Sorry Jane, but you’re contradicting yourself. You said… 

1.  “I have already acknowledged that most school fees have not increased”

2. “I am not happy about paying taxes and additional school fees for education”

And my question remains… WHAT ADDITIONAL school fees?  We’ve agreed (I thought) that the only fees increased were for Adventure Games and the Band and neither of those is a “mandatory elective.”  Nobody has to take Adventure Games or Band. 

So I think we can drop the whole issue of the fees, AP or otherwise.  They have little to do with your real concern, which is determining whether things like cell phones should have priority over other administrative or teaching costs.  That’s a fair question and I wish you had raised it in a different way.  I posted your list of users.  Who shouldn’t have a phone?  Are the phones being used properly?  Those are questions worth asking and discussing in a fair and civil manner.

Pat

I have already acknowledged that most school fees have not increased, Pat. There is no need to inject insinuations into my words.

As a taxpayer and a parent, I am not happy about paying taxes and additional school fees for education, including fees for mandatory electives, when I see the massive budget cuts that have been made to educational essentials like school supplies (50%), textbooks (35%), programs and teachers. These cuts directly impact the quality of education offered to our children. I question the school’s allocation of scarce resources when cell phones for administrators are given priority over paper, textbooks, programs and teachers.

Many parents spent a great deal of time researching and proposing constructive, cost-saving ideas during last year’s budget process, even going so far as to draft a line-by-line alternative budget, but they were simply not heard during the process.

IMO, if you need to reduce the overall budget, it does not make good sense to make huge cuts to the primary teaching functions, and leave secondary functions, such as administration, relatively untouched. I believe the schools have a responsibility to investigate cost-saving alternatives that would make the schools more efficient and not have such a detrimental effect on the education of the children.

Re the AP issue, apologies for the typo in my last email. The correct link is:

http://collegeexplorations.blogspot.com/

I suggest we save the discussion of religion, philosophy, vomit and politics for another day!

Jane.

I just re-read Amy Condra’s letter and I believe I misconstrued her intent when I said, “I don’t care if Amy Condra says it’s OK to get angry and spew vitriole at people.”  She didn’t say that.  I mostly agree with Amy.  Anger or any other emotion can be healthy as long as we react to it in a way that supports our highest vision of ourselves. To me that means being civil and fair.  I was angry at what I perceived as an uncivil and unfair attack and that prompted my LTE, so yes - anger can be a good catalyst for discussion, as long as it is channeled wisely.

Pat

I wanted to let this go, but I’m having trouble doing so. 

Jane, you said, “what troubles me is the attitude that it is OK to cut the school supply budget by 50%, while simultaneously passing expenses on to the parents as school fees.”  To me, the way you’ve written this, it implies that fees have gone up in order to cover the cuts to the school supply budget.  You’ve already agreed that the fees did not go up (aside from a couple optional activities).  We have always paid these fees.  Are you requesting that the fees be reduced?  How does that help solve the problem of a shortage of funds?  And if you’re going to reduce them, do I get a refund for all my years of paying them? 

You said, “My suggestion is that the schools live within their budget, do not make unreasonable cuts to the supplies and textbook budgets, and do not pass on costs to families in the form of school fees.”  You go on to describe how a shortage of funds has resulted in sharing textbooks.  My question again to you is - if the fees you pay (which are the same fees I paid when my son was in school) are to be reduced - how does this help solve the problem of not having enough funds for textbooks?  Again, you’ve worded this in such a way as to imply that school fees have been increased, while also having formerly admitted that this is not the case.  The school is NOT passing on costs to families in the form of fees any more than they ever have. It sounds to me like you want to reduce the fees you pay in order to further reduce the amount of resources they have available to teach your kids.  Surely that can’t be what you mean.  What am I missing here?

As to the AP fees - again I fail to see how this personal decision has anything to do with the competence of those running the local school system.  If it was me, I’d go to those who run the AP program at the state level and make my requests known there. File an FOIA - you know how to do that.  I don’t see this as a local issue until such time as you confirm that a problem exists that is quantifiable and measurable.  It seems to me that you are just casting aspersions and making insinuations that because resources are tight, teachers can’t teach any more, and it’s all the fault of the school board and administration.  Civility and fairness dictate that you prove that before you assert it.

