WAPO article about sever FFX school budget cuts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There is $140 million to cut and you guys are talking about mouse turds.

+1000000

In my budget $10million is not considered mouse turds.

[Anonymous]

Isn't it true that FCPS spends less per student than neighboring districts? If so, then it seems like maybe we just need to put more money into our schools if we want to keep the same services.

Yes, it sucks that so much money is used for ESOL, but the facts are that we can educate the kids who are here and put them in a position to be paying taxes in their future, or we can ignore them and marginalize them and then we get to continue paying for them as inmates. The whole "let's hate on the ESOL students" argument is just a waste of time. Let's just realize that it's going to cost more for all of us and incease the tax rate a few cents/$100 property value.

I respect the job that my kids' teachers do and I hate that they are always put in the crosshairs for not getting raises or having to take more kids in their classes, etc. I do not envy their jobs. Doesn't it make sense for most of us to pay $200 more in taxes so that we don't end up leaving the public school system for private (where we will be paying somewhere b/t $15K and $30K per year)? Forget about the bus rides to AAP and the ESOL -- let's put on our big boy/girl pants and just accept that we need to pay a little more to keep the kind of schools and society we want in Fairfax County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would assume most cuts would be to non-essential programs like AAP?

One would hope so but someone somewhere is holding FCPS hostage to this program.

FCPS needs to get rid of the part time AART's and the part time AAP programs. They are not necessary and wasting money with no benifit. Bring the qualified fulltime AAP teachers from the center programs and distribute them in the base schools. Provide truly advanced classes with placement based on performance and grades not "social difficulties" . This wil get rid of some of the "pork" AAP services in the elementary schools. Drop the middle school AAP center program and stick with the, already in place, current self selected AP classes in all base middle schools. This eliminates the wasted money and countless hours of pay spent for "qualifying" kids, elimanates the part time AAP teachers and programs, consolidates busing, redistributes the students all while providing a "real" equal oppitunity and quality education for all. Look at all the cost savings!

How much? Like in the ball park of $48 million spent on ESOL?

Except ESOL, no matter how you feel about it, is essential for giving kids in this area a basic public education that meets Virginia standards of learning. AAP isn't.

And it makes me sad to hear so much ignorance and bigotry on this forum. Would like to see what you all would be doing if you weren't so lucky to have been born here. It's an accident of birth that some kids are born to families or in places lacking resources -- not a measure of their worth. Many of us who have been here for generations are fortunate that our ancestors failed in or were forced to leave their countries earlier. Like it or not, the US is a country of immigrants and will likely remain a country of immigrants for a long time coming.

It's an accident of birth I wasn't born in Finland which has an excellent school system. But they won't let me just sneak in there and send my kid to school for free and even give them free and reduced fee lunches.

As much as I hate to say it, this is a good point. And there may be people worse off in other countries than those who come here illegally. Some may come because of lack of jobs and educational opportunities in their own countries, but there may be others suffering more -- from starvation, torture, or other atrocities -- who just can't get here from their countries. We should be able to prioritize who to help, if we are going to expend the funds. If we stop providing the jobs and the education, that will reduce the incentive to come here. I do believe that laws should be followed and that we should be back in control of how to allocate our funds, including funds to help those in dire need in other nations.

We could probably count on one hand the people on DCUM who would prefer to be in Finland.

Again, I'd have at least some sympathy for this argument if I were seeing some actual numbers that illegal immigrants were overwhelming ESOL as opposed to ignorant assumptions made by many people who don't seem to understand the world very well. All this talk about "sneaking" and "sending kids for free" is incendiary without having any factual basis that I've seen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There is $140 million to cut and you guys are talking about mouse turds.

+1000000

In my budget $10million is not considered mouse turds.

where the hell does that number come from?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There is $140 million to cut and you guys are talking about mouse turds.

+1000000

In my budget $10million is not considered mouse turds.

We can save more than that in other places. AAP is a feeder system to TJ, which is a huge economic driver for the area.

First, start with all the duplicative music programs. There are lots of music programs that run after school and need not get caught up in the school day.

Second, cut the after-school programs at the middle schools. Then the late bus runs would be eliminated.

Third, eliminate all foreign language instruction.

