If the piston and the crankshaft are bad, it’s time to rebuild.
I’m a motorhead. Motorcycles especially, but cars too. And when there are major engine problems in a single-cylinder internal combustion engine, the two most crucial parts are the piston and the crankshaft. If the piston is damaged beyond repair, but the crankshaft is OK, repairs can be done- a new “top end”. If the crankshaft is bad, it’s far more complicated, but new bottom ends have been done.
But if the piston and the crankshaft are bad, it’s time to rebuild. With new parts.
And so it is with the San Diego Unified School District. Yes, I have my beefs with the school board and the union that controls and operates them. I certainly can see some excellent decisions and some very poor ones. But this is all minor stuff- engine tuneup material, compared to the budget shortfall passed down by the State of California. Boardmember Evans and I agree on at least two things- textbooks will be like typewriters and what we’re doing right now isn’t really belt tightening- it’s cutting off one of your arms.
I see the budget issue as insurmountable. The piston and the crankshaft are both bad. So, what to do?
What any other large business or municipality can do: File bankruptcy.
Clearly SDUSD’s operating costs exceed their income. And there is no amount of little spending freezes or head-office cuts are going to offset that shortfall. The teacher’s union is “not allowing” teachers to be cut, and parents are strongly objecting to any change to status quo. (And status quo to their personal primary school experience- roll back the clock if they can!) The head office and it’s lack of management skills are one reason the union thrives- SDUSD is one of the worst employers I’ve ever observed. These fundamental forces are fighting to keep both the broken piston and the broken crankshaft.
The hard fact of life at SDUSD is 80% of their expenses are personnel. If you agree the capital assets, like buildings, property etc needs to be maintained at a minimum level (and trust me, that’s what they do) from where are the cuts going to come?
Ok, let’s say we have to cut teachers. We all hate this. Cutting teachers means increasing class size. But we can’t cut the least-effective, nope. The union that runs the district requires cuts be made on a seniority basis so we leave some less effective teachers to live on, and risk cutting some of the freshest (albeit less experienced) and most progressive talent to Starbucks to sling caffeine.
I’ve seen the effect of cutting administrators- much of the work is laid at the feet of principals. These folks have one of the world’s worst jobs, and they took it for one of the world’s best reasons- to help teach children. Instead of spending time in the classrooms observing and encouraging teachers (with whom they are tasked to manage, support and encourage) they are trudging through the muck of budgets and legal issues. Many vice-principals, school nurses, school counselors are gone now- and where do you think that workload has gone?
Move now, and move quickly. Pull the legal ejection handle and file bankruptcy and reorganize.
Start with new leadership that creates a modern organization with strong central management skills. Re-hire only the best, brightest and experienced teachers with a track record of effective teaching. Incorporate 21st century teaching using methods that truly prepare our children for life in the future, and allow those teachers to function as the coaches and mentors at which they excel. Create management and accountability systems for those teachers that support and encourage the best, and eliminate those that are better suited to jobs outside of education. Management systems that offer principals both the accountability for their school’s performance, and the authority to make changes to support that performance.
Over-simplification? Maybe. But after a few years of observing and participating in the SDUSD, I’m pretty confident this is the only alternative.
Pull the handle, San Diego Unified.
