As a strong believer in participatory government, I have had a professional and personal interest in Board of Education meetings and the [Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School] District’s budgetary process for over 30 years. Since my retirement from the district in 2003, I have attended just about every Financial Oversight Committee meeting held in the last four years. With regard to the continuing flap over school finances, I strongly believe the early settlement and departure of ex-CFO Winston Braham last November has triggered the most transparent budget development process in recent history! Wisely, the Board of Education quickly approved the superintendent’s recommendations to bring in FCMAT-the state budget police-and to hire interim CFO Stephen Hodgson. After receiving the FCMAT recommendations on ways to improve fiscal procedures and meet state accountability standards, the board approved measures to correct the numerous errors and miscalculations in Mr. Braham’s initial Multiyear Financial Projections last October. These actions have greatly improved the district’s financial solvency next year and in the out years. And, for the first time in five years, the board, FOC, and public have been able to review the complete budget process in a timely manner.
Even the recent dialogue between the City Council and the board bringing into question the use of confidential settlement agreements between the district and some parents has been a positive move toward a better understanding of the complicated issues surrounding special education. The City Council and the community should accept as “good faith” the board’s commitment to bring in an outside third party (as they successfully did with FCMAT) to evaluate and review all aspects of that department.
It’s time to close the books on Winston Braham and put the John Deasy era of secrecy, subterfuge and suspicion to rest. Since her arrival less than a year ago, Superintendent Dianne Talarico has been picking up the pieces-often under duress-in an attempt to put the district’s house in order and build relationships. We should all remember that she inherited 98 administrative changes in just four years-leaving little continuity of leadership, and a dysfunctional organizational structure with antiquated communication systems-all resulting in rampant employee and community distrust. In order to move on together, it seems appropriate for the school board and the community to renew their support for Superintendent Talarico through the tough times as well as the good ones to come. If that means evaluating every department and every school for areas of improvement as well as excellence, then we should applaud her efforts to get the job done.
Jim Jaffe