Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones said this afternoon he's recommening cutting nearly $34 million from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools next year in order to help balance a looming shortfall in the county budget, a move that likely would trigger layoffs of hundreds of teachers.
Click here to see Jones' memo.
Jones also is recommending cutting about $2.4 million from Central Piedmont Community College, according the memo sent to county commissioners today. - April Bethea
Thursday, May 7, 2009
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22 comments:
The stupidest cuts are in education. I say raise taxes on all the Republicans....just kidding about that last part....but seriously we should do something hold education fundraisers, I'm sure there are 34 or 68 or whatever the number of corporations and individuals that would be able and willing to help oontribute to a Mecklenburg education fund.
CMS needs to publish a complete and transparent budget, item for item, so we can all see where the waste is.
Danma, I know your tax comment is tongue-in-cheek, but its the Democrats running the school system; perhaps they owe us a refund for poor retrn.
great, they want to pay for stupid things at the expense of my childs education! really smart. who cares about democrats running the school system, they are not the ones trying to steal my childs education the county and state are.
Newsflash, folks.....your child's educational experience is more a result of their own efforts coupled with your involvement and support rather than the amount of money flung down the black hole of public education, much of which never reaches the classroom.
How about a retroactive impact tax on all these folks who've recently moved here and have so severely taxed our school system? (no pun intended).
OR, how about ending the tax deduction for dependent children? I don't see taxpayers lining up to help me with my dog obedience school tuition, why should my wife and I pay MORE in taxes, as a childless couple, than those with children? Spend that tax revenue on the schools. You bred them, pay your own way.
It's called living beyond your means,
I know a lot of people that do that too.
CMS needs to get back to its core mission (basics). Its mandate from the State is to provide k-12 public eduction. It spends $20 million a year on its own pre-school program called 'Bright Beginnings which is duplicated by the State ('More at Four', 'Smart Start'). Bright Beginnings has been proven to not raise test scores any more than non-pre-k children after the 3rd grade. If CMS wanted to, it could eliminate the non-core programs and not lay off any teachers. It just chooses not to do so because whipping up parents into a frenzy is part of the drama of this whole process.
CMS should consider year-round in lieu of building more schools. Classes will stay small and money's can be diverted back into the school that are already standing.
How many millions are spent on sports teams, coaches, athletic directors, band, and other fluff?
If we had collected school impact fees like most fast growing communities do in the United States we would have plenty of money for building new schools and property tax revenue could be used solely for operating schools. It is crazy that the development community has kept impact fees from being used in Charlotte. It is time for impact fees for roads, schools and parks.
Last time I checked, "band" isn't a fluff class. Music teachers in middle and high school are the ONLY teachers that beg for more kids. That is the ONLY class where they take what they learn in language arts, math, science, social studies, heck...it's a foreign language...and they put all that together that goes beyond anything that can be taught in a typical classroom. Music programs are self sustained by PARENTS who choose to have their kids be involved. If they're really going to have to cut things, cut administrators out of the learning communities.
Technically, athletics are about the only thing in a school that brings IN money. And for the most part, bands are self sufficient. They raise the money they need to spend.
Maybe the better question is to ask about ESL classes and how effective they are.
6:44 - I get so tired of people that don't have children complaining about their tax money going towards education. I've been working for 30 years, and have had thousands of dollars taken out of my paychecks for Social Security, Medicare, etc. Which I may or may not ever use. Even if I do reach the age when I can take advantage of these programs, there will probably not be enough in there for me to get anything anyway. My tax money also goes towards roads that I never drive on and numerous other services I don't use. Just get over yourself.
Band is NOT fluff. Band programs in CMS are totally self-sufficient with the exception of the director salary, the band room and VERY BASIC equipment. When CMS opens a new school they provide the band program with a basic set of instruments to be kept up (very $$$) by the band program - usually funded by the band boosters (i.e. parents). The band program is then left to its own devices to replace equipment and make new necessary purchases through fundraisers and donations. Don't get me wrong, CMS bands are grateful for everything the district gives them but let me tell you that in the grand scheme of things, band is not a major expenditure for the district and it's DEFINITELY NOT FLUFF! In times like these kids and parents alike need the arts. It helps to give kids an outlet, keeps their minds active and is a language which can bring people of different cultures, ethinicities beliefs, etc. together. In today's society we need music and art and drama! It makes me SO ANGRY when people call band, or any art for that matter "fluff". Let's look somewhere else for money and continue to educate our kids completely. That means reading, writing, arithmetic and ARTS!
Reducing teachers is not the answer. That just leads to a higher ratio of children to teachers. Surely there are other things that can be cut!!
Makes me glad I live somewhere that education is a priority. I graduated from the CMS years ago and it is sad to see the State/City/County basically say that they would rather see people layed off and students not learning. BTW, those who blame economic problems on the Dems. lol, we just finished 8 years of Republican hell and The Republicans were in charge of Congress most of that time.
10:03, children aren't a necessity. Roads are, and I imagine that if you asked retirees, they'd probably agree that Social Security is a necessity too. Having children is a choice (if you're responsible), a LUXURY that people allow themselves to indulge themselves in, and again, certainly not a necessity, so if you can get over being "so tired" of the childless complaining about subsidizing your luxury, you'd get over yourself too. Next time I buy a down comforter, or a jacuzzi tub or I fly down to Hilton Head, would you like me to send you the bill, since you seem to think that the cost of luxuries should be shared among the masses?
CMS is actively seeking out and employing foreign (VIF) teachers. Can't they find enough teachers here to employ? They are also still employing Teach for America teachers. While I think TFA is a noble program I think that most currently employed teachers deserve to keep their jobs more than recent college grads should have a chance to play teacher for a few years.
With these cuts CMS is sowing a lot of resentment in Charlotte. They need to stop passing the buck by saying "oh it's because the state wants its money back." Fight the state. Teachers and students can't fight for themselves. That's the Ed Center's job. They need to start doing their job and stop screwing over the little people.
One thing that really puzzles me. I keep seeing that commercial celebrating the BILLION dollars that has been raised by the Education Lottery and yet the schools are laying off educators,cutting budgets,and scrambling for enough supplies. Who is REALLY getting the benefits from the Lottery?.....certainly not the teachers,students or parents!
County Manager Harry Jones is a worthless pimp.
Raise taxes or cut spending? I'm for cutting spending. The newly unemployed parents have more time to educate their kids, not more money for taxes.
If CMS has to cut teachers they will cut the least performing teachers - at least in theory.
You could actually see improved student performance if those kids who had a poor teacher now actually receive quality instruction. Sure, the other classes may tick up a student or two, but the quality teachers will handle that.
Who knows, this could turn out to be a good thing. If that were to occur, Gorman should be fired for not letting go those poorly performing teachers in the first place. That's his job.
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