Last Monday’s Town Hall meeting saw many interesting questions from some very interested folks. One of the common themes was “guarantees.” As in, ‘Can you guarantee you are going to use the bond money just to build buildings?”
The answer to that one is, of course, yes. We are forbidden by law to do anything else with the money. This is not operating funds we are seeking but new construction funds and, in the case of the current high school, renovation funds.
It should be noted also that included in the ballot language there is one half mil dedicated to maintenance. This component is required by the state. And that’s a good thing.
Another guarantee question involved what we would do with savings realized through more efficient operation costs for the new buildings. Would we, in fact, restore some or all of the programs we have lost owing to cutbacks in recent years.
The answer is that our Journey Map plan lays out our destination and goals. The plan has been adopted by the board and is supported by both administration and staff. To the extent there are funds available to make progress, it is clear where we are going.
Another piece of that answer is that whatever programs are best suited to the needs of our students will be the ones put in place. It may never make sense to restore teaching Home Economics at our high school since similar courses are available at the Career Center. We cannot afford to duplicate services.
In efforts to make promises and “guarantees” one must also be careful not to commit to things beyond one’s control. State funding and mandates for instance are beyond our ability to predict.
We may be forced tomorrow to do something not anticipated in our budget forecast or current building projections. That’s the way government works and we are powerless to object. We have to work within the confines of the dictates of state and federal lawmakers.
One guarantee your board can make is that we will reduce the current amount of taxes you are being charged by 1.95 mils upon passage of the bond issue. Thus making the net increase to you 4.59 mils. You will see this action take place at this Monday’s board meeting.
Another guarantee you can count on is that owing to the Project Labor Agreement already in place, fully 80% plus of the labor force on these projects will be local workers. Workers who live and raise families in our local area. Workers who spend money here that contributes to the economy. Hometown folks.
You can also count on the fact that these buildings will add to our ability to attract new businesses, jobs and residents. We have been on the wrong side of this issue for far too long at great cost to our community and your real estate values.
Finally, we can guarantee that our financial woes are far from over. We still need operating funds. Expenses continue to grow. Receipts continue to hold steady or fall. You may well understand this from your own household budget experience. It’s a fact of life and speaks to the need to be ever improving and working harder and smarter.
Eventually we will be forced to build new buildings whether we do it now or later. It will never be less expensive and there will never be this level of state fund participation. The only question is how much more money gets spent on old buildings versus how much we have to invest toward new facilities. You get to decide.
A forum for Marietta City Schools constituents and board members. Comments, suggestions, observations and information invited.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
What We Learned From the Crowd
The folks who have attended the past two Town Hall meetings have taught us a number of things about the bond issue and building new schools. They are valuable lessons. The first thing we have learned is that mostly Yes voters are in attendance.
However, there are also some folks who were opposed but willing to show up, ask questions, get answers and leave with a more positive if not totally supportive position. And those are important folks as they may make a critical difference in the results.
We learned from Mr. Parlin’s presentation that our district is shrinking. From nearly 6,000 students in the 1960s, we are down to under 3,000. But a more frightening figure came out.
In 2000, our underprivileged population in the schools was about 10%. That number has grown to nearly 40%. Not only are we shrinking in size but our student needs for special services is increasing.
We have learned that the two years spent developing the Journey Map plan for where the district is headed is well received. And it was essential to determining what the district’s needs really are and how we can meet those needs. If you would like to see it yourself, go to www.buildmariettaschools.com. Or call 374-6500 Extension 11. We will send or deliver one to you.
We learned based on our previous experience that transportation costs are likely to go down and some student bus rides will be shorter, though some a bit longer as a result of the new configuration. We may need to add two buses but experience overall savings in operation.
We learned about class sizes and what is and is not possible with our existing facilities. In light of coming mandates on class sizes we learned that we would incur great costs to install temporary trailers at nearly every school to accommodate the new requirements. Money that is better spent on new buildings that will serve for decades.
We learned about needed school safety and security changes that are not attainable in the current buildings at anywhere near affordable costs. Times have changed, our buildings have not.
Finally we learned that someone with a genuine interest in finding out what the project truly means to the community can ask good questions, get good answers and fully understand the importance of this project to the community. But there’s a problem.
There are those unwilling or unable to access all this information. Some who have made up their minds without knowing what is at stake. Yet others who may not even care what is at stake.
