http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120309/NEWS02/703099939
Friday, March 9, 2012
Springfield budget failure opens old wounds
Springfield School Board will decide next steps for the school budget.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120309/NEWS02/703099939
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120309/NEWS02/703099939
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re: “It is a little bit perplexing what motivated people,” Perotti said.
ReplyDeleteFrank, here's a hint. Springfield is the worst performing school in the state. Data comes from NECAP test scores, drop out rate, college acceptance rate, and admission to tier 1 colleges.
If the taxpayers have learned anything, it's that perpetually increased funding has no bearing on improved scholastics. So drop the fear mongering, it no longer works.
Most of us work long hours to support our home and families. Participating in school meetings and serving on boards is not an option. Unfortunately, these positions often go unopposed filled by incompetent do gooders. Do gooders that would never be promoted to mgmt in private business, wield a budget they can't comprehend, and hire a parade of ineffective, short term superintendents. Hence, the ONLY input we working class stiffs have is a protest vote.
Take the hint Frank. We're sick of poor results, constantly increasing budgets with declining enrolment and heating your office empire that was voted closed by us.
I'm on the budget committee, I have a college education, been in upper management positions in both the private and public sectors before retiring, had children graduate from the Springfield Schools and who graduated from #1 rated colleges. So as I see it, if you aren't part of the solution, it appears you are part of the problem! You go on about incompetent do gooders, that just shows your lack of education and understanding of the real problem. It's easy to make fun of people who are trying to make a difference, try giving these "do gooders" some real suggestions.
DeleteIf you and the board are such distinguished professions, why have we had so many administrators quit, and our schools continue to fail? Stop patting yourself on the back and wear a badge of shame for wasting funds trying to buy into success.
DeleteThere have been some outstanding suggestions offered in recent dialog, yet no one on the board nor you have acknowledged them. Enough said.
Machine: I sense a LOT of animosity in your posts. I don't necessarily disagree with your views, but I also don't think the budget committee is at fault for the districts monetary woes. I get the sense that you know a lot about this stuff so share your knowledge and help us come up with some honest down to earth solutions.
DeleteFor a guy with a PhD, Perotti is extremely DENSE!
ReplyDeleteAmen to the Machine Town Financer! Most of us would like something more than "change" and lint left in our pockets after these damn government bureaucrats are done plundering us for taxes to feather their nests.
The ongoing malaise in Springfield can be at least partially attributed to the inverse relationship between its consistently increasing tax burden and its chronically declining economic fortunes.
Folks, quit handing your money over to these poor performing government ingrates and make a stand to keep more of your money in your pockets to spend on your homes, your families, your property, and your future.
Tell the school board that Perotti’s pay should be tied to performance. A low base income (under $100,000) with performance incentives tied to academic and fiscal performance measurements – and his travel budget should be zeroed out until he gets this ship off the rocks.
If you are aware that a child has been locked in a padded room in a Springfield public school, please contact
ReplyDeleteDepartment of Education - Office of the Commissioner
120 State St., 4th floor
Montpelier, VT 05620
attn: Larissa Grenier
As someone with a child just entering the Springfield School system and a person who has also worked in the system as a Para, I can say that I am deeply concerned. I have so much to say I don't even know where to begin.
ReplyDeleteI have had the opportunity of working in the Springfield School system with the amazing teachers who really enjoy their jobs and who are truly passionate about what they teach, and who are doing their best. I have had the experience of working in a class room where there weren't enough calculators for every child to use during test time, and was told there was no more money in the teacher's budget to purchase more. The schools are suffering at the base level and yet I was told today that their budget is one of the highest in the area. What is going on?
Has anyone ever considered or proposed that maybe someone needs to be brought in, an auditor or something to figure out where all this money is going and how it can be better distributed and utilized?
Teachers have one of the most important jobs, and yet get paid very poorly considering what we expect them to accomplish. What bothers me about the budget being defeated is that if it was an attempt at sticking it to the metaphorical man; I don't think he is going to get the message. Instead it will trickle down and those who will suffer are the least deserving. Teacher's already struggling with insufficient budgets will find them further lessened, and the result will be that classrooms already lacking the things and staff they need to properly support and aid our children's education will have an even harder time, or they will cut the budgets for the "unimportant things", you know, the pointless classes like art, music and sports. After all, those things have never been important strengths at any good schools. (If you didn't catch it, I was being sarcastic.) Somehow this must be stopped or I will be forced to take my child out of the district either by moving away or by paying for private schooling elsewhere.
Our kids and teachers deserve better. Something needs to change in an extreme way. I do agree with salary caps for the administration, and somewhat with pay increases based on performance. What's wrong with pay increases based on performance is that the community can't expect the teachers to do it all. If a child is taught at home that education doesn't matter and that the school system they attend is a failure, you can't expect them to want to learn or feel it's important. At the student level I observed a severe and disturbing split between kids who are happy to be there and learn and those who seemed to view the school system as a joke, who didn't respect the teachers trying to teach them refused to listen to anything being said to them and who didn't seem to give a hoot about learning at all. And despite the fact that time and time again the same students would come to school just because they had to, not because they wanted to, the teachers would continue to try, and try, and try again, not giving up or ceasing to believe in those who seemed to have given up and stopped believing in themselves. Many of those children later end up as the drop outs previous writers have commented about, as if blaming the school system. This isn't the fault of the teachers or the schools. This is a matter of poor values being taught at home, likely a poor home life and a lack of family support for learning. So if performance is going to be considered it needs to take into account what was done by staff and faculty to reach the failing child. If everything was done that possibly could have been done to help the child and give him or her the very best chance to succeed and yet they still chose to not care and fail, that isn't the teachers fault and they should not be punished for it. Maybe there should then be penalties for families that allow their children to drop out of school.
ReplyDeleteEducation starts at home and how a child views the school they attend and how he or she values education and learning is not learned at school, but has to be ingrained into their heads long before they get there, and continually reinforced again and again by the family. Someone cannot say in one breath "Education is important" and in the next, "I'm not giving that worthless school a dime". We need to stop blaming the schools and teachers for the failures of the society. Have we forgotten the Proverb: It takes a whole village to raise a child? If the education in Springfield's schools is, so terrible then how come so many do succeed? If the education in the Springfield School District was really so awful wouldn't the majority of the students fail, or are you going to say those children who excelled were the gifted ones who could succeed in even the worst conditions?
While I have a lot of questions and concerns regarding how the money is being used, I believe that building a good strong and supported school system is the singular most important thing that can be done to improve how an area is viewed and to increase its quality of life. This town could definitely use that. I don't think that defeating the budget to stick it to the man is the right way to go about changing things. It is just going to hurt those who least deserve it.
Also, certain people feel they can do a better job than Perotti then why aren't those people stepping up to take his job... if you think you can do a better job then let's see it.
P.S. The atrocious idiotic rumor about kids being put in closets is not a new one. It’s a Springfield VT Urban Legend that has been being passed around for at least a couple years now. I first heard it back when they were building the new Union St. School building. Only back when I first heard it, it went something like this, that they were building a special padded room in the Union Street School that could only be opened from the outside and they were going to put the kids who got out of control in there while someone stood guard outside till they calmed down… seriously. Does anyone else think this sounds like something a mother told her child in a moment of frustration to make him or her behave and it ended up getting passed used out of context and blown way out of proportion till now here we are? I think so, and seriously? Are you kidding me? Are there actually people out there who think this has really happened? Really? Get a grip people.
ReplyDeleteSadly it has happen! There are padded rooms at Elm Hill, Union St, Gateway and RMS. These rooms are used almost daily. I work in the district and have seen it with my own eyes, but I can't tell you more or I will be fired! Don't stick your head in the sand and say it didn't happen!!!!
