School budget cuts...

[lucigo]

are going to affect the next generation of kids. Its really scary to think how much worse can it get.

Ten years ago I moved to this school district with highly ranked schools. I now have a sophomore who is going to be screwed out of that. The short story is they are moving from 8 classes a year to 6 classes a year. So much for electives, doubling up on core courses, or dual enrollment.

Which brings me to my husband, a first year math teacher who worked his tail off this year to impress the district, whose job most likely will be taken by a tenured teacher pushed out of their job.

I just want to puke.

 

[McKelly]

I am sorry to hear that. Our district is also considering going from an eight period day down to a six period day at the high school. If it doesn't happen for 2011-2012, I am quite certain it will happen the following year. I am just angry that so much is being cut from public education. Why make our kids suffer for past mistakes?

But here, the governor is trying to bust the unions, so seniority won't matter much and teachers like your husband, will have a better chance at keeping their jobs.

 

[lucigo]

I am sorry to hear that. Our district is also considering going from an eight period day down to a six period day at the high school. If it doesn't happen for 2011-2012, I am quite certain it will happen the following year. I am just angry that so much is being cut from public education. Why make our kids suffer for past mistakes?

But here, the governor is trying to bust the unions, so seniority won't matter much and teachers like your husband, will have a better chance at keeping their jobs.

Fiscally it would make more sense to keep him, he is retired Navy so comes with his own insurance and making 1st year teacher pay, is MUCH cheaper to keep on than a veteran teacher with health insurance. But what do I know.

As for my high schooler, I'm considering homeschooling or virtual school, and looking into letting her take graphic design/art courses through the junior college - if we can afford it!

 

[amcnj]

Unfortuantely it seems we will all suffer to some degree. The spending at all levels of government, and even for many at the household level, exceeded receipts for years and was financed by debt aquisition. Our best hope is an economic turnaround I guess. Let's hope our elected officials devise a workable jobs creation strategy.

 

[java]

I just found out that they are cutting 2 teachers out of the elementary school. One happens to be in my son's grade- so they are going from 3 down to 2 classes.
People are up in arms- but really to be honest- I think the 2 teachers they have can handle a class of 25. (that doesn't seem so big to me) About 10% of the kids are special needs so get pulled out for most of the day anyway.

Unfortunately, the district isn't using the budget cuts to trim the adminstrative costs which is exactly what the purpose of the budget cuts were.

We are losing a great first year teacher. I am writing my letter of appreciation to her. She changed my daughter's opinion on History.

Hoping your husband survives the cuts.

 

[McKelly]

Fiscally it would make more sense to keep him, he is retired Navy so comes with his own insurance and making 1st year teacher pay, is MUCH cheaper to keep on than a veteran teacher with health insurance. But what do I know.

As for my high schooler, I'm considering homeschooling or virtual school, and looking into letting her take graphic design/art courses through the junior college - if we can afford it!

Yes, it would be cheaper. This is exactly the reason I think our district will survive one more year without MAJOR changes. So many teachers retired this past year because of everything that has happened up here in WI regarding state workers, that the district will be rehiring younger teachers, who are cheaper (cheaper wage and single insurance plans), and that is saving our district some money for next year. The only negative of that, is the major "brain drain" on the district from all of the veteran teachers leaving.

 

[lucigo]

I just found out that they are cutting 2 teachers out of the elementary school. One happens to be in my son's grade- so they are going from 3 down to 2 classes.
People are up in arms- but really to be honest- I think the 2 teachers they have can handle a class of 25. (that doesn't seem so big to me) About 10% of the kids are special needs so get pulled out for most of the day anyway.

Unfortunately, the district isn't using the budget cuts to trim the adminstrative costs which is exactly what the purpose of the budget cuts were.

We are losing a great first year teacher. I am writing my letter of appreciation to her. She changed my daughter's opinion on History.

Hoping your husband survives the cuts.

A class of 25 would be too many for my special needs child and would force him to have to stay in an ESE classroom...but thats a whole other issue I'm going to have to face.

 

[Tramp68]

Interesting how the conversation always turns out that the tenured teacher is some big awful person who pushes the new teacher out of a job.

The answer: Bust the unions so that we can keep the new teachers.

School district hears: Get rid of ALL of the old teachers and hire the ones who have been fired for poor evaluations from other districts so that we can pay them as little as possible and put more money in administrators pockets.

Kids hear: I do not understand why they are getting rid of my favorite x - year teacher to put in a new person we do not know.

