http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120301/NEWS02/703019901
Published March 1, 2012 in the Rutland Herald
Springfield voters face 3.3 percent increase in school budget
By Christian Avard
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield School District eliminated 12.5 positions and postponed infrastructure improvements to balance the budget and avoid double taxation. But despite the cuts, voters are still being asked to approve a 3.3 percent increase for next year’s school budget.
The school district is proposing a $27,703,209 budget for fiscal year 2013, an increase of $888,950 from this year’s budget of $26,814,259. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Perotti said 10 school district para-educators were removed from the budget, including a part-time library assistant and two teachers who retired from the school district.
Perotti acknowledged it was a “controversial decision” but the school district is above the state average of employed para-educators. There are now 103 para-educators in the school district, according to Perotti.
The school district also cut $395,784 from the proposed budget’s capital plan. The school budget committee set next year’s capital plan budget at $494,511, a 44.5 percent decrease from last year’s budget of $890,295.
Perotti said the school district is delaying much needed capital work, including $200,000 bleacher renovations at the Riverside Middle School. The school district made small renovations across the board including new bathrooms, windows and lighting but putting off the major projects were necessary.
According to Perotti, the cuts prevented the school district from double taxation. School districts are taxed twice when average per pupil costs are above the state average. He said the school budget committee made the best decisions possible and avoided double taxation for a fourth straight year.
“When you make a decision, it’s ‘Is it going to be more teachers or are we going to try and put this off another year?’ It’s a tough thing. We really should be doing more but the money isn’t there,” Perotti said.
While difficult cuts were made, other programs required additional funding. Special education increased from $4,707,661 in fiscal year 2012 to $5,114,424 in fiscal year 2013, which is an increase of $406,763, or 8.6 percent.
There are more students that require special education in the Springfield schools. Perotti said its been a growing trend that can be attributed to societal factors.
“We think many of them being affected by the economy,” Perotti said. “When the economy got very bad, behavioral and emotional difficulties with kids starting showing up.”
Heating and oil costs, contractual obligations, and covering past deficits also contributed to the school budget increase. Grants are down 9.7 percent for fiscal year 2013 and other monies will be used for debt services, according to proposed budget.
“I think we tried really hard to be transparent. The budget committee was in total agreement and we believe it should be passed. After working together for the last three months, we really thought we came up with what we thought was a real bare-bones, fair and balanced budget,” Perotti said.
Residents will vote on the school budget by Australian ballot at the Riverside Middle School Tuesday, March 6. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
awww heck I'll start it!
ReplyDeleteThe biggest thing that stood out to me is the heating oil budget. Heres an idea..stop heating Park St and the school on Summer street. Neither has any students attending anyways. Move the offices to the high school or Riverside.
Eliminate Dr. Perotti, since he showed up, all he has done is thrown money at every issue with the hopes that it will go away. He is spending money like it grows on trees.
The other issue is Special education, that ENTIRE program is funded by the STATE not your taxes. They put every kid on special education status that has any minor learning disability. My son is always on the honor roll however they suggested that he be put into a special education courses because he has a very minor speech issue. He is very smart, like I said on the honor roll every time.
I know it isn't THAT special as it is from Springfield.)
Please vote NO so they can FIX the issue at hand and not throw more money at the problem in the hopes that it will just go away.
I have children in the Springfield "education system" and I still want to vote NO.
DB
Go talk to some of the other schools he was at previously. I think you it would suprise you what they had to say about him. Incidentally, there is a petition in town going around to have him removed. What i wish people would understand is that it isn't personal. This is a business decision. He IS NOT producing results so in a business you cut your losses and choose someone who can produce results. Simple as that. I believe his contract is up for renewal so let's do it now so there doesn't have to be a buyout.