DeleteAlright, I'm sorry but that's just not accurate in my opinion. Let's get real here, what I was debunking was the misperception that there are "Padded Rooms" in our schools. First off they are not "Padded Rooms", there aren't four walls covered with pillow like material, they aren't windowless, or void of anything inside, they don't throw children in the rooms, close the door and stand guard outside emotionless or peering in through a small square window watching heartlessly while the child inside cries out and flips his or her head all alone inside. Jeepers, why not throw in strait jackets while your at it. What I have seen working in the schools is what I do believe is better dubbed a safe time out room where they take the child who has become so agitated and is in such a out of control emotional state that they could pose a threat to themselves or other and a teacher or two stay with them and if necessary hold them in a safe physical restraint they are trained to do,(sadly this is sometimes necessary) until they calm down or until a parent or police officer can take over. Unfortunately this does happen, and I for one am relieved to know that they have a safe place where they can take a child in such an elevated emotional state where they can work on getting them to calm down away from the other children of the classroom who deserve to continue to receive a lesson in a comfortable environment and not have to endure the fear that keeping a child in such a state inside the classroom would cause. If my child were to flip out, please do remove him or her, so that the others can continue to learn and feel safe and comfortable. It is an unfortunate necessity. If a child flips out now and injures another child because there was no one there who was properly trained to do what needed to be done safely so no one did anything for fear of beingPlease do not prevent my child from getting an education while they sit in terror as a child sits in the classroom screaming hysterically, profanity and threatening statements. Who may decide to start hitting and kicking and throwing things that may injure others. Yes, this happens, or at least this level happens, and if there is not safe time out room where will it happen? In the classroom, should they take them out into the hall for all to hear and see, or would a bathroom be a more fitting setting?
DeleteI feel safer and more comfortable with my children attending public school knowing such a place exists. I do not want my child to have to endure that nor would I want my child to be kept in a classroom with others if he or she were in such a state. There are members of staff who are trained and certified to take the necessary precautions and actions and if necessary are taught safe, none physically harmful restraint tactics for a child who has become so agitated they must be restrained otherwise they would pose a threat to themselves and others. Yes, this happens. It is awful, no one likes to see it happen; every attempt is made to avoid it getting to such a level, it is sad, but true. Paras were often the ones who were trained to be able to do this, but oh wait, there a quite a few less of them now, so a more pressing and worrisome question for me is, so who will be trained to do it now? It is an unfortunate necessity. If a child flips out now and injures another child because there was no one there who was properly trained to do what needed to be done safely so no one did anything for fear of being sued, well I guess we shouldn't have cut the staff who were there who could have done something. Oh well, didn't fit in the budget and we didn't want to pay the taxes, but then the outraged cry out will be. "Why wasn't something put in place to prevent this?" There was, but we didn't like the sound of it and we didn't think that extra staffs were necessary so we fired them.
DeleteFurther these time out rooms serve a more positive purpose most of the time. When there isn't a child in crisis the rooms serve as a quiet place where kids can do homework, just get some quiet time and read, and often the staff who are always assigned to the room are some of the friendliest and most popular among the students. It's a place where I saw some of the most difficult students, often the very ones that would occasionally flip out and need to be separated, blossom, come back on their own when they knew they needed to get away for a few because they could feel themselves getting agitated and knew they needed to get out of the situation they were in before they elevated any further. Students who in the classroom were unable to focus and get work done would go to the time out room sit at a desk, yes there are desks, and in a quiet corner be able to focus and zip through an assignment that they otherwise wouldn't have been able to get through in the classroom environment. So let’s veer away from the negative and realize these time out rooms serve our students in more of a positive way most of the time.
I dont know what room you are referring to at RMS but the room in RMS is a small locked room the size of a walk in closet with padding on the floor and walls and is in a room across from the offices. That is the isolation room at RMS.
DeleteOkay if you are telling the truth I have not seen that room. So somehow in three years of working at RMS as a para I never saw it nor saw it used, unless things have gotten a lot worse in the last few years I can't see how it is used on a daily basis now and was almost never used, if at all, when I was there. So in that case I suppose I cannot deny nor support its existence. I recall a closet room across from the office and the guidance room I believe was over there as well. I'm game, if it exists I will admit I was wrong, but to my knowledge I never saw it. The room I was speaking of was at the end of that hall way. Most kids referred to it as the guidance room, not the guidance counselor's room, that was different. How about this, how about we as a town request a tour of the schools with full disclosure and if these rooms exist we get detailed explanations of how such rooms are used and why and what is done to prevent a child from ending up in one. How about we propose such a tour at the next meeting.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSorry typo again.
DeleteAlso, as I do feel there needs to be... let's call them safe rooms, where kids who cannot be deescalated and who have reach a level that they have are so hysterical and agitated that they are a danger to themselves and others can be brought for a time till they can calm down and/or be removed from the school. If they do exist in padded room form and are not to our liking then we need to decide how we as a community want to change the safe room environments to and the policies they would carry to our liking. We do have the power to do this. Last I checked the definition of Democracy is an egalitarian form of government in which all the citizens of a nationj, (or town in this case) together determine public policy, the laws and the actions of their state, requiring that all citizens (meeting certain qualifications) have an equal opportunity to express their opinion. I'm still skeptical that these "Padded Rooms" exist in the form so horribly described but I'm open minded. So if it exists I want to see it, I want to understand it, and I want to lead the way to make improvements. I would hope that everyone would agree that if a child gets to a point where they are so out of control that they need to be separated that there should be a safe place for them to go until they can calm down while the other kids can continue to get the quality education they deserve. So then lets also all agree that if we don't like the way such safe places are designed and utilized that we step up as a community and make the changes necessary to make them acceptable.
These rooms are 6' x 4' with pads that run up the sides around 5'. There is no furniture of any kind (even prisoners in jail get furniture). The student sits on the floor. The window everyone is talking about is 2' by 3' and faces a classroom or office. In the one "padded room" at Elm Hill (there are two of these rooms), a curtain was placed over the window and last year the solid door was replaced with one that has a small window. The second padded room at Elm Hill is used as a copy room and can be seen from the main office if you visit the school. Sorry that you are skeptical, but these rooms do exist and are used!
DeleteThis is to SPHKT thank you very much for your insight on these rooms. I agree with you fully. I think it is better to have these rooms for students to calm down in. Are there people out there that think that by taking these rooms away is a better solution. well if we do not have these places for out of control students do people think that ccalling the Police Dept is a better solution. I think calling a police officer in will traumatize a student more then these rooms ever will. This is what will happen if staff can not de-escalate the students. Some students the only way they calm down is to have the quiet little space. Some use this space to get their frustrations out. Thank you again.
DeleteI have to pay your taxes while I home School my kids.
ReplyDeleteYour ALL INSANE !!!
I am also a mother of three, and I work full time, and I pay the taxes. Education is very important to me and I stress that to my children all the time and support what I say by reading to them and practicing skills with them often. I have a deep respect for your decision to home school your children. That is very hard. I did it for a summer and fall while I was going to school online full time and working part time and still paid taxes. I do feel your pain, BUT if not passing the budget means my kids education is going to suffer in some way, I will gladly keep paying the taxes. At the same time I would be curious to know exactly what money is going where in the school system, and when and how it is gets applied and divied out as it trickles down the mountain.
DeleteEveryone does not have the ability to home school. Some people are single parents, some families could not afford to live on one income, or may have mental or physical health issues. I am also sure that some families have a wonderful home school experience and others do not. It is not like it is the magic answer and everyone else swallowed the wrong pill.
DeleteYou are not "paying my taxes". I pay my taxes. I think what you meant to say was that you have to continue to pay YOUR taxes while you home school your children. But, you may want to rethink the home schooling!!!!! It should be "You're ALL INSANE!!!!"
