Muriel Bowser leads the Defund the Schools Movement

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh FFS. Most schools are getting an increase. Yes, costs are up, but it's hardly de-funding. Our school is +$1 million over last year.

You are going to be in for one hell of a rude awakening when you realize nominal dollars do not equal real dollars. I bet your school is down in real funding despite being nominally up over $1m. Name the school and I'll confirm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does OP understand how much $ per pupil DC spends as compared to the rest of the country? Isn't it like the highest spent per pupil in the country? And Mayor Bowser is asking for a 12% or so increase in funding for this coming school year--that's "defunding the schools"? Get a grip.

Budgets increased by ~12% at a time staffing costs increased by 23%, so yes, the schools are being defunded. Part of the reason staffing costs aren't as well aligned is because the mayor refuses to sign timely contracts so personnel spending is hard to budget.

Staffing increased by 22% but staffing isn’t the whole of the budget. What is the percent increase to the overall budget due to staffing? I’ve heard wildly different figures from 8% to 11%. It’s hard to put the mayors proposal into context without knowing more info. What seems to be hitting schools really hard is the loss of federal relief funding. If that funding remained with the mayors proposal schools might be ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can pick a whole lot of spending that I think is a waste:
1 - Why do you need a DC Middle School Basketball Championship?
2 - Why do you need a DC Elementary School Basketball Championship?
3 - Paying for students to take the SAT. The SAT is known as a test that is biased against urban/low income students - why doesn't DC pay for all students to sit for the ACT?

Go find out what all of those things cost and report back to us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does OP understand how much $ per pupil DC spends as compared to the rest of the country? Isn't it like the highest spent per pupil in the country? And Mayor Bowser is asking for a 12% or so increase in funding for this coming school year--that's "defunding the schools"? Get a grip.

Budgets increased by ~12% at a time staffing costs increased by 23%, so yes, the schools are being defunded. Part of the reason staffing costs aren't as well aligned is because the mayor refuses to sign timely contracts so personnel spending is hard to budget.

DC is facing massive budget shortfalls. Which other city services do you recommend cutting in order to fund schools to the level you prefer?

How about eliminating the DCPS Central Office?

[Anonymous]

Based on the Maury-Miner thread, DME is useless and should be eliminated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can pick a whole lot of spending that I think is a waste:
1 - Why do you need a DC Middle School Basketball Championship?
2 - Why do you need a DC Elementary School Basketball Championship?
3 - Paying for students to take the SAT. The SAT is known as a test that is biased against urban/low income students - why doesn't DC pay for all students to sit for the ACT?

Some time ago, Council passed legislation that the Mayor must require and plan for each high school student to take the SAT or ACT before graduation. The test has to be funded. There are probably better uses for that funding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does OP understand how much $ per pupil DC spends as compared to the rest of the country? Isn't it like the highest spent per pupil in the country? And Mayor Bowser is asking for a 12% or so increase in funding for this coming school year--that's "defunding the schools"? Get a grip.

Budgets increased by ~12% at a time staffing costs increased by 23%, so yes, the schools are being defunded. Part of the reason staffing costs aren't as well aligned is because the mayor refuses to sign timely contracts so personnel spending is hard to budget.

DC is facing massive budget shortfalls. Which other city services do you recommend cutting in order to fund schools to the level you prefer?

Is Mendelson still trying to cut taxes? I think we're ok with paying for services here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh FFS. Most schools are getting an increase. Yes, costs are up, but it's hardly de-funding. Our school is +$1 million over last year.

Great for your school. We have a 45 student enrollment increase and are up $500K… which leaves us $500K short of maintaining our current staffing level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh FFS. Most schools are getting an increase. Yes, costs are up, but it's hardly de-funding. Our school is +$1 million over last year.

Great for your school. We have a 45 student enrollment increase and are up $500K… which leaves us $500K short of maintaining our current staffing level.

same. if we kept the same staffing we currently have our school its a short fall. most schools are going to loose several positions.

[Anonymous]

Our HS is going to require a 12% staffing cut. Our general education teachers will be cut 8%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh FFS. Most schools are getting an increase. Yes, costs are up, but it's hardly de-funding. Our school is +$1 million over last year.

Great for your school. We have a 45 student enrollment increase and are up $500K… which leaves us $500K short of maintaining our current staffing level.

I thought everyone was moving to the suburbs? Where are all these kids coming from?

[Anonymous]

I'm in a charter that is projecting a cut as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does OP understand how much $ per pupil DC spends as compared to the rest of the country? Isn't it like the highest spent per pupil in the country? And Mayor Bowser is asking for a 12% or so increase in funding for this coming school year--that's "defunding the schools"? Get a grip.

Budgets increased by ~12% at a time staffing costs increased by 23%, so yes, the schools are being defunded. Part of the reason staffing costs aren't as well aligned is because the mayor refuses to sign timely contracts so personnel spending is hard to budget.

DC is facing massive budget shortfalls. Which other city services do you recommend cutting in order to fund schools to the level you prefer?

Not PP, but the rental assistance program could be cut for one.

[Anonymous]

Across the board, school budgets have actually increased on paper significantly, but schools have “less spending power” because more of the money is going to teachers (12% increased that has been realized over the last 4 years) as per the new union contracts. ESSR funds are also running out, which covered many programs and additional supports. Central service jobs are also being cut by 10% at least. It’s a belt tightening across the board due to a confluence of issues. Expect class sizes to increase, less money floating around for additional programming and less support from central services.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does OP understand how much $ per pupil DC spends as compared to the rest of the country? Isn't it like the highest spent per pupil in the country? And Mayor Bowser is asking for a 12% or so increase in funding for this coming school year--that's "defunding the schools"? Get a grip.

Budgets increased by ~12% at a time staffing costs increased by 23%, so yes, the schools are being defunded. Part of the reason staffing costs aren't as well aligned is because the mayor refuses to sign timely contracts so personnel spending is hard to budget.

DC is facing massive budget shortfalls. Which other city services do you recommend cutting in order to fund schools to the level you prefer?

How about eliminating the DCPS Central Office?

Exactly, top heavy does not show the work ethic or role modeling that should be coming from the DO and the Mayor and Chancellor needs to directly address this. In addition to the administrators who are using this opportunity to RIF highly effective, veteran teaching staff that should be offered jobs in their own schools. Keeping teaching staff that had less tenure, lower Impact scores and do not have a higher rubrics. How does that best serve the children and the community's these administrators claim to care so much about?