that we will be able to complete our educational mission.

Sincerely,


James Eterno
Teacher of Social Studies &
UFT Chapter Leader Jamaica High School