DeleteI second your opinion. First, let's look at this issue. What the public doesn't more than likely know is that before they fired the paraeducators the board made sure they slipped in a raise for Perotti and ALL the administrators. Second, take a look back at the minutes from the school board. There was 10 grand missing that..well gee..nobody can account for so they replaced it with money from this year. Last time I checked if that much money was unaccounted for and they didn't have bank statements explaining it..usually the police are called in since that would be considered a felony if it were stolen. Third, the increase in special education costs are due to the fact that the school district was not properly identifying children for years as they are required to do under IDEA. So now they have an overflow of kids who need it. Now they are hiring a principal for Elm Hill (REALLY) at like 92k a year. Last time I checked we have two schools with vice principals who could do the job and are already under contract and their salery is included in the budget. Why is it that there is a need for two principals at Riverside. If the current one did her job there wouldn't be an issue. Let's not forget the huge legal issues that have been pending. I certainly hope they allotted money for their insurance premium to increase at no fault but their own.
ReplyDeleteREALLY REALLY vote no to the budget.They try to scare everyone with their doom and gloom of kids doing without but the reality is the district is obligated under Federal LAW to provide a free and APPROPRIATE education. What the real issue is that if it doesn't pass they will let more para's go..How about we let the teacher's actually do the job they were hired for and then if the budget still isn't acceptable because of the union obligations the pecking order then goes down again. Come on wise up. We could have such a great system and until you realize that our schools are ranked like a 1 or 2 on a scale of 10 with 10 being the highest your child is not being prepared for their future and you are selling your child short of their fullest potential.
2 principles in Riverside?? Really? What does Becky Read do honestly? (Besides her bedside manner with Frank Perotti)Everytime a kid gets into a fight she calls the cops instead of handling the situation and having accountability for the students.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid and we got into a fight the teachers would break it up and the kids would get a detention or at the very worst, in school suspension. By the end of the day the kids were like best friends.
Speaking of accountability, I want to shadow what the previous poster said "let the teachers do what they were hired to do!" I went to the school to visit and witnessed a para asleep in the back of the classroom. I mentioned it and they were told they would look into it. I have been told she is still working for the school by a few students.
The school bought 20+ Ipads...what for?? I have a student that says he has SEEN it a total of 3 times and got to use it once for less then 5 minutes. He says that teachers "pretty much use it for themselfs" Talk about about wasteful spending! I asked what he used it for and he said writing, how about a piece of paper and a NO2 pencil????
I'm going to use one to vote no on the vote!
The above type of innuendo drags down the quality of the dialogue. It diminishes the credibility of your argument to slander people in this way. Please make your point, but let's avoid suggesting inappropriate things about people's personal lives. I hope as a town we are better than making a statement on a public blog like the one in parentheses.
DeleteGo ahead and make your case for your belief about the school budget, but please be respectful when you do so.
Thanks.
your quite welcome Ms.Perotti, oops, excuse me Ms. Reed. If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, and craps like a duck...it's not a tiger!
DeleteSad day for the town when the desire to vote down the budget becomes a platform for clowns to make inappropriate suggestions about public persons that they have no actual evidence to support. And you will probably spend your next post taking about all the "undesirables" moving to town...Ironic.
DeleteI have a question
ReplyDeleteDo they have 2 principles in Riverside or do they have 2 principals in Riverside? I ask because if they only have 2 principles in Riverside, I would really like to know what they are and why there are only 2. But, if there are 2 principals in Riverside I think that is too many.
While we are at it:
Did he say "pretty much use it for themselfs" or "pretty much use if for themselves". I am just curious?
While you are mocking anons spelling. Please recall that they went to Springfield. Although their grammar isn't perfect, the ideas they had are spot on.
DeleteI have a child and asked her the same question and she answered that the teachers dont let students use the Ipods unless they beg. She has told me that some teachers use them for personal use to check email and to visit random sites.
They are Ipads; Ipods are useless in an educational setting. I think the point is that it is hard to take an individuals criticism of a school district and education seriously if they don't understand the difference between "principle" and "principal" or "themselfs" and "themselves".
DeleteAlso, I once heard a kid tell me that there teacher at Springfield High School was awesome. That teacher went out of their way to help them learn and flourish as a young person. I also once heard about this cop that was a total P.O.S and this fireman that just yelled at people and this lawyer that drank all day. There are awful employees in every profession and I am sure there are awful ones in the Springfield School District, but characterizing them all as poor because you heard a story is just plain silly.
Opps Ipads. I don't honestly care if it was an Epad or an Iwok! WE bought around 20 for the students to use to further their education. Teachers should'nt be using them to check their email.
