Remember: Kids First : District administration must be cut
Los Angeles’ schools are bleeding. Teachers are instructing larger classes. Students are suffering in oven-like classrooms. There are no frills, and in some classrooms, not even enough of the basics. There must be greater sacrifice at the administrative level too.
School Board President Warren Furutani and Supt. William Anton have announced plans for additional cuts in the central office budget and a freeze on some administrative spending, including on most travel. This freeze rightly does not include a freeze on spending for the schools themselves.
The superintendent announced on Friday a freeze on filling all vacant non-school positions, with limited exceptions for critical functions. He also outlined an immediate freeze on the purchase of equipment, on new contracts, conference attendence and other travel with the exception of trips related to legislation, finance, construction and legal matters. Anton is also determined to eliminate 20 to 50 positions at the downtown headquarters. Where possible, administrators will be reassigned to schools to fill vacancies. The schools can certainly use the help.
The savings from these steps have not been calculated. The reductions are likely to be small--but also powerfully symbolic. These are austere times. The board was forced to cut $275 million from the current budget because of the state budget shortfall. The $275 million in cuts has a big impact: The district is so large; more than 600,000 children attend public schools in Los Angeles.
Only 13% of the initial cuts came from reductions in central administration because that area represents a much smaller segment of overall spending. Half of the cuts came from money earmarked for schools. That imbalance has threatened the unity of the district.
Why should teachers shoulder a heavier workload or a pay cut unless similar sacrifices are made at the central headquarters?
The children must come first. And that could very well mean even more administrative budget cuts in the future.
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