The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District faces a July 1 deadline to bring its Child Development Program back into the black financially, or risk placing it into private hands.
The program provides pre-school and before and after school services for elementary school children within the SMMUSD.
One of the main problems of privatization is that salaries and benefits would most likely be reduced, explained Tanya Akel, research associate for the Service Employees International Union, which represents child development assistants who work for the SMMUSD.
More than a 100 parents, childcare workers and teachers marched to district offices earlier this month to protest the idea of privatizing the program.
“I agree that the state does not provide adequate funding, but the school district should find alternate sources of funding for this program,” said Akel, who supports the program as it is, under the umbrella of the school district.
“Hopefully we will find a workable solution for everyone,” said Tom Pratt, school board president. “Right now we are at an impasse. I can’t say anything because we are still negotiating.”
Nancy Cohen, director for Child Development Services for the SMMUSD, said the district is looking at possible private providers because it doesn’t want to wait until the “midnight hour” to make decisions.
One of the effects the rally may have is that it will encourage people to call Gov. Gray Davis, and ask him to sign Sen. Bill 993, which would allocate more funds for the program, she said.
Malibu parents and teachers say that children benefit from the program as it currently exists.
Hanz Laetz, father of three, said: “Juan Cabrillo Elementary School is going to get $ 22,000 from the state because the excellent work the teachers and students are doing here.”
Laetz, a news editor for KTLA, credits part of that success to the development program because it is operated by qualified teachers who challenge the children academically.
“What is needed at Juan Cabrillo is a whole program, not just a few classes,” said Zoe Langley, lead teacher of the program at Juan Cabrillo.
If you have a cheaper rate of pay, the personnel turn-around can be increased, which is not conducive for consistency, she said.
But Cohen said the teachers in the Child Development Program are not certified teachers. They have a children’s center permit, she said, which “is not like a K-12 certificated teacher.”
Cohen emphasized that privatization would not necessarily mean doom for the program. The district would continue to monitor the child development centers, albeit indirectly if it lands in private hands.
“Many school districts throughout the state have grave financial difficulties,” explained Cohen. “State funding does not cover enough of the operating costs for this stand-alone program.
“At this point in time our operating costs exceed our income,” said Cohen.
Until now, funds came from the state, and the program raised parents’ fees in an attempt to survive financially. Cuts were even made in staff and administration to keep the program viable.
The district wants the program to operate in the black. “If we can’t do that, as a last resort only, the district will hand it over to a private provider,” said Cohen.
Private providers would simply take over the direction and there is a high chance that the teachers could stay on board, she said.