DeleteOf course, that must be what is happening, because one kid said it to one person....yes, it must be that the teachers are hoarding the neat technology so that the kids get a crappy education! Let's call the papers! This might be a scandal to beat all scandals. Ugh...maybe the Ewoks would handle public discussion better.
DeleteHave you ever been given a piece of technology by your employer? Ipad, Iphone, laptop, blackberry, cell phone, office phone, desktop computer? If you have and can tell me that you have never used it for personal reasons you are a better human being than I.
DeleteSpfld has the dubious distinction of the worse school system in VT. One third of the students drop out, of those remaining, only 40% go on to secondary education. Of those, about half complete further studies. Let's see, in rough numbers, a kid enrolled in the Springfield school system has a 13% chance of being prepared to succeed college. Not to mention few if any students are accepted into tier one colleges.
ReplyDeleteIs it any wonder no family in their right mind would relocate to Spfld? This folks is exactly why Spfld is a dying town. This is why firms like Stantec have to close up shop when they can't attract young, career professionals. This is why no manufacturing or high tech firm can thrive here. Of the many drop outs I interview each year seeking work, the same excuse for quitting is repeated. "No one at SHS can give me a compelling reason to stay in school." JHFC, are you kidding me? With a legion of guidance counselors and even a staff psychologist no one can convince a kid for the need of a diploma?
Listening Spfld On The Dole? This is it black & white. No amount of turd polishing will hide this stigma.
We taxpayers have had it! 103 para educators for what, to allow incompetent, unionized teachers that can't manage a class room to stay on the payroll? Enough is enough. Vote NO. Send a clear message to Perotti and the school board. "You failed, and get a big red F" Vote NO it's your only opportunity to FORCE change!
I agree with you on the para's, but the problem is that teachers, guidance counselors, principals, and other staff should not have to convince a kid he needs a high school diploma. Were is the accountability on the student?
DeleteHow about this for motivation on getting a diploma:
The Brookings Institute has done a ton of research on how to avoid poverty, the top three things are:
1. Get a high school diploma.
2. Do not get married until you are 21 and dont have children untill you are married.
3. Have a full time job.
According to the research if you do all three things you have 2 percent chance of being poor and a 74% chance of being in the middle class.
There isnt much the school system can do about the personal accountabilty of kids and their parents. (I am not saying they don't have to answer to their own accountabilty.)
I do not buy that excuse AT ALL. This is the problem is that school officals first response is to blame blame blame. You know what? If you were engaging the students they would be motivated to learn and to stay in school. Across the country there are schools that have turned around worse situations than this. There is a school in Florida, for example, whose entire student body are below the pverty line, they live in a crime ridden community and the public school turned ALL of their numbers around and now EVERY student who graduates is accepted to college. Another school instituted change and went from a failing school to their students being accepted into medical schools across the country due to their invigorated and innovative science programs. So the bull stops here.
DeleteThe blame game that you like to preach is just that...it takes the focus off a group of teaching staff who want little work and higher pay. It is an excuse for a system to not make change, to not educate children to their fullest extent and to still hold employment with very little effort and huge benefits. This is where the change begins and quite frankly we need our own Michelle Rea to come in and throw out the majority of the bad seeds in this scvhool system whose answer is always its the parents fault, its the economic issues, its the poverty levels. BULL
The consistant failing levels is a direct reflection of the school board, the administrators and the teachers. That is the clear fact..If your an effective leader, you will have a successful system. If you are ineffective then you will create the current Springfield School system.
Take a look...the administrators cannot even follow simple laws surrounding the students.
Your numbers aren't correct at all. In the 2010 class, 7% of students dropped out. It is a shockingly high number, but it's not 30%.
DeleteAlso, look at ANY college's completion rate, and they're all around the national average of 57%.
Springfield definitely has problems, but you're just pulling numbers out of the air.
But studies show that fake numbers are effective and fun--at least 73.8% of the time.
DeleteThe above posts contain more wisdon, creative thoughts, and ingenuity than Springfield has received from its school superintendent and school board combined.
ReplyDeleteSchool budget up a bit? Since when is an almost $890,000.00 increase classified as a bit?