This is where you may be of assistance. At the end of last Monday’s meeting an audience member was concerned that we have not been conveying this information adequately to the public at large. She understood what we had conveyed and the importance of the public to become informed. We agree and understand.
Another person offered a solution. You each have friends, neighbors and others with whom you communicate. You can be the person to carry the message. You can be the person who can help share the facts. You can play an influential role in coming to a successful conclusion and positive outcome for our community.
Those who genuinely do want information and facts upon which to base their decision often just need a helpful voice to get that information. Someone like yourself who has taken the time to understand and share. Someone who cares about the future of our community and our children and grandchildren.
Give us a hand. Lend your voice. Tell others what you know.
However, there are also some folks who were opposed but willing to show up, ask questions, get answers and leave with a more positive if not totally supportive position. And those are important folks as they may make a critical difference in the results.
We learned from Mr. Parlin’s presentation that our district is shrinking. From nearly 6,000 students in the 1960s, we are down to under 3,000. But a more frightening figure came out.
In 2000, our underprivileged population in the schools was about 10%. That number has grown to nearly 40%. Not only are we shrinking in size but our student needs for special services is increasing.
We have learned that the two years spent developing the Journey Map plan for where the district is headed is well received. And it was essential to determining what the district’s needs really are and how we can meet those needs. If you would like to see it yourself, go to www.buildmariettaschools.com. Or call 374-6500 Extension 11. We will send or deliver one to you.
We learned based on our previous experience that transportation costs are likely to go down and some student bus rides will be shorter, though some a bit longer as a result of the new configuration. We may need to add two buses but experience overall savings in operation.
We learned about class sizes and what is and is not possible with our existing facilities. In light of coming mandates on class sizes we learned that we would incur great costs to install temporary trailers at nearly every school to accommodate the new requirements. Money that is better spent on new buildings that will serve for decades.
We learned about needed school safety and security changes that are not attainable in the current buildings at anywhere near affordable costs. Times have changed, our buildings have not.
Finally we learned that someone with a genuine interest in finding out what the project truly means to the community can ask good questions, get good answers and fully understand the importance of this project to the community. But there’s a problem.
There are those unwilling or unable to access all this information. Some who have made up their minds without knowing what is at stake. Yet others who may not even care what is at stake.
This is where you may be of assistance. At the end of last Monday’s meeting an audience member was concerned that we have not been conveying this information adequately to the public at large. She understood what we had conveyed and the importance of the public to become informed. We agree and understand.
Another person offered a solution. You each have friends, neighbors and others with whom you communicate. You can be the person to carry the message. You can be the person who can help share the facts. You can play an influential role in coming to a successful conclusion and positive outcome for our community.
Those who genuinely do want information and facts upon which to base their decision often just need a helpful voice to get that information. Someone like yourself who has taken the time to understand and share. Someone who cares about the future of our community and our children and grandchildren.
Give us a hand. Lend your voice. Tell others what you know.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Bonjour. Got French
Bonjour, comment ca va? Got French? We Don’t. Perhaps you have seen that statement on t-shirts worn mostly by Marietta High School students the past few years.
I reflected on the French deficiency statement Monday evening on the heels of observations by a young man who confessed that until the very end of the meeting he did not get the connection between new buildings and improved education. In part it was because he had not thought about how we are forced to spend our money on our old buildings.
Increasing costs combined with steady to declining cash flows make us do some things that don’t make sense in a modern educational setting. We continue to erode our education base to pay other bills at our student’s peril.
What have we lost besides French? Too much, really. Here are just a few of our losses.
At the middle school we have classes of 30 plus students. Some in science labs where there is not enough equipment. We no longer offer a semester of French or Spanish at the middle school.
We have crammed Language Arts and Reading classes into shorter periods rather than we used to have. Both are skills fundamental to long-term scholastic and life success.
At the high school we dropped word processing as a graduation requirement; dropped our business classes, German classes and American Sign Language. Not to mention what in my day we called Home Economics. Though that is still available at the Career Center.
There are a number of electives we no longer offer thanks to cuts in staffing to save money and pay other operating costs. As a result, many Juniors and Seniors have most or all of their basic course requirements met with few other classes to choose from to enrich their experience and prepare them for life or further education.
One parent told me of her college freshman son who just dropped a course because he was ill prepared compared to other students. He was falling behind. Yet there was no course pre-requisite. It was assumed high school had prepared him to take the course. Ours had not.
