Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Budget Cuts
The Common Council lowered the CAP to 2.8, which could mean a $6 M cut. We are no longer looking at small cuts that will not affect programs. We appear to be looking at program cuts, teacher cuts, administrator cuts and school cuts. Unless there is a miracle looming, I don't see a way around it. If Briggs closes down, what about higher level programs? Is it fair that they go untouched? Under Special Education, there is a required maintenance of effort. It is not possible to give them less than the year before. Where will the cuts come from? Is it time to stop funding a full day kindergarten? Is the Union going to dictate the cuts? The Administrators? I believe what I have stated is accurate. Please feel free to correct anything that is incorrect.
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There is no evidence that a full day kindergarten works. Every kindergarten class has nap time. How does that improve instruction? It's time to rethink a babysitting organization that is lacking in funding.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with651am. In today's kindergarten there is no nap time and little recess time. Instructional time is a full day, without it they would not be ready for first grade. They expect the children to actually read and know how to write, yes that is true. So please do your research before you think K in just a babysitting service I work in kindergarten thank you and hope this is helpful.
ReplyDeleteThe Finance Committee of the Board of Education (of which I'm chairperson) has been planning since the fall for a thorough evaluation of school finances. Our work has been on-going.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it appears likely that some deep cuts will have to be made to comply with the cap set by the Common Council, we are also working diligently on looking for areas of increased revenue (such as improving our Medicaid billing procedures) and negotiating for savings on some services (such as the recent request for proposals from insurers to reduce our costs). Also, on Wednesday, we will be meeting with the Director of Pupil Personnel Services to review how we might provide some services more efficiently (which would save money and help our children).
Regarding the rumor of half-day kindergarten as a suggested option for cost savings, I do not find that option to be even remotely viable. Full-day kindergarten is critical for our children's development-- furthermore the extent of academic milestones the state expects children to achieve by the time they enter first grade compels us to provide full-day kindergarten.
We all know that cuts are going to happen. But it's good to see someone is looking for savings and not just stuff to get rid of.
ReplyDeleteIt seems really late to not hear about the cuts, since some of them might be program cuts. Why isn't anyone putting forth the possibilities so that the public has time to deal with them? Or disagree with them?
ReplyDeleteIf the BoE makes suggestions, you know the usual crowd will complain that they're "micromanagers".
ReplyDeleteThe superintendent hasn't been meeting with her Budget Committee. She needs to do some work on this budget. She hasn't.
Why isn't the superintendent meeting with her budget committee? Are we paying her NOT to meet with anyone? What does she do all day? And can I have her job?
DeleteAs a taxpayer, why are we paying teachers to cover other teacher's classes? If you are to work "x" amount of hours a day, why are we wasting money to cover a class?
ReplyDeleteYou need to be more specific if we are to understand what is going on
DeleteCome on everyone. If you're posting here, this is not your first visit to the big city. So you have to know the political game that Marks is playing, right?
ReplyDeleteShe got slaughtered last year when she started out to save all her central office buddies and tried to cut stuff like elementary school services and freshman sports. After all her flipping and flopping on cuts, the BoE followed Colarossi's lead and voted to keep cuts out of the classroom. So this year, Marks is trying to get even and wants Colarossi to make the recommendations for cuts. That way he'll be the bad guy and she can be the victim.
She plays victim very well! She still gets her paycheck! And, she allegedly still has her main pet and has collected other pets along the way. She isn't at all afraid to stand up for her pets, but she appears not to stand up for the students. When's the new superintendent search starting? I'm fed up! BoE, are you?
ReplyDeleteI don't see how $ 6,000,000 in cuts won't hurt. I also think it's not right that the people who pushed for less than what the Mayor requested told us how they wanted to "fully fund" the schools. If you're like me and you voted for Warren Pena and Miklave, you have to really be scratching your heads over how they played politics while playing us for fools.
ReplyDeleteSo, "they" (whoever "they" are) are already trying to scare us that half-day kindergarten is inevitable. Aren't we all wondering if Finance Comm. Chair Steve C. can save another program from the chopping block this time.
ReplyDeleteIf he does, maybe it's time we moved him to Hartford to work on the state budget.
Please read Steve Colarossi Mar 9, 2012 03:31 AM post
Deleteabove and see that half day Kindergarten will probably never happen.
thank you
Note to the big guy: Get us a new superintendent and I'll drive you to Hartford. But not before then.
Deletehalf day kindergarten was NEVER on the cards. Quit stirring the pot!
ReplyDelete6:49 p.m- I think you would be surprised- very surprised indeed- if you knew who was suggesting that the cuts need to "hurt" . The theory is that cuts that hurt will force parents to fight the Council to raise the cap or force them to put pressure on the Teachers' Union to cut their pay.
