A Note to Our House Rep on School Budget Cuts

[M.D. Holloway]

We are not immune to budget cuts. There is a bill up for vote today in the house. It calls for increasing elementary class size limits to 25 (currently at 22), cutting salaries and ordering teacher furloughs to save money.

Here was my note to our House Rep Tan Parker:

Dear Mr. Parker,
As a parent of students at Heritage Elementary and Briarhill Middle School I am concerned and dismayed at the latest education funding proposal that is going to be considered in the Texas House. I feel I may be too late to voice my opinion yet would be remiss if I did not. LISD in general and Highland Village in particular enjoys and thrives on a solid education record producing fine students that go on to college, the military and various worthwhile professions.

Increasing class size and releasing teachers will only hamper our development in being a statewide leader in establishing a solid foundation for our children. I strongly urge you to work as hard as possible to help keep our class room size to a manageable level (<22 Students : Teacher) and to avoid at all 'costs' the practice of cutting salaries and ordering teacher furloughs to save money.

I am confident that if we all put our heads together we shall find a solution that will sustain our educational prowess and meet our budgetary constraints. Now is the time for leadership. We need your leadership Mr. Parker.

Highland Village and Denton county has a rich history of rallying around a problem and solving it. We have very talented people in our community willing to work hard and help. Please let us work in that direction. Let us know what you need us to do. For the children. For the community.

I know it isn't much but I have to do something. I figuer if even 10% of the voters pen a letter expressing their concerns than the politic may pay notice?

I would love to run for office but my past would hamper me...

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by LubeMaster77

We are not immune to budget cuts. There is a bill up for vote today in the house. It calls for increasing elementary class size limits to 25 (currently at 22), cutting salaries and ordering teacher furloughs to save money.

Here was my note to our House Rep Tan Parker:



I know it isn't much but I have to do something. I figuer if even 10% of the voters pen a letter expressing their concerns than the politic may pay notice?

I would love to run for office but my past would hamper me...

Sent a few letter myself a couple of weeks ago.

Coming from LI the schools in our area were a big draw.

I also would love to run for public office but like you my birth certificate would be the least of my problems.

[M.D. Holloway]

Scott,
One thing I have been able to do is identify the local 'playas' that are not in any official capacity or office but seem to know a shyt load of people and are bulldogs over a cause. They have to used smartly or they can become overburdened but if pointed in the right direction quick and desisive action ensues!

Two examples:
1) potential school rezone of three neighborhoods got squished in order to keep the community cohesive - over 400 folks turned out for the board meeting. The 'inner circle had 2 weeks to rally'.
2) potential rezone for multi-family rental units got squiched. That one was amazing. In a short 3 hours after the board appeal to change the ordenance was made public there were over 100 e-mails to the town council. The following week over 250 people made their comments that of public record through up to a a 3 minute statement to the board. Thats people power.

Needless to say, for a town of 15,000 people - you don't wanna f+ck with us! FM looks to be of the same stuff.

[jjwood]

I don't know about the rest of the country, but education in Texas is really taking a hit. The number of teacher layoffs in Houston alone is staggering. How the politicians expect this new plan to be operable is beyond me (they don't). Once the politicians have frightened the parents into seeing what the alternative will be ... huge class sizes and an inferior product, there will be some new funding source(s) showing up ... increased taxes and legalized gambling come to mind. Sad that teachers careers are being jeopardized to accomplish a political end.

[jyl]

During the recession, TX bragged that its economy was strong and its budget was in good shape, compared to other states (e.g. CA, budget deficit $25BN this year) and the governor made all sort of no new taxes and "Texas Miracle" noises. That was because TX sets its budget on a 2-year basis, so they didn't have to face the music for another year. So now TX is facing a $27BN deficit for the coming two-year cycle. As a percent of its budget, the TX deficit is actually similar to (may a bit larger than?) the CA deficit. It'll be interesting to see what happens. TX politicians and voters probably won't consider raising taxes, so the cuts to government services are likely to be even worse than the CA cuts. TX is already pretty parsimonious in its services. Classes of 30 - not impossible . . . CA is in terrible shape, but in the past few years it has actually addressed some of the structural problems (ridiculous gerrymandering, supermajority budget), it remains to be seen if those changes will yeild benefits quickly enough.

[jyl]

Not that Oregon doesn't have a deficit problem too.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by jyl

During the recession, TX bragged that its economy was strong and its budget was in good shape, compared to other states (e.g. CA, budget deficit $25BN this year) and the governor made all sort of no new taxes and "Texas Miracle" noises. That was because TX sets its budget on a 2-year basis, so they didn't have to face the music for another year. So now TX is facing a $27BN deficit for the coming two-year cycle. As a percent of its budget, the TX deficit is actually similar to (may a bit larger than?) the CA deficit. It'll be interesting to see what happens. TX politicians and voters probably won't consider raising taxes, so the cuts to government services are likely to be even worse than the CA cuts. TX is already pretty parsimonious in its services. Classes of 30 - not impossible . . . CA is in terrible shape, but in the past few years it has actually addressed some of the structural problems (ridiculous gerrymandering, supermajority budget), it remains to be seen if those changes will yeild benefits quickly enough.

