School Funding

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Maybe Marcia can also explain why teachers are being cut and classes loaded up if the financial picture isn't as bleak as they have been projecting...why is this fair???? No librarians??? What on earth are you people thinking?? Why do we need Kathy Jonas, Kathy Jones AND Betsy Carter???? Is Lisa Lowery worth $104,000 a year??? Oh wait, let me guess...grant money pays for them...Head Start instead of a preschool program of our own?? Is it true Head Start doesn't transport? Is it true Head Start is based on income?? Won't that exclude people?? Do you even care??

Sickofthebull....they are thinking alright, those in the administration building are thinking about saving their own jobs so they are recommending cuts that hurt the schools and the students. They have cut positions of people without even knowing what those employees job involved. For instance, the school district print shop is a good example. They let that employee go and instead will send the printing out to Kinko's or Staple's. How could that cost less? They didn't even realize what all she did until after the fact. They let her go but they kept Thompson, Klapper and Hammond. Oh, and Klapper's son, who now works for the school district too. Wonder what his title will be? Director of what? Wonder if he will get a car too and fill it up at the bus garage. I'm sure he will. Right, Mrs. Andrews, isn't Mr. Klappers son working for the school district too? Exactly what is his title? Also, exactly what is his experience to get a job with the district? Wasn't he selling used cars? Must be nice to be him, get your daddy to hire you and lay off employees who actually have experience.

Same with the libraries. They didn't think or know the details about the libraries. They didn't think about the value of those materials and what is going to happen now that someone isn't responsible to keep tract of the lost books, bill students, take inventory every year. They didn't know that the librarians actually had Academic Standards that they followed to instruct students in the library for each grade level. That was proven in the post where Marcia Andrews mentioned there was no such thing. Well, there is and "volunteers" aren't going to do that. The libraries were much more than what they thought they were. They didn't take into consideration that those employees had years of experience, all they know is books are taken off and put back on the shelf. And now, they have ruined that program and it will never be what it has been in the past. It's sad, for the students.

Go ask any of the certified staff who are taken out of the classrooms constantly for professional developments. Subs are brought in, the classes are chaos, it's not the subs fault. The kids need structure. At the budget meetings, it was brought up over and over at the schools by those staff members....cut the professional development but guess what, the person who is in the administration building would not recommend such a thing, it could be her job on the line! Of course, it's all funded through grants, so they say. Even though there are employees who are supposed to be in charge of all this, they hire consultants to do the work. There are more consultants walking around the schools these days than anyone could imagine. And then the consultants bring in their husbands and others and they get paid too.

The problem is that they have so many highly paid directors and assistants in the administration building no one knows what the other one is doing plus they don't know what goes on in the schools. They make the decisions to cut these people to save their own jobs.

Also, after going back at looking at the staff that were let go at the April board meeting I was surprised that Derrick Bobbett was still employed by this school district. Do you remember when he was the principal of Creekview and was arrested TWICE in one night for a DUI? Why the hell was he still even employed? And I'm sorry but I'll bet any of you on here that when school starts in August there will be a place found for Mrs. Million. They will find a "grant" to fund her salary.

Led by the DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY, Wednesday night the Massachusetts House overwhelmingly voted to strip police officers, teachers, and other municipal employees of most of their rights to bargain over health care, saying the change would save millions of dollars for financially strapped cities and towns.

Where’s all the same hate-speech directed towards the Massachusetts Democrats that was spewed towards Republicans in Ohio and Wisconsin?

Does this mean the thug from the OEA thinks the Massachusetts Democrats hate teachers, too??

Why hasn't this story received the same amount of attention from the mainstream media that Ohio and Wisconsin did???

acclaro- One of the people who work there told me that they fill up their cars there. Why would you doubt it? They also told me that they have a lot more they could tell.....really makes you wonder what goes on.

Also, I checked with someone at John XXIII, they have a paid librarian and volunteers to help her.

Coming to your wallet soon.....wait for it.......another attempt to justify another .......levy.....how 'bout that folks! Just had one a few years ago, didn't we? Asking every two or three years now, aren't they?

Yesterday's Journal..

Middletown Schools discuss likely 2012 levy


MIDDLETOWN — A looming deficit may in turn make 2012 a levy year for Middletown City Schools.

It’s too early to determine what form a levy might take, Long said. An emergency levy, typically the first option considered, is an expiring levy that may result in the district continually seeking renewals.
Since SB 5 does not take hold until existing contracts expire, new contracts may delay the implementation of the controversial initiative for two or three years, depending on contract language.

