Bemoaning loss of teachers

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    I pulled into the pickup lane at Juan Cabrillo the other day, and remembered that I have been doing this now for 10 years. With two students at Malibu High School and one still at Cabrillo, I have become accustomed to the continuum of high quality public education in Malibu-and I can get my kids to school in less than 10 minutes. Then my youngest daughter jumped into the car and said, “Mom, I knew we were losing our instrumental music and Coach Tony … I just heard we are losing Ms. Chapman, too. We don’t get to keep our librarian?”

    Times have changed, and we can no longer take the quality of our children’s education for granted. We can no longer sit back and hope that the budget cuts at the state level will not directly and seriously impact our children. The pink slips have been mailed, programs are on the chopping block, and our local schools face a state of immediate decline.

    What is at stake? Malibu families with students in public schools face tremendous losses. Librarians, onsite nurses, P.E. teachers, custodians, technology instructors, much-needed newly hired teachers, and small class sizes at lower grade levels will all be taken away. Recent letters to the local papers have detailed the crisis at Malibu High School: increased class sizes and layoffs of as many as ten valuable new teachers, many within the English department, the loss of beloved art teacher Irene Blanchard, the loss of gifted and award-winning choral music teacher Irene Messoloras and accompanist ChaCha Friedkin. The instrumental music program at our elementary schools – which inspires and trains the young musicians who feed directly into Bill Bixler’s renowned Malibu High School orchestra and superb jazz band-has been completely eliminated.

    What can’t be overemphasized is the impact this will have on the children. To parents, these cuts represent an unacceptable decline in the quality of our kids’ education. The kids themselves, day to day, will be directly affected. They will be denied access to valuable early development in the arts and technologies, and will face the unsettling loss of relationships with mentors they have come to rely on.

    All this is happening at a time in the world when it seems most important to be able to reassure our kids. They will be thinking about the programs they will lose, but even more about losing the particular individuals that have become an important part of their world. Speaking for our Juan Cabrillo students, these particular individuals are formidable. For instance:

    The legendary Coach Tony, who not only coaches P.E during school, but has created an extensive after-school intramural sports program, and has become an integral part of our kids’ lives. Just the thought of losing Coach Tony is unbearable – and Coach Ally who is energetic and loved;

    Ms. Staci Erlandson, our newest fifth-grade teacher, who has already accomplished great things at Cabrillo, including establishing an exemplary oceanography program;

    Mr. Steve Ravaglioli and Ms. Bonnie Lockrem, who bring nurture, rigor and humor to the trials and tribulations of learning to play a musical instrument;

    Ms. Annie Ernst, Cabrillo’s nurse, friend and helper to every child who has had an injury or illness at school and needed care;

    Our nighttime custodian Mr. Mike McAlpin, who has improved the quality of our classrooms, and whose five-year old son was going to attend Cabrillo next year;

    Ms. Helen Soporin, our computer wizard, who has spent countless hours tending to Cabrillo’s computer lab, and training students in basic required computer skills;

    Ms. Vicky Chapman, a librarian who has personally introduced Cabrillo students to authors and books, taught them how to use the library, to research reference books for their projects, and has worked to develop the library’s Ross Feikls Discovery Center. As my daughter Ren says, “She has become someone that I really care about. She has inspired us to read.” Our children are facing a school without a librarian.

    Is there anything we can do? Yes! At this time of impending gloom, there is a beautiful solution-we have the right to vote! Measure S, the only item on our June 3rd ballot, will restore teachers and programs. If Measure S passes, our students returning to school in the fall will be spared most of the terrible losses outlined above. A two-thirds majority vote is needed for passage of this school funding initiative, so every vote is of critical importance. Together we can make sure that we do not turn our backs on the children of this community. Please make sure that your voice is heard.

    Leslie B. Martinez

    Juan Cabrillo PTA Board Member