[ZooMagnet-2013] FW:URGENT!!!! BOILER PLATE PLEA LETTER - Angie's last day

Mon Jun 29 17:36:20 PDT 2009

ATTENTION NEW FRESHMAN PARENTS OF THE ZOO MAG:  

PLEASE UNDERSTAND HOW CRITICAL THIS IS.  I'M ATTACHING CONTACT
INFORMATION BELOW. 

CALL OR EMAIL NOW IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  WE NEED ANIGIE VEGA AND OUR
CUSTODIAN, CARLYS SMITH, TO REMAIN AT OUR ZOO MAGNET CAMPUS.

Add "Smith" to Carlys's name and "North Hollywood High" to his ID as
custodian.

-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Neckels [mailto:webneckels at sbcglobal.net] 
Sent: Monday, June 29, 2009 2:15 PM
To: 'ZM 2009'; 'ZM 2010'; 'ZM 2011'; 'ZM 2012'
Subject: BOILER PLATE PLEA LETTER - Angie's last day

Zoo Mag parents:  here's a boiler plate plea you can use

To further inspire your own personal letter.

Bruce

Please note our email address has changed to

webneckels at sbcglobal.net

Subject: Re: FW: Bruce's letter Update: Angie's last day

Linda Hurevitz, former ZMPC President and still involved in our school,
just sent me a brief concise boiler plate plea. Cut and paste it 

with any personal thoughts and anecdotes of support.  bn

Here is her letter:

   Until the current budget crisis, the Zoo Magnet (location code 8787)
office was staffed with a Coordinator (Lee McManus), a clerk (Angie
Vega), a counselor (Alicia Rojas) and a North Hollywood High
custodian,(Carlys Smith).  We understand that the Magnet Clerk position
has been eliminated by the district. Therefore, as North Hollywood High
School absorbs its budget cuts and lost positions, the loss of an
assigned Magnet Clerk makes the hurt even more difficult. 

    Many clerk positions have been cut or down-graded in pay
classification. Ms. Vega has been with the District since 2003
classified as a Sr. Office Technician.  Although she had taken and
passed the Sr. Administrative Assistant classification, a position was
never available for her to make the move.  In reality, Ms. Vega
functions as much more than a clerk because of the lean staffing of the
Zoo Magnet and is an invaluable member of our Zoo Magnet community. 

    The Zoo Magnet site is nine miles distant from NHHS. 

    The district's present solution, assigning NHHS personnel, full or
part-time from the already reduced ranks of the NHHS support staff is
untenable. As a parent, I understand that the LAUSD managers are trying
to make the best of a very difficult situation, but, because of the Zoo
Magnet's remote location, the staffing cuts being imposed on North
Hollywood High impact the Zoo Magnet and NHHS disproportionately from
other magnets where the program sits on a larger school main campus.
The Zoo Magnet is unique in the District in this way.

    Perhaps assigning a dedicated Zoo Magnet Administrative Assistant
and custodian would alleviate the current problem.  There are health and
safety concerns that can not be ignored.  At the present, there are 320
people with 3 adults out of the classroom.   We can not risk the safety
of our children to inadequate adult supervision.

            HERE'S MORE INFORMATION!!!!

Time is running very short. Angie's last day as the OFFICIAL Zoo Magnet
"magnet clerk" is tomorrow. Her job title no longer exists. The problem
is both semantic and real. Angie has been displaced from NHHS and will
be reassigned to another school. The Zoo Magnet is a magnet CENTER, as
opposed to a magnet SCHOOL. All magnet centers are on the grounds of
host schools EXCEPT the Zoo Magnet; we are nine miles from NHHS. When
LAUSD eliminated the magnet clerk positions they assumed that their
essential duties could be handled by other clerks on the host campus,
this is a hardship for other magnet centers, but UNTENABLE at the Zoo
Magnet. Angie takes on many tasks that the clerical staffs of various
school offices perform at a comprehensive high school: main
office/reception, attendance and records, health/school nurse, deans,
parent center, special education, textbook, accounts payable,
counseling, and payroll assistance. 

Angie has been displaced and is no longer on the NHHS staff. Dr. Delling
will assign one of his remaining clerks to the Zoo Magnet. He has
appealed to LAUSD for a waiver of classified staff union seniority in
order to keep Angie, but if he is successful it will not happen until
the dust settles-perhaps October, or next year. The NHHS clerk Dr.
Delling assigns us in September may be dedicated and capable, but they
will not have Angie's varied experience, and they will NOT be Angie. The
real solution is for the district to open a clerk position ASSIGNED to
the Zoo Magnet.

