From the smdailyjournal.com 9/30/06 - Students divided over budget cuts
By Vanessa Harvey (BHS Senior)
With approximately $3.5 million in cuts on the table for the San Mateo Union High School District, students know it will have an effect on them whether it is new teachers, cut programs or other changes. What is not as clear is how students feel about the situation and how it is being handled by all sides. The teachers argued until the end, losing to the school board's decision to eliminate 6 teaching positions and 30 classified teaching positions, along with other budget eliminations.
Students are somewhere in the middle between the two arguments with their own opinions and predictions of the crisis. Some fear a strike and a loss of class time. Those applying to college have additional fears. Students are unaware of the teachers' decisions for the future. Some students think a strike will happen now that the teachers did not win the district's vote. Case in point, a San Mateo High School student Will Bronitsky stated, I think the teachers will strike when they don't get what they want. And that would be a big problem for me.? Other students disagree with this approach and say the teachers will not strike.
Students are divided on which side to support. While many students support the teachers, there are others angered with them. Students who support the teachers claim they shouldn't have to give up their salaries or jobs for the district's mistake. They see the correlation between the seven-period days and the deficit and understand that it's not the teacher's fault. Those who disagree believe it's wrong for teachers to involve students in something of which they shouldn't be a part especially when it slows learning. These students don't believe it was right to lock doors during lunch or threaten the high school experience.
Other opinions include the claim a 3 percent salary decrease is insignificant. However, with the current revised budget option there will be no decrease at all. Some students wish to remain anonymous when their opinions disagree with the teachers. One such Burlingame High School student said, When the teacher's salary is twice my parent's salary, they shouldn't complain about only 3 percent.?
The high cost of living in the San Mateo district causes higher teacher salaries compared to salaries of other districts. A 3 percent salary decrease can have many different effects. Different goals and expenses of each person determine the severity. On the other hand, can we really sacrifice our classified staff members who are continually the backbone for the functioning of the schools? Students recognize the difficulty of the situation and understand that whatever happens, may not be the best. Emotionally, students are either scared of the situation, or immune. There is a large amount of students who aren't affected right now, and therefore have no opinion on the matter. Some students are affected but are remaining calm and hopeful throughout the ordeal. All these different approaches constitute a general feeling of uncertainty among students.
At the board meeting Thursday evening, it was clear that the students were not organized. Many spoke about their feelings to the board but were ineffective when the decision was made. Student actions created an opposite outcome than desired. On Thursday, students from Mills, Burlingame, San Mateo, and Aragon High Schools walked out of class at 11 a.m. A student from Burlingame High School made and sold T-shirts displaying the quotation by Samuel Johnson: shoot first, aim later.? The board found these attempt to be irresponsible and immature. It also accused the teachers of implanting falacies in the students minds. Students tried to express their feelings about the budget crisis as strongly as possible.
I feel sorry for the teachers who are losing their jobs. This is a horrible situation especially since it will be difficult for teachers to find other jobs in the middle of the school year. The teachers, parents, and students put up a good fight. Hopefully, everything can be resolved in the next couple of weeks. Thank you teachers and administration for your continuing effort to improve education, especially because dealing with high school students is not an easy thing to do.
- Written by Joanne
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