Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
News, Commentary and Opinions in New Britain CT and Our Nation
National Debt Clock
New Britain City Journal
Courant.com - Breaking News
Blog Archive
- Jun (2)
- Jan (74)
- Dec (151)
- Nov (235)
- Oct (185)
- Sep (187)
- Aug (170)
- Jul (275)
- Jun (212)
- May (184)
- Apr (129)
- Mar (168)
- Feb (152)
- Jan (188)
- Dec (120)
- Nov (83)
- Oct (122)
- Sep (96)
- Aug (104)
- Jul (95)
- Jun (92)
- May (130)
- Apr (129)
- Mar (131)
- Feb (131)
- Jan (103)
- Dec (87)
- Nov (157)
- Oct (222)
- Sep (246)
- Aug (245)
- Jul (182)
- Jun (163)
- May (161)
- Apr (185)
- Mar (181)
- Feb (174)
- Jan (199)
- Dec (209)
- Nov (164)
- Oct (147)
- Sep (143)
- Aug (183)
- Jul (195)
- Jun (206)
- May (183)
- Apr (155)
- Mar (145)
- Feb (127)
- Jan (153)
- Dec (107)
- Nov (133)
- Oct (164)
- Sep (136)
- Aug (160)
- Jul (130)
- Jun (165)
- May (205)
- Apr (167)
- Mar (197)
- Feb (185)
- Jan (187)
- Dec (175)
- Nov (101)
- Oct (172)
- Sep (198)
- Aug (159)
- Jul (328)
- Jun (254)
- May (107)
- Apr (87)
- Mar (71)
- Feb (112)
- Jan (67)
- Dec (20)
- Nov (10)
- Oct (28)
- Sep (28)
- Aug (5)
Followers
AMBER ALERT
FOX-61 - Headlines
USATODAY.com News
Obituaries from www.newbritainherald.com
Courant.com - Breaking
Capitol Watch
WHAT THE LIBERAL MEDIA WON'T TELL YOU:
The end of health care as you once knew it!
WSJ.com: Opinion
Wash Post Print Edition
WFSB.com - News
CanadaFreePress.Com
FOXNews.com Latest Headlines
FOXNews.com National News
FOXNews.com Politics
FOXBusiness.com
Courant.com - Breaking News
WTNH TV (Connecticut Headlines)
WTNH TV (Hartford County Headlines)
Sports News from ESPN.com
The Weather Channel: Your Local Weather Outlook--New Britain, CT (06053)
About Me
CanadaFreePress.Com
Breaking News:
Links
- Barabara Smith Laryngectomee Club of Hartford/New Britain
- Bristol Press
- Central Connecticut State University
- City of New Britain Web Site
- Hartford Courant
- Hartford Courant--New Britain Page
- Hospital of Central Connecticut (Includes ER WAIT TIMES)
- New Britain Board of Education
- New Britain Chamber of Commerce
- NEW BRITAIN CITY JOURNAL
- New Britain Emergency Medical Services
- New Britain Fire Department
- New Britain Herald
- New Britain Police Department
- New Britain Public Library
- St. Mark's Episcopal Church & Hispanic Mission
- State of Connecticut
- Trinity on Main
- University of Connecticut Health Center
18 comments:
Reading is fundamental begins at home. Reading success and excellence in reading is a shared responsibility between parent and school. The reason New Britain's performance continues to get a failing grade is we are missing the home component in a high percentage of households, it just isn't important. The school district has to work harder to pull the student forward and that costs money. Additionally, the school district permits it. We are too accommodating. Bilingual education is praised but if you track the downward spiral of english literacy there is a direct result. The school department has high expectations for all children, it's time their parents did their share.
If you want change then elect leaders who will bring about change. One thing Kurtz fails to mention is that the alleged cuts assume that there will be no savings or reductions in operating costs going into next year. It would be a gross oversight of the Board of Education to simply realize their budget by cutting teachers.
As of February the school system held over $350,000 in line items that had not even been touched. Several other lines had less than 25% of their total funds spent with over half the year gone for a total of easily $200,000 more. In the worst winter in memory many of their heat and gas budgets were entering the final months of winter with plenty of money left. Cuts in these lines would not degrade the educational experience as the money is not being spent right now. In addition to these cuts the Board should consider targetted elimination of under utilized programs.
While it is sad to have to cut back on the services provided in a time of great economic distress we have to focus on our core efficiencies. The next Board of Education must dedicate themselves to refocusing the economic and human resources of our school system to better address the needs of our students without merely clamoring for more funding as the answer. I sincerely hope that they are up to the challenge.
