Area School Budget Comparisons

MoonHowler

 

School System        Budget                            less (from last year)         # Students

                                                                             2008-2009

————————————————————————————————————-

Fairfax Co.            $2.2 billion                     [$10 million ]                     169,000

 

Alexandria             $197 million                    $2 million                          11,225

 

PWC                      $ 745 million                   $57 million                      73,000

 

Loudoun                 $747 million                    $0                                    56, 170

 

 

Does anyone else see anything out of proportion here?

 

Let me know if there are updates on these proposed budgets.  I had to do some serious digging to fill in the blanks here.  Loudoun Co data is sketchy.  All systems have had serious cutbacks in one form or another.  Most have frozen teacher pay.  Many have increased class size. 

 

Main source (but not only):  Washington Post

 

[UPDATE: Fairfax budget reduction fund is probably not accurate.  I am trying to verify exactly what it is.  Anon suggests $157 million from another article. 

 Also see:

FCPS  FY!) BUDGET: A BRIEF OVERVIEW

 

I also want more verification on Loudoun County]  

Jackson Miller Assesses Tele-Town Meeting Positively

MoonHowler

Friday’s News and Messenger reports that about 1400 people took part in the Miller Tele-town Meeting that we reported last week. The meeting got over all excellent approval ratings, especially from the delegate himself:

He [Miller] was pleased at the results.

“I enjoyed doing it. I got a great response form (sic) the community. I’ve been getting e-mails and calls since from people saying, ‘ This is a great idea. I had no idea what you do in Richmond,'” Miller said.

People also like being involved, he said.
“It allows people to actually participate like they were at a town hall meeting,” Miller said.
To get the giant telephone conference call going, Miller sent out automated calls to a list of registered voters telling them that he was about to hold the tele-town-hall meeting.
People who were interested stayed on the line.

Miller said the telephonic forum gives him a rare chance to get in touch with large numbers of his constituents, and those numbers far surpass what a regular, in-person, town hall style meeting would draw.

“The best I’ve had is probably 15 or 20,” Miller said of the regular meetings he’s held.

Miller said it’s hard to get his message out in the Washington area, where national news dominates.
“We’re right under the shadow of the federal government,” Miller said. “When you come from our area, it’s so hard to communicate what’s going on at the state level.”

The telephone meetings get around that and go directly to the voters, Miller said.
“It’s a good way for me to reach out to my constituents to let them know what’s going on in Richmond,” he said.

Miller said illegal immigration, tobacco, smoking in restaurants, education, insurance, health care and gun control were among the topics people raised during his recent tele-town-hall meeting, which lasted slightly more than an hour.

Still, Miller doesn’t think that telephone calls, no matter how many he does at one time, can ever take the place of face-to-face contact with constituents.

 

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A Message from Gainesville School Board Representative Don Richardson

MoonHowler

The following is a message from Gainesville School Board member Don Richardson. We felt it would be seen by more people if it were its own thread:

I would like to let everyone know that my Town Hall meeting has been MOVED from next Tuesday to next THURSDAY, still at 7 PM and still in the Drama Room at Battlefield HS. I am sorry if this inconveniences anyone, but the School Board scheduled a Math Investigations work session for Tuesday night, and I owe it to my colleagues and the public to be there to listen to what everyone has to say firsthand. Unfortunately, the publicity about my meeting had already gone out before the work session was put on the schedule. The work session is not televised and there is no Citizen Comment time, but it is open to the public and starts at 6 PM, in the meeting room at the Kelly Center.

The good news is that on Thursday night I will be able to give you a summary of that work session and my best guess as to what is likely to happen next. Oh, and we might also talk about the budget…

I do plan a longer post here in the near future but I wanted to get the word out quickly about the change of date of the Town Hall meeting. See you then.

PWCS: Frozen Teacher Pay and Larger Class Sizes for 2009-2010

MoonHowler

Prince William County Schools face an unprecedented budget shortfall for the upcoming school year. In a growing county like Prince William, it is almost a given that each year the budget will grow, as the student body grows. Well, not next year.

Student enrollment is expected to increase by about 1400 students. However, the budget will be reduced by 7%. This huge reduction in spending amounts to about $57 million.