DeleteNow now Anonymous, remember, no one is perfect. However, if you don't mind I would like to jump on board with you for a moment and add that the, "S", in, "School" shouldn't be capitalized, and that homeschool is most widely accepted as being one word or hyphenated, but not two. Hopefully this is just a matter of being in a hurry, otherwise let's hope someone else is covering grammar usage and punctuation.
DeleteWe are not insane, it just may seem that way at times.
ReplyDeletesphk, well said! I agree with you to the fullest. Trying to prove a point by not passing the school budget hurts the youth and ourselves in the community and people don't realize this. Who will want to come to this town, open business' and spend $ in a town who doesn't believe enough itself to care about its well-being. Our schools are where it all begins, they are the building block of the community. Don't take out your frustration on as many have said before, "the man," focus on what the town truly needs, schools to do well. It may take a few years to weed out the issues but believe in what they can do and pass the budget, it will pay great dividends in the near future and make this whole town come back! The teachers we have are all amazing and are doing a terrific job with the tools they have, imagine if they had more resources to work with!!!
ReplyDeleteRather than all the general textual abuse being thrown at the School Board, teachers, and administrators, Springfield could use people making creative and constructive comments. Springfield Schools have some very strong points, but they could always use improvement. Some of those improvements could actually increase enrollments and create revenue for the schools. Voting down school budgets does not result in change, at least not positive change -- what it does is stifle experimentation and creativity. It causes administrators to be less willing to experiment with different approaches and to follow traditional patterns. The result is that a school ceases to be cutting edge and will often decline in quality. So my advice is to those who have been posting negative comments, is that they start suggesting constructive alternatives other than simply calling for administrators to be fired and for budgets to be slashed --those type of comments provide no social good.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, so If anyone has some constructive ideas. I'm all ears. I have a couple. One, I think that if the concern is what is happening with the money, then I want to see an extremely detailed explanation of what is going to be done with it, down to the last dollar, and then I would like to see invoices or some sort of proof that it is actually going where it was supposed to and to what result, mainly how is it benefitting my child’s education. Two, I think having some sort of high quality auditor come in to take a look at how things are currently being done and who from an outside perspective could assess what is going on and then be able to make suggestions and help implement changes necessary to make our school district more financially efficient. It would have to be an outside job, a contractor, a decent sized one, and one with a strong credible history of being able to make improvements without making any more staffing cuts. Unfortunately unless someone has an auditor that fits the build up their sleeve and on speed dial this is something that will have to be worked on after this budget.
DeleteAm thinking hiring a auditor will just take more money out of the budget and away from productive use. The State audits the school district budgets.
DeleteSo but honestly does any one have any other thoughts? Is there something more cost effective that could also take a in depth non biased look at what is being done with the school budget??
DeleteWhile I have concerns about the budget being fixed enough to pass a vote, my bigger concern is the padded rooms being used to control kids. I personally saw one of these rooms recently at Union Street and have talked to several students there who are very concerned about the possibility of being sent to the "cloud room" as punishment. I am also concerned about the previous person who admitted the rooms exist, but was afraid to post more due to threats of loosing a job. Is this the transparency the superintendent speaks of so often? I also see the school board meeting agendas and virtually all of them include the provision for "executive session" at some point. Watching the meetings on SAPA I've often heard the chairman assure the cameras that no action will come out of these executive sessions, but the next meeting introduces changes that were passed somewhere. Again, is this transparency? The school board is having a meeting on Monday at SHS and on the agenda is a spot in New Business which is open to discuss budget - maybe that could also mean open to discuss citizen concerns? Somebody needs to make them listen. Change needs to happen somehow.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSorry typo had to fix and re-post.
DeleteI guess I can't speak for the "cloud room" at Union St. as I haven't seen it but I can speak for RMS and say it is basically a regular room with desks, tables, even a chair or two and there was an area in the back with pillows which most of the time served as a cushy spot for a kid to sit and read or listen to an audio book or work on some homework. I guess that must be the dreaded padded room part. I again have to tell you that these rooms are necessary because the truth is there needs to be a safe place to take children, yes even Kindergarten children who can and do become so agitated that they can pose a threat to themselves and others and need to be removed from the classroom.
Interesting, and do we hear volunteers who want to restrain a 200' kid with violent tendencies when the State doesn't have facilities to handle them and the police seem to think its the school's problem?
DeleteVolunteers no, you would have to be nuts to volunteer for a job like that. No, one will volunteer for such a thing. Oh wait! I know how to help the budget, lets get rid of the least paid people who are available and get trained to handle situations like this so teachers can continue to teach when it happens... oh no wait, my bad,that would be the paras and we already did that.
DeleteGood point SPHKT, they should not have cut the paras, and perhaps the Town which constantly slashes its budget could get the police to be more involved in working with the school rather than sitting in their cars with their radar guns turned on. Oh wait, that might actually accomplish something.
DeleteWow, Aethelred, you actually said something positive and rational. I am not exactly sure what the "cloud" room if it exists has to do with the budget, voting down budgets doesn't solve that problem. Executive sessions are very strictly regulated by statute and it is very common to automatically schedule one on the agenda whether there is in fact one to be held or not.
ReplyDeleteSummary of the March 1 and 2 2010, Annual Town and Town School District Meeting:
ReplyDeleteArticle 13:
Voted to authorize Springfield Town School District, pursuant to the provisions of 16 V.S.A. §562(7), authorize the Board of School Directors to sell, give, or otherwise dispose of the school building and parcel known as the “Park Street School”, located on 60 Park Street, upon such terms and conditions as the Board of School Directors shall negotiate and determine.
ARTICLE 14:
Voted to authorize the Springfield Town School District, pursuant to the pro-visions of 16 V.S.A. §562(7), authorize the Board of School Directors to con-vey the school building and parcel known as North School, located at 49 Main Street, to the North School Preservation Society, Inc.
ARTICLE 15:
Voted to authorize the Springfield Town School District, pursuant to the pro-visions of 16 V.S.A. §562(7), authorize the Board of School Directors to sell, give, or otherwise dispose of the school building and parcel known as Southview School, Parcel ID# 033/1/01.1, located on South Street, upon such terms and conditions as the Board of School Directors shall negotiate and determine.
ARTICLE 16:
Voted to authorize the Springfield Town School District, pursuant to the pro-visions of 16 V.S.A. §562(7), authorize the Board of School Directors to sell, give, or otherwise dispose of the school building and parcel known as East School, Parcel ID# 027/5/03, located on 199 Summer Street, upon such terms and conditions as the Board of School Directors shall negotiate and determine.
LONG AND SHORT OF IT:
Sell these schools
Really. No don't my child goes to All-4-One in Park Street and loves the plethora of awesome things they do there. The do Martial arts, take the kids swimming, offer homework support, provide art camps, building camps, dress up fun, cooking camps, and offer a safe environment where the kids can freely play and interact positively. What should happen is updating the building a little and putting a playground outback again so these kids have a better place to play attend. Summer Days is run out of Park St. Oh and Tai Kwon Do, and Dance Classes and Gymnastics all call Park St. School home in the summer. Where do you propose these priceless and amazing and essential and positive programs take place if the building is sold?
DeleteWell I have to question a parent who would want their child in a building filled with asbestos.
DeleteIf it was considered unsafe they wouldn't allow the children in it. Asbestos exposure becomes a health concern when high concentrations of asbestos fibers are inhaled over a long time period of time. My house has asbestos in the barn. There is no safety concern unless we drill into it or start knocking down walls and taking deep breaths. Same goes for Park St. A lot of improvements could be made without risking exposure. But you did a wonderful job of avoiding the question. Rather than question what I already know the facts about and attack me as a parent. Why not offer alternatives like another space for these programs I mentioned. If you have that up your sleeve in viable form then by all means, sell the building, if you don't, then let it be until someone does, because at the moment the positives out weigh the negatives.