Fourth, we need school buildings -- look at existing school and county inventory and look for sites where administrative facilities can be retrofitted into school space.

That should save some funds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There is $140 million to cut and you guys are talking about mouse turds.

+1000000

In my budget $10million is not considered mouse turds.

The highest number on here I heard of for AAP's net cost was for bussing and that was only $600,000. So where do you get this $10 million. What is that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There is $140 million to cut and you guys are talking about mouse turds.

+1000000

In my budget $10million is not considered mouse turds.

The highest number on here I heard of for AAP's net cost was for bussing and that was only $600,000. So where do you get this $10 million. What is that?

That is for the AAP resource teachers. It is in a previous post about 2 pages back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn't it true that FCPS spends less per student than neighboring districts? If so, then it seems like maybe we just need to put more money into our schools if we want to keep the same services.

Yes, it sucks that so much money is used for ESOL, but the facts are that we can educate the kids who are here and put them in a position to be paying taxes in their future, or we can ignore them and marginalize them and then we get to continue paying for them as inmates. The whole "let's hate on the ESOL students" argument is just a waste of time. Let's just realize that it's going to cost more for all of us and incease the tax rate a few cents/$100 property value.

I respect the job that my kids' teachers do and I hate that they are always put in the crosshairs for not getting raises or having to take more kids in their classes, etc. I do not envy their jobs. Doesn't it make sense for most of us to pay $200 more in taxes so that we don't end up leaving the public school system for private (where we will be paying somewhere b/t $15K and $30K per year)? Forget about the bus rides to AAP and the ESOL -- let's put on our big boy/girl pants and just accept that we need to pay a little more to keep the kind of schools and society we want in Fairfax County.

I am all for paying a little more to keep funding the schools. Actually we increase it pretty much every Nov. 4. Nevertheless, AAP in elementary and middle is a waste of millions of dollars and not providing a better education to ALL FCPS students. Restructure AAP and make it work for all students and I believe in doing this there would/should be cost reductions. AART's and the whole bureaucratic process of screening are a huge waste of time, resources and money. I see no reason whatsoever for any of it. It is a discriminatory program and a cumbersome application process, and, does not allow ALL children to get a "better" education in All schools. Actually, quite honestly, it is just tracking reincarnated and I believe grounds for a class action.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There is $140 million to cut and you guys are talking about mouse turds.

+1000000

In my budget $10million is not considered mouse turds.

The highest number on here I heard of for AAP's net cost was for bussing and that was only $600,000. So where do you get this $10 million. What is that?

That is for the AAP resource teachers. It is in a previous post about 2 pages back.[/quote]

I'm sorry. I'm not being difficult. You are saying the AART's salaries are $10 million? I didn't see that. So if you eliminate the AAP program they would get fired and that amount could be saved?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There is $140 million to cut and you guys are talking about mouse turds.

+1000000

In my budget $10million is not considered mouse turds.

where the hell does that number come from?

Some midnight reading for you as I am sure it will take you a while:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCkQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fcps.edu%2Ffs%2Fbudget%2Fdocuments%2Fapproved%2FFY13%2FFY2013ProgramBudget.pdf&ei=fH1lUo7tFcS82wXTioHACg&usg=AFQjCNElhOsrlac-Dub_TMZn-vlPOZSQTA&bvm=bv.54934254,d.b2I&cad=rja

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't it true that FCPS spends less per student than neighboring districts? If so, then it seems like maybe we just need to put more money into our schools if we want to keep the same services.

Yes, it sucks that so much money is used for ESOL, but the facts are that we can educate the kids who are here and put them in a position to be paying taxes in their future, or we can ignore them and marginalize them and then we get to continue paying for them as inmates. The whole "let's hate on the ESOL students" argument is just a waste of time. Let's just realize that it's going to cost more for all of us and incease the tax rate a few cents/$100 property value.

I respect the job that my kids' teachers do and I hate that they are always put in the crosshairs for not getting raises or having to take more kids in their classes, etc. I do not envy their jobs. Doesn't it make sense for most of us to pay $200 more in taxes so that we don't end up leaving the public school system for private (where we will be paying somewhere b/t $15K and $30K per year)? Forget about the bus rides to AAP and the ESOL -- let's put on our big boy/girl pants and just accept that we need to pay a little more to keep the kind of schools and society we want in Fairfax County.