To make ends meet, teacher pay will be frozen and class size will increased. Elementary classes will be allowed up to 30 and middle and high school classes can go as high as 35 per class. Students will pay fees for the privilege of parking on campuses, playing sports, taking drivers’ education. Students will be expected to pay fees associated with advanced placement courses and also IB programs. ESOL and gifted classes will have fewer staff members. Overall, about 450 positions will be cut. Many of these positions will become open due to retirement but will not be filled.

All and all, things look very dismal for Prince William County Schools. Loudoun and Fairfax Counties have announced similar proposals. One thing is for sure. There won’t be many extras and those student material lists that are given out at the beginning of the year will be much longer. There is a new sheriff in town, and his name is NO MONEY.

It seems that that big dark screen plan didn’t work out so well. Readers will remember the theory that when all the ‘illegals’ left and there was no need for ESOL classes, we would save bundles of money and could apply it else where. I believe a surplus might have even been predicted. Well, time to pony up with that extra savings. The county sure does need it.

The Washington Post details the financial position of PWCS.

Here is the link to the Prince William County School Board Meeting . There are several lowlights towards the beginning. The ‘Other’ makes quite a display of himself. I wasn’t quite sure of his point. Apparently the board doesn’t like personal attacks on their staff.

S.P.L.C. Receives Kudos

MoonHowler

S.P.L.C. Receives Kudos

The Editorial Board of the New York Times gave kudos to the Southern Poverty Law Center for their report “The Nativist Lobby,” which was released on Tues. S.P.C.L. examines the connects between three Washington-based organizations that have advocated for severe restrictions to immigration from Hispanic countries as well as restrictions for those who are here already.

The three groups examined are ones you will be very familiar with:
Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the Center for Immigration Studies and Numbers USA — a lobbying group, think tank, and grassroots organizer, respectively. In fact, these organizations all had a hand in policy setting when the Immigration Resolution was ushered in. The criticism is strong.

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Bill O’Reilly Declares War on NY Times

Elena

So, apparently Bill O’Reilly has “declared war” on the NY Times for its most recent editorial, which by the way, was inspired to do a follow up editorial to clarify their position. The NY Times does NOT advocate “open borders” but instead believes in comprehensive immigration reform while addressing our border security at the same time.

Did you know that VDARE, a pre-eminent anti immigrant group, based their name of the first white child, Virginia Dare, born in the new American colonies?  Anyway, I digress for a moment. Well, back to my premise about Bill.  You will need to read the piece by the NY Times, “The Nativists are Restless” in order to fully understand his subsequent wrath.  I also included a youtube video, which from my perspective, allows the viewer keen insight into some peoples fear about the new “color” of America.  For anyone who does not believe that immigration eventually reduces itself to race, take a listen to what Bill O’Reilly’s biggest fear is……the disempowerment of “white Christian men”.   Hmm, does the converse of that mean that as a “woman” and a “nonchristian”, I may be  “guilty” of usurping his power and instead find myself  in the fortunate position of gaining the power O’Reilly imagines he is losing?

Not that we didn’t know the war was already on but now it’s official – again.In a jaw-dropping series of segments on last night’s (2/2/09) O’Reilly Factor, Bill O’Reilly and each of his four guests attacked the New York Times for having the nerve to call O’Reilly and some FOX News regulars “racialist extremists” who are clinging to nativism in the hope that they can use illegal immigration as a wedge issue. A steady stream of right-wing pundits go on FOX and call liberals treasonous and worse. But on FOX, evidently, slurs are OK so long as you’re a Republican dishing them out. If you’re a Republican on the receiving end, it’s time for war. And that’s exactly what O’Reilly pledged repeatedly last night, with a unanimous chorus of support from each of the four guests involved. One of them, Jim Pinkerton, made the astounding statement that he was not involved in the Willie Horton campaign ads. There has been a lot of reporting otherwise. With video.

The first of three segments on the subject began with O’Reilly saying that the reason the Times favors amnesty for immigrants is “primarily” because it’s “a way to gain political power.” It was a charge he’d repeat several time that night without offering any evidence to support it.


 

Jackson Miller Outlines Bills He Will Submit or Co-sponsor

MoonHowler

Hot off the email press from Delegate Jackson Miller. I don’t see anything that howls at me for attention. At any rate, this is the lazy woman’s thread. I cut and pasted straight from Delegate Miller’s own email. I don’t see anything I object to. I hope he sends out email about how he voted on other people’s bills.

