The sense that this financial problem is unexpected.... Let's see:
- Budgets were going to be flat at best, and we gave all the employees a raise. Not only the steps and lanes raise, but additional healthcare funding and raising the "steps/lanes" in year 2. Do we really think pay grades are going up in most companies right now?
- Hazel said enrollment was going to drop. Then we closed the schools of the citizens with the means to move. Where is the surprise, they left...
- The decisions were made with good intent, just stop saying the consequences were "unexpected".
Hazel's Enrollment Projections Dec08 pg 4
Supt Sicoli's comments that the "student's deserve as good of an education as we got". Now I come from a rural school system and graduated in 1984, so please help me understand what I am missing here. Here are my thoughts:
- My district offered one curriculum and one foreign language in High School.
- If you were gifted, you may move ahead one level in some subjects.
- We had band, choir, wrestling, basketball, football, cross country, track and a few other activities.
- And remember my poor Grandfather that had to "walk uphill to school, both ways.." (hahahaha)
- With this in mind, when did AP, IB, Spanish Immersion, Orchestra, multiple languages/levels, multiple sports, etc, etc, etc become the threshold.
- It is good to have them, however I think Supt Sicoli should say we want to have things 3 times better than what we had while growing up...
- Thank heavens. If they did not, we would have to do some deep introspection.
- The reality is many of the kids need 2+ yrs progress per years attendance. How can we make this the goal?
And one of my favorites, implying or saying that "we have a facility plan in place, completed, etc":
- Luckily I don't hear this much anymore
- If you don't know where the money is coming from to renovate 2 schools, or when you can consolidate programs, or when you can put a for sale sign on the empty buildings?
- You do not have a facility plan...
And yes, I am happy that Newsweek selected AHS and CHS for an award because they cater to high achievers. However I am tired of hearing about it at every meeting I attend:
- I want to hear how the achievement gap has closed significantly, because the majority of students are performing better.
- Meaning their scores are getting closer to the AP and IB students.
Sorry for being crabby tonight !!! Maybe I'll be more cheerful now that I vented... Any corrections, opposing views or peeves of your own? The floor is yours.
5 comments:
I am going to reply to the comment that the poor should not need to rely on charity over on this post. To me it seems to fit better with "student's deserve as good of an education as we got".
I agree that some level of arts and sports need to be low cost or subsidized. The question as always is what gets traded off and how much arts/sports ???
During the "budget cut" community meeting, the board discussed if $20,000 should be saved by cutting a mentoring program that has ~11 students enrolled. The majority of the board felt it should not be cut because we have so little for the advanced diligent kids. Now I an go either way on this one since it sounds like a great program.
However, how much is enough when you are out of money? I thought IB and AP were our advanced kids offering. The money needs to come from somewhere. Thoughts?
It's hard. It's just so hard.
I'm not criticizing, just stating, special needs students receive a vast share of per-pupil funding. EBD, ADD, ASD, etc. At the same time, gifted education in our district, I'm told, is rather a joke. I don't know the mentoring program and can't speak on behalf of it, but if it provides something to feed and grow the kids who will be our leaders in 15 years, it seems like money well spent. Maybe it could be cut and replaced with a more far-reaching program to benefit more high-achieving students?
The hard truth is that we need dedicated programs that specifically address the needs of all kids--special eduction, the solid middle, and the high achievers. One size does not fit all--as a manager, I know you work to help each person on your staff achieve in their strongest areas and grow where they are weakest--kids are no different, and there's more at stake. AP/IB certainly helps in that area, but I suspect the mentoring program is a pretty good investment in our community's future.
Oh, and to your point about your education (which looks a lot like mine) and how it's different from what's offered now: as for me, I don't pretend to know a lot about what's been learned about pedagogy and education in the past 20 or so years. Of course some of the basics are the same, but what my kids need to know to succeed in the world (the hard skills, not the character traits) have changed so much from what I needed to know.
This community is very different from the one I grew up, the times are very different, the way kids learn is different, the world they'll live in is different. We can't impose our own history on our kids.
Hell, my parents both went to (and one taught at) a one room rural school house. It was good for them, but I'm grateful I had more, and I'm glad to be able to offer my child more.
I agree more is better, as long as we can live within our means. I personally am an obsessive life long learner. (multiple degrees, certifications, lots of books, etc) I love and support learning of all types.
The challenge I believe is that the Public School system will find or create "good" programs that spend any amount of money the tax payers can provide. There does not seem to be an end to the appetite.
I am not sure that they base curriculum on "what our kids will need to know to succeed". I think often it is about what unique thing do we need to offer to draw students. Or what does the teacher or curriculum expert think is "great".
Otherwise the 350+ districts in Minnesota would probably use standard materials and methods. Unfortunately it seems each district thinks they know better than the others. Therefore we create a lot of jobs for the "Teaching and Learning" folks.
In summary, I think Supt Sicoli should acknowledge that the current offering is better than what we had. Which is likely a good thing. (better than RRR's in the one room school house)
Quoting your last comment, John: "
I am not sure that they base curriculum on 'what our kids will need to know to succeed'. I think often it is about what unique thing do we need to offer to draw students. Or what does the teacher or curriculum expert think is 'great'.
Well said. At least one of us should expand on that in an upcoming post.
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