They already promised us through pre-recorded messages, flyers, and website blurbs that they had it in the bag, that it would be a "seamless transition" - remember? According to the Chula Vista Elementary and YMCA, they want the community to let them know what we expect from an after-school program.
 
Haven't they been listening? Haven't they been paying attention? Our guess is that this is one way they can tell parents in the future that they had meetings, that they requested input, that they sought opinions, all when things go awry.
 
We want DASH and STRETCH! The two award winning programs were perfect exactly as they were. Any changes made whatsoever, and you no longer have DASH and STRETCH.
 
Thus far they've lowered the pay grade, excluded the staff currently running the programs, hired new employees who haven't even been trained by DASH and STRETCH staff, and changed the curriculum. This is turning out to be an experimental program.
 
There is no need for focus groups. After all, it was at the March 10th, 2009 district board meeting that the YMCA used a power point presentation which was raving on and on about all of the successes.
 
So then why the focus groups? Is it to make us feel like our opinion matters? If that were the case, then why were we the very last to know? Why didn't they give us the opportunity to truly save DASH and STRETCH by raising $450,000? Two moms raised $375 in less than three weeks back in January of 2009. The exact time the city announced they'd be withdrawing their funding.
 
Were they afraid we just might actually raise that money? Let's be honest, CVESD chose to give DASH and STRETCH to the YMCA. Might it be because two of CVESD's board members are also on the board at the YMCA? Or was it just because it was cheaper?
 
Please, don't humor us any more than you already have. We're tired of being strung along when we should have been informed back in December of 2008 when the YMCA was first approached. I have that information on great authority. Don't forget that several DASH and STRETCH employees are also employed by the YMCA.
 
Have you heard of the expression: Honesty is always the best policy?
 
We've been saying it, screaming it, demanding it, asking for it, and yes...some even crying to save DASH and STRETCH as they are but apparently the CVESD is not listening. We will attend the meetings to make some noise anew that needs to be heard.

This post comes from a bona fide DASH Leader with over 12 years of experience in working with children. From general education to special education I've been there, along with many of the well known agencies and school districts in Southern California. Yesterday was a bit odd for me attending a meeting that was filled with talks of unemployment, options for job searches and networking. The toughest part was opening up the notice of dismissal. Of course this didn't happen because there was no money, but because there was money in the wrong hands.

This is not only the end of another school year, but the end of DASH and STRETCH as we've come to know it under Educational Services with the Chula Vista Library of the City of Chula Vista. I've worked with the Boys and Girls Club, the YMCA, and several others. Nothing can compare with DASH and STRETCH and I have been there from it's inception in 1999.

I've had the best supervisor and some tough situations for which I was prepared for per our intense Summer trainings with some of the best clinicians and facilitators throughout this country. I've learned that time is the best friend of truth, and from December to this very date, much of the truth has come out in this time frame. The mottos and mission statements often seen or heard of from corporate America down to local educational institutions don't mean much to me anymore. What matters to many is the heirarchy, image, face-saving and the legal tender to be made. Leadership without integrity is only a facade of micro management to justify lack of finding real solutions.

Throughout this ordeal, every DASH and STRETCH staff member has worked arduously to continue providing the exceptional service DASH and STRETCH parents have come to expect. Unfortunately we've not had the necessary support in the harshest of times.

SILENCE

Because we are employees of the City of Chula Vista we were often told we could not fully inform many parents as to what was going on, primarily during hours of operation. We were told to stay quiet but to make subtle suggestions. Eventually one parent stood up; Elisa Betancourt. Many of you have heard of her in one way or another. She is one of the busiest ladies I know who has a bit too much on her plate in life, but took the time to form a non-profit in hopes of raising the necessary funds that could be donated to keep DASH and STRETCH afloat for the next school year. Unfortunately there were only a few parents who followed suit and jumped in to lend a helping hand. Whether it was attending a City Hall meeting and speaking for us, or mailing letters off to Councilmembers; thank you.