We have teachers doing lunchroom duty and monitoring parking lots because we can’t afford both an aide and a teacher as the teacher must be available for classes during other periods. We have fewer nurses than buildings. As a result, some kids are left without nursing service as the staff travels and works at other buildings.
As the young man discovered Monday, we are forced to make hard choices between what we must pay and what we should offer. We have to pay the heat bill. We do not have to teach French. We have to patch a roof. We are not required to expand our computer class offerings.
Let’s not even talk about our building security and the costs to bring it up to date in the old buildings that were designed to be open and welcoming gathering places. Times have changed. The buildings have not.
It has been calculated based on modern building design and experience in other districts that our new building operations will save a minimum of a half million dollars per year. Probably much more. Money that can be used to restore programs we have lost. Money that can bring us into the 21st century. The trick is getting there.
You can help by learning more. Go to www.buildmariettaschools.com. Come to an information meeting on either of the next two Mondays. The 12th at Marietta College McDonough Center. The 19th at the high school auditorium. Both at 7 PM. Au revoir.
I reflected on the French deficiency statement Monday evening on the heels of observations by a young man who confessed that until the very end of the meeting he did not get the connection between new buildings and improved education. In part it was because he had not thought about how we are forced to spend our money on our old buildings.
Increasing costs combined with steady to declining cash flows make us do some things that don’t make sense in a modern educational setting. We continue to erode our education base to pay other bills at our student’s peril.
What have we lost besides French? Too much, really. Here are just a few of our losses.
At the middle school we have classes of 30 plus students. Some in science labs where there is not enough equipment. We no longer offer a semester of French or Spanish at the middle school.
We have crammed Language Arts and Reading classes into shorter periods rather than we used to have. Both are skills fundamental to long-term scholastic and life success.
At the high school we dropped word processing as a graduation requirement; dropped our business classes, German classes and American Sign Language. Not to mention what in my day we called Home Economics. Though that is still available at the Career Center.
There are a number of electives we no longer offer thanks to cuts in staffing to save money and pay other operating costs. As a result, many Juniors and Seniors have most or all of their basic course requirements met with few other classes to choose from to enrich their experience and prepare them for life or further education.
One parent told me of her college freshman son who just dropped a course because he was ill prepared compared to other students. He was falling behind. Yet there was no course pre-requisite. It was assumed high school had prepared him to take the course. Ours had not.
We have teachers doing lunchroom duty and monitoring parking lots because we can’t afford both an aide and a teacher as the teacher must be available for classes during other periods. We have fewer nurses than buildings. As a result, some kids are left without nursing service as the staff travels and works at other buildings.
As the young man discovered Monday, we are forced to make hard choices between what we must pay and what we should offer. We have to pay the heat bill. We do not have to teach French. We have to patch a roof. We are not required to expand our computer class offerings.
Let’s not even talk about our building security and the costs to bring it up to date in the old buildings that were designed to be open and welcoming gathering places. Times have changed. The buildings have not.
It has been calculated based on modern building design and experience in other districts that our new building operations will save a minimum of a half million dollars per year. Probably much more. Money that can be used to restore programs we have lost. Money that can bring us into the 21st century. The trick is getting there.
You can help by learning more. Go to www.buildmariettaschools.com. Come to an information meeting on either of the next two Mondays. The 12th at Marietta College McDonough Center. The 19th at the high school auditorium. Both at 7 PM. Au revoir.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Harold Gash
I met Harold Gash at a conference in Chicago in 1970. He was a successful businessman from Atlanta and I was a young entrepreneur eager to learn from my elders any lesson I could as I sought my way in the world.
Harold was wearing a suit that cost more than the car I was driving at the time. In fact, that may still be true. But that’s another story.
Over the years I have learned that we tend to remember bits and pieces of information and events. Not whole days or long stories. My mind at least tends to retain small snippets much better than large chunks. And I remember well Harold’s lesson that day.
Surprisingly it is relevant to Marietta’s choice about building new schools for our community. About focusing on the future and doing the right thing.
Harold talked about magnanimity. Generosity. So what’s the magnanimous perspective on new schools? Easy. Our students deserve the latest and best technology. They will soon be in the work world and asked to compete for jobs with students from around the world who have had access to that technology. Our kids need to measure up.
Our teachers deserve the best we can provide in terms of teaching environment to maximize the lessons they teach as well as to maximize student interest and learning. Buildings should be heated and cooled to facilitate learning. Technology should assist those lessons in every way possible. It’s happening in other places, we should make it happen here. It’s magnanimous.
