As requested by FOSSE http://savesilverstreet.blogspot.com/ and others concerned about the possibility of elementary school closings within New Albany’s core neighborhoods I’m passing along the latest available information (available to me that is) concerning the process underway.
As per the Tribune, http://www.news-tribune.net/local/local_story_065141245.html
Resources for Results Committee is to hear public opinions in New Albany in April.
It appears that the committee’s recommendations that have been three years in the making will finally get a public airing beginning on April 2nd with two others to follow.
This will be preceded by a preparatory meeting of the Save Silver Street folks this upcoming Monday evening. Click on their link above for more details.
Albeit school closings have not been my primary focus of these past three years, I have attended several meeting where this topic was cussed & discussed.
It seems that the out of town hired guns have been viewed by the NA/FC administration as a god-send as they apparently didn’t have a clue as to where to begin.
Or more likely, they wanted no part of the hard decisions so they employed a fall guy.
The public’s perception seems to view them as Guido & Carlo, along with their violin cases being called down from the South Side to do the dirty work and the innocents be damned!
There are probably some elements of truth in all of the above.
My personal view is this. I don’t want to see any of the core schools closed. Our venue has always been to find & promote ways to reclaim our neighborhoods and downtown.
Regardless of the statistics that are so highly praised I think we are seeing that happen before our very eyes. That is unless we choose to turn a blind eye to it.
Although the numbers are not large we are indeed seeing families of child rearing age choosing New Albany proper as the place to purchase an older home, invest time money & energy into its restoration and send their children to the local neighborhood school.
As a matter of fact, if one asks they will more often than not tell you such proximity to a facility within walking distance played a determining role in their final decision.
So why would we even think of closing one or more of them? Once again, statistics have shown over the years the proposed advantages in terms of education and societal improvement have been nominal at best.
As have the monetary savings involved in the complex process created as a result.
Transportation costs have gone through the roof in the past few years and there is no end in sight.
The safety issues that come with bussing children are all but uncontrollable as well.
As a parent, the turmoil caused by bonds between teachers, friends, & community being broken during the elementary years is more drama than a child really needs.
So again, why do it? Well as with all things it comes down to politics and money. The two are inseparable.
Understand that what I’m about to say is not an outright condemnation of the well to do.
However I do find it interesting that as I currently understand it, few if any of the sitting school board members either live in New Albany’s core nor do they send their children to school here. The same is true of the administration as I’ve been told.
Nay they live either in the outer suburbs or “up on the hill” as we are so fond of calling it.
So does this imply that they are somehow less concerned for their children’s welfare than are we down here in the valley?
No it just means that like us in that they see only what is in their immediate line of sight. They are blessed with the where with all to provide the best in terms of amenities for their offspring and like us, they’ll try with all their might to do so.
So for those folks, spending $50 million on a facility at Floyd Knobs is doing just that. The fact that to continue on that path means less available funds for neighborhood schools in New Albany is of little consequence as they have no reference point of such.
All that being said, what is the solution?? Well there are probably many but I’m going to again point to one by way of a recent New Albany issue.
The NA Common Council at the last meeting passed an Adult Cabaret Ordinance to address the adult entertainment industry within our fair city.
Throughout the multi month process there were two powerful paid lobby groups present to deliberate the pros & cons.
One represented the owners & operators of such establishments albeit not as professionally as they would have hoped.
The other (ROCK) had their act together and came to the table expounding the horrors eminent to us should we allow such to proliferate in our midst.
As it turned out neither side really won or lost completely but the ROCK group showed us how an organized focus can accomplish a task.
We need to learn that lesson on a variety of fronts in this city.
It was suggested early on to the various groups involved in the school issue that it would behoove them to join forces and lobby to save all of the present facilities not just the one they could see from their kitchen window.
To my knowledge that never occurred. However with the upcoming public input meetings they have one last chance to influence the outcome. I hope they don’t sacrifice it for the sake of protecting their individual turfs!
