In a Commentary in the Observer’s February 8 & 14 edition, George Laase criticizes the Culver City School District for its five-year plan to raise our children’s teachers’ salaries only to the LA County median salary? What? These teachers don’t deserve to earn what the average teacher in LA County makes? This, despite the fact that Culver’s schools are better by far than most others in the state.

Mr. Laase bemoans both the retirements of veteran teachers while at the same time bemoaning the costs of paying high salaries to veteran teachers. With no support at all, he states that the district has not hired or retained the best teachers available. To cite continuing top outcomes would not suit the argument that homeowners and residents should not support teachers and students who do such an outstanding job.

To paraphrase Cicero, what better gift can we offer Culver City, than to teach and inspire our youth? So, here are a few facts not consistent with Mr. Laase’s worries.

1. Culver City Schools are rated among the best in the state by California School Ratings which rates the 9,823 public school across the state, using API scores.

2. State funding to Culver City Schools ranks the bottom third in the state, below $8,000/pupil vs. nearly $10,00 per pupil for Beverly Hills Schools.

3. The Culver City Schools have attracted and continue to attract dynamic, highly qualified teachers, 235 with Master’s Degrees and ten with doctorates.

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4. The CCUSD boasts a graduation rate of 98%

5. Teachers who retire from the District after long and successful careers, tap defined benefit pensions into which they have paid as equal partners with the state, and are not eligible to receive Social Security pensions, even if they have earned sufficient quarters which would otherwise qualify them. The overwhelming majority of state teachers’ pensions are quite modest, and nowhere near the $100K cited by Mr. Laase.

The excellence of our schools and their teachers is as much the heart of Culver City as our Screenland appellation, as our schools are at the heart of our cohesive community and its robust social and economic environment.

Sincerely,

Bruce Lebedoff Anders

Culver City