I’m trying to understand the logic here.  It seems to me that you are saying, ‘because the school board and administration are incompetent, resources have been reduced, and those remaining have been improperly allocated, and this has potentially resulted in less proficient teaching of AP classes, such that I don’t know whether I should give my child the opportunity to learn at a higher level, or to spare him/her that opportunity because they might fail the test at the end of the year and have their tender little egos bruised.’  Is that the charge here?  By the way, I only think children should be encouraged to take AP classes if they are qualified and desiring of the opportunity to do so.  It’s a mistake to push it on them when they aren’t ready.  If you’re concerned that the child is not going to be able to pass the test, then perhaps the child is not qualified and should stick with the standard program.  It seems to me that you’re trying to pass too much of the responsibility for this personal decision off on others.

Any time a child is “educated” and learns something - they are not being “set up for failure.”  To me that is a defeatist attitude.  And in any event, those who learn from failure go on to accomplish great things.

You are not convincing me that the School Board and Administration are incompetent - and I want to be convinced of that because I want to vote out all incumbents, and the more reason to do so the better.  You haven’t given me anything that helps me make a decision about the competence or motives of those about whom you’ve insinuated improper conduct. 

As to the cell phones - I think most of the people on the list should have them, but if you disagree, run down the list and figure out who should be eliminated and ponder with others what if any effect that might have on the potential education, safety and welfare of your kids.

Here’s the list from your FOIA:

Burdette, Principal Middle School
Campbell, Tech Svc Spec
Ball, Principal High School
Underwood, Superintendent
Gretz, Asst Super.
Bocrie, Info Tech Spec
Deweer, Dir 2ndary Educ
Martin, Tec Svc Coord
Turner, Spvsr Maint
Mott, Coord of Student Svcs and Special Ed
Austin, Principal Randolph Elem
Gordon, Principal GL Elem
Hopkins, Principal Byrd
Borthwick, Spvsr Nutrition
Streagle, Testing Coord
Franklin, Research & Info Svc Analyst
Scott, Asst Principal, Middle Sch
Covinington, Asst Principal HS
Ciminelli, Asst. Principal Middle Sch
Beasley, Dir Spec. Ed
Bennett, School Bd Clerk
Harris, Student Svc Spec
Bus Shop
Thurston, Supervisor Transportation
Tilman, Substitute Coordinator
Frith, Maint
Lawrence, HVAC Mech/Water Tech
Shelton, Custodial Supervisor
Gray, Maintenance worker
Richmond, Electrician
Rochkind, Plumber

I’m going to guess that for most if not all of the people on this list, it would be advantageous or necessary to get ahold of them for some critical reason that could affect your child’s education, safety or well being. If there are strong reasons to cut back on this list - present them at the School Board meetings with clear cut rationalization as to why this should happen - not just because YOU think it’s a waste.  When the toilet is jammed, I want to find the plumber.  When the network is down, I want to find a technician.  When there’s kids spewing vomit in the lunchroom I want to find the Nutritional specialist.  When there’s a fight in the hallway I want to find the Asst. Principal and I want to find them NOW! 

Perhaps there is room to trim, but to consider elimination of all these cell phones seems irresponsible to me. 

In any event - I would ask that you come up with specific charges or requests and stop casting aspersions and making insinuations when you have nothing concrete to back up your charges.  This is unfair and uncivil and I don’t care if Amy Condra says it’s OK to get angry and spew vitriole at people - she’s in the media, and the media we have today would have little reason to exist if we all got along and treated each other as if we were all ONE.  The media wants walls of separation, and anger and hatred and vitriole because it makes for good TV and good reading - but if it drives us apart instead of pulling us together then I believe it’s bad for us as a society. 

Our society may be at a crossroads as our technology exceeds our spirituality.  Our religious, political and educational institutions have not advanced us towards our highest vision of ourselves (peaceful, free, and happy)in thousands of years of trying.  It’s time to acknowledge that what we’ve been doing doesn’t work.  We have to be courageous enough to look around and see if there is a better way that tears down walls of separation instead of building new ones. Civility and fairness are steps in that direction. 

Final note - speaking of walls of separation; I clicked on the link you provided and it takes me to a fundamentalist, self righteous, prophetical, final days website. I could never take at face value anything from such a divisive site. 

Pat

Dear Pat,

Thanks for your reply, and yes, we will have to agree to disagree on spending $28K on mobile phones for 32 personnel, the vast majority of whom should be within reach of a desk phone, the school messaging system, iChat or email for most of their working day.

We are agreed that the primary purpose of a school system is to educate. Conveniences and perks for administrative staff are secondary, IMO. I do not accept that the provision of iPhones to these folks is a higher priority that textbooks, school supplies, academic programs, or teachers, and do not understand why this expense was not cut first.

