This Has Nothing To Do With Cooking

I've been thinking a lot lately about the state of education. The school district from which I retired last July is in the midst of a crushing economic crisis. I know that MCSD is no differnt from any other public or private organization or business. Almost every day I read in the newspaper or view on televison, news that school districts have made the decision to cut personnel in the face of budget cuts. Today, every employee in the Muscogee County School District has the day off work. This day was not planned when the school calendar was created last year. This day is the result of a cost-cutting measure that was necessary due to budget cuts. And this isn't the only day. I think there will be five total furlough days by the end of the school year. Now I'm not so presumptious as to try to fix the problems with balancing the budget. Heck, I'm just trying to make my monthly retirement check get me thorough until August, when I'll start drawing Social Security. That is if there is any money left in that fund.

Since I have so much time on my hands (not really), one night this week I decided to
do a little research. I've missed that this year (not really). I went to Board Docs at the MCSD website, where I found school board agenda and minutes for the past few years. You ought to go there sometime. You can see how funds are spent and how much. School district purchase orders are even scanned into documents. I was curious to find out if, during these tough economic times, funds were still being used for programs like Working on the Work (WOW), Cornerstone Literacy, and Rubicon-Atlas. Yep. There they were; January 19, Rubicon Atlas to the tune of $70,000, February 16, Cornerstone Foundation to the tune of (are you sitting down?)$278,216, and April 26, The Schledhty Center (WOW) to the tune of $14,000 (this is just for conference registration. Travel to Texas or Florida and accommodations not included).

The great irony is that all these programs create more work for teachers, more time out of the classroom for teachers, and less instructional time for students, and the added expense of substitutes to cover while teachers are out of classes for training. During my research I also learned that next year the school year will be cut by five days for students and teachers. Five more days for which teachers will not be paid and parents will be forced to find childcare for their students.

Just when the moral couldn't be much lower the threat looms that teachers who live out of county will possibly lose one of the few perks that allows them to bring their children to Muscogee County tuition free.

This a time of economic crisis. I really think that, at least for a few years, teachers can once again be allowed to teach without the added work. We could let the extra expenses for the professional development go until the economy is better. Instead of outside consultants, we could use the services of the consultants that are already being paid by the school district. Teachers are the hardest working people I know. Their work is NEVER done. They DESERVE to be left alone to do what they love to do and do so well. By the way, those who argue that they have three months off are wrong. They have two months and they are not paid for those months. Most spend those months in school to earn higher degrees or to enhance their teaching skills.

This really has to do with people. The people we should be taking care of are the teachers, administrators, children and parents. Not Phil Schlechty, Marilyn Burns, Webber and Associates, Franklyn Covey, Cornerstone Foundation, etc.

Well, I got that off my chest. If you agree, pass this along. If you disagree, just forget you ever saw it.