The state of New Jersey appears to be on a path of financially devastating the public schools. This is being done impulsively, with no planning, no long-range goals and no preparation.
Have educators been asked to advise the state administrators on the best way to cut funds, on what effects cuts might have on education, on what might be the long-term problems caused by drastic, sudden cuts? Will children entering school in the fall leave in 12 years with an experience similar to this year's graduates?
The first step in a financial crisis should be a serious reassessment of priorities. Where do our children rank on our list of priorities? How important a resource is a well-educated generation? In the last few years, there has been a nationwide effort to improve education for every child and to bring up our standards in areas such as math and science so that we compete with the rest of the world. Have these goals been thrown out the window?
Every school board in the state is scrambling to cut costs right now. Most, like ours, have been frugal through the years. However, these cuts are not requiring continued frugality but actual diminishing of the quality of education. You can't get blood from a stone.
Can we team up - students, parents, teachers, taxpayers and administrators - to create new solutions? We could increase shared services, compromise on financial issues and use our combined political muscle to persuade the state government to think carefully and prioritize its resources.
It is time for us to educate ourselves quickly on what is happening to New Jersey public schools and to speak up. Talk to your school board, your superintendent, your politicians and your neighbors soon.
SPIROS MALASPINA
President
Board of Education
Mullica Township
From the Voice of the People, Press of Atlantic City, 3/15/2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
State cuts endangering public education in NJ
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
"You can't get blood from a stone."
True, but you can ask the union to have their employees take furlough days over the summer months when the schools are closed, take a pay cut, not give raises next year and increase the staff's health care contribution if that's what it takes to maintain educational standards and avoid layoffs. Just complaining about it isn't going to accomplish anything.
The Union will never team up with anyone. Nice thoughts but hard to implement.
Sounds good in theory - now here are some facts.
The majority of the union is not paid in the summer - taking furlough days would do nothing
Taking a pay cut/freeze does not ensure that layoffs will not occur - this is not a negotiable issue -
It's almost certain that the health care contribution will go up since the new bills look like they will be passed. That will be money to the school - haven't heard of it saving any jobs.
Thanks for thinking of ways to cut costs - hopefully some that would actually work will be generated sometime soon.
This letter is proof that school boards and school administrators just do't get it. The taxpayes just can't afford the beauracracies in this state. There should be one school district per county - period! Eliminate the multiple administrations and not the teachers in the classrooms. Mullica is a prime example. Two administrations and a school board for 700 kids! Aren't teachers professionals? Do they need a management structure of this size? Put the money in the classromm and out of the boardroom!
The school board is currently negotiating with the teachers' union. Now would be the time for them to agree to no increases this year and for the teachers to begin paying a significant percentage of their health care costs. There is no other way out of the current situation other than substantial layoffs.
RE: Aren't teachers professionals?
I'm not so sure when they need a union behind them.
You know, teachers only work 160 days a year. That's part-time work. Why are we paying their health benefits?
No one else gets free health benefits for part-time work.
Response to 2:28 poster:
Students are in school for 180 days, not 160 days. School employees also have days before, after and during for training which increases the 180 day total.
Health benifits in Mullica aren't free to school employees - they pay towards them.
Teachers are tax payers also - I may not live in Mullica but I do pay taxes in my community so in essance I pay for other school employee benifits and don't begrudge them that.
Is there a problem with health benifits and the associated costs- yes - but why is the fix always to take away from those that have? Why isn't more energy put into getting it for those that don't have it - or have to pay dearly for coverage?
Post a Comment