What a crock of shit piece this is! Another year of 40 kids in a classroom and the system is underfunded. Let me see, they have all the legislative seats at the LOB, they own the Governor's office, have a majority of membership on both the BOE and Common Council and they still cry poverty? Get rid of this superintendent and the idiots that continue to rubber stamp her annual spending spree in the school district! Here's a novel idea, how abot getting rid of all the fluff and special programs they have created over the past 10 years and then see what your class sizes are!
What are these radicals upset about other than maybe the 100's of teachers that get paid to do nothing might actually have to go back to teaching?
Children in New Britain cannot read because:
(a) teachers aren't paid enough
(b) taxpayers don't pay enough
(c) parent(s) don't care enough
(d) the state mandates too much
(e) our legislators don't bring home enough
(f) all the above
(g) none of the above
Wethersfield announced 50 teacher layoffs and they don't seem to have radicals coming unhinged in their. I guess their citizens can accept reality.
anonymous said: how abot getting rid of all the fluff and special programs they have created over the past 10 years and then see what your class sizes are!
Does printing fancy magazine style glossy advertising and producing TV commercials begging parents to send their children to NB Schools qualify as wasteful spending?
How about fancy catered meals for the board members and the superintendent during their meetings?
Rhode Island had a solution:
A school board in Rhode Island has voted to fire all teachers at a struggling high school, a dramatic move aimed at shoring up education in a poverty-ridden school district.
In a 5-2 vote Tuesday night, the board approved the plan by Frances Gallo, superintendent at Central Falls School District, to discharge the teachers, administrators and other personnel at Central Falls High School.
I agree that reigning in the catering as well as the magazine would be an example of things to cut. However, you are talking about eliminating a lot more than just frills to bring the education budget back to a manageable level.
Why not try school vouchers, allowing parents to decide where to send their children?
Anonymous said: How about fancy catered meals for the board members and the superintendent during their meetings?
The meals are catered by Whitsons, the food service company the BOE contracts out for all school meals. The BOE meals are part of the contract and do not cost any more than what the BOE would pay otherwise. Often they consist of sandwiches, pizza, or other inexpensive food items. Since the BOE meetings often start at 5 or 6, they need to eat something after running their straight from work. They also don't get paid like Council members, so this is their one and only "perk."
Most schools are out by 4pm. Run to Burger King or McDonald's or order a pizza and have everyone chip in for the cost.
Are we supposed to believe that the caterer doesn't calculate a year's worth of meals for the board into his price?
They must think we are really ignorant.
Anonymous said: They also don't get paid like Council members, so this is their one and only "perk."
If they need to get "perks" in order to serve, then maybe they don't belong in office.
Isn't it interesting that you are arguing that the people making decisions that impact the education, well being and safety of our children are only doing so for what they can get for themselves?
How many times are we going to read these same "sky is falling" chicken little stories about the board of education. It appears this story is motivated by the unions wanting to get more, more, more. We read this same story over and over, and then they lay off the teachers, and guess what, no one even notices the difference.
Anonymous said:
"If they need to get "perks" in order to serve, then maybe they don't belong in office.
Isn't it interesting that you are arguing that the people making decisions that impact the education, well being and safety of our children are only doing so for what they can get for themselves?"
Bad choice of words, you're right. But in all seriousness, BOE members do not work in the schools. Legally they cannot. They all have jobs like you and I. Those jobs are mostly outside of NB, and get out after 5pm. These board members then drive straight from work to BOE meetings that last 4-5 hours on average. If providing them with a school lunch quality meal during their executive session when their getting work done is the only time they can eat, then that seems like something that should be done. If the meetings started at 7pm like Council, or lasted only an hour or two like commissions, then I'd say definitely not. But these people literally volunteer hundreds of hours of their time to the school district and city. To categorize their quick supper while their volunteering as an extravagance is
wrong. And if you think it is, then go express so at a BOE meeting, or better yet, volunteer your time for BOE yourself and change it.
More than half of the BOE members came straight from home where they could have eaten their own dinner. There were two BOE members who never ate with the BOE on principle.
For years, there were large silver hot serving pans that came in with a wonderful assortment of hot meals. There was a huge salad and a few pies.
Most was leftover. I often wondered if it ended up in Kurtz's house!
The only reason they downsized is because one BOE member casually mentioned it to a reporter who went with the story.
Food was brought in for all meetings that Kurtz held, not just BOE meetings.
Wethersfield is laying off 48 teachers, and I don't anything about the sky falling over that town?
Post a Comment