Tenure does not make a teacher permanent. If a teacher is bad a GOOD administrator and a KNOWLEDGABLE school board will be able to help the teacher improve or send them packing. Insist that your school board knows what they are doing so the district can get good administrators.

To the OP: Ask yourself this question: How will you feel in 15 years when your husband loses his job to a new teacher because they are cheaper?

Maybe we should stop voting down school budgets. Maybe we should insist that the state and federal government cut their waste and put more money into education.

 

[lucigo]

Interesting how the conversation always turns out that the tenured teacher is some big awful person who pushes the new teacher out of a job.

The answer: Bust the unions so that we can keep the new teachers.

School district hears: Get rid of ALL of the old teachers and hire the ones who have been fired for poor evaluations from other districts so that we can pay them as little as possible and put more money in administrators pockets.

Kids hear: I do not understand why they are getting rid of my favorite x - year teacher to put in a new person we do not know.

Tenure does not make a teacher permanent. If a teacher is bad a GOOD administrator and a KNOWLEDGABLE school board will be able to help the teacher improve or send them packing. Insist that your school board knows what they are doing so the district can get good administrators.

To the OP: Ask yourself this question: How will you feel in 15 years when your husband loses his job to a new teacher because they are cheaper?

Maybe we should stop voting down school budgets. Maybe we should insist that the state and federal government cut their waste and put more money into education.

I haven't said I thought tenure was bad. Without tenure we will be in this same situation every year for the rest of DH's career. If we were to move to another district for him to get a job we would never feel safe to buy another house.

What is bad is a school district having to cut 11 million dollars out of their budget, and kids not being able to take the classes they need to insure success, and the next generation of kids not being competent to keep this country going.

My oldest DD22, who went through same high school, now at UCF, is currently doing an internship with a great engineering company in Orlando. She is a graphic design/advertising person and has really impressed them. This interest came about when she began taking courses in high school, journalism, graphic design, photography, art.....all classes that won't be in the budget anymore. Not everyone grows up to be in math, science and English majors.

I've even heard rumors that band might be cut.

 

[Tramp68]

Our district lost Art, Music and Sports last year. 3 different Booster clubs and a large anonymous donation was able to bring them all back in a limited form.

This year our budget was voted down even though the proposed budget was BELOW the state contingency level. Teh quote I heard at teh local diner was that the school district were a bunch of thieves and were tricking them into voting for a budget because it was lower than the stae minimum. They were not going to be fooled. They voted no to send a message to the district.

Message heard loud and clear: We do not support education.

Every article I read these days comes with a string of comments bashing teachers, unions and tenure. Teaching must be the least appreciated job in the country these days.

I was recently waiting with a colleague who was dropping his car off at the garage. We walked in on a conversation about the unions and teachers. I got to listen to how teachers are lazy and overpaid. That they only work 4 hours a day and 10 months a year. That teaching should be a minimum wage job. Fire all the teachers and hire them back at $8 an hour. That is all they deserve.

I fear for the next generation of kids who will grow up in overcrowded classes with no choices for electives and no sports or arts programs.

I fear for the future of our country.

 

[lucigo]

Our district lost Art, Music and Sports last year. 3 different Booster clubs and a large anonymous donation was able to bring them all back in a limited form.

This year our budget was voted down even though the proposed budget was BELOW the state contingency level. Teh quote I heard at teh local diner was that the school district were a bunch of thieves and were tricking them into voting for a budget because it was lower than the stae minimum. They were not going to be fooled. They voted no to send a message to the district.

Message heard loud and clear: We do not support education.

Every article I read these days comes with a string of comments bashing teachers, unions and tenure. Teaching must be the least appreciated job in the country these days.

I was recently waiting with a colleague who was dropping his car off at the garage. We walked in on a conversation about the unions and teachers. I got to listen to how teachers are lazy and overpaid. That they only work 4 hours a day and 10 months a year. That teaching should be a minimum wage job. Fire all the teachers and hire them back at $8 an hour. That is all they deserve.

I fear for the next generation of kids who will grow up in overcrowded classes with no choices for electives and no sports or arts programs.

I fear for the future of our country.

I'm right there with you, its such a scary situation, and you are so right about teachers not being appreciated! My husband drives 45 min each way, teaches for 7 hours, tutors 5 nights a week and runs an astronomy club, then has to create lesson plans, grades papers and talks to parents. He probably does make $8 an hour when you add it all up!

Does he complain? Heck no, he loves teaching, he just wants to be appreciated, don't we all?

The manager at the Whataburger where my kids work is a former teacher who has told them he makes more money now than he did as a teacher.