WHY WERE NEW CONTRACTS NEGOTIATED RIGHT BEFORE SB5? SEEMS CONVENIENT FOR THE TEACHERS DOESN'T IT? NOW, WE WILL WAIT TWO OR THREE YEARS TO SEE THE SHIP RIGHTED AS TO UNION DEMANDS. WHY SCHOOL BOARD, WHY?

Barb Alder, a retired Middletown teacher, said she thinks voters would be sympathetic to the school district if a new levy were presented before voters in 2012.

PROBABLY WRONG ON THAT ONE BARB. MAY BE SYMPATHETIC. DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FO THIS.

“I think people will recognize that because of the cuts to the state budget there’s nowhere else to go except to the voters in this school district,” she said.

AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM BARB.

Anna Thacker, the mother of a graduating senior at Middletown High School, disagrees.

“But at some point an administration has to step up to the plate. ... As American citizens, we are just going to have to choke up for a little bit. I’m willing to do that and I am doing that. School districts can do the same thing.”

AMEN ANNA

Sauter said he would be uncomfortable going to voters in 2012 if the school board hasn’t proven it has been wise with money and it is able to raise test scores.

"AND IT IS ABLE TO RAISE TEST SCORES"....AGAIN, RAISE TEST SCORES. HAVEN'T SEEN TEST SCORES RAISED IN ANY APPRECIABLE AMOUNT SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE TESTING. MIDDLETOWN IS ALWAYS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE TOTEM POLE COMPARED TO SURROUNDING DISTRICTS.

Final Ohio Graduation Test results are expected to be released soon. Sauter said he expects scores to be up from last year.

UP FROM THE BOTTOM, BUT PROBABLY STILL NOT ENOUGH TO CALL IT SUCCESS. THE BEST OF THE WORST I WOULD IMAGINE.....AGAIN WHAT IS IT NICK KIDD, MIDDLETOWN RANKS # 592 OUT OF 618 SCHOOL DISTRICTS???? AND FOR HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN THE CASE?

A permanent operating levy can be a hard sell to voters.

YOU GOT THAT RIGHT. ANY TYPE OF LEVY WILL BE IN THIS ECONOMY AND CONSIDERING THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN PREVIOUS LEVIES.

Including a loss of federal stimulus money, about 10 percent of Middletown’s funding could be gone next year, according to Long.

SO LET'S BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF THE POOR PROPERTY OWNERS IS YOUR ONLY SOLUTION?

If two successful years of increased scores are accompanied by an articulate message that the school board and Rasmussen have streamlined the budget in an effective manner, then Sauter said he will feel confident in asking voters to approve another levy.

YOU MAY BE FOOLING YOURSELF MR. SAUTER. WHAT WOULD AN "ARTICULATED MESSAGE" DO FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOTHING MORE TO GIVE IN PROPERTY TAXES OR WHO ARE ABOUT TO LOSE THEIR HOME TO FORECLOSURE? THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR "ARTICULATED MESSAGE".

“Those are the two big issues right now,” he said. “I, personally, am not one to go to the community with an additional levy until we’ve proven those two things.”

JUST SHOW US SOME IMPROVEMENT IN TEST SCORES, GETTING OUT OF THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT CATEGORY, IMPROVING ON THE 5 OF 30 INDICATORS, ALL STUCK IN NEUTRAL FOR TEN YEARS PLUS. GIVE US A REASON WHY WE SHOULD APPROVE YOUR LEVY, WHEN WE HAVE GIVEN YOU MONEY IN THE PAST AND NOTHING HAS CHANGED? IT IS LIKE THROWING MONEY AT A LOSING STOCK, KNOWING THERE WILL BE NO RETURN ON INVESTMENT. WHY WOULD ANYONE DO THAT, MR. SAUTER?

Well put.

jsmith2011 wrote: No one is their right mind will approve a levy for the school district. In the past, I always supported the schools, even with their lack of improvement for the past 10 years, but not anymore. After finding out about all the money that is misspent, all the administrators they hire and all the half truths the board tells the taxpayers, no way. Anyone can go talk to staff, like I did, and find out the truth.

Many of the taxpayers who could always be depended on to vote for the levy are now the parents of students who will be bused all over town next year from Highview, parents of students who will be in classes of 30 at Miller Ridge ( for which teachers get extra pay), parents of students at Wildwood who will have about 500 students and the art teacher pushing a cart because they need the classroom and parents of students who now go to Middletown Middle School with 900 other students. Also, parents of students who will not have trained staff in the libraries and parents of students at the high school who now do not have hall monitors for the students safety.

I can't imagine they will be happy with the outcome.

Today's Journal....