DeletePark Street is a great building. Structurally it is better than Riverside which is probably the worst building in the District. It needs to be converted to a greater educational and community use than it currently serves.
DeleteYeah that is truly brillian idea, sell buildings that the school system says it can't afford to rehabilitate, and then expect somebody to snap them up and rehabilitate them into what? Oh subsidized housing units, that is a clever idea...so much more intelligent than having the school system convert them into structures that can actually be used to educate a variety of age groups in Springfield...oh wait, we are all over educated liberals in Springfield.
DeleteHello? didn't we vote to close Park St School because it was unsafe for children to use??
DeleteMaybe you did DB, but I didn't. Park Street is one of our more sound buildings in the School District, much better construction than River Side. The two best built buildings in the District are Park Street and East School.
DeleteAlpin these people only understand selling things, it doesn't matter that Park Street has a mini-greenhouse, that it has an auditorium, that it has a gym and a shop area. They aren't interested in seeing what an amazing asset it could become, they are just interested in bashing administrators and cutting taxes, and wasting time having people pull out invoices, etc.
ReplyDeleteI agree-- the Park Street School have many wonderful features. I with many other taxpayers felt the building is well contructed and could last another 100 years. Only with help to bring it up to todays building standards: new efficient boiler and heating system; new windows and doors; new communication systems and fire protection to name a few.
DeleteAll that did not happem, due the vote a few years back to expand Elm and Union schools.
Now, we have to pay to heat the building , repair broken water pipes and keeping throwing good money into the old building.
Here's a thought.
Sell the building. Move the kids into respective schools. The Admin could easily be housed in the highschool. The number of enrolled students keep dropping. Surely space must be available.
The North School is disposed of.
The South School has a long term lease.
Sell the Park and East schools.
One more thought, why do we rent space from the Nolin Murray Center, when we dont need to?
If Park is costing more than it's worth. I don't mind the idea of selling if it's not a cost effective building to keep supporting with the school budget, however, I do care about the building. So in that case and off topic for a moment, I think it needs to be sold as a historical building and care needs to be taken to preserve its historical beauty structurally both inside and out, while allowing it to grow and function in a better way so as to promote Springfield's growth as a town. Next, who knows more about the Nolin Murray building mentioned here? Is it serving a purpose to the school district at the moment in any way? Maybe that could be used for some of the summer programs and All-4-One. It is already set up as a school, after all that's what it was before VNA who moved out of town a few years ago now. I remember the school was looking to rent the space. I worked there for the VNA. ITS A REALLY NICE SPACE! Also, there is a small but functional play area. I would be on board with some offices and the All-4-One program moving up there.
DeleteFix the Park street School.
DeleteTake a lesson from History. Great location.
asbestos isn't an end all. Clean it up from brownsfield money. Get SOM and SRDC to help.
Good thinking...
DeleteA 1st class School Downtown would also actract young couple with kids who are INTERESTED in decent schools.
With 1 good school, you will save the entire Town
And it HAS TO BE the PARK ST SCHOOL.
DeleteAll Other Schools are not in visable locations.
Visibility does not carry an inverse relationship to success.
Success is done in Public.
Every good student winds up spreading creative success like a P.R. managers best dream.
Put smiling kids and happy parents DOWNTOWN.
You save the Town and build a happy future.
@ Check Mate
DeleteYou are clearly a brilliant genius with a Springfield First mentality.
Will you please Apply For Frank's Job.
With you at the helm we will be MAKING History not just TEACHING History
I like the Park St School. I am all on board with keeping it and doing the updates to get it back up and running. We as a community simply need to come to a group decision and determine what we want and then make it happen. Still I want to know what the Nolin Murray building is being used for?
DeleteClosing eyes........
Deletepicturing Park St School Re-invented......
Wow....... Wow....... Wow........ HOLY WOW !!!!
Calling all of my friends looking for new homes, around schools, for their young kids NOW !!!
If you FIX IT.
DeleteTHEY will come.
Think of all of your NEW VOTES
DeleteThey might be more than your OLD VOTES too.
One thing for shure, they are Springfield's future
"Greatest Love Of All"
DeleteI believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be
Everybody's searching for a hero
People need someone to look up to
I never found anyone who fulfilled my needs
A lonely place to be
So I learned to depend on me
[Chorus:]
I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadows
If I fail, if I succeed
At least I'll live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can't take away my dignity
Because the greatest love of all
Is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all
Inside of me
The greatest love of all
Is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest love of all
I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be
[Chorus]
And if, by chance, that special place
That you've been dreaming of
Leads you to a lonely place
Find your strength in love
There has been several educational reuse studies done on Park Street School. Unfortunately, their results got drowned out during the battles over the elementary schools. Those studies need to be revisited and the progressive people in Town need to get behind a proposal.
DeleteWe should comandeer the machine shop next to it and add it to the Park St School System for votech programs and hands on use with NEW techonology.
DeleteNolin Murray is being used by the Gateway Program.
DeleteMagnet Ninja, we already have these programs at the tech center in which Springfield students attend.
DeleteWhy did they move Gateway from the East School?
Delete@
DeleteAnonymous ?
No, I mean Ninja Magnet technology.
You start spinning magnets to light my bulbs and to counter gravity I will listen to you.
Come see I what I have done.
-
The Ninja
Gateway was moved from East School because the superintendent told the board the school should be sold. When this move was made, the district lost the rent the Gateway Collaborative was paying the district. That rent now goes to Nolin Murray for use of the old Catholic school building. Gateway is not part of the Springfield School District - it is just one of the locations students are sent to for behavior issues and tuition is paid by the district for Springfield students to attend the Gateway program.
DeleteSo they ceased to rent it to Gateway, and then did they actually sell it, for what subsidized apartments? or did they keep it without a tenant? I suppose the "cloud" room that keeps being mentioned is due to premature releases from Gateway.
DeleteI would like to address SPHKT. I am the parent of a child, who does not have a behavior disorder, and was placed in the seclusion room at Elm Hill. We were not notified by the school that he had ever been placed in the room, he told us the following day. It was a traumatizing experience. When is it okay to use a room like that, and exactly who makes that judgement? After contacting the school, the door has been taken off, for now. I was contacted by another family that had the same experience last year, and the door came down, but was put back up again. How do you feel about a child with a disability being put in that room, that does not have the ability to communicate what happened to their parents? This is a topic that needs to be taken seriously and we as a community need to discuss what kind of learning atmosphere we would like to see our children engaged in. Would you rather have some one highly trained in deescalating behaviors and guidance dealing with children at the school, or some one less well trained with no guidance from administration using isolation and restraint techniques, thinking fear will intimidate a child from doing something again? Where is the lesson there? Most kids will go home not feeling right, and kids that don't feel right don't behave right. That begins a viscous cycle. Most parents do not know these rooms exist. I implore anyone questioning this to go visit our beautiful new K-2 elementary school. After passing through the main entrance walk straight down the hall to the end and turn left. The CARES room is there on the left side of the hall. Within that room there is a smaller room and it is padded with what looks like gymnastic mats. Now go on in there and maybe kneel, so you can be the height of a small child. Imagine what it is like to be told to sit against the wall and have the door shut on you, totally alone, with nothing in there. After doing this, maybe do a little research on line about seclusion rooms and their impact on adults and children. After acclimating yourself and educating yourself, then feel free to become part of the discussion. I don't think it is okay to throw out opinions without having done any research into a topic. One last note, let us be clear the room at Elm is NOT a sensory room, it is a seclusion room. There is information available online about sensory rooms also. I honestly don't mean to be rude, I am serious. My son's experience has haunted me from the moment he disclosed it to us. I am saddened at the thought of other kids that had a similar experience and were unable to communicate it or did not have parents with the ability to advocate for them.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting your story, it had to be hard thing to do. Please contact the contact the VTDOE. I have seen and been in these rooms and it is not a good feeling.