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to the innovations of just a few years ago in the Springfield School System? SHS started an alternative program called Choices - it worked! It worked so well, in fact, that it saved many students who had already dropped out, but came back and graduated with honors. Then someone decided to revamp a program that was working - and it failed the kids! Within a very short time after letting go of teachers who could get incredible work from these difficult students because they actually "engaged and encouraged" the kids and hiring ones who demonstrated very little "energy for teaching", as well as total class restructuring, once again the students began to drop out. Within a few months of renaming the program and moving the location as a means of "cutting expenses" even more kids dropped out. All of a sudden the alternative program became a miniature "traditional" classroom. Exactly the type of structure the students who needed "alternative education" could not function in. So, why were the changes made in the first place if the program was meeting the needs of the kids and lowering the drop out rate? That question was asked over and over (by parents and students alike), but nobody offered an answer except that the program was not functioning in a fiscally responsible way. But then the superintendent explained that it was necessary to lower the drop out rate in order to get more funding for the district. So, again I must ask, why eliminate a program that proved itself effective in lowering that rate? Is that "fiscally responsible?" Not anymore than most of the other decisions the district has made since the current superintendent was hired. Think about it!
ReplyDeleteWell said!
DeleteYou can still vote YES on the budget and still voice your desire for change. If people have an issue with the administration or the choices of the board, then vote to change the board. Up to now there haven't been choices, but now Brian Perkins is running as a write-in candidate, and voting for him and Laura Ryan will send the message that people are unhappy and want to see the school district head in a different direction.
ReplyDeleteWhy the HELL would I vote yes?
DeleteWell we can still vote for the individuals you stated and VOTE NO. Why vote yes for inflated and excessively bloated budget that WILL NOT FIX what the true problem is. We need an innovative superintendant like a michlle Rea from Washington DC schools who will go head to head with the teachers union and start tossing out the bad apples. Someone who will tie a raise to performance. Plain and simple and anyone who says that it cannot be done is a liar or uneducated. It needs to be done. Cut the fat in the budget and cut the dead weight teachers or staff that bring this school system down.
Deleteso should a doctor get a raise for every patient he correctly diagnosis? Should a police officer get a raise for every arrest or ticket? Those would be evidence of performance in those professions? Teacher's do not pick their students. They take them all. Special Ed, learning disabled, abused, unmotivated. Not all students will make the "performance" measures you are talking about and why is it always the teacher's problem.
DeleteI understand the concept of still voting YES for the budget, but seriously doubt the current administration or board will make changes. It had been thought changes would happen with some of the other board changes, but for some reason the school board seems to forget they are the ones who hired the superintendent and not the other way around. I hope that situation will change eventually and the board will stand up for the rights of students, but I haven't seen much evidence of that happening. Sad situation that would probably need a WHOLE board change along with "adjustments" to administration. Nuff said!
ReplyDeleteYour premise is that there are no changes occurring already.
ReplyDeleteOne thing they might do differently is get rid of Perotti's wife who they hired as a consultant. No nepotism there.
ReplyDeleteI recieved a phone call today, reminding me that the vote for the school board budget is on Tuesday. She tried to make me feel guilty and say that the kids are depending on you. I said they are also depending on the teachers to teach them. She hung up.
ReplyDeleteWow, there sure is a lot of anger about this. People seem to agree that the school system is not functioning well and this would seem to be an indisputable fact. I share the anger of the first commentator who asked why we are heating Park Street. I thought we voted to sell Park Street and yet it is still being used, mainly for offices, although I think there are some student functions there--although it was declared unsafe for students. Park Street should definitely be closed down, the pipes drained, and the money saved. Doesn't our vote matter at all? Another promise not kept by the school system is that Elm Hill and Union Street were supposed to be neighborhood schools, each with all grades of elementary. It was approved and zoned this way. But they went ahead and did it differently, resulting in more students being bussed and transported by car--resulting in big traffic jams and more air pollution--less students being able to walk to school--resulting in more obesity--and less students remaining in their neighborhood, which is never good. It doesn't seem to matter what is approved or what is voted on--the school board or Perotti or somebody goes ahead and does what they want. I'm all for getting rid of Perotti--where is this petition??!! And I'm all for voting in new school board members, although I want to find out something about them first. It's very hard to make things run right and Springfield in general isn't too good at it but we must keep trying. I don't think that cutting the budget is the way to make the schools better. There is really very little money for the things that matter already. If I believed the cuts would be applied to certain inflated salaries or to heating unnecessary buildings I would certainly vote for the cuts. But, with the current management, they would probably be used to cut teaching positions. I will vote for the budget and try to figure out how to change the management of the school system.
