Money for programs and teachers instead?

[fence]

Can someone please explain what is meant by:

"Let's spend money on programs and teachers, not buildings."

I am interested to know exactly what have been identified as shortcomings in our programs and with our teachers in 204.

In what ways will additional monies improve these shortcomings, and what is the amount of money being proposed and what will it be used for exactly?

Exactly what is the proposal here, and how does it address the need for seats, or is it a peripheral issue?

This has been mentioned a few times. If anyone can outline the platform, I would be interested in hearing it. In advance, a link to the voteno site will not suffice as an answer. I would like those concerned to outline in their own words, not someone else's.

[charmant]

fence said:

Can someone please explain what is meant by:

"Let's spend money on programs and teachers, not buildings."

I am interested to know exactly what have been identified as shortcomings in our programs and with our teachers in 204.

In what ways will additional monies improve these shortcomings, and what is the amount of money being proposed and what will it be used for exactly?

Exactly what is the proposal here, and how does it address the need for seats, or is it a peripheral issue?

This has been mentioned a few times. If anyone can outline the platform, I would be interested in hearing it. In advance, a link to the voteno site will not suffice as an answer. I would like those concerned to outline in their own words, not someone else's.

Fence

I'd like to hear your ideas. I know you have had some particular issues with your son and have been thinking of moving.

I really don't think that you are of the opinion that our district has NOTHING to work on to make the education of our students better....but this is just my assumption

[charmant]

charmant said:

fence said:

Can someone please explain what is meant by:

"Let's spend money on programs and teachers, not buildings."

I am interested to know exactly what have been identified as shortcomings in our programs and with our teachers in 204.

In what ways will additional monies improve these shortcomings, and what is the amount of money being proposed and what will it be used for exactly?

Exactly what is the proposal here, and how does it address the need for seats, or is it a peripheral issue?

This has been mentioned a few times. If anyone can outline the platform, I would be interested in hearing it. In advance, a link to the voteno site will not suffice as an answer. I would like those concerned to outline in their own words, not someone else's.

Fence

I'd like to hear your ideas. I know you have had some particular issues with your son and have been thinking of moving.

I really don't think that you are of the opinion that our district has NOTHING to work on to make the education of our students better....but this is just I disagreeumption

last sentence should read ' but this is just

[charmant]

charmant said:

charmant said:

Fence

I'd like to hear your ideas. I know you have had some particular issues with your son and have been thinking of moving.

I really don't think that you are of the opinion that our district has NOTHING to work on to make the education of our students better....but this is just I disagreeumption

last sentence should read ' but this is just

[charmant]

charmant said:

charmant said:

last sentence should read ' but this is just

tried to modify, won't let me

[fence]

charmant said:

charmant said:

tried to modify, won't let me

That happened to me once, I was never quite sure what the problem was!

Anyway, there have been several posters, I think you mentioned it too, that talk about spending money on teachers and programs instead of a new building. I would like to know more about those ideas and plans.

My plans for moving involve multiple issues, I certainly didn't state that I thought we needed to provide any additional funding for programs and teachers, others did.

So I would like to know the specifics of that proposal and how it will help the district.

Believe it or not, I am not of the philosphy that providing more money to our teachers and administrators is necessary, even though I support building a school when space is needed so that our teachers are given an environment conducive to doing what they need to do. Putting them in a difficult environment and then giving them what amounts to "combat pay" would not in my opinion make them any more effective.

[charmant]

Fence

I'd like to hear your ideas. I know you have had some particular issues with your son and have been thinking of moving.

I really don't think that you are of the opinion that our district has NOTHING to work on to make the education of our students better.

[charmant]

charmant said:

Fence

I'd like to hear your ideas. I know you have had some particular issues with your son and have been thinking of moving.

I really don't think that you are of the opinion that our district has NOTHING to work on to make the education of our students better.

fence

i gotta run but i am anxious to hear your thoughts as i am sure you are anxious to hear others as well

[fence]

The question was for you and others who mentioned that we should spend money on programs and teachers. If you don't have any specific details, that's all you have to say.

I can't provide my thoughts to you on your own idea.

