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AGain.. a lot of the post by Fopt65 is an example of why LI will never change.. FEAR.. fear of their schools becoming "inferior" if the system is changed...
Yet..that FEAR is what the SD's hold over parents heads allthe time to get them to approve their overinflated budgets that keep raising our taxes.
LI'rs seem to think that only LI has it right and the rest of the country has it wrong.. meanwhile they are shelling out 3x's the national average in taxes.. thinking that paying more for somethimg means that it's better.
It simply is NOT better.
As for desegregating the schools.. people arent shuttled into what neighborhoods they live in.. they choose them based on several criteria. Switching to a countywide school district will NOT mean that children will be shuttled to "even out the population" of the school. People will buy in the neighborhoods they want to live in and will go to the schools that are designated for that neighborhood. AND that should be spelled out if they ever do do a consolidation.
I , for one, do not feel that it would be so terrible if they did even out the playing field anyway... thent here would be no "bad districts" and all children would have the same opportunities across the board.. and they would be great opportunities. Does not a student at Roosevelt SD deserve the same chances to succeed as someone in a Roslyn SD. AFter all.. a child is innoccent and doesn't have a choice of how much money they have or don't have.. BUT.. given the opportunity to learn along side someone with other advantages may turn what could become a drug dealer or criminal into someone that will do something great with their life with a great education.
And that wouldn't mean that your child would suddenly be going to school in the ghetto.. by no means!
I don't have a child that is of school age yet.. he's only 2. .. but someday he will. Of course I dont want him in a poor perfomring school.. but I certainly do not mind a culturally and economically diverse school district. Rich, poor or middle class, my child will know that money does not and should not make him better or define who he is. but how he performs in school is all about the attitude he has and I have toward helping him make a life for himself. Plus, it builds character and some of the more spoiled kids on LI could learn some very valuable and much needed lessons about appreciating what they have by learning alongside other students whose parents aren't buying their kids brand new Beamers to drive to school in.
And.. I dont know if you all know this.. but there is section 8 Housing in Roslyn just NOrth of the LIE near the train station. Those students go to Roslyn. So , does hte few section 8 housing "poorer" students bring down the SD numbers.. ABSOLUTELY not.. it gives THOSE students a much greater chance at succeeding. So.. if a few students from poor performing schools are then mixed into better performing schools it will not have the affect that some ofy ou "fear".
Instead.. come the next budget vote..once again the sheeple will vote "yes" out of fear.. fear that something will be taken away or that suddenly your child won't get the education or grades.. Then.. watch your tax bill climb and climb.. LI'rs complain.. but WON'T do what is neccesary to change it.
Guarantee me that kids won't be bused into different areas to integrate the schools. Do you remember Yonkers and NYC doing it in the 70's?
Guarantee me a SHARP decrease in property taxes that are maintained for a long period of time and we'll talk consolidation. Over 90% of the school budget is already set in stone in salaries and benefits and state mandates. Attack that first, set up a cap on the taxes, require more education for school boards and see what happens. Most LI schools give good performance. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Make changes in a prudent way.
If you wanted your child to attend culturally and economically diverse school district, why did you buy in Levittown? Wouldn't Elmont have been a better choice, or as a realtor did you realize that the school district's performance would have made the house less desirable?
Believe me, I hate paying taxes as much as the next guy, but I grew up in NYC with the BOE and it sucked.
How about we put a renter's tax so the people in illegal apartments could finally contribute to our tax base? Have the districts be more aggressive in prosecuting people who sneak in from Queens using a relative's address. At 15K a kid, that will add up quickly.
Try the changes out in the small East end districts that have like 100 kids in them and see how that works first before making such radical changes.
I've read a lot of your posts and if things are so bad here, instead of putting all your energy into hating long island, why not just move to the city where taxes are low and schools are consolidated?
Anthony
Quote:
Originally Posted by TristansMommy
Instead.. come the next budget vote..once again the sheeple will vote "yes" out of fear.. fear that something will be taken away or that suddenly your child won't get the education or grades.. Then.. watch your tax bill climb and climb.. LI'rs complain.. but WON'T do what is neccesary to change it.
If you wanted your child to attend culturally and economically diverse school district, why did you buy in Levittown? Wouldn't Elmont have been a better choice, or as a realtor did you realize that the school district's performance would have made the house less desirable?
