The choice: Higher taxes or lower expectations for schools
Is a time for a tax increase to keep our schools afloat?
Last night, parents crammed a DeKalb meeting protesting an end to magnet programs and theme schools. (I arrived for the end, but the place had been full of unhappy parents.)
Also, Cobb school superintendent Fred Sanderson told the school board Thursday night that teachers would need to take three furlough days this semester; Sanderson targeted Feb. 15 – there are no classes on that day — and wants to also apply the snow day earlier this month and the flood day in September. He said Cobb will not be able to turn to reserves to prevent furloughs this semester as it did in the fall. See the AJC story.
A few desperate districts outside of Metro are joining Peach County and adopting four-day work weeks. Others are dropping back to 160 days of longer classes.
In the last week, I have attended three hearings about education budgets. I don’t believe we can ask schools to sustain or improve quality of instruction at the same time that they are facing such crippling cuts. This is not a matter of getting rid of a few central office staff- which I think some systems could easily do. The cuts exceed a few personnel. They are colossal, and I just don’t see how they are not going to downgrade our classrooms.
We need a combination of responses – Yes, reduce expenses but also bring in new money. Yet, our Legislature is talking about more corporate and employer tax breaks.
Is it the time for that? Or should we follow the example of most other states and raise taxes?
Many of you disagree, but I think this a pivotal moment in the state’s history. We have to shed the reputation of an education backwater and signify in a clear way that we understand that the states that succeed in this new century will be the most educated, the most able to respond to change and the most willing to confront problems decisively and honestly.
Raising class size, cutting back on the school calendar and dumping teachers doesn’t seem to say any of that to the larger world, too much of which readily believes we are eating clay and marrying our cousins down here.
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210 comments Add your comment
Sope Creek Parent
January 29th, 2010
12:55 pm
Three cheers for the gifting suggestion for any parents out there that want to help make a difference! I know that most parents in my child’s class have agreed to chip in some money to defray the cost of this furlough.
East Cobb Parent, I’m baffled why this would be bribing the teacher. She’s not getting any more income than she did before and it’s a group effort so she doesn’t know whose parents contributed and how much they donated. My daughter reads at an accelerated level and testing has been a piece of cake for her so we think the teacher has done a wonderful job. I do think the bureaucratic waste needs to be cut, but my daughter’s teacher is definitely worth her pay plus some in the eyes of this client. .
Cere
January 29th, 2010
12:56 pm
I’m with you, BOB FINK. My neighbors have a nicer house than I, yet since they are “retired” (a former doctor, ouch!) they pay less than 1/3 what I pay. We’ve been house-hunting and when you look to buy a home that older people own and the realtor tells you what those folks are paying in property tax – it’s shocking. Often, for a 350,000 home, they are only paying $950-1200 a year.
The fixed income is not a relevant argument. How about families who are struggling with no income – or significantly cut income? This is just vote-buying, IMO. After all, what group consistently votes most often? Retirees.
But no – they’d rather see families have to pay more sales tax on Johnny’s new school clothes than pay their fair share into the schools – which in the end – there isn’t much that can effect your community and home value more than your schools.
Beth in EC
January 29th, 2010
1:04 pm
I, for one, appreciate all the hard work teachers put in for my children. I’m actually waiting to see what our school PTA wants us to do in response to this situation but I will definitely be extra generous with my gifting this year to show my appreciation.
RJ
January 29th, 2010
1:04 pm
@Westminister Mom, they exist. I don’t know about $5000 or less, but you can do less than $9000. Depends on where you live. It’s ridiculous to think you have to spend $20,000 to get a top education. You can spend less than half that and do well. It’s the quality of the teachers and parental involvement that will determine how good a school is. I worked at a private school years ago that had some of the brightest kids I’ve ever taught. It was a really small school, but the kids that went there could compete with any kid at one of the “elite” schools. I was absolutely amazed. Had they been able to pay me (and I know elite schools pay less than public too) I would still be there. Imagine having few discipline problems, kids that are concerned about their grades and parents that support all that you do. All for less than $10,000 a year.