ReplyDeleteWe know that Marks has few allies left. Her advisers are the teacher-hating Haynie, the grieving-housemaster Marrinaccio and the self-proclaimed educational reformer Lisa "Horace Mann" Thompson. None of them are known for their common touch. This means that we can expect their hatred of Bruce Mellion to dictate making ridiculous cut suggestions to "force" the Teachers Union to agree to give back money.
The sin of it all is that Haynie has Barbis backing her up and Lyons takes flack for her when she assaults other Board members. That only adds up to 3 votes (by my way of counting), so it looks like students will be safe through this round.
I heard Steve colorossi is going to run against perone. So much for parents nor politicians. Is this true Steve?
ReplyDeleteGreat point, 3:36! Let's keep the ineffective Assistant Majority Leader in Hartford. He's a true politician after all. No reason to want a guy like Steve C. fighting for us in the capitol.
DeleteFor the third budget season, the the new majority on the BOE has been left to pick up the pieces of lousy state aid to our schools. Plus they have to figure out how to satisfy one unfunded mandate after another. All these problems are because our leaders in the House and Senate aren't getting it done for Norwalk.
ReplyDeleteIMHO, they (the BOE members) should all be thinking about running for the General Assembly. Maybe then Norwalk will get what it deserves from Hartford.
The Board has been left to pick up the pieces? Tell me, 2:16 PM, why is the superintendent not even included in 'picking up the pieces?' It was always my understanding that a superintendent presented the budget for approval and met with a budgetary committee to come up with recommended cuts when necessary. Why is everyone omitting this superintendent in this year's process? Is it because the new majority now realizes what a humongous mistake they have made in their choice?
ReplyDeleteIf Supt. Marks doesn't make any recommendations, the BoE has to step up. If she won't meet with her budget committee to get their input, then she is not doing her job.
ReplyDeleteAt least we have a couple of BoE members who are stepping up.
Gosh folks... Instead of calling this Norwalk speaks why not call it the we hate Susan marks club. Does anyone on this blog want to consider that the economy is in the tank, we have the second highest paid staff in the state and we get burned by the Hartford when it comes to ECS funding. I suppose we should blame marks for all those things. What is it? 6 superintendents in 15 years? It might be time to look at who is still standing after all of these years and who is interested in maintaining the status quo. I trust that all parties are speaking. Regardless of what gets cut, no one is going to be happy.
ReplyDeleteThis is what "you" cheerleaders do all the time. You blame every messenger for bringing up the truth about the superintendent.
DeleteHas she even tried to reorganize central office to save money? NO! She tried to create a job for her friend but didn't have a clue where to get the money from to pay for it.
Has she gotten rid of one incompetent principal? NO! Blame the union all you want, but has she even tried? AGAIN THE ANSWER IS NO.
Has she shown any leadership on the budget? NO! How many times has she had her Budget Committee meet since the cap was set? ONCE. Is that enough to get the job done? NO!
Has she ever publicly said that she wasn't going to take her leave of absence for "personal reason"? NO. Did she ever publicly rebuke Haynie or Barbis or Nora King for how they blamed 3 Board of Ed members for being the cause of Marks' breakdown? NO.
Has Supt Marks shown leadership in anything? NO.
Is it anyone's fault by hers? NO.
Don't you all think that there is a little bit of budget battle fatigue that's set in? Corda gave us years of scare tactics. The new superintendent tried to do the same thing talking about budget cuts that were going to hurt kids. She was stopped- Corda's worst cuts never passed either.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you all just need to stop clamoring for news about cuts until the BET sets the budget amount for the schools. Then you can start to complain if Marks doesn't do her job or if Colarossi either micromanages the process or doesn't the save day (depending upon whether you hate him or love him).
By the way- is there anyway those of you with anger management issues can yell into a pillow rather than spew here. Some of you hate one guy in the central office (whose name you never mention), or you key on Susan Marks or you're so obsessed with one guy who won a seat on the BOE that you memorized his campaign slogan and try to use it against him.
A couple of quick points, if you don't mind, from a parent---
ReplyDeleteA. I don't think Supt. Marks' critics have any idea how invested many of us feel we are in her. She represented this ideal school leader. The fact that she was chosen by the new majority on the Board of Ed gave me a lot of hope. I thought that the old politics were dead and buried. I don't think any one could have matched those expectations. But I do know lots of people want to keep hope alive.
B. I don't think Supt. Marks' supporters have any idea of the extent of the dissatisfaction many feel with her. It just seems like so much time has been wasted with nothing to show for it. There are workgroups with no reports. Promises with no results. You get the point.
C. I don't care who starts the public discussion about the cuts that need to be made. I'm not naive and I'm not stupid. I'm not going to shoot the messenger for telling me what I already know. I know that the school department does not have enough money to keep every employee and every program that we have now. But for Pete's sake, stop worrying about running for state office, getting re-elected, having your contract renewed or being liked and start the public discussion that might get us some fresh ideas on the budget.