Then there’s safety. Our current buildings do not allow security that meets today’s standards. To retrofit them would be cost prohibitive. And it still would not measure up to modern day threats. We should provide a safety level worthy of the lives we are protecting.
Okay, so much for magnanimity. What else did Harold cover that day? Selfishness. How does that relate to Marietta in 2009?
Just this way. It would be selfish to wish for our community to grow and prosper. To assure that growth takes a solid community foundation. Modern schools are at the base of that foundation. Providing them would serve that selfish desire.
It would be selfish to hope that employers who would employ our kids so they can get good jobs at home would stay in and come to our community. Good schools are a basic requirement of those employers.
It would be selfish to want our students to graduate and be able to compete against students from the best districts in the country for entry into the best trades, services and colleges in the country.
It would be selfish to act on the fact that property values are based in large measure on demand for our property. When we are ready to sell, we need a pool of eager buyers. That requires good schools.
It would be selfish to note that in communities where schools are not supported well, extras disappear. Athletics, clubs, bands, choirs, all the things that make up a well rounded school experience contribute to the value of housing in those communities.
Even if we are not anticipating selling our properties in the short run, it is best to maintain and increase our property values for the long run. It’s a sound investment. It’s the selfish thing to do.
So what was it that Harold Gash said all those years ago that caused me to remember the lesson? As with most lessons worth learning and remembering he distilled it to such simplicity that even I could not forget.
If you can’t be magnanimous, be selfish.
Harold was wearing a suit that cost more than the car I was driving at the time. In fact, that may still be true. But that’s another story.
Over the years I have learned that we tend to remember bits and pieces of information and events. Not whole days or long stories. My mind at least tends to retain small snippets much better than large chunks. And I remember well Harold’s lesson that day.
Surprisingly it is relevant to Marietta’s choice about building new schools for our community. About focusing on the future and doing the right thing.
Harold talked about magnanimity. Generosity. So what’s the magnanimous perspective on new schools? Easy. Our students deserve the latest and best technology. They will soon be in the work world and asked to compete for jobs with students from around the world who have had access to that technology. Our kids need to measure up.
Our teachers deserve the best we can provide in terms of teaching environment to maximize the lessons they teach as well as to maximize student interest and learning. Buildings should be heated and cooled to facilitate learning. Technology should assist those lessons in every way possible. It’s happening in other places, we should make it happen here. It’s magnanimous.
Then there’s safety. Our current buildings do not allow security that meets today’s standards. To retrofit them would be cost prohibitive. And it still would not measure up to modern day threats. We should provide a safety level worthy of the lives we are protecting.
Okay, so much for magnanimity. What else did Harold cover that day? Selfishness. How does that relate to Marietta in 2009?
Just this way. It would be selfish to wish for our community to grow and prosper. To assure that growth takes a solid community foundation. Modern schools are at the base of that foundation. Providing them would serve that selfish desire.
It would be selfish to hope that employers who would employ our kids so they can get good jobs at home would stay in and come to our community. Good schools are a basic requirement of those employers.
It would be selfish to want our students to graduate and be able to compete against students from the best districts in the country for entry into the best trades, services and colleges in the country.
It would be selfish to act on the fact that property values are based in large measure on demand for our property. When we are ready to sell, we need a pool of eager buyers. That requires good schools.
It would be selfish to note that in communities where schools are not supported well, extras disappear. Athletics, clubs, bands, choirs, all the things that make up a well rounded school experience contribute to the value of housing in those communities.
Even if we are not anticipating selling our properties in the short run, it is best to maintain and increase our property values for the long run. It’s a sound investment. It’s the selfish thing to do.
So what was it that Harold Gash said all those years ago that caused me to remember the lesson? As with most lessons worth learning and remembering he distilled it to such simplicity that even I could not forget.
If you can’t be magnanimous, be selfish.
TMI
TMI. That’s what our kids said when we told them things that were either embarrassing to them or contained information not relevant to their immediate interests. It meant, Too Much Information. And perhaps the following fits that category.
Imagine you are a teacher. Scary thought for most of us, but follow along. You awake at 5 AM or so. And you just don’t feel up to par. Perhaps it’s that pesky flu stuff. The best decision is to call in sick. Let them find a sub for the day.
That sick call sets into action a whole host of activity designed to replace your presence in the classroom just over two hours from now. Phone numbers will be accessed. Lists of those qualified to teach your class will be sorted. Calls will be placed to determine who is available and willing to take your place.