Tony
January 29th, 2010
1:10 pm
With the negative attitudes reflected in this blog toward the schools, it is no wonder our children perform the way they do. If we valued learning, we would be more than happy to do what it takes to support schools.
Another Cobb Mom
January 29th, 2010
1:16 pm
In all fairness some of the fat could certainly be trimmed. But, it won’t solve the funding deficit, because teachers (the ones actually in the classroom) make up the vast majority of expenses. I was saddened to hear about the furloughs of all teachers, but in a way I’m glad Cobb is being proactive and notifying the community earlier since this does give my family and school community some time to plan some steps for how we can soften the blow for our teachers. Here are some ideas we’ve thought of:
1. Gift baskets (school supplies, gift cards)
2. Foundation Chipping in to fund extra teachers/assistants to lessen the workload for teachers
3. Income Replacement Fund for teachers
4. Paying teachers to teach outside of the classroom (i.e. Saturday School) so they could earn some more income while putting some more work
5. Paying teachers to teach while covering ASP programs.
If anyone else has any ideas, it would be interesting to hear.
Elizabeth
January 29th, 2010
1:21 pm
Parent and taxpayer_ Those “vacation days” are unpaid. I get so tired of explaining this over and over. Teachers get paid for the number of days they are contracted to work– this year it was 190 days. There are NO paid vacations or holidays. Other state employes do get paid vacation and paid holiday time. Teachers do not. I would love to be earning money on those holidays instead of being at home. I would love to see you manage on a salary of 190 days and then be told that you could not take time off when you needed it because you have to be there to teach the kids. Yes I get time off, but it is not time of my choice and does not always fit my needs. I have to take 2 days of unpaid leave to attemd my niece’s wedding in May because it fals over a holiday weekend and I cannot use my personal leave before or after a holiday. Another $800 gone my pay in addition to three more furlough days at $396 dollars per day that I miss. Please, pealse, know what youare talking abuout v=before youaccuse and help to dispell the myths that just are not true.
Garrison Smith
January 29th, 2010
1:22 pm
I disagree with Higher taxes. We raise taxes and under the guise it is for school, the budget gets a cut that money is moved else where like projects that subsidize a commercial project that generates more taxes for a county or city. You need more money quit helping the commercial builders with the condo, townhouse or shopping plazas.
If this is my choice here is what I would do. Have the schools budget divided into quarters just like a companies. Set a set of state standards and if the school doesn’t meet those metrics make them pursue the remaining budget they need through booster events and fund raisers. If they meet their metrics they continue with state funding. Teachers are the common denominators here. We should pay for performance. If they are meeting their requirements why cut their salaries. If they exceed their requirements pay them a bonus.
E. Cobb Parent
January 29th, 2010
1:23 pm
There is a reason most federal employees are not allowed to accept money or even dinner from those they service, I really see no difference with teachers. I’m all for buying the supplies they need, but not giving them cash. If you elect to spend your money that way fine, but don’t expect or demand it from other parents. I do appreciate the job that effective teachers do, but they elected this career path for their reasons. I don’t feel it is my duty to supplement their income because they don’t like the pay in their chosen field. Having said that, there are plenty of opportunities to cut waste without furloughing teachers and bus drivers. Look at the central office!! As long as people are willing to bail out the central office they will have no reason to show fiscal responsibility.
Cobb Parent
January 29th, 2010
1:23 pm
ACM, I think those are great ideas. I also plan to call my children’s’ teachers to let them know I value their working with my children everyday and see if we can do anything to help. I do agree that letting a teacher know that we appreciate their work is sometimes the best thing we can do.
