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Very sad, but tough times call for tough measures. Of course I don't like people to lose their jobs or for kids to have their education severely curtailed. But, sometimes we need drastic measures.
Very sad, but tough times call for tough measures. Of course I don't like people to lose their jobs or for kids to have their education severely curtailed. But, sometimes we need drastic measures.
I'm sorry, but this is the reason I am leaving Georgia. This is not acceptable to me. There are always other options. When people are ok with huge cuts like this, that shows where our priorities are. How can kids learn in packed classes? How can you do a high school science lab with 35 kids? My sister in law teaches science in another state and she says it's not safe with over 18 kids. I had to laugh at that because I'm sure you would not be able to find a science class that small in the entire southeast.
I don't understand why a county like Cobb is cutting that many jobs, yet Bibb County (Macon) is hiring. Yes, there is turnover in Bibb, but evidently they can still afford to staff their schools, unlike Cobb.
What about next year when cuts will need to be made again as the stimulus money runs out? Should Cobb cut 500 more? 1,000? This is just nuts. Packing kids into the classrooms is not the answer.
When the state of GA continues to cut funding, that means either the district has to raise revenues to at least stabilize the situation at the new low funding levels, or the district can just refuse to even consider that option and let the system slide into the abyss. I guess most districts in GA chooses the latter.
As for me, I prefer a more progressive place where the school board is at least willing to put some options in front of voters. Look at Seminole County in FL for an example. That district is known as being one fo the best in FL. Home prices are holding their values there. The Lake Mary, Oviedo, and Winter Springs area is known for attracting highly educated, successful professionals. Crime is low and the area is home to many corporate headquarters. When a newcomer wants to know where they should move in FL for good schools, and a family friendly environment, Seminole is always mentioned. I am not moving to Seminole (can't afford the home prices) but the area where I am going is definately not cutting 500 teachers! Voters would not stand for that.
Last edited by MovedfromFL; 04-23-2010 at 11:15 AM..
I'm sorry, but this is the reason I am leaving Georgia. This is not acceptable to me.
OK, so where's this shangri-la that you're moving to, where the schools are overflowing with money right now? And why are you still sitting in here talking about the move, rather than making it?
It's easy to sit and talk, but what's your solution to the current budget problems being faced by school districts- not just in GA, but virtually everywhere?
The state budgets are a mess and will be for some years. Bob is right it is everywhere. The fact the colleges keep pumping out teachers no state needs is not real helpful. Yes their will be more cuts when the stimulus money runs out. Home owners just do not want any more taxes raised and they will not for some years to come. The schools are going to find it hard to get funding in future years.
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When the state of GA continues to cut funding, that means either the district has to raise revenues to at least stabilize the situation at the new low funding levels, or the district can just refuse to even consider that option and let the system slide into the abyss. I guess most districts in GA chooses the latter.
As for me, I prefer a more progressive place where the school board is at least willing to put some options in front of voters. Look at Seminole County in FL for an example. That district is known as being one fo the best in FL. Home prices are holding their values there. The Lake Mary, Oviedo, and Winter Springs area is known for attracting highly educated, successful professionals. Crime is low and the area is home to many corporate headquarters. When a newcomer wants to know where they should move in FL for good schools, and a family friendly environment, Seminole is always mentioned. I am not moving to Seminole (can't afford the home prices) but the area where I am going is definately not cutting 500 teachers! Voters would not stand for that.
Oh, you mean the Seminole County that:
- Cut 200 teaching positions in 2007-2008 and cut 150-200 teachers in 2009
- Cut pay by 2% for other school employees
- Planning on eliminating up to 1200 school positions this year
- Closed a Seminole County charter school
- Cut 200 teaching positions in 2007-2008 and cut 150-200 teachers in 2009
- Cut pay by 2% for other school employees
- Planning on eliminating up to 1200 school positions this year
- Closed a Seminole County charter school
- Cut 200 teaching positions in 2007-2008 and cut 150-200 teachers in 2009
- Cut pay by 2% for other school employees
- Planning on eliminating up to 1200 school positions this year
- Closed a Seminole County charter school
Is this the super great "progressive place that doesn't cut teachers and cares about the citizens and students" you were talking about?
Beautiful post. Not excited about Seminole County suffering, but a beautiful job of putting the current situation in perspective. Everyone is suffering and no reason to malign Cobb County which is one of the better school districts in the state. If there were any other way, I am sure that Cobb, of any district, would find a way.
Perhaps we haven't heard the end of this and people in the county will stand up and even ante up to find solutions to this. An excellent school district is beneficial to all a county's citizens.
Beautiful post. Not excited about Seminole County suffering, but a beautiful job of putting the current situation in perspective. Everyone is suffering and no reason to malign Cobb County which is one of the better school districts in the state. If there were any other way, I am sure that Cobb, of any district, would find a way.
Perhaps we haven't heard the end of this and people in the county will stand up and even ante up to find solutions to this. An excellent school district is beneficial to all a county's citizens.
Absolutely. As a Cobb parent, I'm just waiting to find out what the practical impact will be in my child's school and on my child specifically. As a rising high school junior, will she get the classes that she's registered for next fall, or is there a possibility that due to the effects of the cutbacks, she won't get the classes she's expecting?
I just don't know what to expect, and I'm afraid that by the time we do know, it'll be a done deal. When school starts in August, if we find some beloved teachers missing, and that the expected AP class of 15 students has been replaced by an "honors" class of 35 students, it'll be too late for anyone to "ante up", even if people wanted to do so. And maybe everything will seem to be fine, and not different at all. How can we predict?
- Cut 200 teaching positions in 2007-2008 and cut 150-200 teachers in 2009
- Cut pay by 2% for other school employees
- Planning on eliminating up to 1200 school positions this year
- Closed a Seminole County charter school
Is this the super great "progressive place that doesn't cut teachers and cares about the citizens and students" you were talking about?
Nice link to an article that is 1 year OLD and full of things that "could happen" but didn't. Where is your link that Seminole plans to eliminate 1,200 positions THIS year? That was mentioned in the old link as something that could happen in 2009. (and did not, obviously)
Look at the big picture in GA: parents are up in arms when the 4-H program comes on the chopping block (and lawmakers back down). Same with the band programs, but parents don't make much noise when class sizes are raised to the limits.
As for double dipping, that doesn't just happen in Seminole County. It's happening all over, including my district here in North GA.
To Bob, you need to read my status. I'm "sitting here talking about the move" because I have to wait for the sale of my house to close in May. I am making the move and I have taken steps to better my situation by being proactive after seeing how things are done here.
Florida also has a strict class size amendment that is still in place, unlike here in GA. Florida currently caps the number of students but it's calculated on a school wide basis. That is required to change to a classroom basis this year, but will be sent back to voters to decide if it should be frozen at the school average. This sounds a lot better to me than Georgia's plan to "expand class sizes over the next three years" http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-poli...ss-484170.html and "increasing class sizes to the maximum ratios" as quoted in the article in my original post.
Last edited by MovedfromFL; 04-23-2010 at 03:12 PM..
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