Figuring out how to create great schools for every child in Vacaville is one of my passions. It’s why I love teaching, and I am continually heartened to see that, even though politicians in Washington can’t agree on much, we, in Vacaville, get it.
• We understand that great public schools benefit the community
• We understand that great public schools require resources and effort.
• We understand that great public schools require collaboration with everyone in our community
Fortunately, to address these challenges, the recently approved Local Control Funding Formula gives our elected school board the freedom to decide where and how our taxpayer dollars will be spent to educate our children. Governor Brown, after signing the LCFF legislation, said “Equal treatment for children in unequal situations is not justice” and, as a result of this new law, we can continue to work together, in Vacaville, to educate all of our children.
We also understand that great schools involve collaboration and all of our shareholders working together, not selfishly pursuing a narrow agenda. Sadly, this is exactly what’s happening in Los Angeles because a group with special interests, that wants to push their education agenda on California schools, filed a lawsuit last year attacking educators’ professional rights.
Instead of working with teachers, or working with the state legislature to make schools better for all of our students, these special interests are trying to use the courts to strip teachers of their due process rights. This will not improve student learning, it will only make it harder to attract and retain quality teachers in our classrooms. It also ignores all the research that shows experience is a key factor in effective teaching.
Ultimately, great public schools benefit a community but, in order to create great public schools, a community must work together…and we understand this very well in our community.
-Moira McSweeney