Yeah I was calling BS on that during the elections.

Perry was running spots about how great everything was while other Republican candidates for Senate and House were saying the exact opposite.

If it were different messaging from different parties it might have made sense.

My wife taught for 5 years in the NYC school system. It turned her off to teaching completely. The classes are too large to get anything done. She called it glorified babysitting. She needed something to do so started subbing down here and enjoys teaching again. End of the day she comes home in a good mood and feels like she accomplished something of value.

She actually wants to go back full time but good luck with that now.

[74-911]

Originally Posted by jjwood

I don't know about the rest of the country, but education in Texas is really taking a hit. The number of teacher layoffs in Houston alone is staggering. How the politicians expect this new plan to be operable is beyond me (they don't). Once the politicians have frightened the parents into seeing what the alternative will be ... huge class sizes and an inferior product, there will be some new funding source(s) showing up ... increased taxes and legalized gambling come to mind. Sad that teachers careers are being jeopardized to accomplish a political end.

It seems the govner and many of his supporters are much more interested in requiring sonograms before abortions, totally eliminatiing planned parenthood, requiring picture IDs to vote, keeping abstinence only sex education in schools, etc. than funding public education. With TX exploding population and massive cuts in school funding and other areas, we are well on our way in many areas to being a third world country (as the govner thinks we should secede).. Funny how he bashes the Feds at every turn yet has him urgently requesting federal aid re: all the wild fires.

As to the school funding mess... then comptroller Strayhorn warned in 2006 that the new school funding Perry pushed through based on lowering property taxes and raising some business taxes was a disaster in the making in 4 or 5 years... the chickens have come to home to roost...

[M.D. Holloway]

You will see the towns and counties pull it in. No one wants to raise taxes - business or property. If I was in the show and had a say so I would
1) Want a complete breakdown of how much real money was coming in and how much was to go out and figuer from there. Like so many things, all sorts of creative accounting is being played out.
2) Make it public reord of the breakdown on where the money is going and why. I would also ask everyone and anyone to the breakdown they would like to see. Not that it will happen 100% but I gotta know what they want right?
3) Sit with the reps and work it out - draft
4) Make the draft public
5) Vote the OK - not saying they are going to tell us how to spend, just that they should have knowledge of how and where there money is going and why.

I think I could get this done in a month or so...

[jyl]

Apropos of nothing, I just heard the other private school that competes directly with my son's private school is going to shut down - certainly at the end of this school year, potentially sooner. So our school is getting a wave of late applications from families at that other school, for the 2011/12 school year.

[jjwood]

Rick Perry is a joke, and I like to think of myself as a Republican. Far as I'm concerned the Republicans in Texas have very publicly shot themselves in the foot. Next elections will be interesting ... watch the political spin doctors at work.

[Tervuren]

What if, instead of increasing class room size, we told the students who refuse to learn, to go out get a job?

It flies in the face of Busch's "no child left behind", but honestly, not all of us are willing or brilliant at high school. What is taught is such a broad range, that a great deal of it will be forgotten by the students in just a few years. Also, a lot of stuff taught is going to go out of date fast.

[74-911]

Originally Posted by jjwood

Rick Perry is a joke, and I like to think of myself as a Republican. Far as I'm concerned the Republicans in Texas have very publicly shot themselves in the foot. Next elections will be interesting ... watch the political spin doctors at work.

Perry has been an absolute master politician at taking credit when some thing goes right and deflecting the blame to others when it doesn't...

[red-beard]

So, you all think that students can't learn in a class with 25 students? I think we had at least 25 in my classes in upstate NY my entire time in school.

Geez, what would happen if we taught school like college, with 100+ student classes. My freshman chemistry had to have been 150, and my 1st year engineering classes was over 180.

[azasadny]

We're losing fire, police, teachers, etc... in Michigan.

[Cdnone1]

I sit on the board for my son's public high school here in LA. We have been going over the budget for the last two months trying to make ends meet. One of the things that we are not even allowed to discuss is the teachers salaries, health and welfare and other benefits. We are told they are already negotiated on a separate contact and we have no authority to suggest or implement changes to them.
The schools projected budget for 2012 is 4.2 million.
The teachers contracts and obligations as well as the management fee's etc come to 4.375 million.
If we cut every pencil, eraser and book from the budget we would still be over budget by more than 150K.
The only recommendation we could make was to lay off teachers. We could not ask them to freeze their salaries or benefits package. We could not ask them to contribute to their healthcare. We could not ask them to contribute to their pension plan. All we could do is recommend firing them because the union will not hear of any talk of contributing to the solution. Not even a freeze in salaries and benefits.
That is why teachers are being laid off and class size is going up. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
The entire book budget for the English departments for all four grades is $850.
The salary and benefits increase for next year is well over $100,000.00 and that does not include $65,000.00 for performance based raises.
The Union is the memberships worst enemy in this type of economy, not the tax payer

Steve

[74-911]

Originally Posted by red-beard

So, you all think that students can't learn in a class with 25 students? I think we had at least 25 in my classes in upstate NY my entire time in school.