Teacher
January 29th, 2010
1:31 pm
It is funny to me, as I read some of the negative comments posted here, that I had a conversation with a student (just this week) about our inability as a society to emphathize with other people and their personal situations. I don’t even get angry with people that speak negatively about teachers because I know they simply do not understand the dedication and effort we bring to our work. They have no idea of our sacrifices or our responsibilities. In that same line of thought, I couldn’t fully understand the effort, dedication and responsibilities belonging to someone who chooses another career or path in life. Every job comes with stress, perks, frustration, problems to overcome and joy. If, for once, we could ALL discuss societies issues WITHOUT making it about US INDIVIDUALLY…we could solve some problems. I hope my student took that mini life lesson to heart that day. I hope she remembers to see things from all angles and perspectives before passing irrational judgments. If we could learn this as adults we would all benefit.
Old Timer: I don’t understand the anger either. To the many parents on this blog that are supportive: thank you for that as well.
Teacher
January 29th, 2010
1:33 pm
That should have read “society’s”…..
Hightower Mother
January 29th, 2010
1:35 pm
I think most people appreciate the work that teachers do. I don’t normally post but I felt compelled to because I genuinely believe that most people in this part of Cobb are very supportive of the teachers and want to do everything that we can to help out in light of the budget cuts. To any teachers on this blog: can you recommend anything that we parents could do that would help alleviate the situation? There are so many ideas so I want to hear your perspective.
Buzz
January 29th, 2010
1:36 pm
Fayette Co. teachers received a 4.5% pay cut this year plus 3 furlough days and now probably 3 more!!! Costing teachers about $300 to $400 per pay check!!! Teachers have house hold budgets too and with these crazy paycuts it makes it hard to stay positive!!! People always say how underpaid teachers were… now what are we?????
jj
January 29th, 2010
1:48 pm
There are plenty of SPLOTS funds that could be redistributed in Cobb Co. The problem is because of previous bad behavior by the board these funds are locked into sepcific projects. For those of you here in the early 90’s Cobb Co. had about $50mm of splots money that they told voters would go to construction of new schools to relieve over crowding. Problem was when it came time to renew splots $50mm was gone and no new schools. Voters demanded accountability and this was solved by tying the funds to specific projects. I believe if the board went to the voters and was very specific about how they would tap these funds they would be supported. If however they violate the public trust again that option will never be available in the future. These are trying times, and sometimes exceptions need to be made. Lastly, we don’t pay squat in property tax for schools compared to virtually all the states that have sucessful edcuational programs. Yes, I am willing to pay more.
Eastsider
January 29th, 2010
1:50 pm
I appreciate the teachers in my son’s elem. school that put their hearts into doing what’s best for our kids. We just chipped in some money as well for a gift fund for my son’s teacher so she knows we appreciate her work.
James
January 29th, 2010
1:51 pm
@Westminster Mom – for the $5,000 figure I’m quoting Maureen Downey. I am not personally familiar with a private school that charges less than $7,000 though I assume that some do exist.
Joy in Teaching
January 29th, 2010
1:51 pm
I don’t think we could possibly lower expectations (for students) any lower than we already have due to NCLB.
I do think that someone who makes the big bucks needs to retool all of this paperwork that teachers have to do. It is unrealistic as well as unfair to teachers to amp up the paperwork and increase class sizes while lowering our pay.
I don’t have time to post much more today. I’m being booted out of my room next week due to a sporting event and will have to float. Gotta pack up my belongings in a shopping cart!
jj
January 29th, 2010
2:04 pm
Nature Dude—At a board meeting in December the County Attorney told Sanderson the furlough days are viewed the same as a suspension without pay. By contract and law no teacher can be suspended without a hearing. Sanderson asked if every teacher could request a hearing and the attorney stated an emphatic yes. The entire conversation is on tape at the Cobb public assess cable station. No need to sue, just request a hearing as you are entitled to. I doubt the board would like to be involved in 10,000 of these.
concern
January 29th, 2010
2:11 pm
James
There are a lot of private schools that are under $5,000 but are they SACS acredited? This make a big difference in a child’s education.