ReplyDeleteAs for the contested Ipads, this did seem an extravagance but was most likely paid for by some outside granting agency, such as the Gates Foundation, and not by the town budget, although I am not sure about that. I believe the Ipads are connected to white boards and in this way can be used for classroom instruction. I have also seen many students using them.
I am not a teacher but I have eyes inside the school.
Well stated. great thoughts...
DeleteLook Your thoughts are good and in the right place. However, under the law the school MUST provide the students with thier education and materials. What cutting the budget will do is to stop the excessive hiring and pay. I have no problem paying "good" teachers but when it is a system where the bad teachers get rewarded and under contract they are the last to be fired, something is definately wrong. Never mind the abusive environment that is created within the schools. When you have teachers who hear female students say they were sexually harassed and they don't report it, that is a problem. Under federal non-discrimination law the moment of notice is when a "reasonable individual" hears or is told and the responsibility then is upon that teacher or staff member to report the harassment or discrimination. I can say with 100% certainty that does not happen at Riverside, in addition when you have a male staff telling a class full of students, male and female, that the "girls in this school dress like prostitutes" I have a problem with that. That is sexist, abusive and what message does that send to the female students and what does that say to the male students? That isn't fiction, It was very clearly stated on an audio tape from the class that occurred in. And this is how you think your kids should be educated?
DeleteListen, change begins by voting down the budget. Make the individuals actually work for their money. Did you know that the teachers do not have to work a 40 hour week. It is barely 32 hours right now. That is in their contract. No other job could you get paid for 40 hours worth of work and only put in 32. Force the school to cut the pay. 92k dollars for an elementary school principal? Really? Yet they cant bring the student up to even passing basic skills? Something is seriously wrong and I feel you are very foolish and the exact voter that the district preys on by "fearing" into voting that the kids won't get a good education...HELLO they are not getting a satisfactory education as it is. And then for the board to just ignore 10,000 dollars missing and to simply replace it with money from a different year? Come on...get on board with the rest of the community and VOTE NO. Send the message because we are now saying we want FRANK GONE!
Hahaha "force the school to cut the pay.? ahahaha obviously you have never dealt with a union. hahahaha.
DeleteI am not a teacher and share a lot of the frustrations you posted here, but i teachers work way more than 32 hours per week, well at least the good ones do.
The problem is evaluation of teachers and the removal of poor performing teachers is extremely challenging, again, due to the protection of the union.
While you are at it can you reduce the pay of the police department and town employees as well, because they are performing as poorly as some of the teachers in this town...
To the above poster..I understand the challenge of the teachers union. That was my exact point. It is the teachers unions that have screwed up the education system in this country so bad...however the fact remains that could and can be challenged. Not easy to do and it would be VERY rough going for a period BUT it can be done. Instead of our board "voting in" tenure they could have abolished it all together. That is the first step to help evaluate teachers appropriately. Second, I strongly believe raises should be tied to performance. Not easy but doable.
DeleteThe problem is eveyone in this town knows a teacher or staff at the school. They don't want to rock the boat, make waves or offend their friends and neighbors, BUT, this isn't about friendship and it isn't about being nice. Esentially it is about business and operations and accountability. I would much rather see my tax dollars going into a system where teachers were allowed to opt out of the union and its intrusive, unethical contracts in exchange for higher pay raises tied to accountability. Basically, allowing the teachers to become "free agents" for a lack of better term, to negotiated their own contract and show they have the ability to change scores and to educated and again, in exchange get higher pay raises, possibly better benefits and incentives.
By the way Perotti's response to the vote to close and sell Park St is that he does not consider that vote binding only an opinion. No wonder we have a 30% failure rate in our schools with leadership like that.