DeleteMy son had a similar experience at Union Street and when I attempted to discuss it with staff there I was told he had "imagined" confinement in the "cloud room". I was given a further lesson on children's "perception" to situations and told that the "trained professionals" knew how to handle things properly and I should not worry further. My child refused to go to school the fear was so strong. I ended up pulling him out of school and homeschooling. He has done very well and we will continue to learn at home. I've talked to other parents with concerns and have encouraged them to contact DOE as well as bring their concerns to the school board. Several have attended meetings and tried to voice concerns, but were told to make an appointment through district office so they could be put on future agendas for the board. So far, none of these concerns has been placed on a school board agenda. In the matter of the room at Elm Hill, from Dr. Perotti's point of view (as published in the paper) it is a small space within a room that has a window where a child is monitored for safety at all times and the room is rarely used. Somehow, these two stories seem to be in direct opposition - or maybe I'm confused?
DeleteI am very concerned with that there have been cases of these rooms being used inappropriately. Those who have experienced an inappropriate use of these rooms which I now know to exist... I can't imagine what that must have been like. I admit I was skeptical. I spoke to my daughter who validated the Elm Hill room exists. I still think that some sort of safe room, as awful as it may sound, needs to exist because a kid can go from zero to disruptive or worse throwing things and endangering others very quickly. No matter how well trained someone is in deescalation skills it is still necessary because sometimes it's not environmental sometimes it's medical. I feel very strongly that the use of these rooms needs to be regulated with strict protocols. They shouldn't be for the child who is just really upset and as I said previously if we don't like how such things are set up, or the way they are being used then we need to put in the time and effort to make the changes happen to the policies and the rooms so that they are to an acceptable level and so we can feel comfortable that our children can feel safe and so that they will not be used inappropriately. Also, formally, I apologize for the skepticism previously. I just couldn't believe as a previous para that such places existed and I didn't know about it.
DeleteI had a discussion with my sister about the issues we are facing at Elm regarding behavior and seclusion. She currently works at a small public school in NH. They do not have the same behavior issues, even though it is a low income community. Before that she was employed at a school with a much larger number of children (and staff), and said they experienced way more behavior issues. They did not use a padded room though, they had an open room with a padded corner and they had soft balls, pillows, etc. available. The room also had a trampoline and an exercise bike. Staff members had exercise mats available to protect themselves if a child seemed extremely agitated. She was clear in saying that although this was less invasive than the padded rooms, she thought that the rate of behavior problems was related to the size of the school. Also she thought that although staff members meant well, a lot of the time their responses further agitated children. At her current school, because of the size, the teachers know each child really well. They notice if something is different or someone is feeling "off." The children in her current school may have the same kind of problems at home as they did in the other one, but they are not having the same reactions at school. The other thing about the school is that they have a wonderful and responsive principle who knows each of the children and cares about them. She said at the larger school, it was like everyone was witnessing all this craziness and just becoming desensitized to it. She hated it and never felt right inside while she was there. Perhaps one of the things we should look at in this case is are we seeing more behavior issues at Elm, than when there were three separate smaller schools?
DeleteRe: "I have had the experience of working in a class room where there weren't enough calculators for every child to use during test time, and was told there was no more money in the teacher's budget to purchase more."
ReplyDeleteWHAT THE #**%@, over???? Calculators???? Are you kidding me? That's what you're going to use to symbolize the lack of sufficient funding of Springfield's schools??? What a farce. That's an outright admission that education is occurring if we're handing out calculators for students to perform their mathematical calculations! Can you say NONESSENTIAL??? Find that line in the budget and whack it.
Re: "...my child goes to All-4-One in Park Street and loves the plethora of awesome things they do there. The do Martial arts, take the kids swimming, offer homework support, provide art camps, building camps, dress up fun, cooking camps, and offer a safe environment where the kids can freely play and interact positively."
Again, a complete lack of focus on "education". What's next, parents and faculty complaining that there aren't enough Barbie dolls to go around???
The stupidity continues at the Springfield School System!
When I went to school, the teachers TOOK AWAY our calculators.
DeleteNow I can program my own software.
go figure.
calculators were called cheating in Math Class
DeleteANYBODY REMEMBER ??
Am I that Old ???
GAsp !!!!
I have to know how is taking the kids out into the community, spending time with them, helping them with homework, teaching them cooking skills, art, building and social skills and growth not educationally focused? What do you consider educational focus then because I can think of all kinds of education involved in these activities. Homework help isn't educationally focused... Can someone explain that to me? Cooking isn't educational, okay learning measurements and time isn't educational. I could continue but instead maybe a definition of education needs to be reviewed in case I missed something: Education is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next.[1] Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts. In its narrow, technical sense, education is the formal process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, customs and values from one generation to another, e.g., instruction in schools. Okay, just had to be sure.
DeleteWow, I would have loved to use a calculator in math class! Course I didn't take calculus in high school.
ReplyDeleteI did. Started it in 8th grade. Pre-calculus.
DeleteBut no calculator there either.
They probably didn't have calculators when you went to school Alpin, I bet you used your girlfriend instead. Probably part of your business management training to take credit for others work.
DeleteWell, yes I did use my girlfriend, but that was good old honest cheating. These kids are being denied the ability to learn to text on their calculators. This is important, how are they going to learn to program in the answers in their handhelds if they don't have simple texting skills.
DeleteI remember programming the equations and calculus tables into my calculator and using them there so I did not have to memorize them.
DeleteThis ended in middle school. Damn those teachers were smart. What happened to all of you these days?
Alpin did you program equations and calculus tables into your girlfriend?
DeleteNo, my senior math teacher was so drunk most of the time that we didn't need to even cheat. Those were the good old days when we paid the teachers so little that they sometimes had to go hire them out of the bars if a teacher quit unexpectedly. That was back in a Red State of course where they still do that sort of thing to keep the taxes down and to maintain a permanently uneducated peasant class. The kind the Woody Bickford's of this world seem to appreciate.
DeleteI used to date a boy who kept a calculator glued to a magnet under his desk.
Delete8th grade.
I used to date a girl that kept her bubble gum stuck under her desk, she made a fine calculator.
DeleteI think that whether you agree with the use of calculators or not it does still show that there was a lacking in funds. It was an example of not having enough to go around. This was during NECAP testing, and yes, they do use calcs for some of the math because it gets advanced. Don't act like you've never used a calculator before. The kids are timed and for those who had to wait for a calculator to become available, that isn't fair regardless of the calculators vs. no calculators argument. I for one didn't use calculators until later myself. I can do long division and multiplication by hand, which isn't true for all the kids these days, I do agree that this should not be the case.
ReplyDeleteI would like to know more about the thoughts people have on how the budget needs to be changed from the one previously proposed. I want to hear proactive solutions not just negative banter. I have opinions, everyone has opinions, and that's great, this is America and we can all have our own and voice them. Just look at this blog, it's amazing, and dispute the fact I don't agree with it all, it is Democracy at it's best. In some countries people could be executed for such a debatable discussion. I FOR ONE LOVE THIS. I have learned a lot, but I want to learn more about the topic at hand, the budget, it's issues and ideas on how the current state of it can be changed so that our children can receive the best education possible. Point blank, lets refocus here, stop bantering each other for the things we disagree with, everyone will never agree with everyone, and that's what makes a Democracy great because it allows individuality and opposing opinions but we have to move beyond the disagreements at some point and focus on coming up with solutions. Can everyone tell me because I'm curious what each of you feel the biggest misuse of the last school budget was. Remember there are going to be different opinions, let's try to keep an open mind and hear everyone out before we start voicing opposing views. OK, GO...
