|
Kent
Songer
Phillipston
To the Editor:
I read in the newspaper that the Narragansett School Committee is going
to seek an override to help maintain the current level of teachers and to
preserve the sports and arts programs. Times are tough for most people
these days, and this makes the prospect of cutting items instead of
voting to raise our taxes even more attractive.
What I ask is that every citizen carefully weigh what will be lost or
gained by their valued vote. Every year it seems, sports and arts
programs are the first items to be considered when cuts are mentioned. I
will not say that these programs are more important than the 3 Rs, but I
will say that they are vitally important to our children’s success and
more importantly their happiness. If we do our jobs as parents,
grandparents and concerned citizens adequately and our children get
full-time jobs, have we accomplished what we desire for our children?
What of the other 128 hours in a week? Some will be spent asleep, but the
rest of the time our grown children spend after work and sleep, though it
may not define them as obviously as their occupation, will provide the
richness and joy we all want them to experience.
Whether it is football, basketball or cheering, drama, chorus or band,
these are the things that add the color, flavor and vibrancy to life. The
lessons learned through practice, teamwork and the confidence gained
should also never be underestimated. And we should also not forget the
obesity epidemic and the fact that, “Idle hands are the devils tools.”
I ask you to consider that our responsibility to our children is to give
them education and opportunity for all 168 hours of each week of their
future and then cast your vote accordingly.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Kent Songer
Phillipston
|
Does anyone have figures as to how much an override would cost an individual tax payer? Again, its not that anyone is against providing funding for the schools. It comes down to the bottom line and what dollar amount would be added to our taxes for this. Anyone that is campaigning or writing letters in support for this override to pass, please list the financial details. What will it cost more per person? What will this extra money be put towards? Is is specifically arts/music/sports? Or is it to fund the entire school budget including payroll? Is Phillipston agreeing to pay more too? This is the information that will make the public decide if its possible. Until this information is discussed, please stop trying to educate the public on the importance of this and that in education. We already know it and agree.
ReplyDeletePeople of Templeton please ad up all the salaries of the teachers in
ReplyDeleteThe Templeton schools, hope your sitting down remember how many
Days they work compared to the children's parents.if anything we should be cutting salaries if they don't want to loose there jobs.Times are hard I cant believe a educated person like Dr.Miller would even ask. This whole country of ours have to stop giving $$$$$$ away that
We borrow to give away what are we teaching are children.
MILLER TIME IS OVER. THANKS
Cut the bullshit about teachers salaries and the hours they work. When I left the computer industry to begin teaching, I took a 60% cut in salary. If you add up the number days/hours/after school/take home work and figure it out, they maybe they make $40-%50 and hour. if you think that's too much salary for someone the state requires to have a masters degree, to be their babysitter, jailer, shrink, truant officer, Psycologist, and still find the time to teach them something and have a goddamn "individual education plan for each and every student, I'd like to see YOU try it. How much time have YOU spent in a classroom. If you care to investigate instead of shooting your mouth off, you will find that teaching is number 7 in the top ten college degrees/ careers that DO NOT return adequate ROI for the investment incurred.
DeleteI suggest you look to the people in Malden/Boston who make us spend money on SPECIAL EDUCATION like we have a goddamn money tree in the backyard. Then you will see where all money goes. How about we spend some money on the gifted and talented kids some of whom might cure cancer someday, instead of the sad cases of those who will never be able to recognize their own name on a piece of paper.
If it were up to you, you'd have people with PHD's working for minimum wage. I think the salaries are about where they should be.
And if you had any balls, you wouldn't hide behind "anon"
I love the phrase "my opinion supported by facts"
I don't claim to be an accounting wizard, but I thought an override is forever. So theoretically next year when another override is passed, it works just like compound interest -- the bill goes up exponentially. Wouldn't a one-time debt exclusion make more sense? That way the money's use can be directed to a specific use and it would only be for a specified time period. I would be more inclined to vote for a debt exclusion (if that is the correct term) than an override to fund necessary education expenses.
