O'Connell High School faculty and students fear cuts in classes, teachers and 'fun stuff'

By Tara Haghighi

Like all other high schools, John O’Connell High School is waiting to hear on the governor’s final budget cut before sending out pink slips to more teachers.
In a school with more than 50 teachers, 14 have already received their pink slips, according to school officials.
The worst hit is the English department, which is set to lose seven out of its nine teachers.
The budget cuts could also mean cuts in after-school activities and larger classes.
The high school, located on the quite side of the Mission District on Folsom Street, has more that 700 students.
But according to school officials, it’s not positively sure who will stay and who will leave until May 14 when the governor’s final proposes budget will be released.
“I’m very upset…to see my teachers go away,” said sophomore Markus Alvarez. “I like my teachers… he (Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger) better have a (good) reason.”
In February, Gov. Schwarzenegger proposed a budget cut of 10 percent to all public sectors in California, including education.
This would mean that public schools would stand to lose up to $4.8 billion.
The San Francisco Unified School District, of which John O’Connell High School is a part of, will stand to lose $40 million.
In March, Jack O’ Connell, the state superintendent of public instruction, announced that more than 20,000 teachers, counselors, librarians, nurses and support staffs have been given potential lay off notices.
In his statement he said that “school districts… are sending out pink slips …. not because our state faces a spending problem, but because we face a priorities problem.”
Diane Pulsifer, O’Connell’s high school Resource Specialist Program teacher, agrees
“Education is a low priority right now,” she said.
In an interview I did three weeks ago, Dr. Ramon Castellblanch, president of the California School Employee Association, said many people will be angry at the governor if this proposed budget cut goes through.
“He should consider how many California voters would be angry with him if he reduced families' chances for...education and the lifestyles it allows,” he said.
According to a recent Education Week report, California spends approximately $1,900 less per student than the national average.
“It’s a disaster,” said Leslie Clark, head of O’Connell high school’s Special Education department, on the budget cut.
“If he believes it’s in the best interest, I’d like to see his four kids at my school,” she said.
O’Connell faculty members unlike other high schools and universities, did not go to Sacramento last month to show their dissatisfaction for the budget cut.
Instead, they attended a rally in March with other high schools at the California Pacific Utilities Commission building located between McAllister and Van Ness.
Students and teachers wore pink to symbolize the pink slips that many teachers had already received.
Some teachers even pinned their pink slips to their shirts.

According to Principal Janet Schulze, if money keeps being taken away from education, then it’s going to cost the state more later on.
“We need to put more money in public education, especially where it’s needed the most,” she said.
The budget cuts will not only mean teacher layoffs, but the class sizes will get larger and after school programs will disappear.
“All the fun stuff will be the first to go…. the dance and drama department” according to Clark.
“(It’s) taking away what our students look forward to at school the most,” she said.
Class sizes will increase as well which means that the student teacher ratio will also increase.
Already some class sizes at the high school are 40, while the average class size is 30.
“It’s hurting the children in most need of our support,” said Pulsifer. “(And) the parents and the media always go back and blame the teachers.”
Because teachers won’t have enough time to help each individual student, students will do badly in school and end up dropping out according to Pulsifer.
“Education is very important and it leads us to a better and brighter future,” said senior Renniel Santos.