It's a tough time for many of us because this is not the end of a school year, DASH and STRETCH are not on hold, we will not continue as we were. This is the end of 10 solid years of service in excellence. It's over and it will not be what it once was. It is finished.

The new providers; the YMCA are going to take over the name, colors, equipment, and so on, and while I'm optimistic, I highly doubt that they will offer the same quality of service that parents have come to expect.

MASKED

What parents were not aware of were the tactics going on behind the scenes in a very unprofessional manner from those that people would regard to be professional. We were contending with the City all the while negotiations were being made between the Chula Vista Elementary School District and YMCA without us being notified. While we were looking for other alternatives, apparently the deal was in the bag. 

Automated phone calls went out along with school flyers to ease the anxiety of concerned parents who thought DASH and STRETCH would not continue as a free service. Parents thought DASH and STRETCH were saved. I actually had one parent who came in to express her excitement, but when she saw my lack of enthusiasm and discovered we were being laid off, she knew it was time to be unmasked, so to speak. She wanted the truth but it was too late for her to get involved as the transfer was made. I advised her to keep her chin up and believe in those mission statements of how valuable our children are and how much schools really believe that kids come first...so long as there are good head-counts on a daily basis to report numbers that will keep those in leadership still in their positions.

BLIND LEADERS OF THE BLIND

Don't take that sub title literally. It only describes that sometimes we have enthusiastic laborers who are blind-sighted by those making decisions who are blind to the ramifications, for lack of accountability, and end up leading people blindly without giving them thorough information. Such is the case with the Chula Vista Elementary School District.

Parents and children were told that they would continue to receive free after-school programs under the DASH and STRETCH name. They were informed that the programs would extend to more schools and provide extra leaders and in a very subtle manner were told it was going to be handed over to the YMCA. The term used was "transfer" which should not be assimilated with excellence. When an organization is transferred it does not guarantee that the recipients will receive the same quality and professionalism they've come to expect. A transfer is a simple well-wishing that things go on favorably.

What parents did not know was that all DASH and STRETCH staff members were being laid off. Parents did not know that DASH and STRETCH were being taken over by the YMCA who was going to hire new staff members who are less qualified to provide the quality and safety currently given by DASH and STRETCH under Educational Services. Parents were also kept in the dark about DASH and STRETCH being a curriculum based program and was being taken on by child care.

SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

It's great to keep people quiet during times like this where political maneuvering is involved, hands are washed and no one is held accountable. Yet it is claimed that our children matter in our community. If so, why are budgets cut in the school system? Why are teachers salaries threatened? Why do elected officials look the other way from their duties? Why would 150 employees be laid off to hire new employees if the money is still available to keep things as they are?  

The term "Silence is Golden" has various interpretations. There are reports of versions of it dating back to Ancient Egypt. The first example of it in English is from the poet Thomas Carlyle, who translated the phrase from German in Sartor Resartus, 1831, in which a character expounds at length on the virtues of silence

However, in this case, it was great to keep parents and children silent so as not to raise a ruckus about the change. Yet, concerned parent Elisa Betancourt refused to stay quiet and started to stir up some voices. Of course it was a at the latter part of the process where the "transfer" was already taking place. We could not make automated calls to inform parents that of how to get invovled. We could not stuff flyers into the children's backpacks as the Directors of this "transfer" had done.

Why wasn't Dr. Lowell Billings transparent with the parents and employees of the City of Chula Vista's DASH and STRETCH? That is a question that will remain unanswered as Dr. Lowell Billings will not comment on that. Perhaps silence is golden so long as his job is kept while 150 others are lost.

Prop A has been in the spotlight and one major misleading point is that this would somehow save DASH and STRETCH from being cut. The interesting thing is that the ballot was written up after the fact that the City of Chula Vista had already stated they were no longer going to fund DASH and STRETCH.