Believe me, I hate paying taxes as much as the next guy, but I grew up in NYC with the BOE and it sucked.
.
Not to late. Since Tristansmommy is worried about not making $ on her home in Levittown, she can take a loss and buy something much cheaper in Elmont.
AGain.. a lot of the post by Fopt65 is an example of why LI will never change.. FEAR.. fear of their schools becoming "inferior" if the system is changed...
Yet..that FEAR is what the SD's hold over parents heads allthe time to get them to approve their overinflated budgets that keep raising our taxes.
LI'rs seem to think that only LI has it right and the rest of the country has it wrong.. meanwhile they are shelling out 3x's the national average in taxes.. thinking that paying more for somethimg means that it's better.
It simply is NOT better.
As for desegregating the schools.. people arent shuttled into what neighborhoods they live in.. they choose them based on several criteria. Switching to a countywide school district will NOT mean that children will be shuttled to "even out the population" of the school. People will buy in the neighborhoods they want to live in and will go to the schools that are designated for that neighborhood. AND that should be spelled out if they ever do do a consolidation.
I , for one, do not feel that it would be so terrible if they did even out the playing field anyway... thent here would be no "bad districts" and all children would have the same opportunities across the board.. and they would be great opportunities. Does not a student at Roosevelt SD deserve the same chances to succeed as someone in a Roslyn SD. AFter all.. a child is innoccent and doesn't have a choice of how much money they have or don't have.. BUT.. given the opportunity to learn along side someone with other advantages may turn what could become a drug dealer or criminal into someone that will do something great with their life with a great education.
And that wouldn't mean that your child would suddenly be going to school in the ghetto.. by no means!
I don't have a child that is of school age yet.. he's only 2. .. but someday he will. Of course I dont want him in a poor perfomring school.. but I certainly do not mind a culturally and economically diverse school district. Rich, poor or middle class, my child will know that money does not and should not make him better or define who he is. but how he performs in school is all about the attitude he has and I have toward helping him make a life for himself. Plus, it builds character and some of the more spoiled kids on LI could learn some very valuable and much needed lessons about appreciating what they have by learning alongside other students whose parents aren't buying their kids brand new Beamers to drive to school in.
And.. I dont know if you all know this.. but there is section 8 Housing in Roslyn just NOrth of the LIE near the train station. Those students go to Roslyn. So , does hte few section 8 housing "poorer" students bring down the SD numbers.. ABSOLUTELY not.. it gives THOSE students a much greater chance at succeeding. So.. if a few students from poor performing schools are then mixed into better performing schools it will not have the affect that some ofy ou "fear".
Instead.. come the next budget vote..once again the sheeple will vote "yes" out of fear.. fear that something will be taken away or that suddenly your child won't get the education or grades.. Then.. watch your tax bill climb and climb.. LI'rs complain.. but WON'T do what is neccesary to change it.
Some very noble and altruistic ideas ... but also very naive. Tuck this post away and pull it out in ten years after you and your child have had some experience with the system.
As far as the battle cry for budget voting, again, very naive. If a budget doesn't pass, the school district will implement a contingency budget, which still allows budget and tax increases. The budget cuts usually impact sports and arts programs and bus transportation. Teachers will still get raises. Since personnel costs constitute the majority of any school budget, the key to reining in taxes is to loosen the union grip on schools or at least to get school boards to negotiate realistically with unions. Probably not likely to happen, though.
Since personnel costs constitute the majority of any school budget, the key to reining in taxes is to loosen the union grip on schools or at least to get school boards to negotiate realistically with unions. Probably not likely to happen, though.
Consolidation would weaken the power of the teacher union on Long Island. It seems that the school boards are at best inept at negotiating. Why pay teachers so much on Long Island? I mean if the school board offered them nothing what are those teachers going to do? leave for NYC, I think not. Teachers on Long Island have got it made and they know it - they could be paid less than teachers in NYC and the number of applicants for Long Island teaching jobs would not decrease at all. What is needed is a single consolidated district to take on the teachers union.
Believe me, I hate paying taxes as much as the next guy, but I grew up in NYC with the BOE and it sucked.
How about we put a renter's tax so the people in illegal apartments could finally contribute to our tax base? Have the districts be more aggressive in prosecuting people who sneak in from Queens using a relative's address. At 15K a kid, that will add up quickly.