I am all for paying a little more to keep funding the schools. Actually we increase it pretty much every Nov. 4. Nevertheless, AAP in elementary and middle is a waste of millions of dollars and not providing a better education to ALL FCPS students. Restructure AAP and make it work for all students and I believe in doing this there would/should be cost reductions. AART's and the whole bureaucratic process of screening are a huge waste of time, resources and money. I see no reason whatsoever for any of it. It is a discriminatory program and a cumbersome application process, and, does not allow ALL children to get a "better" education in All schools. Actually, quite honestly, it is just tracking reincarnated and I believe grounds for a class action.

Is that you Tina Hone? I thought you tried that already. Go ahead and file one, based on what? It's be dismissed for failure to state a cause of action faster than shit through a goose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There is $140 million to cut and you guys are talking about mouse turds.

+1000000

In my budget $10million is not considered mouse turds.

The highest number on here I heard of for AAP's net cost was for bussing and that was only $600,000. So where do you get this $10 million. What is that?

That is for the AAP resource teachers. It is in a previous post about 2 pages back.[/quote]

I'm sorry. I'm not being difficult. You are saying the AART's salaries are $10 million? I didn't see that. So if you eliminate the AAP program they would get fired and that amount could be saved?

Sorry but how many times a day do you get called and idiot!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't it true that FCPS spends less per student than neighboring districts? If so, then it seems like maybe we just need to put more money into our schools if we want to keep the same services.

Yes, it sucks that so much money is used for ESOL, but the facts are that we can educate the kids who are here and put them in a position to be paying taxes in their future, or we can ignore them and marginalize them and then we get to continue paying for them as inmates. The whole "let's hate on the ESOL students" argument is just a waste of time. Let's just realize that it's going to cost more for all of us and incease the tax rate a few cents/$100 property value.

I respect the job that my kids' teachers do and I hate that they are always put in the crosshairs for not getting raises or having to take more kids in their classes, etc. I do not envy their jobs. Doesn't it make sense for most of us to pay $200 more in taxes so that we don't end up leaving the public school system for private (where we will be paying somewhere b/t $15K and $30K per year)? Forget about the bus rides to AAP and the ESOL -- let's put on our big boy/girl pants and just accept that we need to pay a little more to keep the kind of schools and society we want in Fairfax County.

I am all for paying a little more to keep funding the schools. Actually we increase it pretty much every Nov. 4. Nevertheless, AAP in elementary and middle is a waste of millions of dollars and not providing a better education to ALL FCPS students. Restructure AAP and make it work for all students and I believe in doing this there would/should be cost reductions. AART's and the whole bureaucratic process of screening are a huge waste of time, resources and money. I see no reason whatsoever for any of it. It is a discriminatory program and a cumbersome application process, and, does not allow ALL children to get a "better" education in All schools. Actually, quite honestly, it is just tracking reincarnated and I believe grounds for a class action.

Is that you Tina Hone? I thought you tried that already. Go ahead and file one, based on what? It's be dismissed for failure to state a cause of action faster than shit through a goose.

Have at em girls the idiot is back online.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There is $140 million to cut and you guys are talking about mouse turds.

+1000000

In my budget $10million is not considered mouse turds.

FCPS says its deficit is $140 million and you come up with $10 million. You're talkin' mouse turds.

[Anonymous]

We can save more than that in other places. AAP is a feeder system to TJ, which is a huge economic driver for the area.

No the AAP program is not solely the feeder system to TJ. There are plenty of kids who make TJ without AAP in elementary and middle. AP in middle maybe helps but elementary absolutely not!

First, start with all the duplicative music programs. There are lots of music programs that run after school and need not get caught up in the school day.

Second, cut the after-school programs at the middle schools. Then the late bus runs would be eliminated.
Agree, nice but not needed just a babysitter.

Third, eliminate all foreign language instruction.
[b]Don't agree here - Talk about IB, TJ, AP, College significance

Fourth, we need school buildings -- look at existing school and county inventory and look for sites where administrative facilities can be retrofitted into school space.
Agree

That should save some funds.
Yes there is ways to streamline and improve