Shortening the school year to balance budget. Terrible idea. Terrible message.
From my colleague Jim Galloway over at Political Insider:
Wrapping up a morning of hearings on the state’s 2011 budget and the monster cuts that could come with it, Scott Austensen, the deputy state school superintendent for finance, touched not one, but two third-rails of Georgia politics.
First, he told lawmakers at the Capitol, the state needs to look at reducing the 180-days of instruction now required for K-12 students. Secondly, lottery money could be used to offset some technology expenditures in public schools – something lawmakers haven’t approved in years.
Afterwards, in a scrum with reporters, Austensen said that, depending on the severity of cuts to come, budget writers need to look beyond the teacher-training days now used for mandatory time off:
“Thus far, the six-day furloughs have come out of professional development days because – by law – even though the governor [declared] the furlough days, he didn’t change the requirement of 180 days or the equivalent…
“We’re suggesting looking at how deep those cuts may be. If it’s another six days, well, maybe that’s professional development. But if it’s going to be more than six days, we need to look at giving school systems the ability and flexibility to reduce some of those 180 days.”
I understand the budget crunch but I hope Georgia does not become one of the first states to slash the overall amount of time that children must attend school under the law. I think it delivers the wrong message at a pivotal moment. (But I also thought shutting down the schools to save gas telegraphed a horrible message to the rest of the country. I believe we were the only state to close schools to conserve gas.)
I think states that solve their budget woes on the backs of their education systems are not grasping the changing economy and the powerful draw of a well educated workforce. If we chip away at our schools at every crisis, any hopes of gaining of national reputation as an educational leader will be reduced to dust.
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68 comments Add your comment
John K
February 24th, 2010
10:25 am
Blame the unions!!!
Whoops. No Unions in Georgia.
Wonder if states with teachers’ unions do better?
clueless
February 24th, 2010
10:54 am
States with teachers’ unions DO perform better. Cause & effect? Who knows?
John K
February 24th, 2010
11:03 am
I do think it’s funny. I think folks here would be so ready to blame the unions for Georgia’s poor test scores (if Georgia had teachers’ unions). But there’s no way they’ll give unions credit for the good scores in other states. It’s that good ol’ Southern logic!
Mac
February 24th, 2010
11:04 am
Cutting back on the 180-days of instruction is the worst idea yet. Teacher and administration furloughs are one thing, and pretty acceptable in my mind for now. Actually cut the contract days and you start negatively impacting teacher retirement contributions which has much more far reaching implications for the rest of teachers’ lives. I’m all for doing our part to help with the furloughs to help get through the tough times, but this little idea is pure garbage.
what's right for kids???
February 24th, 2010
11:23 am
I just received an email from the human resources director informing all who plan to retire the “process” of retiring.
On top of contacting TRS and the county pension fund, the following people must be notified in order for a person to retire from Fulton County:
Principal/Director/or Supervisor
Staffing Director for your Zone
Benefits Department
Payroll Department
Pension Department TWO COPIES!
And there’s no waste? I do not understand why we tolerate six people reviewing an application for retirement when the idea of shortening the school week is on the table.
This, my fellow bloggers, is ridiculous.
what's right for kids???
February 24th, 2010
11:26 am
help! I’m trapped in a filter, and I can’t get out!
catlady
February 24th, 2010
12:39 pm
Philosopher–I am merely stating what I see.
Katie
February 24th, 2010
3:38 pm
Yesterday afternoon I heard a legislator say on a local news cast, in regards to the 10-day cut, “Our teachers will have to make the sacrifice.” This is just wrong on SO many levels. And, at the end of the day, who else will sacrifice is of course our students. When does it end? HOW does it end? People say, “Contact your legislators…..” but they obviously don’t care about kids or they wouldn’t EVEN bring this up…..all I can say is, thank God so many kids need tutoring. (Yes, I appreciate the irony). I lost $7500 of my salary from NB and furlough cuts, and I’m making up every bit of it with tutoring clients….of course, I have no time to rest, but at least I’m not homeless!