ReplyDeleteWell railing at the School and discussing "cloud" rooms isn't going to fix the budget. The problem with trying to reduce the Central Office via budget failures is they are likely to let go the staff that actually do the work. The only effective way to reduce the Central Office budget is to get elected to the board, and then start forcing central administrators to wear more than one hat at a time. Like forcing the Curriculum Director to also have the credentials to be the Special Ed Director or whatever they call that position now and combining the two. They will respond by saying that they are both mandated positions...which may or may not be true. But you cannot accomplish that by defeating the budget or railing against the Central Office in Town Meeting, or having old timers who have no clue how schools have had all kinds of social services forced upon them including children that probably should be institutionalized or at least permanently assigned to Gateway to deal with discussing champagne tastes at Town Meeting.
DeleteHas everyone seen this article from just four months ago? I am curious as to what people think of this? When the school goes over budget where does the money come from then?
ReplyDeleteSpringfield schools running over budget
The Springfield School District is tightening its money belt after school officials announced recently it is operating in the red. On Town Meeting Day, voters passed a $26,162,114 budget by a slim margin. According to Springfield School District Business Manager Steven Hier, the school district will overspend that amount by $523,325. “It has been developing since the start of the school year on July 1,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Perotti said. “Throughout the summer, we were aware that fuel and energy costs were going to be a major issue. We predicted oil and gas were going to be $2.59 a gallon each. We’re off by about a dollar. Those in itself are in the excess of $100,000, just for the utilities.”Perotti said balancing the budget will not be easy. A Federal Education Jobs grant will cover $332,797 of the deficit and the district will also receive $43,391 in Federal School Improvement funds. The $147,137 shortfall will be covered by a freeze in additional expenditures. Perotti said it was too early to tell how much that will save. This is not the first time they had to implement a budget freeze to save money.“We froze the expenditures budget last year and saved $160,000 and broke even. If we’re going to manage our expenditures then we’re not going to be able to do as many field trips or buy the expensive materials we’d like to purchase for students,” Perotti said.
Health care benefits also contributed to the school budget deficit. Last November, 272 employees enrolled in the school district’s health insurance plan. Perotti said the school district hired 10 additional workers to accommodate a growing number of students with emotional and/or behavioral disabilities. According to Hier, the school district is now responsible for approximately $256,000 of the monthly premium.
“We strive to live within the budget the school district gives us. We can’t always predict these things that are going to happen that increase costs that are unintended. We’re going to be working hard as we look to the next budget year, looking at transportation and energy costs and see where we can save money. I don’t think we have any choice,” Perotti said. “We have to strive to not add any more costs to next year’s budget based on this year’s deficit. We need to try to end up in the black.”The Springfield School District Budget Advisory Committee will meet Monday and Nov. 17 to discuss the 2012 budget. The Springfield School District includes Springfield High School, Riverside Middle School, Union Elementary, and Elm Hill Primary School.
So they forgot the heating budget for Park Street, get over it. We need to get the budget passed.
DeleteI for one would like to have seen the last budget passed. But to me the heating costs are ridiculously high, yes, no? Anyway, my thought from the article was to question if we have considered upgrading our heating systems to be much more cost efficient. And I was curious where money comes from to cover a scenario where the school goes over budget? I am just trying to learn more here and gather information so I can have educated and informed opinions and not just naive ramblings. The budget should have passed before. I was so angry when it didn't and I wanted to understand why. If there were logical reasons or just angry tax payers who in general hate that taxes go up every year. I have been searching both current and recent past articles, such as the one above, and just trying to understand in a broader sense what is going on here. This decision to jump into the issue and learn as much about the public views is what brought me to this Blog. My first ever blog by the way. :) I am learning, I have heard lots of things I agree with, lots of things I don't, but I am willing to listen, change my mind if inspired to do so, etc. I just want to know as much as I can so I can get more actively and accurately involved. I want to be part of the solution not the problem.
DeleteWhen items like fuel cost more than expected, they freeze most (not all) spending. So many of the other things they planned to purchase they go without. Then they end up having to try to ask for them the next year. This way they are able to cover the balance without going into debt.
ReplyDeleteThe Tech Center is partially heated by woodchips, I believe. The problem is that the comparatively newer buildings were built during the oil glut and they opted not to insulate the roofs thinking melting the snow was better than having to shovel it I guess. Now those buildings: High School and Riverside have periodic roof problems and heating problems. One of the things which happens when budgets fail is they delay maintenance. At this point there are so many extensive capital improvements needed, that the only fair way to handle those which have life expectancies over 20 years would be to bond them rather than bulge the tax rate and the budget with huge cash expenditures. But, I rather doubt you could explain that to the Woody Bickford's of this world.
ReplyDeletefree energy is simple.
ReplyDeleteit is as simple as a mag lev wheel spinning an alternator. @!
Heat
your school with magnets
Okay, Magnet Ninja, would you be capable of creating such contraptions on a scale that could adequately provide energy to the schools? Can we get supplies at a minimal cost and can you teach others how to keep such a mechanism up and running? What would it cost and how would we propose it to the school board. How much money could it save us? Is this an actually applicable idea? Not skeptical. Truly curious how you see this happening.
ReplyDeleteYes, I can do what you ask.
DeleteWith the kind of money you all throw around
$27,000,000.00 for 1 year ???
To get heat and power from magnets for a small school system for ever you only have to install generator systems and do up keep, no normal ongoing fuel cost.
Do a little research on a scientist named Bedini. One named John Hutchinson. One name Searl. One named Tariel Kapanadze... etc.
Proposing it to the school board will your job.
I am available for consulting and hire.
p.s. this can work in every home in Vermont and so forth. Cars too.
Over Unity will be Springield's future. Wether or not we teach it, make it, mass produce it, or buy it from someone else is still up to us.
here is a link to start a proof of concept for you;
http://www.scribd.com/doc/75278338/SEG-Mock-Up-Verses-SEG-Prototype-Stages-of...
Magnet Ninja, too many jokes about how I find you attractive...
DeleteIs the science behind a modern u.s. patent ... modern meaning
September 6th 2000
for overunity
US patent # Patent number: 6362718
Filing date: Sep 6, 2000
Issue date: Mar 26, 2002
Is this part of what makes you so possitive?
A substantial portion of the budget is to pay for the new school buildings. Keep in mind, Springfield receives revenue from the state to help pay for the budget. The local tax payers only pay about 1/3 of the budget. Although the taxes aren't as high as many people claim, the reason they are where they are is property values are decreasing in springfield which means less value in assessments therefore more tax per assessed value. Why are property values decreasing? In part because we do not fund our schools. It is hard to pull in good people to the schools when they know they would be on the chopping block when the town fails to support the school the next year. To be clear, Springfield is not one of the towns that pays so much per student that it has to pay into the fund for other towns. If you want the tax rate to go down long term, then pull in people who make good wages to live in Springfield. The number one way to do that is to have good schools AND recognize the strengths in the schools and get the word out. No matter how good the school is, if the community trashes it, people will not buy in Springfield, property values will continue to stagnate, and this will increase the burden on each owner.