This year’s session is usually referred to as the “short session”. That’s because it only lasts 46 days as opposed to sessions in even years, which last sixty. Odd-year sessions are shorter because the General Assembly is only required to make amendments to the existing biennial budget. In long sessions, an entirely new budget must be constructed and approved.

Usually, amending the budget is a task that takes significantly less work than constructing one from scratch. But, the state’s budget shortfall makes amending the existing budget a lot more challenging than usual this year. Still, the General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn for this year on February 28.

As I noted last week, there will be many other issues before us during this session than the budget. Among the hundreds of bills that will be discussed are several that I am submitting.

Here are just a few of the bills that I am submitting or co-sponsoring this year:

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KKK visits Haymarket

Elena

You just never know what someone might share over Challah french toast, scrambled eggs, and coffee! I had a little gathering for breakfast today, and to my shock, one of my guests who lives near Bull Run Mountain, out of the blue, says “hey, did I tell you that someone from the KKK delivered a newsletter at the end of my driveway?” With jaw open from shock, I reply “Uh, no, you didn’t tell me”.

So apparently, a little over a week ago, this person discovered this “news” piece at the end of their driveway. I asked if they knew if any other people had been lucky enough to get this “jewel” delivered, and they said they didn’t know. I wonder, why is it that the KKK believes that there is fertile ground in places like Prince William and Loudon Counties?

The Ku Klux Klan, which just a few years ago seemed static or even moribund compared to other white supremacist movements such as neo-Nazis, has experienced a surprising and troubling resurgence due to the successful exploitation of hot-button issues including immigration, gay marriage and urban crime. Klan groups have witnessed a surprising and troubling resurgence by exploiting fears of an immigration explosion, and the debate over immigration has in turned helped to fuel an increase in Klan activity, with new groups sprouting in parts of the country that have not seen much activity.

9500 Liberty Street: A New Wall is Erected

MoonHowler

What is all the stir over in the City of Manassas? Do I hear the pitter patter of deja vus? What goes there? It seems that 9500 Liberty is all aglow with new construction, according to Chris@4:47 PM:

**off topic**
Looks like there’s yet another “liberty wall” being built. I can’t wait to see what the wall will read this time. Each sign has gotten progressively more offensive. Here we go again.

…. I have the photographic evidence to prove my post.

Chris got the first scoop. She reported that the folks over at 9500 were socializing, painting and had completed construction. The verbiage is not finished quite yet. Everyone seemed to be having a good time and enjoying the sunny day after the brutal cold of the past couple of weeks.

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EDITORIAL: The Nativists Are Restless

MoonHowler

Every once in a while, an article or opinion piece comes along that just cannot be retold or summarized. This one you have to read for yourself, in its entirety. It will all look all too familiar.
From the New York Times:

The relentlessly harsh Republican campaign against immigrants has always hidden a streak of racialist extremism. Now after several high-water years, the Republican tide has gone out, leaving exposed the nativism of fringe right-wingers clinging to what they hope will be a wedge issue.
Last week at the National Press Club in Washington, a group seeking to speak for the future of the Republican Party declared that its November defeats in Congressional races stemmed not from having been too hard on foreigners, but too soft.

The group, the American Cause, released a report arguing that anti-immigration absolutism was still the solution for the party’s deep electoral woes, actual voting results notwithstanding. Rather than “pander to pro-amnesty Hispanics and swing voters,” as President Bush and Karl Rove once tried to do, the report’s author, Marcus Epstein, urged Republicans to double down on their efforts to run on schemes to seal the border and drive immigrants out.
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Prince William ICE Detainee Dies While in Custody

MoonHowler
Picture c/o –
Washington Post
Just when you think PWC is getting out of the limelight, here we go again. Guido Newbrough awoke in great pain last November. His fellow inmates tried to alert guards at the Piedmont Regional Jail. Guido was allegedly treated as a malingerer by the guards.

Unlike most of his cell mates, Guido was born in Germany and had lived in Prince William County since age 6. His mother had married an American who raised Guido as his own. The next part of the story is somewhat confusing. Guido was convicted of aggravated sexual assault in 2003 which made him eligible for deportation. He was sent to Piedmont Regional Jail last February on an ICE detainer.

Sometime around Thanksgiving he became extremely ill from undiagnosed bacterial infections, was transported to a Richmond hospital, and died. He had complained for about a week of excruciating pain. Newborough is the second ICE detainee to die while in custody at Piedmont Regional Jail in the past 2 years.

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