1.Proposed Plan ForHermosa Beach SchoolsFebruary 21, 2011

2. Outline The Problem facing Hermosa Beach schools The Crisis in US education The Challenge The Opportunity The Plan 3. Problem for the Hermosa Beach School District The State of California is essentially bankrupt Cuts in spending for education due to Californiabudget crisis hitting all districts hard Deferred payments from Sacramento threatenthe ability for the HBCSD to make payrolls in thenot-too-distant future While relatively better off, Manhattan andRedondo are not far behind Hermosa in thisnancial crisis 4. Problem for the Hermosa Beach School District The fact is, Hermosa Beachis unable to afford its school district in its current form 5. Out of the frying pan...and into the re 6. The Crisis in US EducationWe are losing a generation of American minds. American students are not learning theskills and knowledge they need to succeed in todays world. Today, 70 percent of our eighth graders are not procient in reading and most will never catch up.Some 1.2 million American high school students drop out every year. 70%of 8th graders cantread at grade level Source: The Broad Center for Education 7. The Crisis in USEducation44% $300 billion $192 billionin lost wages, lost taxesin lost wages and taxesof dropouts underand lost productivity due due to each cohort ofage 24 are jobless to dropouts from the classdropouts of 2007While most parents think their children are receiving a quality education, the majority ofAmerican students are falling behind their international counterparts. The consequencesto our country are dramatic.Source: The Broad Center for Education 8. The Crisis in USEducationSir Ken Robinson notes that our current educational systemwas conceived and developed from the philosophies of the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. Bothunarguably important inuences, but most agree we are living in a different time with vastly different needs. Source: The RSA, Sir Ken Robinson 9. The Crisis in USEducationA public education in the early 1800s was intellectuallystimulating, considering that the alternative was backbreakingfarm labor. Today enduring most public education curriculums requires some form of anesthesia, because life outside theclassroom is unprecedentedly intellectually stimulating. Source: The RSA, Sir Ken Robinson 10. The Challenge Hermosa Beach has a universallyrecognized special character worthpreserving.and Our schools are an integral part ofthe special character that binds ourcommunity.therefore To preserve Hermosa Beachs specialcharacter we must protect ourschools and keep them independent.How can Hermosa Beach retain its wonderful schools,preserve its unique civic culture, and deliver a world-class education to its children? 11. The opportunityHermosa Beach has an opportunity to:1. Strengthen and enhance the special character of the city2. Preserve and maintain its value to local residents and property ownersHow? By making its schools better. 12. The Plan1. Gain direct control of the school districtPreserve the best of the current system, whileenhancing the way education is delivered to provideworld-class education to our kids2. Create a nancially sustainable model and ease our districts dependence on the troubled State budgetObtain and retain the support of the entire HermosaBeach community 13. Gain Direct ControlConvert to a Charter District Pros ConsPrivate school education in a Effort to convert to newpublic school environmentstructureSelf-determination of our Increased time commitmentchildrens education from Community Potential to increase school Managing the change to aprograms new educational model Provide our teachers with thefreedom to teach creatively Charter structure allows for anancially sustainable model 14. Gain Direct ControlBy converting to a Charter District we createthe freedom to solve our nancial crisis, enhance our childrens education, and de- couple from a failing US education system.Our children get a private school education ina public school environment. 15. Financially SustainableTake Local Responsibility forSchool Funding ProsCons Local ownership of theGetting Community toschools spendingsupport funding measures Sustainable model eliminates Shouldering personalneed for future bailouts nancial responsibility Ability to retain & attract High cost to convert -- getsgreat teachers worse before it gets better Attracts great students Increases Community value 16. Financially SustainableTaking greater responsibility for our schools allows us to lessen ourdependence on State funding, provides autonomy for educationalchoice, and enhances the value of theHermosa Beach Community. 17. Modernize Education Free the teachers to deliver world-class education, not just No Child Left Behind (i.e., mediocre) test results.Fund the programs that enrich kids lives and help them look forward to the school day.Ever see a pre-schooler that doesnt like to paint, draw, dance, and sing? Now picture what 12 years of exposure to the USeducation system does to most kids. 18. Sustained Communications Professional, persistent communications emanatingfrom the private foundation to inform Hermosa Beach residents on educational issues and how it affects theentire community. 19. Stay Involved 20. ResourcesSupport the Strategic Planning Committees workSend comments to questions@hbcsd.orgSupport the existing fund raising organizations:- Hermosa Beach Educational Foundation - www.hbef.org- Hermosa Valley & View Parent Teacher Organization - www.hvpto.comContact me at rw@savehermosaschools.org to discuss this plan Learn more about the crisis in US education here: www.broadresidency.org/about/crisis.html Watch Sir Ken Robinson at TED* here: www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html*If you have kids do yourself a favor and watch the 10 minute Sir Ken Robinson talk from TED Photo credits: Brittography, chelseagirl, Suman Chakrabarti, Supermac1961, jen robinson, erin MC hammer