The Union Tribune reports in an article entitled Mail Ballot Argument is Called Misleading. The following is an excerpt from the article: "'Parents like Bob O'Keefe, whose two daughters are in STRETCH, say residents may vote for the sales tax rate increase thinking they are saving the children's programs. 'I think that's misleading,' O'Keefe said. 'It really has no effect on the after-school program.'

Assistant City Manager Scott Tulloch said the ballot argument was written in February. Officials will consider restoring half the funding for the after-school programs if the sales tax measure passes, he said.

The ballot argument in favor of Proposition A, written by Mayor Cheryl Cox, says the increased sales tax would 'maintain after-school programs like STRETCH and DASH that keep kids away from drugs, gangs and crime.'"

This is rather interesting considering that the ballot argument was written in February and DASH and STRETCH were notified in January that they were going to be transferred to the new provider; the YMCA.

The city of Chula Vista officially handed over the running of the after school programs in the 33 elementary schools where DASH and STRETCH is operating today to the YMCA as of the new school year starting in July. Nancy Kerwin, the Executive Director of Student, Family, and Community Services and Support, stated March 10th at a district meeting saying if Prop. A passed, it wouldn't be nearly enough to save DASH and STRETCH.

In fact, the money first goes into the general fund and is then dispersed down the totem pole. DASH and STRETCH are towards the bottom of that pole, besides, the City no longer has a say. When they withdrew their funds, they lost their voice.

The district has already officially voted to 'seamlessly transfer' the said programs to the YMCA. They have already contacted parents in multiple ways just to inform us that all is saved even without the tax initiative. To date, the transition thus far has been anything but seamless. Some principals are pulling in DASH and STRETCH staff to tell them that they won't be working next year. Teachers are congratulating the two time award winning staff, only it's not for a job well done for these past ten years, it's for being saved.

However, the problem is that they haven't been saved. Children are confused and crying to their coaches, giving of their own money in an attempt to save these programs, while trusting parents are being carefully misled. It is very important that the thousands of families whose children attend DASH and STRETCH, and others who support them, know all the facts before deciding whether to vote Yes or No on Proposition A. After all, parents are the one’s paying the price with more than just their wallets.

The San Diego Union Tribune launched another article regarding the transfer from DASH and STRETCH to the YMCA. It's entitled After School Programs to Expand Despite Funding Cuts. The interesting thing to consider is if a DASH and STRETCH are being transferred to another provider, why are they keeping the same name as DASH and STRETCH and not using the YMCA branding?

The article states, "Once the city cut its funding, the Chula Vista school board decided to hire another organization to run the after-school programs. This month, the board approved an agreement with the South Bay YMCA."

It would be great to bring a few things to light here. Apparently Mr. Lowell Billings; Chula Vista Elementary School District had already approached the YMCA with the offer to take over DASH and STRETCH and keep the name as is which of course would appease the parents feeling that it would continue to be the same. It was interesting to discover last month as a call was placed to the South Bay YMCA that Dr. Lowell Billings; CVESD Superintendent is still a board member. How convenient is that? It's very convenient for those that look at this logically.

You have an award winning after-school program which was initially installed to meet needs not met by other providers. You have miraculously a school district which suffered budget cuts but now supplies the amount of money that the City of Chula Vista coulnd't supply. Now you have over 150 employees who are being laid off and new staff being hired at less than half of what current employees are making.

Let's put this in perspective shall we? Same amount of money. Trained and qualified staff laid off. New staff hired at much lower pay. Where is the rest of the money going to? It's not going to the equipment as that's already provided. This is not a "start from scratch" project as DASH and STRETCH were 10 years ago. This is a transfer with all the goodies included.

So we ask: Where's the rest of the money going and where is the accountability? While flyers were posted and automated phone calls were made to parents about the keeping of DASH and STRETCH, what they weren't notified about was that they would now be losing a curriculum based program and accepting child care. What parents were not told is that they will soon find out why they should've put up a fight for DASH and STRETCH Educational Services to keep the quality, unparalleled leadership, effectiveness, security and safety that they've always expected.
 

