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Letter: Support Education in Davis

Teacher2A good education is a human right. It is also a societal good, given human interdependence. These are basic moral truths, yet we don't always act like they are, as two recent happenings in Davis illustrate.

As reported in the Enterprise, DJUSD teachers, backed by many supporters, have been asking for a salary increase, given the high cost of housing and the lower salaries that Davis teachers have as compared to neighboring cities. Teaching is extremely rewarding, but it is not reasonable to expect people to dedicate their hearts and souls only to find out that they cannot make ends meet. So teachers who can leave, do leave, and K-12 education is sacrificed.

During the same time period, several groups of University of California workers have been on strike (two have now settled), including graduate student teaching assistants. Ostensibly, these workers work "half time," but that is misleading. In some (perhaps many) cases, these workers end up doing far more than 20 hours per week, given grading, assisting students during office hours and appointments, holding discussion sections, answering emails, etc. In addition, these grad student workers are expected to do their own coursework and research, making the position in reality a full-time one. (They are often not permitted to take outside work, or at least strongly discouraged from doing so). That these grad student workers cannot likewise make ends meet threatens their own education as well as the education of undergraduates.

Paying these workers more is the obvious solution, but dedicated housing on DJUSD land and UCD land, respectively, should also be in the mix, as a way to buffer against the vagaries of inflation and rising housing costs.

It is a moral imperative that we do more for our DJUSD teachers and our UCD graduate student workers.

– Roberta Millstein is an Emerit Professor in the Department of Philosophy at UC Davis

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Comments

15 responses to “Letter: Support Education in Davis”

  1. Ron O

    Davis’ school district is oversized, and enrollment is continuing to decrease. Despite the fact that the district “poaches” more than 1,000 out-of-district students.
    Enrollment is decreasing throughout the state, including in Yolo county itself.
    The existing parcel taxes would not be impacted by a school closure. As such, closing down a school or two would allow that money to go farther, and might even be used to provide the remaining teachers with a raise.

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  2. Keith

    Part of the problem is the state funding mechanism where the DJUSD gets less money per student than the state average. Maybe that should be looked into.

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  3. keith

    Ron is correct. Why is DJUSD keeping the school system bloated in times of decreasing enrollment? IMO it’s time to face reality and downsize according the the town’s logistics.

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  4. Roberta L. Millstein

    Any decrease in the size of the school district would be a longer and more involved process. The teachers need a raise now, and additional money from the state plus the repeated times the citizens of Davis have passed school funding measures suggest that the raises can and should be given now, not held up for a long and controversial process.

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  5. Ron O

    Roberta: “Any decrease in the size of the school district would be a longer and more involved process.”
    The problem isn’t that it’s a “longer and more involved process”.
    The problem (which is not unique to DJUSD) is that there’s vested interests preventing this.
    Roberta: “The teachers need a raise now, and additional money from the state plus the repeated times the citizens of Davis have passed school funding measures suggest that the raises can and should be given now, not held up for a long and controversial process.”
    They could certainly “try”, but I suspect that (if voters are asked to provide it), they are going to look at their existing property/parcel tax bills and (rightfully) ask “why” – before approving even more for the school district.
    Right-sizing the school district would allow the existing parcel taxes to go farther (and perhaps even provide raises for those who remain).
    Davis (and many other communities) need “fewer” teachers, not “more”.
    It’s time to stop feeding a broken system, which is actually harming the city as a whole at this point. The city has its own needs.
    In addition, many of those associated with the school district actively support sprawl, as a “solution” to their oversized district. How is that a reasonable approach to city planning?
    The school district itself is not a “friend” to those who support slow growth.
    Really? Would they also have the gall to ask for a raise (from voters again), while working against those who support slow growth?
    I have come to really dislike school districts, and the way that they operate. I have learned of many examples (not necessarily limited to DJUSD) regarding a total disregard for the use of taxpayer funds.
    They (school districts in general) are also “not honest” regarding the need to close schools, and put forth fake arguments regarding “diversity” as a defense.
    It’s well-past time to be fooled by “it’s for the kids” arguments, as it never is about that.
    I apparently have a very different view of school districts than some do. And it’s based upon what I’ve actually witnessed, not just limited to Davis.
    These issues are not necessarily about the teachers, themselves. But yeah, maybe they went into the wrong field (as many others do), given that enrollment in the state as a whole is significantly declining.
    And if they’re not getting paid enough, maybe it’s time to look for a different career – as many others are forced to do, as well.
    One only has to look around the state to see the dysfunction of school districts. (A good example is just across the causeway, in Sacramento).