ReplyDeleteI do not see the connection about cloud rooms and the budget. If issues need to be addressed about the use of such rooms, file petitions, talk to the state, talk to the board members. Don't vote the budget down. Moreover, if a student is hitting, biting, assaulting other students or teachers I would rather have that student secluded than have the victims suffer out of concern for the perpetrator. That being said, if any student causes that much trouble, the parents should be called right away to come and pick the child up. Schools should not be the ones who have to deal with an issue like this. I don't know if they have been used properly or not, I do know it is no basis for voting down a budget.
I don't know anything about taxes.. They seem evil.
DeleteBut I do know Schools
If you want to WIN BIG in Springfield then the School (system?) should buy the old factory accross from the Park Street School and fix them both up.
This would bring more people to the Town than anything before.
Not surprisingly, most young adults like the Simpson's for a good laugh, and not as an aproach to Town managment and education.
Build a REALLY good school, and they WILL come.
The person above is right about the Park St School. Cut down the overgrown bush and clean it up. It is impressive. Being situated in the center of town means EVERYBODY will see the School. It should speak for itself.
"If you want the tax rate to go down long term, then pull in people who make good wages to live in Springfield."
ReplyDeleteWell said. Now the question: what do you propose to accomplish said statement?
Until then, Sell Park and East Schools, to control spending money on we the voters agreed to do.
The school selling Park and East Schools is not going to do much to bring down the tax rate, they are not easily converted to non-educational uses. The most common adaptive use of old school buildings like that is subsidized housing which is going to do nothing to "pull in people who make good wages". If you want to pull in those people, convert those schools into educational type entities that provide services and opportunities that those people utiilize.
DeleteOh but Alpin, it sound so grand to talk about selling buildings that somehow the private sector is going to figure out how to convert when the public sector hasn't. Don't you think having a bunch of vacant school buildings around town would have a wonderful attractive power to the better sort of people?
DeleteNo seriously Aethelred, if you can take anything seriously, "selling these buildings" is in fact code for basically vacating them and letting them run down. The private sector has been doing a wonderful job of that in the past, and only recently are we starting to see some change in that with the Gear Shaper building restoration by the river. Normally, its the public sector that has to shepherd these buildings into a conversion process...there were some good ideas floated regarding the reuse of Park Street. I believe that a joint effort between the school system and the hospital is the one most likely to be successful. The Town is in severe need of a real post-secondary presence in Town since the vision of the Dean Center failed and it merely serves as a landlord to the Tech Center and cheap protected turf for CCV which is basically a joke as far as post-secondary is concerned.
DeleteAlpin, that may be so, but it would require these people to understand that the really desirable places involving job creation -- the ones which are exploding with growth are all ones situated near post-secondary educational institutions. These people think that lowering spending on education and educational structures will somehow bring back the mills...they still want to compete with the Chinese...which is possible if we keep voting against school budgets in order to maintain a permanently uneducated peasant class.
DeleteAgain, what do you propose we do with the things and people still calling Park St home. These are jobs that need buildings to work in. Park is still serving a valuable purpose and it is a beautiful building. Riverside comparatively is, simply and nicely put, not a beautiful building.
ReplyDeleteThe way it's stated here it sounds like "the voters" you are referring and speaking for are looking for a quick fix, ie. “Sell Park and East Schools, to control spending money” so that works this year, what will we sell next year? Selling these buildings is nothing more than a Band-Aid fix on a much larger wound that won't heal without a lot of intensive care and a lot of stiches. A proposal or several are need sooner than later because Springfield needs to accomplish "the said statement". It is not fair to put a Band-Aid on the gaping gash of a situation and hope it holds long enough so that someone else can deal with it. That time is now; we have been putting Band-Aids on a large wound for too long. No more "until thens". No more excuses. Are there no companies looking to build in Springfield, or are there and they are not being allowed to come in because of red tape and politics? I am sincerely curious. I honestly don't know and would like to. As a younger member of the Springfield community I want to see more to do around here. Downtown is just depressing and drab, parking hoovers, it’s dirty, and lacks appeal. The few shops that are down there have to be gasping for breath, because they don't really have the pull that some brand name shops would have. If some more appealing shops were put in and something was done about creating some convenient parking then I would go shop. I want, clothes like a Khols or a Target would be awesome, and shoes; who doesn't like PayLess, we need something more than just a Peebles and a couple Dollar stores, although they are a good start, but they aren’t enough. Another thing I would like to see is a jewelry store that younger folks and people who aren’t rich can afford like a Claire's Accessories. I want a club that is decent and hosts some good groups and bands, and maybe has comedy shows every now and then. How about an actual Pool hall, or an honest to goodness real sports bar with multiple big TV's so that more than one game can be played at the same time. A decent dog park would be appealing, there aren’t many of those around, but lots of people own pets so how about inviting a Pet's Mart to join our community as well, that would be appealing. And how hard would it be to have a small college come in, something to support the courses people take at CCV because those don't go any further than Associates or Certificate levels. I know it could also offer medical degrees to go along with our growing hospital. I would love to see a large music hall to host actual groups and shows. I could go on, but I don't know where one begins to make such things actually happen.
I agree with this post except for the heavy reliance upon franchise stores, Bellows Falls has the right idea with the mom and pop stores. They need to tear the particle board palace down to the ground level, have the owner keep the hydro plant that is in the basement, brick over the top and use it as a farmer's market. If SOM puts up murals, on that building they should be on removal panels so that they don't become a sentimental impediment to removing that structure -- better not to put the murals up in the first place, but at least make sure they can be removed and used to cover up some other eyesore in town.
DeleteI truly understand the concern with permitting franchises into the town, but as apprehensive as I am I also know that letting a couple in may be the draw and boost needed to see the towns income greatly improved. They create A LOT of jobs, and like it or not brand names attract more people than unknown mom and pop shops. NOT THAT I DON’T LOVE MOM AND POP SHOPS. So don’t start yelling at me. I’m a Vermonter, I know how we all get about people talking down about our mom and pop shops so relax, I’m on your side here, but I have had the personal experience of trying to open up a restaurant and a pool hall in two separate locations in Springfield, and both times came to the same road block: despite having good credit I could not get funded. I thought the bailout was supposed to make the banks start lending again… what happened to that? Anyway, back on topic. The school budget is being voted down by some because people who already are struggling financially find it painful to lose even one more penny to anything, even a good cause. This desperation to keep every penny we can in our pockets affects everything. If the moms and pops can’t afford to open up a mom and pop shop, then the stores will remain empty. Springfield needs income. If people felt more comfortable financially there would be less griping and squabbling about the budgets, we could focus on things like what is going on inside the schools with policies like those regarding the use of the “cloud rooms”. Mom and pop shops would do better with a couple recognizable big names in the town to draw people in. We need something to attract spenders. Right now I know Springfield for its… its… hmmm, wait, I’ll think of something, okay, there’s the hospital, and all the wonderful services for … (searching for a politically correct term so as to not irk anyone)… mentally challenged and emotionally unstable people, oh then there’s, McDonald’s, and the Edger May Rec Center - that I can’t afford to go to. (Kind of funny, I think of Springfield and I think of McDonald’s and a Rec Center, talk about a mutualistic symbiotic relationship). Peeble’s is a small puller, but we need something even more universally recognizable. I actually know a lot of people from Ludlow who travel here to shop at Peebles. What else do they have? The Rutland Mall is decomposing as a shopping site for Ludlowdians, (that’s what we call ourselves, well what I called myself as I grew up and went to school there), and the tourists it attracts by the hordes. We should tap into that.