Kim (Dekalb Parent)
January 29th, 2010
2:52 pm
I am a parent and tax payer in Dekalb County. I have great public schools in my neighborhood with great teachers. Test score like the ITBS & SATs can prove that. There are several privet schools around me that are beautifull and have great programs. I choose for my children to go to our nieghborhood public schools. We as a comunity are standing up and ready to fight for these schools and teachers. I am willing to pay more taxes to keep my schools programs and teachers.
In the 11 years I have lived in this dekalb county neighborhood the value of my house has doubled, we have great families that have moved in, less renters and more owners. All because of the montasori program that is in our elementry school. Having a great program in the public schools help to keep our home values up for everyone. I hope every one realizes that if they make all these cuts to the schools that will hurt everyone who lives in these nieborhoods. Good families will move to better school districts, house values will fall further, we will all be affected.
One more thing, will Dekalb County as a whole ever make AYP if they cut out all there great programs? I dont think so.
Reality
January 29th, 2010
3:00 pm
In the ‘good times’ it didn’t seem to make anyone take notice…. thousands of computers purchased by Atlanta City Schools sitting in closets going obsolite, Cobb County Schools wasting money on silly Biology stickers and their stupid law suit, and so on.
There is already enough MONEY for schools if our ‘leaders’ would spend it properly and stop wasting it. All of the metro school systems are heavily burdened central offices crammed with useless workers collecting a paycheck because their ‘uncle is on the school board.’
Collect the tax money and funnel it directly into the classrooms. Stop the waste and there will be enough funding for good schools.
Walton Alum
January 29th, 2010
3:01 pm
It’s sad to hear of more state budget cuts. I graduated from the public schools in East Cobb a while back and I have to say the teachers were phenomenal in preparing me for Tech. It would be great if the schools created a website for alumni where we could donate some money to help teachers recover the cost of the furlough – many of us would be happy to help out!
Sick&Tired
January 29th, 2010
3:06 pm
The Gwinnett Portal is up and running for those who have signed up. I wasn’t that impressed and was hoping it would be more detailed. It does allow parents to keep up with grades and attendance. I just hope that the teachers are better at keeping this system updated; than some of them are at sending out progress reports.
It is very user friendly.
john konop
January 29th, 2010
3:18 pm
A few suggestions before raising taxes:
1) Eliminate a lot of the DOE if not all of it, and put the money back to work at the local schools. If you do not like the results get a new school board.
2) Break the walls down between public schools and higher education ie technical/vocational, to increase quality as well as save money via using up unused capacity.
3) All administrators making over 6 figures take a 20% decrease in salary.
4) Eliminate math 123 huge savings in repeat grades as well as summer school
5) Create 3 track system for kids over the one sixe fit all college bound and you are out. Once again we would save money on summer school and repeat courses and create tax revenue with work ready graduates.
6) Cross the board layoff of 10% of administrators.
If we implemented the above teacher pay would go up not down, and quality of education would improve!
Kim (Dekalb Parent)
January 29th, 2010
3:19 pm
To Walton Alum You can give to the schools PTA fund. I bet you could even call the school and ask if there is a wish list and donate something on that wish list.
I am the PTA treasurer for the elemenatry school in my neighborhood. We have raised over $50,000 a year for the last several years. This money has helped pay for class room supplies, field trips, and other programs that the county and school have no money for. We help the teachers as much as we can and are allowed to.
Cobb Parent
January 29th, 2010
3:38 pm
Kim, do you mind elaborating what things a PTA can/cannot get involved in? I was thinking that if parents were to say step in and fund a collection for a teacher, that would probably fall outside the jurisdiction of the PTA, right?
ricardus
January 29th, 2010
3:52 pm
There is no precedence of information or proof that increased funds translate to a better education. What does contribute is to get rid of all unecessary cirricula, time constraints, state and national testing and let the teachers teach the students!!! The federal government has no business being involved in our county schools nor does the state government for that matter. You need look only to the US Constitution for well-educated and successful students.