I also went to public school, and believe in public education. A wide body of research indicates that K-3 students do significantly better academically in classes of 13-17, particularly low income and minority students, and that the benefits are long-lasting, resulting in improved graduation rates. There is also a great deal of research supporting the importance of middle and high school class sizes of 25 or less. Right now, I personally know of middle school students in classes of 32 for their core academic subjects, and our youngest daughter is in a combined 3rd and 4th grade class of 26 students. While I have heard great things about her teacher, this is not an ideal learning environment for elementary level children.

Re fees, while I accept that the numbers, per se, may seem insignificant, what troubles me is the attitude that it is OK to cut the school supply budget by 50%, while simultaneously passing expenses on to the parents as school fees. My suggestion is that the schools live within their budget, do not make unreasonable cuts to the supplies and textbook budgets, and do not pass on costs to families in the form of school fees. Middle and high school children
are sharing textbooks this year, and have been told they cannot bring them home, which makes homework a little awkward, especially when the supply budget has been cut in half and there is less paper to make copies….

Re the AP test fees, I have not yet found an independent source for Goochland’s AP test results, but am still searching. Our eldest is currently signed up for 4 AP courses, which should offer a higher degree of academic rigor - all good so far. There is also the option to take an AP test at the end of the course, but this involves a fee. The AP test only qualifies for college credit at VA colleges such as UVA or William and Mary with a pass score of 4 or 5. The cost of each exam. is $86, with the VASS program paying half the exam fee for certain subjects, plus a $100 payment for a score of 3 or above. Unfortunately, the anecdotal information I have is that some diligent, hard-working, talented GHS high school students failed to pass these AP tests last year, so I have misgivings about the value of paying out hundreds of dollars to take these AP tests. I would like some reassurance in the form of empirical evidence that these AP courses are being taught to the required standard, before placing the pressure (and expense) of these tests on our child.

So we are agreed that it is good to encourage children to strive for a high degree of academic excellence by studying an AP course. Where we may differ is that I do not wish to set my children up for failure if the odds are stacked against them passing the AP test!

Per http://collegeexplorations.blogpot.com, “While school districts rush to upgrade and increase AP course offerings, controversy surrounds increasing rates of failure and the value of pushing students to take college-level courses beyond their readiness to succeed. Originally limited to top students at competitive high schools, the AP program has evolved into a measure of high school excellence and now plays a much greater role in college admissions”.

Jane.

Dear Jane,

While I don’t agree with all your points, this LTE was far better constructed than your earlier one which was all insinuation and innuendo. 

For argument’s sake, I’ll point out that I spent most of my school years in larger classes than you prefer.  I still managed to get a pretty good education - albeit some of it at a private school - but the groundwork was all public school back in the 60s. We learned to think instead of memorize.  We learned civility and fairness.  Our society has seemingly abandoned those concepts to our mutual loss.

I guess we shall agree to disagree on the cellphones.  At least in this LTE you provided some explanation as to why you were against them.  I think the first time something happens to a kid and they don’t get the care they want because some administrator doesn’t have a cell phone, the proverbial poop will hit the fan.  I saw the list.  It’s reasonable in my opinion.

Note that I did not claim that government funding covered mobile phone expenses - I just pointed out the coincidence that we seemed to have achieved savings through the E-Rate program that happened to cancel out the phone bills. I don’t care who pays for it - if there’s a fight or an accident, or god forbid someone breaks into the school with a gun, I want an administrator to have a cell phone to call the authorities and handle the situation quickly and safely.  I say again that the list of people with phones is reasonable, and a justifiable expense for protecting the safety and well being of the children under their care.

I still don’t understand your point regarding fees.  I gather that you are simply complaining about them.  I don’t know whether you think they are right or wrong, or should be paid in some other way, or what - you apparently just want to complain about them.  What is your point?  What do you suggest?

Thank you for sharing your personal story about whether or not to sign your kids up for AP classes.  Your original LTE complained about fees, but just what do you want done about them?  These AP fees are a pass-thru for Goochland.  Your first letter insinuated some wrong-doing on the part of the school, but I fail to see how the decisions you make regarding your children’s education are pertinent to whether the school board and supervisor are doing their jobs.  Have you asked for the test results you want?  What was the answer? 

I have to say that I have a different philosophy.  I don’t look at the chances of my kid passing an exam before encouraging him to take the class. I look at what he might learn and whether that would be of value.  If there is a fee involved, then I’m going to figure out a way to pay it if my kid wants to take the class and he can learn something from it.  There are few guarantees in life.  I know we’ve made it all about grades and scores, but school should really be all about learning.

I like that you ended on a positive note, mentioning other things we can work on together in order to reduce costs and improve efficiency . 

I’ll say it again - my letter was a plea for civility and fairness.  You were not fair in that first letter.  This one is much better.

Pat Gannon