As Prince William County begins its budget deliberations, I want to encourage the supervisors to remember the poor, beleaguered schools, their students and their teachers. As it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a county to do the right thing by its schools. The BOCS must set the current tax rate.
Regardless of political correctness or other artificial constraints some folks will attempt to put on the situation, the BOCS needs to do 2 things. They need to set the tax rate high enough to start bringing the schools up to snuff after the long , lean period following the housing crash that began in 2007. They they need to give the School Board a little larger slice of the pie.
The school system needs to do three things:
1. Start reducing class size.
2. Give teachers and other employees a raise.
3. Make basic supplies more readily available.
Frankly, no one wants to hear the old tea party rallying call to ‘Stop Spending.’ Those words are simplistic answers for simplistic people. The average person has no idea what programs are mandated and what programs are not. I have spent more years in the system than most folks and I don’t know all the ins and outs in that regard. No one does when dealing with a hugely complex system like Prince William, Loudoun, Fairfax or Stafford.
All the schools are hurting and strapped for cash. They will be even more so after they pay bills for such a harsh winter. Teachers are picking up the tab for much of their VRS retirement. This plan is not optional. Many teachers also purchase instructional supplies out of their own pocket. It isn’t required but many of them do that, voluntarily, so that their students can continue to have a world class education.
Overcrowded classes are nothing new. That’s old news. Just no one was paying attention. The trailers that so many people are bitching about create smaller classes. Please don’t forget that a million dollars buys you about 10 new teachers. That’s a drop in the bucket compared to what’s needed.
Boundaries probably also need to change to equalize schools and class sizes. Boundary changes are one of the most unpopular types of change. Nothing brings out flag waving parents like a boundary change, especially if Little Johnny has to go to what is perceived as the least desirable school.
I am tired of reading how crappy our school system is. No it isn’t. Prince William County has a good school system. Those who bash it bash their own children, grandchildren and neighbors. Can I pay a few more dollars each month to improve the schools? You betcha! It’s an investment in our future.
Every week, Jim Livingston comes before the BOCS urging the supervisors to set that tax rate high enough to start to take care of the schools. Listen to Jim. He knows what he is talking about.
It is critical to understand that the tax rate must increase from what it is today to meet these challenges. You can’t cut taxes and decrease class size AND increase employee pay. Any politician who tells you otherwise, call him or her a liar.
Starting in January, students who have graduated from a Florida high school in recent years can skip non-credit remedial classes, even if tests show they may not be ready to perform at a college level.
Tea Party solution. Change the discussion.
That doesn’t surprise me at all.
Some places in Florida are really scraping for educational credentials.
I agree…the tax rate should be set a little higher to bring the class sizes down. But we also have to admit, the PWCS needs to tighten their belts too. Their plan of hiring job coaches for every four new teachers they hire is insane. Most school districts do not do that. They have a lot of money going to administration when it should go to the teachers and class sizes. I think doing both will make significant changes. I think each of us paying $5 more a month to go to schools would make a huge difference….and slow down the residential growth too!
No one really disagrees with anything that you are saying, but specifics matter? What are the right sizes for classes in elementary, middle and high schools? If the tax rate is to be increased, how big should the increase be? Could the administration be cut as an offset? There are a LOT of people working in the Kelly Building. Are they all doing useful things?
What do you think about the requirements to get a teaching certificate in the state? Should requirements for a teaching certificate be relaxed for people with MS/PhDs in technical fields?
@Sean
I am not sure what the coaches are all about. I think it is probably like the ISTs that used to be in middle school to provide curriculum assistance to the teachers. They were also at the high school level.
That program isn’t in effect yet and is just planned for 6th grade if I recall correctly. Who am I to question it? It sounds like another pair of hands on deck.
When we find out more Sean, I will gladly hear what you have to say about it. I think right now you might be pushing the panic button on something that might be a good idea.
Does the county still contribute matching funds to the 403B plan? I sure hope so. It used to be a good program.
@Kelly_3406
There are state standards for class size. I believe that the Southern Association also has recommendations. Then there are VEA recommendations. It also depends on the class. A classroom of high achieving students who need less individual help obviously can ‘hold’ more kids than a classroom of students with learning difficulties. Ideally, that adjustment is made. During lean times, kids are just packed in unless a class is designated as special ed and there are federal limits on the class size.
Teaching certificate for MS/PHDs in technical fields? Yes. they should have them also but I am all for relaxing a lot of the BS ed courses for everyone. I would urge teaching to be more about context and less about education courses. Sure, there should be courses about basic teaching wisdom but not this overkill stuff.
I admit to being a snob about this topic. On the other hand, everyone must be certificated.