CVUSD school calendar hotly debated

This week the Unified Association of Conejo Teachers (UACT), together with Conejo Valley Unified School District, presented their latest proposal for the 2006-07 school calendar.

In that proposal, a staff-only development day was shifted from the start of the school year to Fri., Dec. 22, giving students an extra day off before the winter break, but leaving them with one less day of summer break. Nothing changes for the district staff, which must still work both days.

Using words like "compromise" and "creative," supporters of the proposal spoke at Tuesday's meeting of the Conejo Valley school board, which had invited public comment on the issue before its scheduled March 28 vote.

"I really think it is a win-win situation for all parties concerned," said Trustee Timothy Stephens after hearing all comments from the audience. He said the district has aligned holidays on the calendar with those of surrounding districts such as Moorpark, Simi Valley and Las Virgenes.

Most who came to the podium in support of the proposed calendar were district teachers, like Teresa Coffman, a math instructor at Colina Middle School.

"The calendar works great. It's not an impediment to work that week before Christmas," Coffman said. "That week before Christmas is actually a nice time for teachers with their students, and I've never had any problem preparing for the holidays with my family."

Nina Brandt, an intermediate clerk typist at Thousand Oaks High School, was another voice in favor of the proposal.

"I think some people have made this more of an issue than it needed to be. Having the calendar just a little different is not earthshattering. A compromise needed to be made and I think it was a good one," Brandt said.

But none spoke out as loudly as UACT president Susan Falk, who not only supported the proposal, but vented her frustration over what she said has been a campaign of misinformation dealing with calendar negotiations. Her comments were often followed by rounds of applause from the decidedly pro-union audience.

"Because negotiations have taken a while to complete," Falk said, "does not mean there were any problems. It's a disservice to the community and an insult to the teachers to misrepresent what's been happening in negotiations.

"We were never at an impasse or having problems, and neither negotiating team has been trying to impede the process nor have they been trying to minimize the time before the start of the winter break," she said.

UACT first-vice president and negotiating team chairman Jerry Morris took particular exception to school board member Mike Dunn's recent comment in the Ventura County Star that the latest proposal "does not represent the will of teachers, parents and the community."

"These assertions are false. I can't speak for (all parents and community members), but the ones that have talked to me said they liked the calendar this year because they had the time off after New Year's, and they think this compromise for next year is reasonable," Morris said.

Morris went on to dispute claims that UACT never directly surveyed its members on when they felt winter break should begin.

"We've given our members a multitude of opportunities to . . . voice their position on the calendar and the winter break," he said.

During his public comments, Dunn stood by his much-publicized personal poll that he said revealed 81 percent of the community preferred that winter break begin on Dec. 16 or 20.

Three district parents, including T.O. resident Tom Rich, were in agreement with Dunn.

"I'm in favor of a calendar that includes a week off before the Christmas break," Rich said. "Two reasons: one is giving us time to prepare to travel for Christmas, and also-because of the distractions at home for the students- it's probably not a good time to have them in class. It'd be better for them to be out and come back after the holidays when they can be focused on their studies when they're in class."

Thousand Oaks parent John Andersen noted that 7 percent of the district's students missed class on Fri., Dec. 23 last year, costing CVUSD more than $45,000 in state revenue. He said he felt the latest proposal, which gives students that Friday before Christmas off, was still not a fair compromise.

The debate will continue until the March 28 meeting of the board, when members will vote for or against the latest proposal.