Likewise, the district reduced the number of maintenance staff at school
sites. NHHS has lost two, possibly three custodians. As things now
stand, Carlys Smith will leave the NHHS custodial staff on August 3rd
for another LAUSD campus. Dr. Delling and Mr. Mendoza (the NHHS Plant
Manager) will assign one of remaining members of the NHHS custodial
staff to serve the most basic needs of the Zoo Magnet for three to four
hours each evening. Can we survive these changes? Yes. But, the
disruptions to our school community and instructional program will be
profound, AND at NO SAVINGS to the district. Carlys and Angie will still
have jobs, just at other schools in the district. 

I hope you can do something. 

Thanks for your help. 

HERE IS CONTACT INFORMATION:

Tamar Galatzan   -    <mailto:tamar.galatzan at lausd.net>
tamar.galatzan at lausd.net    213-241-6386 
Tom Waldman Chief of Staff -   <mailto:thomas.waldman at lausd.net>
thomas.waldman at lausd.net 

Denise Campos Director of Community Affairs  -
<mailto:denise.campos at lausd.net> denise.campos at lausd.net 

Pamela Burga Director of Policy  -   <mailto:pamela.burga at lausd.net>
pamela.burga at lausd.net 

Ramon Cortines  - Superintendent    <mailto:ramon.cortines at lausd.net>
ramon.cortines at lausd.net

Sharon Curry - Assist. Superintendent for Integration (Magnet programs)
<mailto:Sharon.curry at lausd.net> Sharon.curry at lausd.net

Alma Pena Sanchez - District 2 Superintendent
<mailto:alma.sanchez at lausd.net> alma.sanchez at lausd.net

Chris Espinosa - Mayor's Office, LAUSD Bond Oversight Committee -
chris.espinosa at lacity.org

Tom LaBonge - City Council  - Labonge at lacity.org

THANK YOU -

BRUCE NECKELS

Pres., Zoo Magnet Parent Council

THIS FROM BRUCE:

Keep it positive and constructive.  These people should not be treated
like the enemy.  They are stuck with a terrible situation financially
and have to comply with the collective bargaining agreements no matter
how badly it hurts everyone involved.  Make it easier for them to say
yes to us!!!!!

For example, some of our money comes out of the NH budget, and some
comes from our own budget (I don't know the details).  If our
administrative personnel (i.e. Lee, Angie, Alicia and Carlys were all in
the ZM budget)  then we might have more control over keeping our family
intact.

If you want to write to other members of the Board of Education, don't
hesitate, but keep in mind, they have their own schools to deal with and
we would be pretty low on their priority list.  Tamar Galatzan is very
well aware of us and has demonstrated her willingness to fight for what
is best for the students.  She is fighting to develop a system whereby a
teacher's performance is considered when a RIF like this one has to
occur.  

FOR YOUR INFORMATION, IN CASE YOU WANT TO ADD TO YOUR CALLS/EMAILS:

We currently function reasonably well with an office staff of three and
the exemplary service of our custodian, Mr. Carlys Smith. Several years
ago, when the LA Zoo administration requested that we take on greater
responsibility for maintenance of the grounds immediately adjacent to
the Zoo Magnet, Mr. Smith became the de facto Zoo Magnet custodian. The
transformation has been remarkable. What had been something of a sorry
school site is now a garden campus, a place where students, staff and
the community gather at ease. Where there had been accumulations of
trash, yard refuse and a little graffiti, there is now a lovely place to
learn. Bathrooms are scrupulously clean, classrooms and offices are
pleasant and our grounds are park-like and inviting. Zoo staff and
Griffith Park neighbors actually enjoy their visits and we are
singularly proud of our humble but radiant little school.

Dr. Bruce Newlin, past director of the UCLA Principal Leadership
Institute and school superintendent, has observed that, "In the eyes of
the community, the two most important people on a school campus are the
custodian and the front office clerk." That has been the secret of the
Zoo Magnet's community relations success. Mr. Smith's contribution to
our school is eclipsed only by Ms. Angela Vega, our supremely able
magnet clerk. To the students, staff and school community she is the
face, voice and heart of the Zoo Magnet. There is no person connected
with our school who she does not touch in some vital way. Her
competence, humanity and skillful attention animates our community. Ms.
Vega takes on myriad challenges far outside her job description and does
so with confidence, dignity and grace. I cannot imagine anyone else
serving us half so well. It is my fervent hope that you will recognize
the economy and efficiency with which the members of the North Hollywood
High School Zoo Magnet school community already serve and look for
budget savings in those places where scale permits greater flexibility.
Please do your utmost to preserve the fragile integrity of the Zoo
Magnet program.

Respectfully,

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