This school year the academic experiences your child has been offered have felt different than in years past. With reductions across the district we are doing business differently. On a district level, it saddens me that we have begun the school year with 40 fewer teaching and staff positions throughout the district due to budget cuts. In our school alone, we have felt these losses in several ways. The reallocation of staff has caused an increase in class size, especially in many of our advanced classes. Several classes in both the 7th and 8th grade have 30 more students. This seriously hinders our efforts to provide more individualization and small group classroom instruction. It also has seriously impacted our ability to provide needed interventions for students who may be struggling or achieving at higher academic levels. The movement of technology staff and the loss of our media center aide have stretched our existing staff as we attempt to meet the 21st century learning skills of our students. The inability to staff our In School Suspension room has limited our range of disciplinary consequences and given us fewer options to intervene with behavior issues. Overall, we have fewer choices to work individually with students in many special situations.
First of all, let's address the fundamental issue here before we get into the observation.
The latest published five year forecast that I'm able to locate (which, interestingly isn't on the district website...) shows that the FY2012 budget expenditures will be greater than the FY2011 expenditures.
So while the principal is complaining about budget cuts, maybe his ire should be directed at where the district decided to spend the money instead, since it's not only spending the same dollars as last year, but more...
But enough of that. Let's move on to the observation. The principal references the loss of the media center aide. (Media Center = Glorified Library). Apparently we need to pay more taxes for what are essentially librarians.
Meanwhile, the Columbus Metropolitan Library just took us for a significant amount of new taxes last year so it could continue its non-core functions of job-placement help, and ... homework centers.
May I posit a theory?
If both of these government entities actually concentrated on their core activities -- no more "media centers" in the schools, and no more "homework centers" in the libraries -- then maybe both of them could make do without constant demands from the taxpayers -- correction, the property owners -- of the district for more money?
Update: Looks like all the schools are sending out similar propaganda. In fact, aside from highlighting what they have lost, the verbiage in the emails going out is exactly the same. The high schools are complaining about the loss of a Hall Monitor. Oh no!
We should also mention that "40 teaching & staff positions throughout the district" equates to less than two positions per school, assuming they're all in the schools (they're not; some were administration cuts). If you consider the number of staff members in each of these schools, especially at the middle and high school levels, you'll recognize that the loss of two members of staff is a rather small number.
I received 2 such emails yesterday from 2 different building principals, since I have students in both buildings. The wording in both emails was nearly identical. This morning I received another pro-levy email from the band boosters vice president.
ReplyDeleteSince the district is not allowed to use taxpayer funds for a levy campaign, it would seem that building principals using school time, computers, and parent email lists were treading awfully close to using taxpayer funded equipment and time to campaign for the levy.
Yes, it is quite odd how everyone is so very sad at the same time. Must be the rain...
ReplyDeleteMedia centers are more than libraries. In order for our children to be competitive in the world...whether it be college or in the workforce, they need to have hands on experience with multi media. The "glorified libraries" help the teachers and the staff to give our students such experiences. IF you ever spent time in one of these media centers, you would see the value and then some.
ReplyDelete@Buckeye Gal
ReplyDeleteI have been in several media centers. I've also been in several libraries (which, like the media centers in our schools, are leaps and bounds more than they used to be).
Sadly, you missed the point entirely.
An SUV is safer for children to be in than a compact car. But one comes at a much higher price than the other which many people cannot afford.
The point of the article is that we are at the point where we as a community can no longer afford to be paying for these lavish facilities.
Obviously you are very passionate, and sound like you're doing just fine. Many people in this community who we met and talked to earlier in the year are not doing so well. Many are really struggling. All repeated tax increases do is drive those people out of our community.
I cannot not get away from the levy propaganda...threats, school functions, my children's interim cards! I have had enough! They e mail me...they called my friend on her cell phone...ENOUGH! I keep hearing they want the money to maintain...well that is where they lose me...I have kids with IEP's and this district is doing horrible. Why would I pay to maintain horrible? I woun't!
ReplyDelete