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  6. Roberta L. Millstein

    Ron, you want to beat your drum about downsizing the school district. That’s fine. But it’s not my point here, which is that we can and should pay teachers more, we can do it right now, we don’t need a new measure and we don’t need to downsize. We have the money now and we should spend it accordingly.
    I don’t want teachers looking for a different career. We need teachers — there is a shortage, not a surplus, even if we downsize the way you’d like us to. Good teachers are important, and they should be paid in accordance with the job, which requires expertise and is challenging and exhausting.

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  7. Ron O

    Roberta: “We” can’t do anything about this – it’s between the district and its employees. You can “support” this by writing letters, but it’s ultimately not within your control.
    You’d need an audit to determine exactly how their funds are being used. I do know that superintendents, for example – make a lot of money. In the local example I’m thinking of, I recall that their salary (alone) is more than $200K – not including benefits.
    Given the declining enrollment (statewide), the “teacher shortage” is probably a myth – most likely promoted by teacher unions. Or, perhaps young people have figured out that pursuing a low-paying job in a “declining industry” is not a good idea. (Unless, perhaps – it’s a second income in a given household.)
    But again, if teachers believe that they’re not being paid enough (and their management is unwilling to pay them more), they probably selected the wrong field. Or, they can initiate a strike, and see how that works out. (As they did in Sacramento, which apparently only lasted 8 days.) When I was a kid, I would have LOVED for my teachers to go on strike. It’s not the end of the world if they do so.
    This is how any job market works – not just the teaching profession. If you selected the wrong field, it’s up to you to make a change. Why would anyone conclude that it should be different for teachers? What, exactly, makes them more “special” than anyone else?
    Regardless of any claimed statewide “teacher shortage”, Davis’ district is too large in comparison to the actual need of the community. They need FEWER teachers, nor MORE. They likely need to close down a school or two.
    “Poaching” more than 1,000 out-of-district students apparently isn’t “enough” for them to avoid addressing this issue, as noted in multiple articles found on the Enterprise and elsewhere.

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  8. Roberta L. Millstein

    Here’s what’s not going to happen: I’m not going to discuss making the school district smaller. Period. That’s your issue, not mine, and it at best tangentially relevant to the issue at hand. So again, you can keep talking about it, but I’m not going to engage. To anyone who wants to engage on that topic, I suggest that you submit a letter and start a separate conversation.
    Having set that aside: “We” have a say in teacher salaries as follows. Quoting from the webisite https://www.djusd.net/about/governance/boe : “The public’s voice in the operation of the Davis Joint Unified School District is heard first through five elected School Board members. Board members are chosen by the community in November general elections.” So my letter and the many other letters that have been written are directed to our elected representatives and to our fellow citizens to encourage them to speak to our elected representatives. This issue is thus no different than the many other issues that our democracy faces. We petition our electeds for action.
    This language from the website further emphasizes these points: “Public oversight of local government is the foundation of American democracy. Nowhere is this more evident than in our public schools, where local boards of education are entrusted by their diverse communities to uphold the Constitution, protect the public interest in schools and ensure that a high quality education is provided to each student. To maximize the public’s confidence in local government, our local boards must govern responsibly and effectively.”
    And yes, as the website says, “we” have a public interest in schools. Why? Well, the obvious answers point to what I hinted at when I spoke of our interdependency: we want educated doctors, lawyers, bridge makers, elected officials, etc. etc. Each of us relies on the expertise of others. To that I would add, it is in our collective interest to have an educated populace who can vote thoughtfully in elections and participate in our democracy more generally, having the relevant background and skills to do so. This is thus not just between the teachers and their employer. This is for all of us.
    Disclosure: I do not have any children in the DJUSD. I do not have any children, period, although I do have some adorable poodles. Nor do I have any relatives who work in the local school system. This is a matter of principle for me.

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  9. Ron O

    Roberta: You’re already “engaging” with me on the issue. You didn’t have to respond – that’s your choice.
    But there’s a direct relationship between having an oversized district (which is the “community’s concern” – not just mine), and “inadequate pay” for teachers.
    And again, some of these folks are working directly against “slow growth” efforts. (Which I believe is an issue that you might be concerned about, as well.)
    Being a university professor yourself, you likely view education in a different manner than I do. I view the system itself as subordinate to the community, not the other-way around. (I’d go so far as to say that our views are quite different regarding school districts.)
    I have also seen how they routinely (and “objectively”) waste enormous amounts of tax money. (I won’t go into that here, but I have seen and heard of this in multiple districts.)
    They aren’t on a mission from God, and I’m tired of people looking at them as if they were. They provide a service, just like all other industries and working people do.
    And some of them need to find other jobs, for their own sake. Which again, would allow existing parcel taxes to go farther (including possibly providing a raise to those who remain).
    Also, unless you are more familiar with the “available money” to DJUSD (via an outside audit), you don’t actually know whether or not they can actually “afford” to provide a district-wide raise, in an oversized district. If you believe otherwise, where is that money going, now? (Shouldn’t this be the first question answered, for those who believe the district can make this happen?) Do you think they’re just “sitting on” a pile of money somewhere, and refuse to give it to teachers? (I don’t have an answer to that, without looking at their budget in depth.)

