I am a student at Valley Springs Middle School. We recently learned that two of our favorite teachers’ jobs are in jeopardy due to the recent education-funding budgets proposed by the state. Eighty teachers in Buncombe County may not have jobs next year. This will make classroom numbers bigger and provide less time for teachers to work with students one on one.
The budget cut will not be passed until the summer. Imagine having to wait until mid-summer to find out for sure if you have a job or not.
We have time to stop or decrease this cut. We need to take decisive action. Please join us in making a difference in the lives of the teachers who have made a difference in our lives.
— Harshita Jain,
eighth-grade student at Valley Springs Middle
Nonetheless, without tax funds to support the positions, the cuts will need to be made. Instead of fighting the cuts without offering alternatives, the teachers fighting against this should offer solutions to the funding issues driving this matter all while remaining at least revenue neutral.
The problem here is that the “education lottery” funds have NOT been used exclusively for education. The big spending liberal democrat politicians in NC have spend the money on other things, like the “Teapot Museum”. Also democrats have mis-spent other tax money to feather their own nests. Call Raleigh and raise hell. At least we don’t live up north where entrenched liberal socialism has taxed the working man half to death with nothing to show but rich politicians.
When government shortfalls occur, politicians and school boards always manipulate public opinion by talking about cutting teachers and raising class size.
Only a few states and local boards have had the gumption to cut (gasp!) athletics and recreation. Even food service, transportation, technology, building and grounds maintenance, and other non-instructional programs could be cut back or put on hold for a while. The public has been duped into thinking all these things are essential. Well, they are not.
scru edjucashun!
just teech us how to care for rich peepul!
Actually, Piffy, you have clearly described the future of public education in one insightful statement!
Public schools are rapidly becoming social service agencies for the poor, not institutions designed for individuals to reach maximum learning. The number of people disillusioned with public schools has grown exponentially in the past two decades, and parents who can afford private education are taking their children out of public schools in astounding numbers.
There are so many other alternatives for learning now without having children be forced to jump through hoops that select and sort them into various layers of social strata.
By definition, the artificial bell curve prescribed by age-based grouping and grading of children mandates winners and losers from the first day a child sets foot in a public school, and therein begins a self-fulfilling prophecy in which mediocrity becomes the norm.
Instead of fighting the cuts without offering alternatives, the teachers fighting against this should offer solutions to the funding issues driving this matter all while remaining at least revenue neutral.
No, no they shouldn’t. That’s not their job. They should be teaching, not coming up with alternatives to budget cuts.
If they cannot offer alternatives, then they should shut their political mouths and do as you suggest, teach, either in this school system or one that will hire them. Your suggestion works both sides of the coin, bobaloo. They might have to move to continue teaching and Lord knows a lot of us have had to do that. If they don’t like that alternative, let them offer other alternatives.
Teachers should sell drugs.
The munny is much better.