I would vote against any increase in taxes or funding for the schools.
LA Teacher
January 29th, 2010
3:58 pm
I can speak for my team of teachers when I say that this year has had some pretty depressing moments! We are so frustrated! Less money + more work = unhappy teachers. Gosh I love my students, but I find it hard to give them 100%. I feel terrible about this but teachers are being crapped on! When this continues to happen, it hinders our performance, thus hindering our students performance. This is a vicious cycle!
Deborah
January 29th, 2010
4:04 pm
I think that the shortfall should be made up by the people who use it. Start charging a per student fee back to the parents or have the parents agree to help out in some capacity. Put the burden on those that need the system instead of those making a different choice.
OMG – finally someone with some common sense! I choose not to have children. We never could get our heads above water financially enough to have children. One financial distaster after another. Even though I wanted children desperately. Now it is too late. So why should I have to continally pay for other’s who breed like livestock?
Parent and Taxpayer
January 29th, 2010
4:50 pm
Times are tough all over, time for teachers and other government employee’s to make some sacrifices like the rest of us. If test scores were going up every year, one could make an argument that teachers earn their pay. But just the opposite is happening. Teacher blame the students and parents, and complain about the stuff they have to put up with. That sounds more like a baby sitter than a teacher. Baby sitters are paid a lot less than teachers. So make up your minds, are you baby sitters or are you teachers? Until you decide, I urge an across the board 10% pay cut.
Parent and Taxpayer
January 29th, 2010
4:58 pm
jj – We pay over 20 mils in East Cobb in property taxes, a lot more than we should be paying. The State takes some of it, gives a little back, and sends the rest to rural Georgia, where they pay the minimum 6 mils. I say cut the teacher’s and administrator’s pay as much as necessary to balance the budget, but do not dare to increase my taxes. Teachers like to complain about how little they make per year, but only want to work less than 10 months for that money. I say cut, cut, and cut some more.
john konop
January 29th, 2010
5:02 pm
Parent and Taxpayer,
I think that is very unfair what you posted. Kathy Cox made them implement a horrible ill thought out strategy ie math 123, 1 track college bound education system only, PE focused on theory over exercise, CRCT testing screw up……….
We need more teachers and fewer managers! And the cuts should come from the management side and we could save money by implementing a better strategy as well as improve education!
My hat goes off to teachers it is a tough thankless job!
Ole Guy
January 29th, 2010
5:03 pm
Just a damn minute here…”Higher taxes or lower expectations”…this whole thing reeks of operational blackmail: “…if you, the public, don’t pony up, you may expect lesser of the product known as public education…”. This is nothing more than a “the sky’s gonna fall” reaction to the challenges which our elected leaders choose not to address in a responsible manner. I’m sure many of you in the public education arena already know, first hand, about the blatant waste and misuse of public monies at the administrative levels. DON’T FALL FOR IT! These people, rather than initiate the hard (on themselves) painful (on themselves) actions which are the hallmark of leadership, choose to take the easy way out…GIMME GIMME GIMME! FOR CRYIN OUT LOUD, DON”T FALL FOR IT! Demand results from those paperhangin SOBs. If they exercise a little fiscal discipline in their own little fifedoms, they’ll find the monies.
dean
January 29th, 2010
5:13 pm
GA Citizen
January 29th, 2010
11:45 am
Thanks for the update on the RI teachers. When in met them in JULY while on a kayaking trip, they Thought they were going to working 40 days without. It was their “Do what we have to do.” Attitude that impressed me.
Kim (Dekalb Parent)
January 29th, 2010
5:14 pm
Cobb Parent, Yes. We (parents) at are school collect money all the time for our teachers. It is not part of PTA but a parent thing. I hapen to be both. Our PTA gives the teacher an allowence every year to spend for class room needs. Our teachers have wish list that we go in together and help get things on the list so the teachers don’t have to pay for them.
