Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Steve's Plan
SteveColarossiJune 17, 2012 -
I think we can do a better job making the cuts that need to be made.
I've put together a "Kids First Alternative Plan" and circulated it to my colleagues on the Board of Education.
You can read about here: www.colarossifornorwalk.com
My plan is not perfect, but I think it minimizes the impact on the elementary schools and offers cuts to less educationally-critical areas.
Please let me know what you think (stevecolarossi@gmail.com------
What do you think of Steve's plan? Go to stevecolarossifornorwalk.com to see it.
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The options I put together are at: http://www.colarossifornorwalk.com
ReplyDeleteThis set of options took savings from the reduction in teachers and other staff and used that money to reduce the impact on elementary schools and middle schools. Also, I think it's important that the Transportation Tech program at Norwalk High School be preserved.
Another concern is that the elimination of MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAMING will not be beneficial to the students and there is no plan to replace those services.
There are lots of tough choices that need to be made-- the challenge is to try to find a balance where one group of students don't bear the full brunt of all the cuts. The options I'm presenting, I think, addresses the concerns that many people addressed to the Board of Education over the past weeks.
Mr. Colarossi:
ReplyDeleteaccording to the budget on the district website, the cost of Briggs is 1.3 million dollars. The graduating class only had 11 according to the Hour. Why not put those students back into a high school at least for one year. Those cost of running the school for such a few kids baffles me as a taxpayer and why pay a director to do that position?
you are an elected official--can't you work with your colleagues to look at this and other areas that people are afraid to touch. Yes it is nice to have assistant principals at all elementary schools, but look at the enrollment--again according to district stats in lower enrolled schools there is not a need.
Intervention aides in lower enrolled may work, much cheaper.
enrollments at each of the schools need to be clearly looked at--not always are the numbers there.
keep digging...
taxpayer and educator!
There is a need for a true alternative high school program in Norwalk. I do propose keeping Briggs in its current location, but reducing the staff so that it is more in line with the school's student enrollment. For example, Briggs has one full-time guidance counselor and one person who teachers for 1/2 of the day and serves as a guidance counselor for the other half of the day. I propose eliminating the full-time guidance counselor (so that guidance services are still provided at Briggs); fortunately, there is a guidance retirement at Norwalk High School, so that employee could be moved to Norwalk High, no one would lose a job and no unemployment benefits would need to be paid.
DeleteRegarding AP's and intervention aides, my proposal does apportion intervention aides in those elementary schools in which there is no AP. Given the work load of the AP's (which will be shifted to the principals and other staff), I wish that I could have found greater savings to restore more of those positions.
Which brings me to one of the biggest issues I have with the current plan-- the cuts are too deep. If you are taking AP's from elementary schools, you at least need to leave an intervention aid there. If you are removing middle school security, then you need the teams in place so that there are extra sets of eyes on the students (which is important at the critical juncture middle school children are at that stage of their lives).
Could you kindly give your reasons to preserve the Transportation Tech program at Norwalk High? I don't understand that one as opposed to some others that seem far more important.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Transportation Tech-- the program serves over 120 students. I have spoken with a number of the students who have taken that program over the years and it provided them a critical foundation that motivated them to pursue training in that field. As a comprehensive high school, Norwalk High School must provide a wide range of programs- some technical programs are a must.
ReplyDeleteHOW COULD SIX BOARD OF ED MEMBERS STAY SILENT AND VOTE FOR SUPT. MARKS' BUDGET?
ReplyDeleteYou had a better plan and you ignored it.
Can we have a new thread to vent just a wee bit over the budget?
ReplyDeleteMaybe we could talk about Mike Barbis' manners. I wrote him about the budget and got a nasty response. Seems Mike Barbis thinks that big classes are good enough for China so they are good enough for my kids-- what's next, Mike- going to open up a Crayon factory in the empty classrooms you created at Wolfpit?
I agree. Dear Moderator, please give us a new thread. We need a place to let these people know just what we think of the mess they have created of our school system!!!! Dr. Marks needs to be held responsible for this mess!!
ReplyDeleteClearly, no one thought anything good of this since the board voted to move forward with Dr Marks plan......hmmm
ReplyDeleteSorry Steve, I for one believed on most of your suggestions
I find it interesting that you want to keep the NHS auto shop teacher, which means that the AP French teacher's position will not be filled. Also, the auto students have been unable to pass a state test for three years in a row.
ReplyDeleteWhy have you created your own budget? Don't you have a conflict of interest? Your wife is an elementary teacher in her fourth year, who might be rifted out of her position. You need to recuse yourself from this discussion for ethical reasons.
After examining your budget, I believe that you have some major misconceptions about the inner workings of how to create a budget. You cannot play with grant money; there are specific parameters that must be met. Additionally, did you examine areas that had been underfunded the year before, such as unemployment and special education?
I do not know your background. Are you a CFO of a company? Why do you think you and you alone can create an education budget that requires such extensive knowledge of the finances of the school system? Leave this important work to the experts.
Instead of being the lone wolf, why don't you join the pack to accomplish what needs to be done to get this district out of its financial mess.