Is this our future?
Someone recently recommended I watch a video entitled “First to Worst” about Proposition 13 in California. That proposition passed in 1978 capped property taxes for the State. If a tax were to be levied it had to have 2/3 of the vote in order to pass. The direct result on public education is astonishing. The video on you tube has 7 parts totaling 50 minutes. Please not that after number 4 view number 6 and then number 5. (They are mislabeled) If you don’t have time for all of them view 1, 5 and 7. New York State’s tax cap, as currently written is very much like Prop 13. My purpose in sharing is not to alarm people, rather educate. As a former history teacher I can’t help myself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTtAdJi1AjQ&feature=related
Artie-
This page could not be found on the internet. Could you please let us know the title and date of this article?
http://www.nsba.org/site/doc.asp?TrackID=&SID=1&DID=9534&CID=282&VID=2
Thank you-
Debbie Ecker
Artie-
The following link was not found. Please let us know the title and date of the article.
http://www.aasa.org/publications/saarticledetail.cfm?ItemNumber=984&snItemNumber=950&tnItemNumber=951
Thank you.
In response to Mrs. Ecker’s post, I believe the answer is there is no answer. From what I read or heard at presentations, the research appeared to be inconclusive due to lack of evidence.
It will save us money and allow us to keep programs.
Time will tell if it helps us educationally, I hope it does.
Here is the bottom line and very easy to understand. With consolidation you save school programs. Keeping the same school structures in place will result in defeated budgets as the costs are too high and therefore programs will have to be cut.
I didn’t miss a point. Maybe you should look back at the other topics where this was already hashed out. Some items already discussed and many cited by Dr. Nagler include:
http://www.edfacilities.org/rl/grade_configuration.cfm
http://www.hopkinton.k12.ma.us/newweb2/schoolcommittee/building_projects/Buildingprojects/GRADE_CONFIG_FEB_02.pdf
http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/poptopics/gradeconfig.html
http://econpapers.repec.org/article/agsjoaaec/6609.htm
http://www.dallasindicators.com/Portals/8/Reports/Reports_Internal/Grade-SpanConfigurations.pdf
http://www-agecon.ag.ohio-state.edu/class/aede680/irwin/pdf/53.pdf
http://www.sanford.duke.edu/research/papers/SAN07-01.pdf
http://www.aasa.org/publications/saissuedetail.cfm?ItemNumber=1790
http://www.aasa.org/publications/saarticledetail.cfm?ItemNumber=2672
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/quarterly/vol_2/2_3/elem_middle.asp
http://www.nsba.org/site/doc.asp?TrackID=&SID=1&DID=9534&CID=282&VID=2
http://www.aasa.org/publications/saarticledetail.cfm?ItemNumber=984&snItemNumber=950&tnItemNumber=951
I think Artie Barnett missed my point. What research demonstrates that the proposed changes will positively affect student achievement? After all, in spite of our financial problems, we still want student achievement to improve. And, what research has the school board, superintendent, and advisory committee looked at that shows that similar configurations have had no negative effect on student performance? After working in the field of public education since 1969, I have learned about, seen, experienced, and had a hand in implementing changes in both local and national schools and school districts. Therefore, I think it is extremely important to examine research results before jumping into making sweeping changes. Your platitudes definitely do not set my mind at ease. In fact, I become more and more concerned because the research evidence has not been presented to the public. School board members, Dr. Nagler, advisory committee members, can you help us out here, please?
Debbie,
I think it would be tough for anyone to provide you with what you’re asking. Since there is no evidence showing how similar configurations have had a negative effect on student performance, it would be safe to say, the lack of such should set your mind at ease.
I understand that the Mineola schools, along with schools all over the country, are struggling with budget problems. However, I am concerned that the school board is making decisions about reconfiguration without considering how these decisions will affect student achievement. I am again asking, how will student achievement be affected by the proposed configurations and school closings? What educational research has the superintendent, school board and committees considered in making their suggestions? What evidence are they prepared to show us about how our district’s children and families will be affected educationally? Please, show the community your evidence.
Prop 13 devastated public education in California, and has widened its socioeconomic gaps ever since.
My view is the following – do we just want to survive the present, or do we want to surpass the present and create a better future for the students in our community? We can put a band-aid on a fresh wound, but that doesn’t help cure the problem – it just helps the here and now. I don’t want to see and be a part of this type of problem solving concerning the future of our district every year. How does that help our children? In the end, there are going to be 3 groups of people – those that are going to be pleased with the outcome, those that are not going to like it and those that don’t care. There isn’t one solution that will please everyone, but there is one question we need to ask ourselves – what is in the BEST interest of our children for today AND the future? The answer to that question is the one that truly matters. I, just like everyone else don’t I like seeing my taxes increase nor the changes in the school distributions, but I have realized that things can’t stay the way they have been if our children are going to be successful. With change comes uncertainty and fear. Just like everyone else, I have fears and concerns about the future of my children but I also have realized that I have choices. I want my children to have the option of growing and becoming educated young adults in this district. I want to show my children that change isn’t bad, and that good things can come out of it.
As a member of this wonderful community, I am asking people to become informed and be aware of their choices and to look at the whole picture. Sometimes a quick and easy solution is not the best one. The future of our children depend on it.
It was tongue and cheek Doc.
Most people have heard (as well as appreciate and understand) the concept underlying Santanya’s “condemned to repeat it” passage. Few, however, can provide the attribution. Kudos to you, Dr. Nagler, for that.
Thinking of Santanya, two other of his quotes sprang to mind. Both seem apropos to our current situation. First:
“All his life he [the American] jumps into the train after it has started and jumps out before it has stopped; and he never once gets left behind, or breaks a leg.”
For the sake of everyone in the Mineola School District community, let us hope this is true.
Second:
“American life is a powerful solvent. It seems to neutralize every intellectual element, however tough and alien it may be, and to fuse it in the native good will, complacency, thoughtlessness, and optimism.”
I believe the quote is- “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
George Santayana
As a history teacher did you tell your kids:
Those who fail history are doomed to repeat it?