You must make a plan for the teacher to follow. Somehow that plan must be gotten into the hands of whoever it is who ends up teaching your classes for the day. And remember to include special instructions concerning challenging students or classroom issues that came up yesterday.
Now let’s look at the other side of the challenge. You are in charge of finding substitutes. You have lists. You’re organized with the phone numbers and background knowledge. But there are 26 teachers out today. This is a tall challenge. But there is a bit of good news.
Many of them made prior arrangements to be out. Those slots have been filled already. But there are those 15 calls that came early this morning and those classrooms must be filled. The first four calls you made were not answered. Another call was answered but the sub had already accepted an assignment in another district. Two more calls were to subs who were themselves feeling under the weather. Fifteen slots still to fill and it’s less than an hour before classes begin.
Your pace quickens. It’s ‘one of those mornings.’ And it’s only September. The whole year lies ahead. This is beginning to feel like herding cats.
There are yet more details to this issue that involve tracking what subs actually taught what classes after the day is done. How many sick days each teacher has accumulated and how many are left. And then there are the payroll issues on both sides of the equation. And the mountain of paperwork that goes with all these changes.
TMI settled in yet? But wait. There’s good news. Thanks to the internet nearly all of this can now be done by computer. The computer makes the calls. The teachers start the process themselves. The phone numbers are already stored and ready for use. The computer knows who has already accepted an assignment and who is not available that day.
The plans can be put online for sub use. Special notes of importance that day can be entered by the teacher. The computer begins calling multiple subs for multiple positions simultaneously as soon as the absences are registered. AND, it keeps track of all the calls and responses.
Marietta City Schools began using this system this year. It has freed up hours of staff time enabling them to focus on other duties.
There are far more details if you would like to know. Have a look at: http://aesoponline.com.
We are adopting new technology to both operate and teach more efficiently. New buildings will permit yet larger leaps in technology to bring us into the 21st century. There is a whole world out there waiting for us. Our kids are already there.
Imagine you are a teacher. Scary thought for most of us, but follow along. You awake at 5 AM or so. And you just don’t feel up to par. Perhaps it’s that pesky flu stuff. The best decision is to call in sick. Let them find a sub for the day.
That sick call sets into action a whole host of activity designed to replace your presence in the classroom just over two hours from now. Phone numbers will be accessed. Lists of those qualified to teach your class will be sorted. Calls will be placed to determine who is available and willing to take your place.
You must make a plan for the teacher to follow. Somehow that plan must be gotten into the hands of whoever it is who ends up teaching your classes for the day. And remember to include special instructions concerning challenging students or classroom issues that came up yesterday.
Now let’s look at the other side of the challenge. You are in charge of finding substitutes. You have lists. You’re organized with the phone numbers and background knowledge. But there are 26 teachers out today. This is a tall challenge. But there is a bit of good news.
Many of them made prior arrangements to be out. Those slots have been filled already. But there are those 15 calls that came early this morning and those classrooms must be filled. The first four calls you made were not answered. Another call was answered but the sub had already accepted an assignment in another district. Two more calls were to subs who were themselves feeling under the weather. Fifteen slots still to fill and it’s less than an hour before classes begin.
Your pace quickens. It’s ‘one of those mornings.’ And it’s only September. The whole year lies ahead. This is beginning to feel like herding cats.
There are yet more details to this issue that involve tracking what subs actually taught what classes after the day is done. How many sick days each teacher has accumulated and how many are left. And then there are the payroll issues on both sides of the equation. And the mountain of paperwork that goes with all these changes.
TMI settled in yet? But wait. There’s good news. Thanks to the internet nearly all of this can now be done by computer. The computer makes the calls. The teachers start the process themselves. The phone numbers are already stored and ready for use. The computer knows who has already accepted an assignment and who is not available that day.
The plans can be put online for sub use. Special notes of importance that day can be entered by the teacher. The computer begins calling multiple subs for multiple positions simultaneously as soon as the absences are registered. AND, it keeps track of all the calls and responses.
Marietta City Schools began using this system this year. It has freed up hours of staff time enabling them to focus on other duties.
There are far more details if you would like to know. Have a look at: http://aesoponline.com.
We are adopting new technology to both operate and teach more efficiently. New buildings will permit yet larger leaps in technology to bring us into the 21st century. There is a whole world out there waiting for us. Our kids are already there.