Deborah
January 29th, 2010
5:18 pm
And teachers please quit whining! It is sickening.
I can’t remember the last time I had a vacation. How many weeks a year through the school year do you get a break? At least three. Then two or more months off during the summer? Add all the holidays, breaks – how many months a year do you even work? Six or Seven? Less than that? Gimme a break.
If you want to make more money climb into the private sector with the rest of us. Work 12 hour days with nare a day off. Give up all those zillion weeks of vacation a year and your sabatical every summer.
Kim (Dekalb Parent)
January 29th, 2010
5:24 pm
Parent and Taxpayer- teachers get payed by how many days they work then it is devided into how many paychecks the county passes out. A lot of them then get summer jobs to help make it through the summer. They have sick leave but no vacation pay.
JH
January 29th, 2010
5:46 pm
Elizabeth says … “Those “vacation days” are unpaid. I get so tired of explaining this over and over. Teachers get paid for the number of days they are contracted to work– this year it was 190 days. There are NO paid vacations or holidays. Other state employes do get paid vacation and paid holiday time. Teachers do not. ”
STOP MAKING THESE RIDICULOUS STATEMENTS – they undermine your “intelligence” !! You and others that constantly complain about teacher pay need to LOOK AT THE MATH !! How hard is it to comprehend that you are pretty well compensated for the amount of days that you actually work. Stop using these examples to back up teachers “horrible” pay, the numbers do not compute into making you under-compensated !! IN ADDITION, you get better health insuarance compared to the majority of the private sector … tenure and a “right to work” even if your a horrible teacher (it’s nearly impossible to get rid of the bad apples) … and you get a very handsome pension.
Teachers are valued and appreciated. However, it is becoming increasingly frustrating to sit back and let you continue to put yourself on this pedestal and refuse to take atleast a PORTION OF THE BLAME. Until there is an OVERALL IMPROVEMENT in our schools, the teachers do need to take on some of that responsibility and stop the finger pointing. We ALL play a part in our children’s success and we ALL play a part in this mess.
Teachers – take your FURLOUGH days and feel LUCKY you have a job!
East Cobber
January 29th, 2010
6:25 pm
Parent and Taxpayer has a point with the equalization payments. These equalization payments that the state forces Cobb to fork over every year to go to rural districts needs to go. There is nothing equitable about having to furlough our own teachers when our tax dollars would otherwise be sufficient to support our schools. I urge all Cobb citizens to contact their representatives and urge them to change this obsolete funding requirement.
JH
January 29th, 2010
6:33 pm
Amazing how my posts keep getting “lost”; but I’ll try one more time …
“Those “vacation days” are unpaid. I get so tired of explaining this over and over. Teachers get paid for the number of days they are contracted to work– this year it was 190 days. There are NO paid vacations or holidays. Other state employes do get paid vacation and paid holiday time. Teachers do not.”
DO THE MATH and STOP with these examples. THINK before you post, as it really does not compute into “horrible teacher pay”.
Echo
January 29th, 2010
6:40 pm
Deborah, if teachers have it so great why don’t you join us? I think I know the answer to that one. I know it must be hard getting “vacation days” working the drive thru at Wendy’s. Maybe you should have stayed in school, got your education…then you cold get a job with more perks. As far as how much I work…I’m willing to bet I work WAY more hours than you!
Anger and Ignorance
January 29th, 2010
6:50 pm
What’s sickening is the attitude of this state that corners can be cut in education and everything will be ok.
You know that’s BS, right?
It’s teachers’ fault that Perdue was elected because they didn’t like Roy Barnes.
You know that’s BS, right?
You people love to spout the (largely nonsensical and untrue) stat that Georgia is “49th out of 50 states” and the US is “losing ground to the rest of the world.”
You know that’s BS, right?
Oh, teachers “have all this time off,” “paid vacations,” “only work 9 – 3.”
You know that’s BS, right?
