RUSD Teachers Need YOUR HELP!!!

RUSD has been hit hard by the California budget (or lack there of). The district has cut class size reduction in grades K-3 for the next school year. K-3 classes will now have 30 students in each class. As a result, they are laying off hundreds of teachers. This is clearly not in the best interest of our kids!

The board are currently discussing increasing class sizes in 4th-8th grades that are now at 34 students per class. I have 34 students and my classroom is packed. I have kids and parents telling me that they can't see the board. There just isn't any more room for them. I can't imagine a class of 40 students. I would spend the majority of my day on crowd control and classroom management rather than meeting their individual academic needs.

Don't get me wrong, I know that everyone needs to cut back due to the deficit, including RUSD, but the district is laying all these cuts on the students rather than across the board. I have trouble accepting the cuts proposed for next year when Mike Fine (the money man who makes 6 figures), still has his car and cell phone paid by the district each month and supplies like toilet paper and hand soap are being rationed at school sites, and when the cabinet took a 9% pay increase last year and I'm being asked to take a pay cut. There haven't been any substantial cuts made to the departments in the district office. The union and the district have been meeting to create an early retirement incentive for those higher paying teachers and save some of the pink slipped teachers. However the district can't just offer the ERI, they are trying to sneak in a change to the contract that would allow them to transfer teachers wherever they see fit. I feel so ashamed at RUSD and how they are treating their teachers and students. I really hope they get it together soon.

If possible, please contact the RUSD board members to voice your opinion, since they don't seem to care about ours. Help save the education of our students. We need your support!


Richard L. Miller, Ph.D.District Superintendentrmiller@rusd.k12.ca.us

PRESIDENT
Mr. Vanderzyl can be reached by e-mail at lvanderzyl@rusd.k12.ca.usor by phone at 951.784.2016.

VICE PRESIDENT
Tom Hunt can be reached at 951-565-8006 or thunt@rusd.k12.ca.us .

CLERK
Mrs. Gayle Cloud can be reached by e-mail at gcloud@rusd.k12.ca.us or by phone at 951.778.9081.

MEMBER
Mrs. Kathy Allavie can be reached by e-mail at kallavie@rusd.k12.ca.usor by phone at 951.684.2349.

MEMBER
Dr. Beaty can be reached by e-mail at cbeaty@rusd.k12.ca.us or by phone at 951.787.8984.