ReplyDeleteThose who think a teacher does not work a full 40 hour work week surely has not been up to the schools in a very long time. Teachers get to work at least an hour before their time starts, and they stay an hour after their times ends. They bring paperwork home, they go in on weekends and vacations, and take courses over the summer on their own time. Grading, report cards, lesson planning all is done on their OWN time. Stop slamming teachers for kids not learning. Stop blaming the schools for parents who have not taught their children anything. Who can't worry about giving their children basic needs. Those kids come to school starving, cold, not properly dressed, sick, hurt, abused, and scared. Teachers first need to care for the basic needs and then can start the learning. Until society can live up to what they need for the kids in this town, teachers will have to do it, and still will get crap for how "poor" of a job they are doing. And for all those going on and on about how the school board could be doing a better job, why don't you run for the board. "Fix" it if you can.
ReplyDelete100% agree. I cant imagine being a teacher in this town, 60% of the kids qualify for free or reduced lunch, that is crazy. Did anyone see the police blotter, 2 kids ran away from school. I would imagine that might get in the way of the traditional educational experience.
DeleteThe fact is across america more and more of what used to be accomplished at home, within the family is getting piled on the educational system. You want to fix the school system, fix the parenting problem.
So AGAIN-we are blaming the parents and the families...Not acceptable. Why don't you google schools that were failing and turned around. Read the stories across the country.
DeleteSecond, I REALLY want to address the not working 40 hours. FACT, it is in the teachers contract that they only HAVE to work certain hours. NONE of which adds up to 40 and in fact READ the school board minutes. You voted to gradually increase their workweek to 32 hours I believe by 2014. So don't try to dilute the argument with a bunch of bull. The teacher workdays...well you all are paid for those. The mandatory trainings are just that mandatory and guess what..you can't even get that right. As teachers you know that you are all mandatory reporters of abuse. However, you have a long history of proven non-compliance on that issue. The lesson planning...again more crap...you are scheduled to "work" to have those done and get paid for them. If your field is so incredibly aweful then by all means PLEASE PLEASE choose another field so we can get teachers in here who actually understand how to change and engage because what I am hearing are just plain lazy excuses. So far as any classes taken during the summer, those are paid by the school and ONLY enhance your credentials and degree...as a matter of fact the board VOTED that any benefit for higher education which they pay FOR YOU if it was not used by other teachers that you could DUMP the money back into a pool for others to use instead. HMMMM where else and what other industry does that. The standard is use it or lose it. Again, our tax dollars being spent on a load of lazy ass teachers who would rather make excuses for why THEY dont and can't perform. I could go on and on but it sounds like you two are part of the problem..you love the blame game don't you. How about you take a look in the mirror and ask yourself if you were cut out for the job since you cannot engage and actually teach your students!
Teachers are currently required to work 35 hours a week at the school. That goes up to 40 hours a week by 2014. It really didn't take long to find the teacher's contract and look that up.
DeleteIt probably didn't take that long for the teachers to agree to that either since most of them do it anyway...
DeletePlease get your particulars right before you start dumping on what teachers do or don’t do. You call teachers lazy asses; do you know how to do a lesson plan? Have you every taught a class? You don’t have the right to find fault unless you know ALL the facts, which is very clear you do not! Like any occupation, there are bad apples and I agree they should be dealt with and if you really read the teacher contract, which is very clear you haven’t, there are procedures to deal with just that problem. I know there have been teachers removed for not doing their jobs in Springfield. If you have all the answers to the problems of education in Springfield, please run for the school board because if you aren’t part of the solution, you are part of the problem. If you have time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to do something about it. SO put your money where your mouth is!
ReplyDeleteWhat I can't wrap my head around is why the school budget is higher then the entire town budget?
ReplyDeleteThe town budget is actually going down this year!
We have MILES of roads that are in need of repair, we have a small crew of men and women that work very hard to maintain the roads and sidewalks during and after snowstorms. Yes, I know there wasnt a lot of snow this year however last weeks storm they were out ALL night.
The trucks they use are getting old along with some of the tractors and other machinery.
Great job to Harry Henderson and his crew to keep our town safe.
Now as far as the school goes, close Park St school. That will save a lot of money on a full time janitor, heating and upkeep of the failing building.
