An Open Letter to Alpine Teachers

With a strike by teachers recently ended in the Alpine Union School District, a member of the community provides a call for action…

by Steve Hunyar

Dear Alpine Teachers,

I am glad you are back to work — to the business of educating once again.

This is a clarion call for positive action. After 10 years of seeing the writing on the wall, inaction is no longer an option for the Alpine Union School District, and for our children.

This is not a discussion of the recent strike, total compensation, the board, the administration, unions, tenure, or the “system”. It is a call to begin a transformative dialogue which addresses the root problem facing the Alpine District, and the lack of substantive action to deal with the crux of the issues facing its employees — declining enrollment.

If this crisis is not dealt with in a meaningful manner, district employees will likely face more cutbacks in compensation, once the current contract expires in 18 months.

Therefore, I strongly advocate for the creation of a teacher-led task force to investigate the root causes of the declining enrollment and generate a meaningful list of solutions. This list should include facets such as housing, competitive factors such as what neighboring districts/schools are providing, unification, the education product that is being provided (and not provided), any/all incentives, etc; identify all aspects as to why enrollment has been on the decline.

Why the teachers versus an outside entity? The teachers have the most to gain, and the most to lose. No one else in the community is as vested in the outcome. Furthermore, now is NOT the time to rely on outside interests. Children graduate. People move in/out of the area. Superintendents and Board Members move on. The one constant is the majority of the faculty and staff of the district.

Don’t leave this to someone else. Lead the charge and work to reverse the declining enrollment trend. The future of the AUSD depends on it. Identify key people in the community to participate, such as a representative from the Alpine Planning Group, to be a part of the coalition.

Initially, conduct twice monthly meetings. Hold a few townhall meetings to solicit ideas from the residents and to acquire buy-in from the community. Plan on completing a working document chalked full of solutions prior to the end of the 2013/2104 school year.

Present the final plan to the community, to the County Board of Education, and the County Supervisors. Follow-through to make certain the recommended solutions are implemented.

Government crawls. Do not crawl — run with this. Lead the charge to reverse the current enrollment trend and ensure the future positions for the Alpine educators. It is time to bring long-term stability to our District, and when it comes down to it, the teachers are truly the only people who can accomplish this objective.

As a parent of children who attended the Alpine Union School District, a former board member, a taxpayer, and a neighbor who is vested in the long-term success of academia in Alpine, I urge the teachers to adopt this process and philosophy, and take control of the destiny of the district and the community.

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Steve Hunyar is a resident of Alpine and author of “America the Disposable: The Culture War During the Era of Apathy” and “Houseboating Lake Powell,” as well as the founder of The ConservativePatriot.Com — a podcast mecca for the right. To contact Steve, please email him at steve@theconservativepatriot.com