Small school districts across the country are facing a common challenge – being suffocated by one-size-fits-all bureaucracy that is designed for larger districts with more resources. The story of Mark Twain Union Elementary School District in Calaveras County serves as a prime example of the struggles that small districts face when it comes to government accountability measures and compliance requirements.
Louise Simson, the superintendent of Mark Twain Union Elementary School District, highlighted the disproportionate burden that Federal Program Monitoring (FPM) reviews place on small school districts. These reviews are meant to ensure that local education agencies are meeting statutory program and fiscal requirements for categorical funding, which is targeted for programs serving low-income and special needs students. However, the reality is that these reviews have turned into a paper-pushing time suck for small districts like Mark Twain Union.
Upon assuming her role as superintendent, Simson found herself in the midst of an FPM review, which required her to juggle the demands of the review process with the daily operations of the district. With only a small staff and limited resources, the district struggled to meet the requirements of the review, forcing them to invest thousands of dollars in consultants and software just to file the necessary paperwork.
One of the major challenges that Simson faced was the requirement for district coordinators to attend a week of webinars in August as part of the review process. However, in a small district like Mark Twain Union, where staff members wear multiple hats and resources are limited, finding the time and manpower to attend these webinars proved to be a significant challenge.
Simson emphasized the need for the California Department of Education (CDE) to advocate on behalf of small, under-resourced districts with the federal government. She called for a more realistic approach to the monitoring process, suggesting that the number of reporting areas required in the review should be proportionate to the staff ratio in the district office.
To address the challenges faced by small districts like Mark Twain Union, Simson proposed several improvements to the review process. She suggested recording and posting all FPM audit seminars, limiting the number of areas of scope for small school districts, providing funding directly to districts for consultants, and working with school sites on the dates and areas of review in advance.
Overall, Simson’s experience sheds light on the struggles that small school districts face when it comes to navigating the complex bureaucracy of government accountability measures. By advocating for changes to the review process and seeking support from the CDE, she hopes to alleviate some of the burdens placed on districts like Mark Twain Union and ensure that resources are directed towards serving students effectively.