I grew up in NYC, what problems are you seeing or did see involving the BOE?
Between all of my families property tax in the city and there payroll tax and state tax they still pay less taxes combined then i do for property tax...
Consolidating the schools will lose all the many different unneeded supers and cars, and gas, and all kinds of bs they don't need..
There is no need for umpteen supers and asst sp, and there office with asst office personel and cars and bs...overcrowding...lose all those sups and personel and there are 2 more classrooms...
Will it make the tax burden go away....No, will it help, absolutely..
Going to payroll will make a big big dent in the problem... Yeah ask your elected officials about that one, wait till you here all the bs talk for why it can't...rather why it can.
As for busses, will it make bussing less... Every morning on my way to work i see nothing but moms and dads sitting on corners (a big dangerous issue with me*) with there cars running waiting for the bus...
WTH is wrong with these LAZY people, in the time it took you to drive down the block and wait you could have taken him/her to school in less time then you sat down the block waiting for the bus...wasting gas, and the bus wasting gas and money...
* Another issues is why are kids standing on Corners for the bus...
Where do accidents happen? in the middle of the block or at corners/intersections.....why are kids standing on corners in harms way..Busses stoping on 50mph roads in blind turns.. wth who is the mental patient running this bs
Your worried about consolidation... open your eyes people, there is so much plain stupidity out here it's damn scary.
Guarantee me that kids won't be bused into different areas to integrate the schools. Do you remember Yonkers and NYC doing it in the 70's?
Guarantee me a SHARP decrease in property taxes that are maintained for a long period of time and we'll talk consolidation. Over 90% of the school budget is already set in stone in salaries and benefits and state mandates. Attack that first, set up a cap on the taxes, require more education for school boards and see what happens. Most LI schools give good performance. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Make changes in a prudent way.
If you wanted your child to attend culturally and economically diverse school district, why did you buy in Levittown? Wouldn't Elmont have been a better choice, or as a realtor did you realize that the school district's performance would have made the house less desirable?
Believe me, I hate paying taxes as much as the next guy, but I grew up in NYC with the BOE and it sucked.
How about we put a renter's tax so the people in illegal apartments could finally contribute to our tax base? Have the districts be more aggressive in prosecuting people who sneak in from Queens using a relative's address. At 15K a kid, that will add up quickly.
Try the changes out in the small East end districts that have like 100 kids in them and see how that works first before making such radical changes.
I didn't buy in Elmont because it's not "diverse" either... I grew up in a diverse neighborhood.. NOrth Babylon. While the sections of NB were segregated by choice there was one H.S.
Not to late. Since Tristansmommy is worried about not making $ on her home in Levittown, she can take a loss and buy something much cheaper in Elmont.
I'm NOT staying on LI.. Even the prices and taxes in Elmont is ridiculous. Rather, I am looking for a place with good schools and a lowe cost of living.. I've found a few in my research.
But..unfortunatley I can't leave yet. lest I walk away owing more on my house then I can sell it for currently. I bought at the WRONG time!! Oh well.. lve and learn.
Not to late. Since Tristansmommy is worried about not making $ on her home in Levittown, she can take a loss and buy something much cheaper in Elmont.
I'm NOT staying on LI.. Even the prices and taxes in Elmont is ridiculous. Rather, I am looking for a place with good schools and a lowe cost of living.. I've found a few in my research.
But..unfortunatley I can't leave yet. lest I walk away owing more on my house then I can sell it for currently. I bought at the WRONG time!! Oh well.. lve and learn.
I've read a lot of your posts and if things are so bad here, instead of putting all your energy into hating long island, why not just move to the city where taxes are low and schools are consolidated?
Anthony
Believe me Anthony.. I'm working on getting OFF LI for a much better quality of life.. becasue I'm tired of the rat race here and the ridiculous cost of living..
AND I'm tired of everyone complaining but then not wanting anythign to change to make it better. Posts on this board show me just how LI will NEVER cange for the better and the situation will only get worse and compound out of fear of change.. snobbish prejudice about the possiblity of being mixed in with kids less fortunate..etc. etc.
And again.. for the umpteemth time.. and this isn't for you Anthony.. I have already said that consolidation is only 1 of the many thigns that need to change in order to affect change.
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