You people love to talk about how the teacher’s unions are ruining education in this great state of ours…
You KNOW that’s BS, right?
I don’t know if half the crap posted on this blog is really ignorant folks out there who truly believe this BS, or trolls just trying to get folks riled up. I admire the folks on here – parents and teachers alike – trying to make things better – being given lemons and making lemonade. But I have no respect for people who continue to spout nonsense about unions, and teachers having paid vacations, and not offering up any freakin’ solutions!!
What do you want people? Do you want a world class education? Well, that ain’t cheap and it doesn’t include everyone. If you don’t like the idea of tracking, vocational ed, and apprenticeships by 9th grade, then I’ve got a solution for all you naysayers – screw the stupid voucher idea – that’s not going to be anything but another layer of bureaucracy, and scrap all public schools. That’s right – no school taxes at all. Simply pay your own way at the private school of your choice. I’m all for it – how about you?
signed – sick of the anger and ignorance.
ClaytonCounty Resident
January 29th, 2010
7:08 pm
In reading the 100+ comments on this blog it appears that all the well meaning comments and ideas address symptoms of problems we face….not the problem. The biggest problem we face is that “Public Schools” are” Government schools” and thereby inherently inefficient and ineffective as are most government bureaucracies. Federal/State rules, regulations, unfunded mandates all serve to constrain stakeholder educational outcomes. We would be well served if we converted “blog rhetoric” into focused taxpayer and citizens action toward reforming education by addressing the core/fundamental problems associated with “government controlled/run/operated school systems”. Just read title 20 of the Georgia code and/or the GaDOE rules/regulations to view their impact on teaching & learning. We need a national/state debate on education just like the recent national/state debates on health care.
majii
January 29th, 2010
7:13 pm
Maybe our citizens should do what the citizens in Oregon voted to do earlier this week: impose a slightly higher tax on big business and people making over a certain amount of money. The citizens chose to do this in lieu of cutting the education budget to the bone. Something to think about.
Middle Man
January 29th, 2010
7:17 pm
Maureen,
It would be great to really get a break down of individual budgets in counties and to see where the monies are going. There is a lot of rhetoric here about waste and places to cut. Let’s look at the budgets and see it. I would be interested in seeing how all of the 25 odd metro atlanta districts stack up against each other in different expenditures. All of the budget are open records, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to get your hands on. Maybe this blog and the posters can come up with some concrete ways to find the waste and not assume that there is money being spent in ways that it may or may not be.
ScienceTeacher671
January 29th, 2010
7:38 pm
Middle Man, there’s a spreadsheet on the DOE website that shows how much each district spends in total and per pupil in about 7 different categories. Some expenditures might not be directly comparable — for instance, you’d expect a county that covered a larger area might spend more on transportation than a county with fewer square miles.
Deborah
January 29th, 2010
7:44 pm
Echo — LOL. You are an idiot. Hope you are not teaching my nephews. I paid more than 9K in property taxes per year to the city of Decatur. Teacher can you add? Probably a mightly $$ house, which your salary wouldn’t buy.
Deborah
January 29th, 2010
7:49 pm
City of Atlanta, I meant. You guys have it both ways. You work 7-9 months with a boatload of time off and you want to make $$$$$$$$$
Anger and Ignorance
January 29th, 2010
7:51 pm
JH – another example of anger and ignorance.
What do you know about teachers’ benefits and pensions? Stuff you’ve heard others say or read on a blog? How about doing some research and finding out exactly what these “great benefits” entail before you start bashing people (you might be surprised at the truth). Don’t forget – all teachers have at least 4 year degrees, and many have degrees in something other than education. That means they have other choices, friend. You’re going to start to see the best and brightest take their talent to someplace other than the classroom – then where will education be in the state of Georgia?
You get what you pay for, people. Dump the system and go private. Or really put your money where your mouth is – homeschool.
Signed – tired of the MISPLACED anger and UNINFORMED ignorance…