A purely hypothetical situation:
Let's say that a school board member and GOP candidate for higher state office advances the notion that there are cuts that can be made that might forestall school closings.
Let's say that these cuts primarily have to do with reducing health insurance benefits to teachers and employees.
What would I say to that?
I'd say that is doesn't surprise me when the same people fighting tooth and nail against universal health care in America regard it as a wonderful idea to cut health care benefits and help "solve" the problem they've done so much to create.
I'd say that if I could find a Bible passage to illustrate this, I would. Oddly, I'd probably be able to find substantiation in Marx, Engels, or both -- but as a capitalist pressed to the wall, there's no time for that.
That's what I'd say. Since the situation is only hypothetical, I don't have to.
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Several thoughts:
First, in all honesty, I have not yet developed an opinion on the current proposal. I can easily see multiple sides to this. The school district is in an impossible situation as they are being forced to make major cuts that are, essentially, being mandated by the state government cutting educational funding. I doubt that the state officials can be impeached for doing this, but I know there is no way on God's good earth that I can support anyone who supports the state's educational funding cuts. The city of Indianapolis built a magnificent new stadium while the communities in the state are having to make major educational cuts. Unbelievable.
I cannot support anything that reduces salary or benefits to teaching staff. The current state of the economy and the current state of health insurance and health care makes, at least to me, cutting or reducing a person's benefits, downright obscene. We pay our teachers wages and care for their needs because we send our children to them each day. These teachers are responsible for the education and well being of our youngest citizens each and every day. They ought not to be sold short or sold out.
We keep voting people into office who are anti-public schools. Why are we surprised when they govern like this?
Has anyone mentioned that school board members received paid health insurance? Will theirs be cut, too?
Oh yes, and to answer the questions about the Bible and health care cuts.
Jesus healed people for free. The New Testament, from this vantage point, would advocate totally free health care for everyone. :-)
"We keep voting people into office who are anti-public schools. Why are we surprised when they govern like this?"
That, John, is probably the most relevant thing said all day.
Are school board members paid anything for their service?
This just in:
City of New Albany, Indiana
DOUGLAS B. ENGLAND
Mayor
March 10, 2010
Mr. Roger Whaley, President, Board of Directors
Dr. Bruce Hibbard, Superintendent
Board Members
New Albany Floyd County Consolidated School Corporation
2801 Grant Line Road
New Albany, Indiana 47150
Re: New Albany Floyd County Schools Restructuring Plan
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am writing to express my official position regarding the proposed Budget Reduction Information/Plan for which the NAFCCSC Board will be asked to approve this coming Thursday, March 11, 2010, to-wit:
I would like to thank Dr. Hibbard for meeting with me on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 to explain the contents of the plan and his pending recommendation. While I do not envy the fiscal predicament that the NAFCCSC finds itself, I understand the difficult choices you must make to manage your fiscal affairs. You have my unqualified empathy, and I encourage you to make decisions that will benefit our community in the long-run.
There are four aspects of the Plan that cause me pause:
1. Being the husband of a retired teacher with 42 years of experience and service, I am concerned about the proposal to move 5 th graders to the middle schools. I will not
belabor the specific reasons why, as they were well articulated at your public hearing on Monday, March 8, 2010.
2. The NAFCCSC is a diverse socio-economic community. Like many metropolitan communities, it contains many races and ethnicities. It would be a tragedy to abandon the resources currently allocated by the NAFCCSC to its diversity staff.
3. From the information provided, it is difficult for me or citizens to understand what savings, reserves and rainy day funds would be used to shore up the recommended
option. Without this information, it is difficult to understand why no other restructuring alternatives exist—ones that could save a central city school or perhaps two.
4. I am also concerned that the recommended option will close three elementary schools within the City of New Albany. In particular, the Children's Academy and Silver Street are essential facilities to the vitality of the neighborhoods that surround them. I am fearful that their closure will have detrimental impact on the children, families and property values. The fact is many households have made significant investment choices
to reside in these "walkable" neighborhoods because of the proximity of the schools that are slated for closure.