God help us if we don’t get someone in there who cares about kids. But I’m not holding my breath. In the meantime, I will continue to save my kids one at a time.
ScienceTeacher671
February 24th, 2010
7:29 pm
What kinds of sacrifices are our legislators making?
still a teacher
February 24th, 2010
7:39 pm
To the homeschool mom: How dare you insult the years of my education in order to choose to teach in a public institution? Do you know me? Do you know my qualifications? I am so tired of the insults thrown at teachers. Let me see you come in on a dialy basis and do my job: It’s not just teaching: We counsel, we support, we deal with administrators who have no clue of what truly happens in a classroom and then we try to teach in a large classroom with minimal supplies AND yet we still go on. I love my job; I’m highly educated and stop insulting me. My children are products of public education and are doing quite well. I may owe student loans into eternity, but I wouldn’t trade what I do in the hopes that the future of this country is safe and secure and somewhat intelligent!
Teacherforlife
February 24th, 2010
8:39 pm
“Our teachers will have to make the sacrifice.” Brilliant. Doesn’t that legislator know that it’s the children who are making the sacrifice. Not to mention society. An uneducated, or undereducated, populace leads to more people in jail, more people applying for public benefits, etc…Short term thinking…it’s going to kill us. I understand there’s no money. We need to decide as a state what we want to be in 20-50 years, and then define paths to those goals. I doubt that anyone wants to be known as the ignorant, criminal state that we are now heading towards being. Perhaps it’s time to start talking about raising taxes. I don’t like paying more wither, but sometimes spending more in the short term pays off in the long term. Pay for preschool now, don’t pay for jail later.
ScienceTeacher671
February 24th, 2010
10:13 pm
Have they cut funding for the halls of fame and the GO FISH! program yet?
Philosopher
February 25th, 2010
9:13 am
@ catlady: maybe you should look a little harder…or walk in the shoes of a parent less fortunate!
Philosopher
February 25th, 2010
9:14 am
Angus: The poor are impossible to educate?! Did you really say that? For real?? Please tell me you are NOT a teacher!
Philosopher
February 25th, 2010
9:34 am
@still a teacher: Amen and well-said! While I have had many, many issues with public education, homeschool mom’s arrogance is WAY over the top. Good teachers are exactly as you stated and to be revered and respected. Not all parents are capable, qualified or able to teach. And some, as this woman appears to be, are also arrogant and in turn, produce arrogant, intolerant children. One of the best things that happens in public schools, is the opening of a child’s eyes to the beauty and value found when meeting and befriending children of different races, social, and ideological persuasions than one’s own. Yes, public education is badly flawed, but homeschooling is clearly not the only answer. And last, God intended parents to teach their children how to live, but to believe that He expects every parent to stay home and teach their kids algebra, physics, and geometry is scary, at best.
Renise
February 26th, 2010
4:26 pm
Seems to me that Georigia is on a “race to the bottom”. The state ranks at the bottom of the list already. The idea of cutting the number of days that Georgia’s undereducated children are taught is unconscionable to be and borderline criminal. It is so upsetting as a parent who highly values education to see a state that thinks nothing of cutting access to education.
In all metrics Georgia ranks almost last and now if this goes through they can add “least number of days kids are educated” to their list. I am curious to find out if Scott Austensen’s children do go to public school.
Curious 123
March 16th, 2010
10:04 pm
Hi ScienceTeacher671 I really love your comment about going about needing to go back to 1850 your so right,on all of it. The only thing is, is that I think one teacher for a community that really knows their stuff is great. People did that in the old days and poeple came out way more wise than now. Just about every teacher that I had could not even spell and not only that they chose their favorite student and would sit and talk with them half of the class period. Like I said I agree with you, but I am a person who thinks more than half of what they teach now days is pointless. It waste younger peoples time and just gives more people a job of just sitting at a desk.
Karen
March 22nd, 2010
4:08 pm
. There are many states across the nation considering a 4 day school week. Hawaii already has a 4 day week and they have cut scholl bus service too.