Last Friday, the Petaluma Junior High Band was part of a group that played the national anthem at the Giants game at AT&T Park. My daughter and the other band students boarded the buses to leave for San Francisco at 4:00. Because of a long game, a few students who were prone to wander, and a broken-down bus, they didn't get back to Petaluma until almost 12:30 a.m.

In the "what did parents do before there were cell phones" category, Jennifer called to let me know when they were a few miles out of town so I could be waiting for her at school. While I was driving there, I was thinking that it would be nice to be in bed but that I really didn't mind going to pick her up. I gave myself a big pat on the back for having such a good attitude about sacrificing some sleep. Wasn't I just the best mom for not being cranky about having to stay awake so I could drive to the junior high at 12:30 in the morning to pick her up from a band trip?

As I pulled into the parking lot to wait with the other bleary-eyed parents for the buses to arrive, I saw the assistant principle in front of the school also waiting for the students. In spite of the late hour, she was totally on duty and ready to jump into action when the buses arrived. There was no hint in her attitude that she was doing anything out of the ordinary. She was there to make sure everybody and everything got off each bus, that the instruments got stowed in the band room, and to be certain that the students were matched up with a parent before she locked up the campus, probably at about 1:00 a.m.

I was immediately struck with the sacrifice the assistant principal was making. She, along with the principal, the band teacher and several other staff members had all given up their Friday night to make this trip possible. I'm the parent, so giving up sleep and making sacrifices is to be expected. But a school administrator-is working 18 hour days and meeting a bus after midnight part of the job description?

Then the next morning, I read in the newspaper about the teacher layoffs, a shortened school year, and the increased class size that are likely to occur as a result of the state's $15.4 billion budget gap.

I claim no understanding of the complexities of the California budget and the programs that are fighting for life in face of the budget cuts. However as a parent, I believe that the importance of teachers and school staff in the lives of our children cannot be underestimated; I give my kids over to their authority for six hours every day. And as demonstrated on Friday night, sometimes even for a lot longer.

Schools and their staff have a huge responsibility. While my children are at school, the teachers and administration are my surrogate. I trust the school to provide a safe environment, treat them fairly, exercise discipline if necessary, teach the fundamentals of the core subjects, and foster their natural curiosity.

This is a huge job with lifelong implications, yet based on what we read in the newspaper, schools will have to do more with less. Teachers and administrators already put in large amounts of time way beyond what they are compensated for. And oftentimes, teachers have to use their own funds to provide necessities for the classroom.

Now there is the potential increase in class size for kindergarten through third grade - the years that provide the foundation for reading and math skills. And based on the recent census figures, 45% of the children in Sonoma County under age five are Latino. How will teachers who are already stretched to handle their current class load be able to give the attention necessary to make sure these students succeed? And with a shortened school year, there will be even less one-on-one classroom instruction.

I am grateful that almost without exception, the teachers that my kids have had take their jobs seriously and appreciate the impact they have on their lives. It would be wonderful if governor saw their value too.