We hope you all have been doing well in spite of the current economic status brought on the DASH and STRETCH leaders and the many parents who are looking to see where things will be headed as DASH and STRETCH are being turned over to another provider. Although it's been a while since we've posted, we wanted to keep you up to date on what's been happening.

Since January the Union Tribune had published a few articles on what's been going on with the DASH and STRETCH team. As many of you recall, there were several meetings at City Hall in hopes of supporting DASH and STRETCH and keeping the program where it should've been; under Educational Services through the Chula Vista Public Library.

The following article "City employees sweating over potential job losses" was one of the first to launch which stated the following by Lavar Watkins, when it was noted that about 2,100 children participate in the Stretch and Dash program. "Many parents credit the program for helping their children become better students. At Tuesday's council meeting, Lavar Watkins spoke in support of the program, saying the community needs it. 'It would be unspeakable to take this away from children,' he said."

While Mr. Watkins amongst other school faculty staff, parents, and children made their pleas, it was to no avail as we'll discuss later how the Chula Vista Elementary School District was already making negotiations with another provider before the City of Chula Vista voted.

Many of our DASH and STRETCH staff are highly qualified individuals who have been trained with leadership and are determined to benefit the children, parents, and the entire community of Chula Vista. However, the program has been handed over and will shortly be dismantled due to lack of training at the same calibre of DASH and STRETCH.

The San Diego Union Tribune published yet another article outlining opposing viewpoints of concerned parent Elisa Betancourt and Chula Vista Elementary Superintendent, Lowell Billings. The article "Stretch and Dash; New operator will keep after-school programs intact" offers two views. However, one has to consider which view is biased. The dealmaker with the new agency, Lowell Billings, or the concerned parent Elisa Betancourt who appreciates how DASH and STRETCH have helped her children grow?

We would have to say that both sides are valid, yet both sides are not unbiased. Consider what is going on and ask yourselves how this is occuring right in front of us. The City says it cannot afford to keep DASH and STRETCH up and running whille at the same time we have District Leaders already negotiating with another provider before the City of Chula Vista made it's decision to sever any financial support for DASH and STRETCH.

As DASH and STRETCH Leaders, there are nine action steps that every effective leader must employ in any type of service.

1) Articulate the Values
2) Create a Vision
3) Build Trust
4) Provide Inspiration
5) Act Courageously
6) Share the Credit
7) Establish Empathy and Listen
8) Be Open and
9) Empower those we Serve

As parents, you should consider asking if these nine action steps will be employed correctly. You will be told that they will but the truth is that the YMCA is not, at this moment, capable of taking on the DASH and STRETCH Program to handle it effectively. As a parent I would ask the School Superintendent and former Board Member of the YMCA the following nine things:

1) How long will you be able to fund this program to keep it free?

2) Will the same staff remain?

3) If you honestly care about the well being of our children, why are you dismantling two Award Winning Programs?

4) If you acknowledge that DASH and STRETCH are Programs worth keeping, why are you transferring them?

5) If your answer to question 4 is because the City of Chula Vista can no longer fund the program
what other alternatives have you sought out?

6) If you have considered other alternatives, why were you negotiating before talking to the
DASH/STRETCH Supervisors and disregarded their input along with 150 other employees?

7) Because the YMCA did not want to take on the DASH and STRETCH Program to begin with,
why did you continue to negotiate rather than exhaust other alternatives which should have
been discussed with the City and DASH/STRETCH Supervisors?

8) If you did not consult with the DASH/STRETCH Supervisors, you obviously did not consider
other alternatives, therefore you lack vision for these programs. How can you then ensure the
safety of our children?

9) Why did you send out an automated phone call to us as parents and release a letter on the
School District Website without considering the DASH and STAFF personnel first? If you are
professional, why is not showing?

These are just nine questions that should be asked. I highly encourage all parents of DASH and STRETCH to do all you can do to research and get to the core of the process, the so-called "transfer" and the how well equipped the new staff will be for the new school year, if it even makes it there.