With respect to Silver Street School and the Children's Academy, I would be remiss if I did not
point out that the City of New Albany is currently in the process of developing a new five-year
plan for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. While the City cannot utilize the CDBG Program to fund the operating costs of a neighborhood school, the City could make a financial contribution to implement accessibility improvements (elevator, ADA
improvements, et cetera) to Silver Street School and/or similar improvements to the Children's
Academy to avoid closure.
Finally, a common refrain heard at the Public Hearing was the rather short period of time allowed for the public to understand and comment on the recommended option or other alternatives. If the Board of Directors is interested in the City's participation through the CDBG Program, I would suggest a discussion with the City Staff before making a final decision.
Thank you for your consideration.
Douglas B. England
Mayor
cc: The Tribune and Evening News
The Courier Journal
Hmm is the hypothetical school board member and GOP candidate someone who was (hypothetically) elected to help run the school board, but who also (hypothetically) refused to send their (hypothetical) own children to public schools, (hypothetically) choosing private schools instead?
Am I the only one in town who thinks a small increase in property taxes to save the status quo is worth it?
"Am I the only one in town who thinks a small increase in property taxes to save the status quo is worth it?"
No, you're not. However that labels you and I (and others who agree) as "them people" or "the progressives" and our suggestions are the object of ridicule and scorn. I would also gladly pay the old property tax to keep schools open..then again, I'm pretty far left of center in my thinking and married to a socialist.
I would support paying a little more also on property taxes.
Ditto. I don't want to pay higher taxes but in comparison to most of the country we have very low property taxes. I'd pay more to keep schools open and teachers employed.
I've read that there is a school board member (hypothetically) who wants to have seperate votes on each school, possibly to try and save Galena while throwing the NA schools down the sewer...no pun intended, however appropriate.
Echoing everyone echoing Lawguy.
I wrote a letter to the Tribune editor asking why Dr. Hibbard commenting that he never gave serious consideration to asking for a slight tax increase. Hope its printed...I really cant fathom anyone objecting to such a thing to keep the status quo going and to protect one our county's finest assets - its school system.
Plus 1.
eh, I'm in Mass right now, cause, well, the schools aren't that great in NA, but I wish they were so we could use them since I support them with my property taxes...
I don't think schools here became "underperforming" yesterday, so I wish people would but their energy into creating a charter school committee to tap into all the billions available for innovative school experiments right now.
Silver Street would be the perfect Science oriented charter school. We desperately need a science/tech elementary/middle/high school here to feed into the Purdue/IUS campus.
Children's Academy might be a good candidate for a "Kips School"?
Here's another vote.
Use ideology to create "crisis", make people panic, insert ideological "solution". Repeat.
The Republicans are now holding up the education "flexibility" bill at the state level, saying it should be used as leverage for unemployment bill. Sound familiar?
Careful, Jeff. You don't want to be accused of finger pointing.
John - seeing multiple sides is a good thing - as it helps keep us objective. The goal for us all is to consider all sides, top, bottom, inside and out. Right now, I fear the "committee," as well as the board are sitting facing only the side with the dollar signs, and can only see the diminishing perspective side of students/education.
Hoosiermama (I just love that name) - No - we haven't really talked about that much. See below.
lawguy - I called this morning to get exact numbers for you. School Board Members receive $2,000/year, plus $75/meeting, plus optional insurance benefits, in which 4 are currently participating at a total cost of $20,000 (for all 4, not individually). I'm not sure exactly the number of meetings they attend per year, but a rough guesstimate would be 24(?). With those numbers, I come up with a rough total of about $46,600.
"Am I the only one in town who thinks a small increase in property taxes to save the status quo is worth it?"
No - I've talked with loads of people not only with the same sentiment, but some have even said they'd gladly pay theirs and even a couple of their neighbors' if they'd only been given the opportunity.
Randy - thanks for the transcription. I did finally get the pdf posted on the blog, but a couple people have told me the file is loading as damaged. I don't know how to fix that because it loads fine for me.
The separation could truly go either way. A motion has to be made and there have to be four supporting votes.
Something that occurred to me as I was dreaming (yes ... I work in my sleep), was that his proposal says we're having to go back to 2006 ... I'm wondering how all of the admin's pay has changed in the last four years? Further, I wonder if there have been any admin job creations/additions.
If I missed or forgot to address anything - nudge me ... I'm multi-tasking like crazy.
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