Geez, what would happen if we taught school like college, with 100+ student classes. My freshman chemistry had to have been 150, and my 1st year engineering classes was over 180.

It is not just a matter of class size. My SIL is a very experienced second grade teacher and her fear (apparently well founded) is that many of the teachers who will be let go will be the the special ed type teachers and teacher assistants and the kids in special ed put back in regular classes. She says this will be a disaster as it will be impossible to teach that mix and no one will learn anything in that scenario...

She also says we have no idea just how many really disturbed kids there are in school these days, particularly in the poorer school districts... from broken homes, physically and mentally abused etc. who need a tremendous amount of attention and help...

i.e. school ain't like we remember it... it's a whole nother world...

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Tervuren

It flies in the face of Busch's "no child left behind", but honestly, not all of us are willing or brilliant at high school. What is taught is such a broad range, that a great deal of it will be forgotten by the students in just a few years. Also, a lot of stuff taught is going to go out of date fast.

I consider myself a liberal, and I happen to agree. Not everyone needs to be a physicist. America needs people to dig ditches and paint houses. It seems to me that there has been an elitist attitude toward people who work and it is hurting our entire country. It doesn't help that corporate CEOs get paid more in an hour than a house painter earns in a year. The good old boy network of business executives patting each other on the back and passing out bonuses after failing miserably is destroying the American dream. We need to get back to a meritocracy, where you get paid well for doing well, and recognize that painting a house well is a valuable contribution to the economy.

[mattdavis11]

We have a pretty bad problem, and it has to be dealt with. My personal experience, having worked for lobby firms who work for teacher associations, ATPE, etc... has taught me that you can't keep feeding the monster. However, if the assortment of associations could band together, they could run this state plum broke. Thankfully they haven't. To my knowledge, no change over the course of the last 30 years has significantly improved the public education system in the State of Texas. I'm pretty sure I was a beneficiary of class reduction size during my days in the public education system in Texas. It helped alot!. I feel awful when confronted by friends and family who are teachers, but I tell them how it was, how it is, how it's probably going to be, and just hang on. For the record, I don't deal with politics anymore.

We just kept throwing money at it for so long. However, it's tremendously difficult now to do so. Claiming that most elected officials (Rep's, Senators, etc..) have little idea about the money, is correct, they are given revenue estimates, and a few who carry a big stick at the capitol tell'em where Texas needs to put it.

Revenue estimate is here: Biennial Revenue Estimate 2012-2013
This is a Biennial projection, things will change, her numbers might have already. Who knows what she is going to certify and the governor is going to sign. The comptroller has has the biggest stick, she gets to certify the budget.

We're not going to see a huge turn over of elected officials after the elections. They might not pass any redistricting maps this regular session either. Doesn't matter though. We did a ton of specials after the 00 census to get some maps passed. Some of you might remember flight to other states by certain members. I bet the courts draw the congressional lines, and the LRB draws the House and Senate maps. Regardless, all of it has to go through the DOJ approval process in the end anyway.

The reason the legislature will grid lock on many things this session, possibly the budget and education related items, is because there are not 21 votes in the Senate to suspend the constitutional rules in order to take up and consider items not on the regular order of business. They have an intent calendar, where they have to suspend the rules, yet pass nearly all of their bills. The first bill on the regular order of business is called the "blocker" bill. It's usually a park beautification measure, and it'll get filibustered sometimes on deadline day. The rest of the stuff behind it is dead along with it.

Relax, they'll cut some sort of deal. It might take a couple of specials, but there will be a safety net bill to keep the schools open if they can't agree by Jan. 2012.

I don't think Tan Parker is going to be cutting deals, might want to write Sen. Nelson, Mike.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by red-beard

So, you all think that students can't learn in a class with 25 students? I think we had at least 25 in my classes in upstate NY my entire time in school.

Elementary is different than Middle and HS and College. As they get older they require less individual attention so larger class sizes are less of an issue. If you can identify problem areas early you stand a better chance of helping the child self correct/adjust as the work gets harder. You only get 1 shot at the early years.

Geez, what would happen if we taught school like college, with 100+ student classes. My freshman chemistry had to have been 150, and my 1st year engineering classes was over 180.

A class of 100+ adults can be managed because they are adults. If they don't apply they don't pass. Can't equate that to kids.