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  10. Roberta L. Millstein

    Please don’t make any assumptions about what my views are. You are about as knowledgeable at that topic as David Greenwald is, which is to say, not knowledgeable.
    But yes, I think it’s clear that I value education more than you do. Obviously, if one does not value education very highly, then one is not going to feel a huge urgency to pay teachers more. I do in fact think that what teachers do is more important than many other (which is not to say all) jobs and should therefore be prioritized. I have already said why I think education is important, so I won’t repeat that here.
    Teachers aren’t “wasting” their salaries, unless you count the classroom materials that some of them buy on their own, when they should be funded. Many teachers aren’t able to make ends meet, which is why they move to other districts. I don’t even know where you get that from or what you mean by it.
    Davis educators have the lowest salaries in Yolo County. It was just two years ago that Davis passed Measure G; the promise was that salaries would be brought up to par. They have not been. This is asking to allocate the money as it was promised. I don’t need to see an audit to know that.
    As said already, I believe that there have also been state monies allocated to all the school districts recently.
    Giving teachers the pay that they deserve should be a priority. Those who have been following along more closely say that this is well within the budget to pay teachers in Davis what other teachers in the area are being paid. They need to figure out how to do it, period.

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  11. Ron O

    Roberta: The only “assumption” I made about your views is backed up by your statements. I’m not seeing any other “assumption” that I made.
    Also, I did not say that teachers are “wasting” their salaries. I said that school districts waste money. And when they do so, there may be less money to pay teachers.
    But the facts themselves show that the district is oversized compared to what the community actually needs. And since parcel taxes are not impacted by “size”, that money would go further if the district wasn’t oversized.
    I’m not sure that you (or others) think about the effect that “poaching students” has on other districts, either. (Or can have, at least.) Especially if the “best and brightest” are essentially the ones who are (inadvertently) poached. (Not an issue that I personally care about, but it’s likely having a negative impact on those districts.)
    I’m not going to back down regarding the facts (or my views), regardless of how many times you push back.
    But sure, if there’s money available to pay them more, I’m not opposed to that. (I doubt that it’s that simple, however.)
    In regard to one of the parcel taxes was supposed to provide higher salaries, I do remember that. Are you sure that this hasn’t already occurred? (And if not, are you claiming that the district is misappropriating or otherwise withholding those funds?) If so, that may be a legal issue.

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  12. Roberta L. Millstein

    Well, you did make an assumption about my views, but I’m not about to repeat it.
    I try to avoid making things personal and I would hope you would do the same.
    I’m not pushing back against your claim that we need to downsize, or your claim that money isn’t being well spent on the district, or your claims about poaching. These are all tangential at best to the issue of my original post, which is about paying teachers, and so I am not engaging in discussing them. I recognize that these are issues that you care about. I am concerned about paying teachers in Davis a fair living wage that is consistent with what other teachers in the area are getting.

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  13. Ron O

    Another question: If teachers are earning a higher salary in other communities (which also might have somewhat lower housing prices), how is it “unfair” to encourage them to teach and live in those communities (where they actually might be needed)?
    I don’t understand the “Davis-centric” view of the region (or world). That view strikes me as a “textbook example” of a “Davis elitist” type of view.

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  14. Ron O

    Roberta: I have no idea what you’re talking about, in regard to making an incorrect assumption regarding your views.
    However, here’s one you made regarding my views:
    “But yes, I think it’s clear that I value education more than you do.”

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  15. Ron O

    But to clarify, the subsequent comment regarding a “Davis elitist” point of view is not directed at you. It’s just something I come across time-and-time again, especially on the Vanguard. As if Davis has to solve all world problems, and no other community has the capability or responsibility to do so. The entire world has to live and work in Davis, apparently. Including teachers in a city which has a decreasing need for them.
    I also don’t understand why there’s concern regarding teachers living and working where they’re actually needed (as is the case with every other worker in the world). And where they get paid slightly more, and housing costs are somewhat less.
    So far, no one has been able to tell me the “problem” with this.

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