ReplyDeletebtw, I don't claim it to be the case at the Narragansett District, but I was the Electronics department head at BayPath vocational HS. They threw so much money at me I had trouble spending it all. I can tell you stories about wasted money, just to get it all spent. One year I did not apply for Perkins grant money because my department did not need any capital equipment. The boss came down and practically forced me to buy a bunch of expensive test equipment we did not need.(just one example). So my point is I tend to be skeptical of the cries of poverty by the school department. Maybe my skepticism should be directed more at Monty Tech instead of Narragansett...."just sayin"
Remember "figures lie and liars figure"
We must be sure that if we vote for an override for the school that that money actually goes to the school every year. This should not pass if the town is going to decide in a few years to level fund or use the money for its operating budget.
ReplyDeleteWith an override, you have no control over where the money goes after the first year. It COULD go back to the school or it could go into the towns general fund.
DeleteWe should pass the override this year for the school and take away all of the previous ones they expect and use it for other departments that have been going without. Maybe then they would learn to manage what they have better.
DeleteOverrides when successfully voted go to the department listed on the override for the first year. Every year after that, where the money goes is up to Town meeting to decide.
DeleteWe have voted overrides in the past for the school that were successful. Every year that money has gone to the school system to find their budget. Templeton has used this money to keep pace with the minimum contribution thatbis assessed by the state calculation and increases every year. Templeton MUST pay the increased minimum contribution.
The school district would like Templeton to fund the minimum contribution as well as the override money. Even in this difficult budget year,Templeton could have used the prior override money to fund town services. Templeton did not do this. Instead we have cut hours, departments and town workers to the bone. Town Offices are closed on Fridays. Templeton took these draconian measures to "live within our means". No override .
I have made inquiries in the past to the DOR asking if there were a way to "dedicate" an override so that if the override were successful, it would stay with school department(in this case). I was informed there was no way to make that happen. An override is a permanent increase in your taxes.
On the flip,side of the debate, it is very hard to formulate a budget if the override money were taken away. Because we are in a regional school district, if Templeton removes the override money that has been dedicated to the school, the school department loses Phillipston's portion as well.
In my opinion overrides are a shortsighted solution. The district becomes dependent on override money to survive. Overrides set the stage for future overrides just to maintain ...not improve...maintain service levels. In my opinion, there should be a revolt against unfunded state and federal mandates. But then you run into the "The Golden Rule"- he who has the gold, makes the rules.
I'm not sure what the solution is. Overrides are a short term solution to a much bigger issue. How much is enough? Is there ever enough? I've heard the argument that our costs are going up. Really? Because on the municipal side of government , the opposite is true(SARCASM).
Everyone is effected by increased costs, whether on the municipal or school side of the equation. I see the greatest need in Templeton as a new elementary school. I don't see how the townspeople can support both an override and new elementary school. I am committed to seeing a new elementary school come to fruition. I will not stand in the way of the school department's request for an override, but it will not have my wholehearted support because I believe the need for a new elementary school in Templeton is greater.
Just a few thoughts on the subject
Julie
We will alway have to pass overrides if we increase our budgets more than 2.5% the amount we are able to increase our tax income. With the federal government printing more money above what is already in circulation inflation is created and the money that we have will not buy as much. People with savings will lose value. We should be teaching our children about money and who controls it. We should also be explaining what our Constitution is and how we are losing it.
ReplyDeleteRemember the FED controls the money supply, not the federal government. The FED is the private banking industry! The government prints the money and gives it to the FED for the cost of printing!
DeleteWe are teaching our children about money. Unfortunately we are teaching them it is ok to keep borrowing and that it really doesn't matter if you lives within your means. No wonder we have so many bankrupted homes in town. If the kids see the schools always asking for more money why shouldn't they keep asking.