DeleteThere is not a single place in that town to go and buy a quick pair of shoes or underwear, or jewelry or pet supplies, all common things that the rich Okemo goers need to bring with them for vacation, and accessories and the little things are frequently forgotten at home or lost in travel. All things we SPRINGFIELD could offer them. If you build something these rich big pocketed tourists recognize, and advertise it a little, they will make the trip to Springfield rather than Rutland or Claremont to get it because it’s closer, also Ludlow doesn’t offer a real gym or a decent fast food restaurant, like McDonald’s and the Rec Center. LOL. Still funny. And a couple small main stream shops downtown would be kind of nice, it doesn’t have to be huge, but a Clair’s would fit nicely into one of those barren spaces, and so would a Payless. Anything would be better than nothing; beggars can’t be choosers. I would also like to see a quality coffee shop here. Apron Strings offers a small taste of what a really good coffee shop can be, but is really more of a bakery, a coffee shop next door could also be a good symbiotic business relationship as well as the bookstore nearby. I would love to try to open up something like that, but I can’t, I don’t have a single dollar over my base amount in my savings, SO if the banks won’t lend me any money, I can’t do it alone. But without easy access it will be difficult to keep anything going downtown, so parking is truly a real issue that needs to be considered. Not like there aren’t some close proximity buildings or areas where a new parking garage could go. Wow, while this is an important topic it doesn’t really fit here, I have gotten off topic so let me post something to refocus…
DeleteWe have the available space in Springfield to do big things; I see it everywhere, empty buildings, just rotting away, waiting for their next chance at life. There are too many skeletons left from Springfield’s history; a historical time of not so long ago when people were proud to pose in a photo of a beautiful hustling and bustling flourishing town. Right now Springfield is not pleasant to look at and lacks appeal to the person passing through. They are greeted by buildings that look uncared for, empty shops, dirty housings. The ora of the heavy burden of poverty and financial struggle can easily always be seen both in the surroundings and in the faces of many of the people. Springfield is seen by some people of other towns as the place the poor go, a place the people other towns don't want end up. The problems of Springfield are great but not so big they can't be overcome. It will take work, it won't be easy, but it must be wanted by all, and people need to have an open mind to change, something people often fight and find uncomfortable to accept. It is not enough to build a beautiful new Union St school, and expect that to be appealing. Why, because when prospective new towns people drive down Union St. to check out the schools (which as a parent I would do if I were looking to move into a new area), come to the bottom of Union Street schools entrance and see the gross housings that surround the school, they will likely promptly turn their cars around and head for the next town. Actually knowing what goes on in those housings is even worse. I plan on moving out of town before my daughter is that age, or if I can, I will send her to private school because I am very uncomfortable with her attending school here, unless something drastically changes. I want to have things be better, I want to help make Springfield better, but in the meantime, my first priority must be to make sure I am giving my children the best possible chance at a safe, comfortable quality education which he or she can be proud of, and right now, that isn't Springfield’s School District. I wish it were, but it's not. Not that the teachers are bad, there is just a lack of support and pride from the town, and that negativity effects the education the children receive, and that holds true for any place where the town isn’t standing strong and proud behind their schools. Please pass the budget and then lets’ get to work on Springfield as a whole. Improvements can’t be made with just voices, voices must become actions.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that changes need to happen, but there have been many people who tried to make changes and only met with resistance, either from town government or from the general public. For years small pockets of individuals have been trying to get some kind of space together to serve the youth of the community - it begins slowly as most things must and then someone decides it is "disruptive" and things shut down. When the voters approved the bond issue for school construction it was to update and repair THREE elementary schools - thus keeping community schools in place. Instead the decision was made at some level to expand TWO grade schools, shift the grades so the schools are consolidated and close one school building to students. Admittedly, the voters agreed to close Park Street as a school, but it was presented as a complete closure, not keeping the building open for some programs and district offices. It's not that the building cannot be used for some purpose, but voters specifically said CLOSE IT and the district has ignored this vote. East School was supposed to have been put on the market - hence the Gateway program relocated - two years later, the building remains vacant and no closer to being sold, but the district must still maintain it at some level to avoid additional decay. I agree that there are many usable spaces in this town that should be put to some constructive use, but, as many individuals and businesses have found, there is always some kind of roadblock placed whenever anyone inquires - either the building has historic significance and cannot be developed or the out of state owner does not wish the property used, or the neighbors don't want a particular business or group of people near them - the list goes on and on. Until there is some kind of cohesive agreement on the vision for the town's future it will continue to fall apart and go downhill, creating continued lack of funds for anything and no invitation for new families or businesses to relocate and help the town grow.
ReplyDeleteThese school buildings are not easily adapted to non-educational uses, although I am sure someone will cite an example to the contrary. East School was a structurally sound building and shouldn't have been closed in the first place. Park Street needs to be converted into another type of educational use whether as a magnet school, or as a post-secondary institution. It is a beautiful building, the only problem was bringing it into conformance with current requirements for public schools. It is an unfortunate practice that when school boards are trying to justify a new school building, they tend to exaggerate the problems with the existing school building. That was true of North School as well, which from what was said about it you would have imagined that the building was on the verge of collapse, which it was not and the asbestos issue there was one that was actually more easily solved than the asbestos tiling at Riverside. Our problem is the "wet blankets" who somehow get themselves positioned in choke points in Springfield -- hopefully, they will eventually be replaced by the rising generation of progressives who will look for solutions rather than obstacles.
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ReplyDeleteCan I make a request, can you Anons at least number yourselves? Seriously, because I don't know if I agree with you, or you me, or not, or vice versa or something or other and what not... You see, it's very confusing, in fact, it's down right driving me nutty. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah how can we debate with you if you all have the same name?
DeleteAny updates on the happenings of the school budget? Is there a date set for another meeting? Does anyone know what sorts of changes and cuts are going to be made? I couldn't go to the last meeting because I didn't have childcare for my three children, does anyone know if this is something that could be arranged for the next meeting or at least have it hooked up to a phone conference system so that people who can't come to town meetings can dial into a speakerphone and at least listen in? Or somehow get it streamed? Is there another blog spot that is going right now about this anywhere that is more popular? Sorry, I know, lots of questions.
ReplyDeleteIf you get cable the meetings are broadcast live on SAPA. Also, you can get a DVD of the shows by calling SAPA or going to the Springfield Library and borrowing one. Not live, but within a week of the meeting usually. I know I'm one of the anonymous, but I can't change my name - every option I try kicks me out - sorry..D
ReplyDeleteI don't have regular cable, I have Direct TV, can't get SAPA. :( Getting things like this is after the fact though, correct? If they hold a meeting the night before voting like last time that doesn't give people any time to gather or give information.
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DeleteAnonymous, the one first above this, I believe you need to create an account. Creating an account doesn't take long, doesn't cost anything, and then you can change your name to anything you want, or not, but I wouldn't want to be confused with some of these other Anons. Anyway, thanks for the post though I wish there were more options available for people who can’t make it to the town’s meetings. Where do the meetings usually take place? Is Wi-Fi available? Would anyone who is a good enough typist be willing and able could he or she take somewhat up to the minute, minutes, and then post them to a blog like this? This might also allow for a few questions fed back to be presented for discussion at the meetings. I would be willing to do such, if the internet is available. I feel I have the adequate typing skills, but again, I would need child care, and I do not know how many people know of this particular blog site, although that could also easily be remedied. I think the more people who can become involved in the town meetings and get accurate credible information and have their concerns heard and answered the better. Then there will be less naive impulse voting and more educated votes being made. I feel this would work in favor of the school budget. Only 32 more supporting votes were needed. I think there is likely a group of people who don’t know where to find credible none bias information regarding the state of the towns finances and its budgets. They don’t get to these meetings, but they feel they should vote so they talk to a few people they know, maybe read an article and then go to the polls with opinions based on little knowledge and vote spontaneously in favor of the opinions and rumors they've heard instead of taking the time to gather facts and make an educated decision of their own. I don’t think putting minutes on a blog would reach everyone, but it’s something and would reach some, that’s better than nothing right?
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