Here are a few more links of interest about this issue. Read up and be prepared!
http://www.news-tribune.net/local/local_story_057132345.html
New Albany-Floyd County's Resources for Results to host public hearings soon
http://www.news-tribune.net/letters/local_story_063183957.html
Reader expects school board members at Resources meetings
http://www.news-tribune.net/letters/local_story_050181058.html
Silver Street closure far from resolved
http://www.nafcs.k12.in.us/ NAFC Consolidated School Corporation
http://www.reclaimourculture.org/ ROCK
Thanks for doing a great job in getting the word out to the community about the upcoming Resoyrces for Results public hearings, however, I would like to make one clarification and shed more light on what is happening.
ReplyDeleteThe Resources for Results Committee has not drafted a recommendation to share with the public. They are soliciting public input that will assist them in making a recommendation. These hearings will be the only time that the public will be allowed to really participate, because once a recommendation has been made to the school board, they will vote on it and we will just have to live with it.
The most controversial issues deal with the possible closure of Silver Street Elementary and Pine View Elementary Schools, as well as redistricting the entire school corporation. This is a big deal, but most parents in Floyd County have no idea these meetings are happening, and that's the way the school corporation likes it!
Another interesting tidbit is that most people don't know the recommendation will go to the school Superintendent, Dr. Dennis Brooks, and HE WILL DECIDE IF THE RECOOMENDATION GOES TO THE SCHOOL BOARD OR HE MAY MAKE HIS OWN RECOMMENDATION! What was the point of creating the committee in the first place?
When the news of the committee was "leaked" to the public last year (this is a direct quote from school board member and now board president Neal Smith) the creator of this blog summed it up perfectly - the committee was created to sanitize a decision that was made three years ago. The committee "justifies" the recommendation. If the recommendation isn't the intended recommendation, it can be vetoed by the Superintendent and replaced with the "right" one.
And finally, two school board members are on the committee, so if the committee's recommendation is fowarded to the school board, Dr. Brooks already has two votes in favor of the recommendation! It's no coincidence that the only two board members who ever question or cast dissenting votes on the school board have been "co-opted" to be on the committee. These two board members didn't just spend three years of their own time on the committee to vote against the recommendation! The recommendation would then only need two more votes to pass, which is easy considering this school board rubber stamps 99% of recommendations brought before them.
Come out to Monday's "Friends of Silver Street" meeting to find out what you can do to support the schools and our neighborhoods, and to get the word out on these very important issues.
I just read the story about this meeting of FOSSE. I took note of this...
ReplyDelete"If you don't quit hollering and if you don't quit screaming, you're going to get run over." by Doug England.
So they should stop voicing their opinions or they're going to be run over? (Yes, I rechecked the statement before I typed this)
I'm assuming he didn't mean to say it that way...
I do not believe that Mayor England or the 4th district, one term councilman should politicize this issue, which is exactly what they are doing.
ReplyDeleteIt is an issue for the school board and concerned parents to discuss not politicians. The school board sets policy and if you dont like their policies, vote them out, England and McLaughlin are grandstanding for political gain and nothing else.
Redistricting and possible school closings arent the real answer to the failure of public education I will concede that Silver street has a reputation as a school of exceptional achievemnet but if you want real eduaction reform lets look at parental choice initiatives and more accountability in the schools.
Thats where you make structural and institutional change not just by trying to keep 1 school open, tackle the larger issues and focus your energy where it really matters.
I was at the FOSSE meeting that Mayor England and Pat McLaughlin attended. I believe the Mayor meant to say that if we back down and remain quiet, our voices won't be heard and we will be pushed aside. The school corporation administration prefers all parents to "behave" and not question their decision making.
ReplyDeleteNo one is trying to find the answer to public school failure. I don't think public education in general is "failing." Teachers and schools can only do so much. Ultimately, parents need to be involved in their children's education. It all starts at home.
I beg to differ sleepless, public education is failing and I believe teacher unions and incompetency in teacher certification programs are major contributing factors as well as a total breakdown in enforcing discipline and yes lack of parental involvement.
ReplyDeleteWhy wouldnt you want to work on the larger issues? Saving Silver Street is so insignificant in the larger context, matbe Silver Street does need closed to make the system better and more efficient after all taxpayers demand accountability and we are stakeholders as well.
The saving silver street issue has become political and I believe the school board should be allowed to make a policy decision without political interference, as I said its an elected board if you dont like the outcome vote them out, but keep the politicians out of it and let the board do its job and make its decisions.