60% of kids are on the free lunch program? I would be willing to bet the very same families are also on food stamps. Most, get a lot more money then they actually NEED to buy groceries. Use some of that money to buy bread, lunchmeat, fruits and a juice cup. Skip buying beer and cigarettes. That is double dipping if you ask me.
Most of the responsibility of teaching kids the social skills they need to survive is on the parents. I witnessed numerous kids during Riverside football season with total disrepect towards the coach, other parents and referees. Parents were either out in the parking lot during games smoking and drinking or never bothered to show up to support their kids. The few parents that were at the majority of games had kids that were well behaved. (No, my kids are all grown up and have kids of their own)
You can't expect that the teachers are going to be able to, or want to, handle kids that act out all day that have no parental support. Be involved with your kids life.
I agree that something needs to be done at the school level and honestly think Frank is not the answer Springfield needs to "fix" the issue. We need someone in there that isnt afraid to get his or her hands dirty and step in when a teacher isn't doing their job. Frank has goons that do it for him.
I am voting no on the school budget and yes on the towns budget.
DB
The truth is the schools push free lunches to families that don't actually need it ....why because it is more federal funding for them. I know this for a fact, my husband & I live in a $300K home have good jobs and make good money and they wanted to know why our 2 kids where not signed up for free breakfast and lunch WTH!!! I also have a friend that was let go last year what she would not fill out paperwork for the state review of para hours because she refused to put down names of kids saying she worked with kids she never even saw. Perotti has the nerve to say the school district is transparent trust us...yeah right.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the happening at Elm Hill School? I haven't heard anything about that yet. The new principal quits after three weeks! My daughter says kids were locked in little rooms when they are bad. She afraid to go to school. I am voting "no" on the budget.
ReplyDeleteNOW I know why my daughter is afraid to go to school and cries every morning. Maybe someone should call the police to investigate this, locking kids in small rooms is child abuse. Mr. Perotti is this being transparent?
DeleteMy issue is not with the contracts and how or when the teachers work, it's been that way forever. I have more issue with those teachers that seem to need to be painters and contractors, lawn service, etc, during the summer months and undercut pricing of those that do it for a living. I lost three jobs last year to "painting teachers", one I was told they just wanted to help the teachers out, are you kidding me! I'm going broke here! Then I'm suppose to be happy to pay my taxes to pay the teachers. Yeah it's a free country and you can compete with me, but i can't go up to that High School in September and get a job teaching so I guess I can't compete with you. I promise to stay out of your business if you will promise to stay out of mine!
ReplyDeleteIt seems like we should be able to pass a town law that says that if you take our town tax money you shouldn't be able to work. It's unfair. It's one thing to steal from the taxpayers by doing a joke job like teaching. It's another to then steal again from people during the summer. You really wonder what these teachers are thinking.
DeleteThe above poster is an idiot. I don't even know you, but you are one of the most ignorant people on this earth.
DeleteHe might not be an idiot, just a socialist.
Deleteor maybe both, an idiot and a socialist.
Please advise where the petition to remove Frank is posted. Is this a paper signed petition or an electronic option?
ReplyDeleteHe is not right for Springfield or their families and inherently does not understand the plight of the community he is working for.
He comes from money, throws money at himself while in office (this is his historical behavior with other districts as well), and does not seem to see an issue with several years of giving himself extra money yet cutting jobs, etc.
As for the need for paras, there is one. Some of this is not a result of poor teachers, though I am sure there are some. The children of today actually do have more behavioral and educational issues than those those in the past. It is proven. Not just because of an increase in diagnosis but an increase in need. Yes, our children are entitled to FAPE, but bashing the teachers won't give that to you. Give solid facts about your own experiences and not those of what you have "heard" in the rumor mill.
There are a LOT of good families, of all walks of life, all levels of income, who care about their children, their grand children, their community. We get a bad rap for those who do not or can not get out of their own way.
I agree that the budget should not have passed as it was presented. I do not agree that we should cut more other than the salaries of under-performing administrators. Re-allocate funds, listen to your community and buffer out the ridiculous requests and stop leading our budget with political concern and lead it with concern for our children.
I personally know that Frank is not the only one sitting over in Park Street that needs to go, but he certainly can be the starting point.