A View from the Front of the Class : In the Valley of No Regrets
A Novato Advance (3-21-06) OpEd article by Fran Rozoff: NFT Elementary Vice-President.In the waning years of the 19th century a small school was built in a rural farm community nestled in the idyllic hills of north Marin. 37 students were educated in that one room structure which also served as a church. Later, residents of a nascent Novato township agreed to be taxed to add two more rooms to the schoolhouse. According to the July 27, 1899 edition of the Marin Journal, the renovated structure provided "one of the most comfortable and spacious school buildings in the county," With this act, a fledgling school district was created.
The Novato Advance coined the phrase "The Valley of No Regrets" in 1927 to attract prospective home buyers and businessmen to the city. And it was in that same year the Novato Grammar School enrolled 170 children and parents proudly boasted about the 23 students who were the largest graduating class in that institution’s history. The Little-School-District-That-Could was growing stronger.
The imprint of community support for public education has always been visible in Novato from it’s early years as a township, to the time it became an incorporated municipality in the late 1960's. It’s no surprise then, that this city’s public school children have been provided for through the State’s recent fiscally lean years by voter approved Parcel Taxes in 1985, 1997, and 2005, as well as Bond measures in 1999 and 2001.
The latest Bond measure has been a $107 million shot in the arm for ailing facilities. Our schools sport new floors, ceilings, cabinets, whiteboards, restrooms, heating, ventilation, and wheel chair ramps. Teachers at Novato High are relieved to find that windows finally open to allow fresh air and light into their previously musty, dark classrooms. "My classroom is better now, " states an Olive third grader, " because the teacher’s desk used to be messy and now she has space for her important papers and books behind the new learning wall." Additionally, the purpose of the Parcel Taxes have been to pump up vital instructional programs such as music and physical education, as well as maintain libraries, support technology, and most importantly, attract and retain qualified teachers.
But the buck doesn’t stop there. NUSD gets twice the local revenue funding than other unified school districts in California. Thanks to the School Board and taxpayers support, Novato now has more fully credentialed teachers (99.2%) than any other school district in Marin. Parcel Tax dollars have also helped teachers "kick-it-up-a-notch." Last year’s statewide test data shows that Novato’s school children were above state average in all categories, even though we receive $533 dollars less per student than most districts in California. Our public schools have more English Learners and socio-economically disadvantaged students than other school districts in Marin and the average teacher’s salary has, until recently, been less than most comparable districts in California. Despite these facts, 85% of high school graduates in Novato attend the best colleges and universities in the nation.
California’s system for funding public schools has been in place for 35 years, with additions and changes that range from major voter and judicial decisions to annual tinkering by lawmakers. As a result, the system is extraordinarily complex and particularly unfair to underfunded districts like Novato whose property tax dollars go to Sacramento to be redistributed across the State.
Thankfully, Novato’s homeowners willingly shoulder an additional financial burden to support our schools so we all benefit from the renewed promise of a healthy democracy. Their efforts have allowed tax dollars to stay in Novato and improve public education. Local tax revenues are the "gift that keeps on giving" ; armed with new and improved "Weapons of Mass Instruction," teachers in this community will continue to have the ammunition to educate and inspire tomorrow’s citizens and leaders.
That first Novato school, built in 1875, was deeded to the Novato School District for $289.50 by Francis De Long and Joseph Sweetser. Thanks to the personal and financial commitment of many community members, the Little -District -That- Could has become the District-That-Has. Through the millions of dollars raised by Parcel Taxes and Bond Measures, education foundations, fundraisers and many hours of volunteerism, Novato residents of the 21st century continue to maintain their investment in the children of The Valley of No Regrets.
The imprint of community support for public education has always been visible in Novato from it’s early years as a township, to the time it became an incorporated municipality in the late 1960's. It’s no surprise then, that this city’s public school children have been provided for through the State’s recent fiscally lean years by voter approved Parcel Taxes in 1985, 1997, and 2005, as well as Bond measures in 1999 and 2001.
The latest Bond measure has been a $107 million shot in the arm for ailing facilities. Our schools sport new floors, ceilings, cabinets, whiteboards, restrooms, heating, ventilation, and wheel chair ramps. Teachers at Novato High are relieved to find that windows finally open to allow fresh air and light into their previously musty, dark classrooms. "My classroom is better now, " states an Olive third grader, " because the teacher’s desk used to be messy and now she has space for her important papers and books behind the new learning wall." Additionally, the purpose of the Parcel Taxes have been to pump up vital instructional programs such as music and physical education, as well as maintain libraries, support technology, and most importantly, attract and retain qualified teachers.
But the buck doesn’t stop there. NUSD gets twice the local revenue funding than other unified school districts in California. Thanks to the School Board and taxpayers support, Novato now has more fully credentialed teachers (99.2%) than any other school district in Marin. Parcel Tax dollars have also helped teachers "kick-it-up-a-notch." Last year’s statewide test data shows that Novato’s school children were above state average in all categories, even though we receive $533 dollars less per student than most districts in California. Our public schools have more English Learners and socio-economically disadvantaged students than other school districts in Marin and the average teacher’s salary has, until recently, been less than most comparable districts in California. Despite these facts, 85% of high school graduates in Novato attend the best colleges and universities in the nation.
California’s system for funding public schools has been in place for 35 years, with additions and changes that range from major voter and judicial decisions to annual tinkering by lawmakers. As a result, the system is extraordinarily complex and particularly unfair to underfunded districts like Novato whose property tax dollars go to Sacramento to be redistributed across the State.
Thankfully, Novato’s homeowners willingly shoulder an additional financial burden to support our schools so we all benefit from the renewed promise of a healthy democracy. Their efforts have allowed tax dollars to stay in Novato and improve public education. Local tax revenues are the "gift that keeps on giving" ; armed with new and improved "Weapons of Mass Instruction," teachers in this community will continue to have the ammunition to educate and inspire tomorrow’s citizens and leaders.
That first Novato school, built in 1875, was deeded to the Novato School District for $289.50 by Francis De Long and Joseph Sweetser. Thanks to the personal and financial commitment of many community members, the Little -District -That- Could has become the District-That-Has. Through the millions of dollars raised by Parcel Taxes and Bond Measures, education foundations, fundraisers and many hours of volunteerism, Novato residents of the 21st century continue to maintain their investment in the children of The Valley of No Regrets.
posted by Novato Federation of Teachers @ 10:33 PM