DeleteVery good point. Today, society as a whole is not being a very good example to our youth. I think the general population have come to view things they want to get as an entitlement & Not a privilege to work for. Boy, do I wish I could get an override to cover all my bills & operating costs. Unfortunately, I am at the bottom of the barrel & have to cut way back in order to survive & what little I have left there is always someone "knocking at my door" to grab the last few bits for themselves!! & they didn't work for it!!!, I did !!!. Luckily, I was taught sacrificing is what you have to do when times are tough. Something I am not witnessing as much these days. Is it great to be able to upgrade & have the most efficient tools & models of everything, sure, but that is not always necessary. In my opinion, we have become so spoiled, as a nation, that we have forgotten where we have come from. Not that long ago, Teachers in a little red school house with not much heat, books, or other equipment imparted good education to their students at the time. I am sure they would have loved not to have had to stoke the pot bellied stove in between lessons but they did & were proud & honored to do it because they were in America & they were privileged to be free to teach & learn. I know the world is changing (sadly) but now, we are being so over regulated with so many mandates & provisions requests that it has bogged down the system to the point of total chaos. Some have suggested that more hours in the classroom would help because students are way behind in their Mcas & other tests. It is not the anmount of hours they are there but the quality of time spent when they are. I realize that what another blogger said is true, the teachers can't teach because they are too busy being psychologists, truant officers, refs, babysitters, etc. that they can't teach how they want or need to. Here again, we are over-regulated so that does not seem to be possible in current times. I also frown on being lectured that people who strike down overrides don't want the best for the students. That is so far from the case, it's ridiculous. I do not know anyone who would try deliberately to withhold services from students. There are those who are really "out of touch" with the serious state of affairs that so many families are in due to job loss & cut backs on wages. Does anyone remember the DOR report that stated the average yearly household salary in Templeton was ONLY $23,000? How far can this go to giving out more. A single persom can barely survive on this, let alone a family. No wonder there are kids coming to school hungry & the foreclosures are rampant. The school administration (not the average teacher, for fear of being lambasted about my comments) are way way out of touch. These are the people who are overseeing our children & their education? Here is a case of wanting, not needing more, in my opinion. Stop the madness & be happy with what you have. There are so many who would be thrilled to have had the opportunities that have been extended to a few who seem as though they will never be satisfied with anything. They never seem to have enough. It is time to revisit the administrative salaries & get certain heads out of the clouds. Don't be foolish, glutonous & greedy. Rome was & it fell. I see this coming if we don't straighten our priorities out. Just my thoughts as I see things today.
DeleteTom J seems like I hit a nerve for you should have stayed in computers
ReplyDeleteYou seem stressed out and I hope you go to anger manager class before you teach
our doesn't seem like the facts
Actually, I am not stressed out. I am extremely happy in retirement. I like to say what others are too afraid to say in public. Sorry if you felt offended, I just get annoyed at assholes who do not have all the facts before running their piehole. If you missed my point, the problems in education lie mostly with the Department of education and to some extent the administrators. In any business the largest expense on the books is payroll, so don't blame the workers for wanting earn a fair wage.
DeleteI am sure you are one who does not give a second thought to someone like Tom Brady making 27 million for throwing a freaking ball and criticize people who care for and teach our most precious children for making a fair wage. Which do you think contributes more to society? Flame back if you want to, but you know I am right.
I see you are still anon though. At least I can be identified. I don't think your comment deserves any further retort.
TWINKIE SYNDROME I QUESS GOOD NEWS IS COMING THEY SHOULD BE BACK
ReplyDeleteTHIS SUMMER RETORTED UPDATE TAKE CARE TJ
Computers? I thought you worked at Simplex, before they were making products with microcontrollers.
ReplyDeleteNot that it matters to this thread, but to set the record straight I did work at Simplex for 3 years until '73, when I joined DEC and Compaq until 2001. You must an old fart also if you remember that ? :)
Delete