Good Job Daniels

[bnm]

Brian Daniels proposed an amendment to the budget which would allow the school system their monies to keep the programs, teachers, paras, etc. A total tax increase of about $90 per household would have allowed our kids to keep their AP programs, decent class sizes and extra class room help. It is about time someone other than our great (former) mayor is in favor of educating and building futures for our kids.
Shame on the councilors who voted this amendmant down. I guess now that your kids are done with their schooling or are privately schooled you just don't care about some of our children in need.

[jma]

Some of us without children are getting tired of paying for your child's extra-curricular activities. I accept the responsibility of paying for their basic education. I don't appreciate paying for all the extras you parents keep demanding.

[Charles E. Peevyhouse]

Some of us without children are getting tired of paying for your child's extra-curricular activities. I accept the responsibility of paying for their basic education. I don't appreciate paying for all the extras you parents keep demanding.

Agreed. Meriden's ever increasing supply of services pushes up the cost. What is the return, lower tests scores, why is education the only profession where no gain is met with a demand for more money and when the educators are questioned about this they point to a myriad of excuses. Just remember excuses are tools of the incompetent to build monuments to nothing.

[brunet]

Year in and year out we hear of the "bares bone budget" and each year we find additional teachers hired, custodial staff, administration and funding of expired grant money.
The city has hired about 90 additional teachers and many assistant teachers over the last 18 years, paid premiums for Masters and PHDs and reduced classroom sizes with virtually no results. (count the millions of dollars).
The tools have always been available and will be available for children that want to achieve.
The disingenuous nature of all previous spending patterns would certainly make me very skeptical.

[greenthumb671]

I agree with the amendment proposal as a good idea. Some of these responses seem emotional in nature and not entirely true in every case.

Which test scores do you mean by lower test scores? There are several areas Meriden actually improved last year in CMTs and at a greater increase than the state.

Also, Meriden does not spend much more per student (and more often less than) than other towns of comparable size and demographics.

As for the added positions over 18 years, how many are grant funded and not part of the board budget? Also, how much has the student population grown over this time?

I understand the sentiment of not wanting to pay for education if you have no children in the system while I respectfully disagree.

Greenthumb

[ruppsterdog]

Let the 27 administrators take a cut, better yet, get rid of most. They add no value to the system, they do not teach so that makes them a layer of fat that we have to pay for. How about the last minute deals? they would accept a 3% budget increase, what is this, let's make a deal? Show me the figures! And the board of Ed., how many actually have a high school diploma? And they are controlling a huge budget? Give me a break.

[bnm]

Some of us without children are getting tired of paying for your child's extra-curricular activities. I accept the responsibility of paying for their basic education. I don't appreciate paying for all the extras you parents keep demanding.

I really hope that some day when these children grow up, They do not say, "I am tired of paying into a social security account and seeing nothing for myself, lets get rid of it- I'll take care of my own future through investments"

While it is still unclear as to what will actually be cut, I firmly believe it is the right of a child to be able to attend field trips, perform in a band, run the bases, engage in a debate club, or be allowed to take AP level classes. I think it is our duty to engage these children and continue to give them all the tools necessary to succeed.

[RC12L4]

I really hope that some day when these children grow up, They do not say, "I am tired of paying into a social security account and seeing nothing for myself, lets get rid of it- I'll take care of my own future through investments"

When these children grow up chances are social security isn't going to be around. The right thing to do would be to inform and educate these children that they should invest in their own future and not depend on someone else to do it. Anyone depending on SS for their sole source of retirement has already lost the battle.

So if we gave Meriden schools a billion dollars the test scores would shoot through the roof?

[jma]

Don't criticize me for being unwilling to open my wallet year after year when parents panic. Start to critize your Board of Ed. They give raise upon raise, ridiculous retirement packages, and spend money freely, knowing panicky parents will rally to their rescue. Make them fiscally responsible before you come to me for more money.

When I was in school, my parents had one car. My siblings and I (all 6), couldn't do after-school activities. There were chores to do, and my folks didn't have the time or money to run us around like chauffers. We all managed to get through school, go on to college, and become successful adults. All surviving without the "extras" kids can't live without today.

Again, I willingly contribute my part for education, but have the right to protest paying for the extras.

[bnm]

The issue is not wether or not Social Security will be around. Rather the issue is do we decide to educate our children to the fullest extent possible? (Just a comparison of someone making a decision based on someone elses needs)
These kids depend on us to give them the tools to succeed, and we are failing them.
Compared to many "passing" towns we spend less on a per student basis and our budget increase of a little more than 1% for Education is far less than that of most towns.

[RC12L4]

Don't criticize me for being unwilling to open my wallet year after year when parents panic. Start to critize your Board of Ed. They give raise upon raise, ridiculous retirement packages, and spend money freely, knowing panicky parents will rally to their rescue. Make them fiscally responsible before you come to me for more money.

When I was in school, my parents had one car. My siblings and I (all 6), couldn't do after-school activities. There were chores to do, and my folks didn't have the time or money to run us around like chauffers. We all managed to get through school, go on to college, and become successful adults. All surviving without the "extras" kids can't live without today.

Again, I willingly contribute my part for education, but have the right to protest paying for the extras.

Speaking of parents not giving their kids money what happened to paperboys in Meriden? Do they still exist? When I was growing up a paper route was a sought after position for kids to have. It wasn't unheard of to hear of a kid who finally gave up his paper route after doing it for 5 years and that's after his older brother gave it to him after doing it for years himself.

Not trying to hijack your thread I just had to ask.

[jma]

Had a paper route for years! When we camped for the summer at the beach, I had one there, too. No allowance for us-we earned our money. What a foreign concept now!