If you were in charge of FCPS, what budget cuts would you make?

[Anonymous]

Come on folks

The FY13 Budget was $2.4B
The FY14 Budget is $2.5B

There are no cuts. The budget is going up by $100,000,000.00 The "cuts" are from the dream request.

They have more money! Sheesh....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Right. So there is no immersion bussing to cut.

I say cut FLES, but keep the immersion program. Language immersion doesn't add any teachers.

Why would magnet programs get bussing but not immersion? Do baileys kids in immersion not get bussing while the magnet kids do?
Cut the busses, regardless.

Immersion programs do require extra teachers. The kids have a teacher that teaches the English portion of the day and a teacher that does math and science in the target language.

Two classes: One has English in the morning with the English teacher, one has immersion language classes in the morning with immersian language teacher. In the afternoon, they switch. Two classes, two teachers. No additional teachers required. If there is an odd number of classes then there is a half time English teacher and a half time immersion teacher - only one full time position.

NO Additional teacher positions are used in immersion schools. The additional cost comes in the additional administrative overhead to run the program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Right. So there is no immersion bussing to cut.

I say cut FLES, but keep the immersion program. Language immersion doesn't add any teachers.

Why would magnet programs get bussing but not immersion? Do baileys kids in immersion not get bussing while the magnet kids do?
Cut the busses, regardless.

Immersion programs do require extra teachers. The kids have a teacher that teaches the English portion of the day and a teacher that does math and science in the target language.

Two classes: One has English in the morning with the English teacher, one has immersion language classes in the morning with immersian language teacher. In the afternoon, they switch. Two classes, two teachers. No additional teachers required. If there is an odd number of classes then there is a half time English teacher and a half time immersion teacher - only one full time position.

NO Additional teacher positions are used in immersion schools. The additional cost comes in the additional administrative overhead to run the program.

When Bailey's Arts magnet program was started, they wanted to make it easier for out of boundary student to come. If you only count the in bound students at Bailey's it is the poorest school in FCPS, with the Arts magnet program it attracts affluent students who have parents that can help support the school in ways the In Bound population cannot ($$$).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Come on folks

The FY13 Budget was $2.4B
The FY14 Budget is $2.5B

There are no cuts. The budget is going up by $100,000,000.00 The "cuts" are from the dream request.

They have more money! Sheesh....

The expenses are going up b/c there are more kids entering the school --- (sheeesh!) And a higher proportion of all the kids in the system are needing extra services b/c they are ESOL or low-income. --- (sheesh!).

Next time think a little harder before you get all condescending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this will be inflammatory -- but the core/essential purpose of schools is the academic part. So, keep PE b/c everybody needs a break and they do learn about health.... but get rid of sports teams. Those are just not part of the core mission... sorry.

If I have to choose between counselors and a football team, I'm choosing counselors who might keep my kid from being bullied or might help someone with anorexia or abuse.

Then I'd reduce the number of instructional assistants -- I was shocked to look on my kids' elementary school website and see about 25 instructional assistants listed. That seems like a whole lot. Maybe we still need a lot of them for the special needs, but if they are not being used for special needs or kindergarten, I think they probably have to go.

Band/strings -- I'd hate to see it go, and I could argue that it is an academic pursuit b/c you can get a degree in music/fine arts. But, it could become a fee-based program.

I'm willing to pay more taxes for all of the above and to avoid any other cuts.

The ES at which I teach has over 800 students. The website lists 9 IAs, 4 of which are in kindergarten and a couple of the others are designated for special education. I don't think we have too many and they are spread thin. Much of their time is spent covering classes for when we are out of the classroom in meetings.

Were those 25 IAs all for kindergarten? There are also IAs for special ed. SPED requires a lot more assistants.

FWIW, I counted 14 IAs for my DS' ES.

4-5 are for kindergarten. My kids' school has sort of a "center" for Spec. Ed (kids transfer to this school b/c of the Spec. Ed. programs)-- there are 14 people listed as "Special Education Teachers" in the directory. There are 26 people listed as "Instructional Assistants" (5 of those are full time assistants in the kindergarten classes). That leaves 21 who are not kindergarten instructional assistants. That seems like a HUGE number for a school with 800 kids. I can't make a sweeping statement that they should be cut, but it sure makes me wonder what they are doing and why we have so many. I'm very grateful that my kids' class size is 22-26 in the past two years (previously was 29-30). 22-26 seems like a reasonable number for a teacher to manage.

Would love to hear from teachers regarding the value of IAs.

[Anonymous]

Ooooops. Messed up my post above. I'll blame it on my IPad.


The ES at which I teach has over 800 students. The website lists 9 IAs, 4 of which are in kindergarten and a couple of the others are designated for special education. I don't think we have too many and they are spread thin. Much of their time is spent covering classes for when we are out of the classroom in meetings.

[Anonymous]

if you want to cut all sports then I guess all HS after school activities should be cut...or do people only have a problem with athletes???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about cutting the number of trainings held during the school day? For example, when elementary lead teachers are out a sub has to be hired. Seems like various teachers are out fairly often.

]

Exactly. Besides, isn't that the purpose of the half day Mondays? For the teachers to get their "training" (whatever that means) then?

[Anonymous]

I thought the problems was paying for sports. I belonged to the Octagon club and don't believe the school paid a dime for it. You can still have sports, plays, etc. but the funding could come from the PTA and other sources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cut AAP
Cut FLES
Cut magnet programs
Put kids back in base schools

Cut Gatehouse

+100 to all of the above

[Anonymous]

One article I read stated county officials felt a strong need to preserve the FLES program. WTF? They would rather increase class size? I get it, we're talking a huge difference in millions, but still get rid of FLES. Class size and IAs should not be an option. I'm all for decreasing VPs, but don't they need these positions to train to be principals?
Our counselors are really busy.