[Arch]

I didn't say 'instead of', but I did propose spending more on faculty, expecially training; especially w/ respect to special needs students. There are LOTS of autism (and other conditions) seminars and around the area that are a wealth of information and excellent exposure to different groups of people sharing what they've seen work, not work etc. A discretionary fund setup as a use it or lose it for the teachers (With department head/principal approval) to spend on materials / projects / WHATEVER they need to implement their own ideas into the classroom. Far too often, many great ideas go unimplemented that would have helped the learning process due to the expense needing to come from the teacher's wallet or the parent's. Part of this could also fund field trips rather than having some parents have their kid sit out and miss due to not sending in money.

[title1parent]

Arch,
I do know that teacher's are required by the state to take additional classes to keep their certificates current.(so many credit hours a year) D204 does inform the faculty about seminars/coursework that they can take to meet that state requirement. Many of these seminars/coursesoffered are area specific. Plus, I know many teachers who are taking courses together to get their advanced degrees.

[fence]

I would be all for supporting special programs if they will enrich the education of our kids, especially the kids who need more support, but since I've just heard - give more to teachers and programs and less to buildings - a few times, I wanted to know exactly what that meant.

Have there been areas that have been specifically identified which are requiring more funding, is this matter of needing more money specifically, or is there just an general thought process that if we don't spend all this money on the school, we can spend it somewhere else?

That doesn't hold to the argument that we can't give the SD any more money until they spend what they have more responsibly. This recent proposal seems counter-intuitive to me so I was trying to get at some specifics ....

[charmant]

fence said:

The question was for you and others who mentioned that we should spend money on programs and teachers. If you don't have any specific details, that's all you have to say.

I can't provide my thoughts to you on your own idea.

I'm sorry to hear that you don't have any ideas.

But here are a few of mine

If we spent $50 mill on additions, that leaves us with roughly $75


1. PA - I believe per district guidelines the top 2-5% of the student pop can receive PA instruction at the ES level depending on the school. p.s. Dist 203 has a separate school for PA students and I believe their ACT scores exceed ours. Why couldn't we DOUBLE this amount of children and have WHOLE PA classes all day long??

2. Special needs - Some of the aids with these children have two year degrees. Why can't we fund 4 year teachers or teachers with masters in specialized needs?? Why can't we have speech pathologists/counselors/phychs and socs at every school??

3. Teachers educations - Provide scholarships to teachers interested in getting further education in the form of a masters degree or additional classes in special areas.

4. Title I families - Ghandi said that you are only as strong as your weakest link. This list has room to grow but here's a few. Breakfast programs, in home visits, private tutors, family to family hook ups to help curry needs to the SD, counselors, ESL classes for the family, funding for any special need, medical/dental, bill help, . Families that sign up for these services could be asked to volunteer for school activities a certain number of hours so that they become more of a partner with the school. etc

5. More field trips to local and city museums Art museums, recycling centers, Fire/Police departments, the book store where every child gets to pick out a book paid for by the SD, Museum of Science and Industry, Zoos, Nature Centers, Lizzadro, local restaurants for a tour, ...Do you know how many kids have never taken the train??? The Sci Tech field trip I went on this year...6 out of 8 kids had never been there,...and that is 15 minutes TOPS from Dist 204.

6. Funding for more assemblies, cultural fairs, science fairs, Book authors, career fairs, artists, musicians, singers THIS IS LACKING BIG TIME

7. Study Help Programs - AT EVERY SCHOOL Fund programs for students to go in before or after school, evenings and weekends to get help . This could be teachers, college students studying to be teachers , high school kids wanting credit, volunteers, senior volunteers, etc. There could be a 'shell answer person' at every school during these hours to help parents with questions about ANYTHING.

8. Computer scholarships for students

9. College courses scholarships for seniors - we pay students' transportation and fees to take classes at another location.

10. Sports Camp Programs - Bring in pro or semi pro athletes to help athletes to excell in their sport of choice.

Theres 10 to start with off of the top of my head.

Funding AWESOME education programs AND relieve from overcrowding!!!! At for $124.6 mill!!!!

Thank you for this opportunity Fence

[admin]

So where do you get the $75 million from? I don't think you can use B&I money for this stuff.

[charmant]

admin said:

So where do you get the $75 million from? I don't think you can use B&I money for this stuff.

I don't know the legalities at all. Fence asked, I answered.

If you can't use B & I for money like this, that is a sad state of affairs and laws need to change.