AISD Money Issues (Austin: loan, high school, subsidized)

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by h886

Truly, I can appreciate fair points on both sides. But having worked in the public school system for so long, I have seen staggering poverty, students who would never be able to find transportation to school if it wasn't provided, students who don't get many square meals other than the free ones they are provided at school. As another poster wisely pointed out, children don't get the luxury of choosing their parents. Everyone wants the best for their kid, it's true... I just have to feel a little sorry for some of those kids. They were born into a family that had nothing while other kids were given every advantage and pampered from day one. Should they have even more taken away?

I question whether private schools would be equipped to handle that. Would they still be able to function if they had a 64% rate of economically disadvantaged students? Would they be able to feed those students lunch and breakfast every day, as public schools now do? Would they be able to provide transportation? I agree that vouchers would expand the number of families who could make it work... but they would do little to help the lowest, most disadvantaged children. They are the ones who need a fair shot the most.

Additionally, the ability to filter out kids they don't want means that public schools will be populated with only the very lowest, most needy and undesirable students. I highly doubt that a private school where one family pays a hefty tuition will keep a student who is a constant behavior problem--monopolizing much of the teacher's time. Will they take the kid who refuses to do any work? How about the special ed kid who needs so many interventions that it requires extra staff to be hired?

The whole point of vouchers is to create a marketplace for ideas which would cause improvement of the system through competition. This can be done completely within the school system. If vouchers only went to public schools you would get the same benefit as including private schools.

Proponents of public school vouchers for private schools are really just trying to get religious schools included to be paid for by public dollars which is clearly unconstitutional

Here is one article about the constitutionality of state funding of religious schools
Are school vouchers Constitutional?.

[achtungpv]

Originally Posted by h886

Any student who is too difficult to teach (for whatever reason) can be kicked out. There are some private schools in Austin that specialize in learning disabilities, but there are some kids in special ed that no one will want to take.

In a brochure to the private school we are considering, a FAQ asks how they handle kids that have special needs in the classroom. The answer is basically "we don't want them here because they'll negatively affect the rest of the class." At least they're honest about it.

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by sinking

I think no one should pay into a public school option. Each students tuition should be the burden of that students parents. If you can't afford to raise your own children that is probably a pretty good sign that you aren't financially fit to have children. I don't see this happening though. Oh well.

I was thinking about getting a dog but I realized I couldn't afford to raise it. I decided not to get a dog. Maybe some people here would like to help financially supporting my dog?

Suffice to say your ideas about public schooling and parents will not get off the ground anytime soon. America isn't purely an individual-based society.

[sinking]

Originally Posted by riaelise

Suffice to say your ideas about public schooling and parents will not get off the ground anytime soon. America isn't purely an individual-based society.

I wouldn't expect it to nor am I expecting to convince anybody. More people benefit from having other people help subsidize their kids upbringing. However, it is fun for me to rattle some cages.

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by sinking

I wouldn't expect it to nor am I expecting to convince anybody. More people benefit from having other people help subsidize their kids upbringing. However, it is fun for me to rattle some cages.

I'm sorry, but your subsidizing of my kids is minimal in the overall scheme of things.

[sinking]

Originally Posted by riaelise

I'm sorry, but your subsidizing of my kids is minimal in the overall scheme of things.

Apology accepted.

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by sinking

Apology accepted.

No need to be cute and patronizing, mister. Your subsidy of my children amounts to their daycare costs..and as a single person I've footed my share of subsidies as well.

[HappyTexan]

AISD budget problems just doubled

AISD: Positions will be terminated | Austin News.Net

"In less than a week, the Austin school district's budget nightmare has jumped from a $54 million shortfall to $113 million."

[sinking]

Originally Posted by riaelise

No need to be cute and patronizing, mister. Your subsidy of my children amounts to their daycare costs..and as a single person I've footed my share of subsidies as well.

Like I said, I'm not expecting to change anyones mind here so we can agree to disagree.

[llkltk]

Originally Posted by ImOnFiya

Superintendent Carstaphen never said they were going "to layoff teachers, increase class sizes, let go of programs and librarians". Carstaphen stated in the letter she was going to the school board to ask them for permission. They could always say no (as with the controversial center-city closure and consolidation targets).

Carstaphen using the letter to staff as the 'nuclear option' to pressure the previously wavering school task force on the plan to force consolidations and closures on (at least) some of the center city schools,probably with the least politically-connected areas of the eastside. The resulting school reorganization would probably raise district test scores, and property tax base with the increased gentrification (within the newly-acquired 'safe school' zones).

What the budget shortfall from the state of Texas lies mainly on AISD's balance sheet (as it has since 2007). Carstaphen is acting now to correct some of the balance sheet with the probable eastside closures and consolidations because (in the long-term) AISD can reorganize those schools to help maximize the fast-growing population of upper middle-class students in the near-east side which would now go to O' Henry MS to Austin HS or Kealing MS going to McCallum HS. In addition to school closures and consolidations in this area, school boundaries would change as well. In the remaining minority-majority areas, AISD would organize a smaller class size, special-attention learning program for minority kids tracking to Martin MS, then Eastside Memorial HS.

SHE'S saying it now. Read the previous post story from KXAN.