Senate budget restores $130M for cities, schools

COLUMBUS — In an attempt to lessen the sting felt by budget cuts, Republican state senators are throwing an extra $100 million into the local government fund, putting up $30 million for school districts that earn an excellent rating next school year.......

Whoops! Thought that this was good news for the Middletown schools as to funding and perhaps some relief for property owners from the proposed levy in 2012, but.......it only applies to school districts that may earn an excellent rating next year. Probably not gonna happen by next year for this district.

This shouldn’t be a problem at all.

A few years back, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) revamped the entire ranking system so that even school districts ranked as low as 602^nd out of 612, or so, could be tagged with the bogus “Continuous Improvement” rating even if they fell from say 590^th to 599^th. This allowed poor performing districts to shed unflattering descriptions and make it sound as if they were making progress, thus making it easier to pass levies.

There is no reason that the ODE bureaucrats, in concert with the OEA, cannot pull another such boondoggle to raise all districts to “excellent” this year. It’s just a matter of redefining a few terms and coining a few new buzzwords.

“Comparatively Excellent” and “Urban Exemplary” both have a nice ring to them.

From today's Journal...

Middletown teachers taking a pay cut
The Middletown Teachers Association also agrees to higher health care costs in 3-year contract.

The Middletown Teachers Association — which represents about 500 teachers — also agreed to freezes on automatic raises and to shoulder a higher portion of their health care costs, which combined with the salary decreases would save the district an estimated $4.1 million.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF PRIVATE INDUSTRY TEACHERS! WE HAVE BEEN PAYING 15-24% OUT OF OUR PAYCHECKS FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW FOR DENTAL AND MEDICAL PREMIUMS IN ADDITION TO THE PREMIUMS THE COMPANY IS PAYING. WE HAVE ALSO SEEN LITTLE TO NO YEARLY RAISES AFTER OUR PERFORMANCE REVIEWS HAVE BEEN GIVEN FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW TONYB. THE PUBLIC PERKS RIDE MAY BE COMING TO AN END FOR SOME. REALITY IS A HARSH TEACHER.

“With these decreases, we are still in the average salary range in the area,” said Superintendent Greg Rasmussen, adding that district officials are being vigilant long-term. “These are the kinds of things that can’t go on forever.”

SO, WE CAN ASSUME, BY RASMUSSENS'S STATEMENT, THAT MIDDLETOWN TEACHER'S WERE BEING PAID A LITTLE MORE THAN THE AVERAGE SALARIES FOR THE AREA, WHILE THE PERFORMANCE HAS NOT IMPROVED BEYOND CI, THE INDICATORS HAVE NOT IMPROVED BEYOND 5 OF 30 AND THE DISTRICT IS STILL 580th OR SO OUT OF 612 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN RANKING. IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT MONEY IS THE MOTIVATOR TOWARD DOING A BETTER JOB AND, LIKE BUILDING NEW SCHOOLS TO ENHANCE PERFORMANCE, THROWING MONEY AT A PROBLEM DOESN'T SOLVE IT EVERYTIME.

So far, the district has cut more than 30 staff positions, closed a middle school and converted an elementary school into a sixth-grade building. In addition, more than 50 teachers, administrators and other staff have accepted an early retirement incentive offer.

HOW MANY HAVE THEY CUT AND RE-ASSIGNED TO OTHER POSITIONS? HOW MANY HAVE THEY HIRED THROUGH THE BACK DOOR THAT HAVEN'T BEEN REPORTED BY THE JOURNAL? HOW MANY DUPLICATIONS OF JOB DUTIES ARE OCCURRING IN THE DISTRICT?

SB 5 would reduce collective bargaining rights and eliminate seniority-based pay increases, among other items.

The measure would not to take effect until an existing contract expires, so Middletown’s new deal will delay SB 5’s impact for three years.

HOW CONVENIENT.

The contract is expected to be finalized in the latter part of June, according to Debbie Alberico, the district’s communications specialist.

“This is a unique situation,” Alberico said. “Our employees understand the economy is down right now and they’re willing to do whatever they have to do to keep our students whole.”

Alberico said the long-term savings will help the district maintain best practices for students, such as keeping class sizes down.

She said it was unclear at this point whether the savings may offset any future position cuts.

ALBERICO HAS SPOKEN. NOW, GIVE HER HER $98,000 PAYCHECK FOR THE GOOD WORK HERE. COULDN'T RASMUSSEN HAVE SAID THIS AND ELIMINATED ALBERICO'S SALARY? THIS IS A TREMENDOUS WASTE OF MONEY TO HAVE THIS POSITION.

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