I am a HUGE believer in exposing kids to the arts, but what about decreasing art and music funding? How about art half the year and music half the year instead of both? What about having businesses fund our arts programs and get a tax write off?

Enough with the level 4 business. Don't send some AAP expert in to classes now and then to come up with bullshit enrichment. My kids have gotten nothing out of it. I say keep the actual AAP programs at center schools and leave it at that.

Maybe we need to just get in bed with the devil and let corporate America fund some programs. Have some criteria. Tobacco and alcohol companies are forbidden -that sort of thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this will be inflammatory -- but the core/essential purpose of schools is the academic part. So, keep PE b/c everybody needs a break and they do learn about health.... but get rid of sports teams. Those are just not part of the core mission... sorry.

If I have to choose between counselors and a football team, I'm choosing counselors who might keep my kid from being bullied or might help someone with anorexia or abuse.

Then I'd reduce the number of instructional assistants -- I was shocked to look on my kids' elementary school website and see about 25 instructional assistants listed. That seems like a whole lot. Maybe we still need a lot of them for the special needs, but if they are not being used for special needs or kindergarten, I think they probably have to go.

Band/strings -- I'd hate to see it go, and I could argue that it is an academic pursuit b/c you can get a degree in music/fine arts. But, it could become a fee-based program.

I'm willing to pay more taxes for all of the above and to avoid any other cuts.

Counselers don't do anything , in fact they sit around waiting in their offices most of the day. Everyone can now afford their own mental health counseling , no need to have that at school.

Sports and extra activities should be self pay to weed out the ones who are serious.

Many of the mental health and development issues should be self pay.

The school needs to prioritize teaching and the classroom. If they eliminated evening else or made it self pay there would be less administrators and executives needed to manage these superfluous activities.

You should at least keep counselors at title one schools, most students there don't have rich parents who can pay for mental health services. And children living in poverty at more at risk for having lots of additonal stressors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keep high school sports. Charge athletic fee and have a sliding scale for those who cannot afford it.
People pay to attend the games. Coaches are paid next to nothing.

No sliding scale, sports aren't a need it's an extra

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this will be inflammatory -- but the core/essential purpose of schools is the academic part. So, keep PE b/c everybody needs a break and they do learn about health.... but get rid of sports teams. Those are just not part of the core mission... sorry.

If I have to choose between counselors and a football team, I'm choosing counselors who might keep my kid from being bullied or might help someone with anorexia or abuse.

Then I'd reduce the number of instructional assistants -- I was shocked to look on my kids' elementary school website and see about 25 instructional assistants listed. That seems like a whole lot. Maybe we still need a lot of them for the special needs, but if they are not being used for special needs or kindergarten, I think they probably have to go.

Band/strings -- I'd hate to see it go, and I could argue that it is an academic pursuit b/c you can get a degree in music/fine arts. But, it could become a fee-based program.

I'm willing to pay more taxes for all of the above and to avoid any other cuts.

Counselers don't do anything , in fact they sit around waiting in their offices most of the day. Everyone can now afford their own mental health counseling , no need to have that at school.

Sports and extra activities should be self pay to weed out the ones who are serious.

Many of the mental health and development issues should be self pay.

The school needs to prioritize teaching and the classroom. If they eliminated evening else or made it self pay there would be less administrators and executives needed to manage these superfluous activities.

You should at least keep counselors at title one schools, most students there don't have rich parents who can pay for mental health services. And children living in poverty at more at risk for having lots of additonal stressors.

Actually the law requires health insurance so that covers mental health for al incomes.

Let's stop the non school bs and put the word school back into pubic school. It's school not mental health counseling, not a restaurant, not a sports league and not a babysitter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this will be inflammatory -- but the core/essential purpose of schools is the academic part. So, keep PE b/c everybody needs a break and they do learn about health.... but get rid of sports teams. Those are just not part of the core mission... sorry.

If I have to choose between counselors and a football team, I'm choosing counselors who might keep my kid from being bullied or might help someone with anorexia or abuse.

Then I'd reduce the number of instructional assistants -- I was shocked to look on my kids' elementary school website and see about 25 instructional assistants listed. That seems like a whole lot. Maybe we still need a lot of them for the special needs, but if they are not being used for special needs or kindergarten, I think they probably have to go.

Band/strings -- I'd hate to see it go, and I could argue that it is an academic pursuit b/c you can get a degree in music/fine arts. But, it could become a fee-based program.

I'm willing to pay more taxes for all of the above and to avoid any other cuts.

Counselers don't do anything , in fact they sit around waiting in their offices most of the day. Everyone can now afford their own mental health counseling , no need to have that at school.

Sports and extra activities should be self pay to weed out the ones who are serious.

Many of the mental health and development issues should be self pay.

The school needs to prioritize teaching and the classroom. If they eliminated evening else or made it self pay there would be less administrators and executives needed to manage these superfluous activities.

You should at least keep counselors at title one schools, most students there don't have rich parents who can pay for mental health services. And children living in poverty at more at risk for having lots of additonal stressors.

Also, money aside, some children in poverty have parents who are unwilling or unable (because they can't get their SH*T together or are working 2 jobs, etc) to take them for mental health treatment. THis happens in wealthy families as well. Sometimes a child might feel comfortable going to the counselor but not the parent. It IS related to school because the mental health distraction can keep the child from focusing in class.