Long rant... school budget cuts.

It's about votes.

You will lose votes if you cut sports. You will lose votes if you cut science, even though the voters generally don't have a clue what science is.

How many people have been inside a library in the last year? How many students talk to their parents about the resources available there?

Librarians are much akin to mice. I don't mean that in a bad way. You're smart but generally quiet. You don't hang out with the "popular" kids or teachers, you tend to be found with others like you, those who pursue intellectual not physical endeavors.

It's about perception and popularity mixed in with a bit of ignorance.

If Johnny's dad, or Joanie's, sees his kid making a touchdown or cheering in front of a crowd, sinking a basket or digging hard for that match point, they feel proud and want those programs to continue so they CAN feel proud.

Sherman and Ophilia, the top performing students, are never seen in such light and therefore the programs that allow them to be all THEY can be, are not as important.

It pretty much sucks.

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Originally Posted by twistedtails

I'm all for the gifted classes! I was in GATE(Gifted and Talented Education) when I was in elementary school and it was so much fun. I was charting nautical maps in 4th and 5th grade.

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Me too... I loved GATE! :gj: Eventually my parents put me into private schools, though, since the GATE programs were suffering even back then (1980s).

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Originally Posted by wilomn

How many people have been inside a library in the last year? How many students talk to their parents about the resources available there?

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Twice a week and earlier int he month I picked up a book that she had ordered via interlibrary loan.

Well to give you an example, My first year of High School was my 2nd year in the US. I did not speak any English what so ever when I arrived. Both of my ESOL English teachers said I shouldn't be in ESOL classes, but in regular classes but they didn't want to move me because I was already half way through the year, and also because I asked them not to, I had friends who were in regular English classes and they had HORRIBLE grammar, I knew before hand that I wasn't gonna learn anything in regular English classes.

They actually wanted me to join AP English classes for the next school year. But I was kinda depressed during those years and I refused to go to AP, but still, they moved me to regular English classes. Now the next school year as far as English classes went, It was CAKE compared to ESOL English. I NEVER UNDERSTOOD THIS. People had horrible grammar. The classes were lame. I did not learn anything that I already knew from ESOL. I actually regretted not joined AP classes.

I don't understand why people in the US are not very interested in their own language. The schools show this. The average English speaking Immigrant that went to school can write English better than the average American.

I'm with you 110%. The education system is really going down the toilet. It wasn't fantastic when I was in school, and in some areas, it just keeps getting worse. If there is one thing that should not be skimped on in budgeting, it's education; but it is, every single year.

My husband moved here from Sweden, and he was very surprised when I explained to him that people didn't realize he wasn't a native speaker, because their English was worse than his.

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

I'm with you 110%. The education system is really going down the toilet. It wasn't fantastic when I was in school, and in some areas, it just keeps getting worse. If there is one thing that should not be skimped on in budgeting, it's education; but it is, every single year.

My husband moved here from Sweden, and he was very surprised when I explained to him that people didn't realize he wasn't a native speaker, because their English was worse than his.

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People don't realize I'm wasn't born American unless they play close attention to my accent, and my first language is Spanish. It really is no joke when an Immigrant realizes he understands English better than the very Americans in the US. It is kind of sad. But it is true.

My BF's mom is a special ed teacher, and boy oh boy those budget cuts are taking a toll on her. Sometimes she's the last one to leave the school, even after the janitor has left! It's crazy. We go over to see her and she's correcting papers. Yet, the other special ed teacher has TWO assistants and hardly ever stays after school gets out, and hardly ever takes work home.

I didn't know all that about the libraries though. That makes me sad! I love reading, and my favorite subject in school was English. I found it fun and semi easy, but loved to be challenged. I'd like to think I speak fine, I can get my words mixed up sometimes. I think that's mainly me not thinking about how I'm going to say something before I say it. I try to read to expand my vocabulary, because I hate sounding dumb! I heard that reading will help expand your vocab and will help you form sentences better... If it's true, no wonder so many people have crappy english since all you read now-a-days is txts and computer screens.

Hope things get better down there Lolo... They're not much better up here. :(

well our school is having big budget cuts. If this vote does not pass here in march......I will loose my job. Not a biggie to me because I will be there anyways to volunteer. But PE goes away and the music program goes away. We already lost our art program. Ugh.... there will be no field trips unless parents kick in money for it. The reptile show I did...was paid for by myself....and thankfully a mining company (crazy) kicked in the printing of colored booklets for the kids. We will only be keeping football and cheer not because thats what gets the votes....but that is what brings in more money.

In AZ we just moved our ELL (english language learning) kids to a class together. I really thought it wasn't going to be a good idea for them but I have to say it is working really really well. They are learning more....and it is not holding the others back. Right now our Special Ed department is not being affected. And my hats off to anyone that does that...wow that is a HARD job.


As far as our library...we have an excellent one. We have many agencies here in the area that donated books and thousands of dollars for us to have great school library. As well as parents came together and donated gently used books. We also incorporated an Accelerated Reader program here and it is AMAZING. Really lets you gauge what level the children should be reading and if they are comprehending what they are reading.

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

If there is one thing that should not be skimped on in budgeting, it's education; but it is, every single year.

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I agree. But there are some serious flaws in our education system and how we approach things that throwing money at won't fix.

First is the lack of participation and active engagement of parents. Parents just don't seem to take much interest in their kids education. Many don't know their kid's teachers, don't know what the kids are learning, don't discuss what the kids are doing with them. It also seems in my experience that parents tend to blame teachers and not themselves and their kids. Several of my friends are teachers and the stories they tell of parents blaming them for their kid's failures while ignoring that the kid hasn't turned in any homework, doesn't come to tutoring, and flunks all his tests. That and parents and kids are too quick to settle for mediocrity. They just settle for passing instead of putting in extra effort and going for that B or A. And the parents just accept it.

The other thing I think is that money is mismanaged; especially towards sports. I grew up in TX where football is king and the HS I went to was a big time 5A powerhouse at the time. Every other year the football team got brand new astroturf in the stadium. All of my AP classes we didn't have textbooks. We got photocopies from the lone teacher edition that our teachers had. When my parents brought this up at a school board meeting they were told that there wasn't enough money to buy textbooks for the higher level classes and that the money had to be spent elsewhere. When they mentioned the astroturf they were told that it represented a sense of pride for the football team and was a necessary expense. They were shocked that pleasing football players was more important than providing textbooks for learning.

This isn't a knock against sports. They're very important and play a significant role. But they shouldn't trump education and learning IMO.

Sorry for the rant. But the insane money spent on sports and the increasing laxidasical attitude of parents towards their kids education makes me nuts!!

As for the OP I feel your pain. My aunt is a librarian at the school she teaches at and has her Master's in it just like you. It is sad that so many people don't appreciate a good book. And also sad that they can't even write a coherent sentence.

Just to play devil's advocate towards the math and science. Those are subjects that are universal. So I think that pushing them is extremely important in our world economy where people are very mobile. Math here is the same as math in Germany for instance. Whereas good english grammar isn't universal and won't do you much good on a global scale.

That being said, English skills shouldn't suffer though. And it is atrocious at how poorly so many people write and speak these days.