tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519845681589449474.post4544357821507511231..comments2023-05-16T05:25:41.018-04:00Comments on A View from the Cheap Seats: Pennsylvania: a textbook and funding formula in need of an updateWest Chester VOTEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04648751468692188357noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519845681589449474.post-79188525876356636112012-05-24T11:00:33.856-04:002012-05-24T11:00:33.856-04:00My takeaway's from the meeting:
Perhaps Mrs. ...My takeaway's from the meeting:<br /><br />Perhaps Mrs. Snook should move to the Property & Finance committee as none of her questions demonstrate any concern for "education" or "pupil services" (paraphrasing):<br />1)are we sure we need a new social studies book when history doesn't change?<br />2)shouldn't the Activity Fee policy have an escalation clause so we don't need to readdress this every year to increase the fees? <br />3)shouldn't students be responsible for replacing their own locker doors if they've been damaged?<br />Community Outreach Liaison would definitely not be the place to move her, however, given her outright accusation that PTO/HSA members, acting in their capacity of those roles, campaigned for/endorsed specific candidates on school grounds using school resources. Yet when asked for specific examples of this she was not able or willing to produce any. Funny, too, that as preoccupied as she is with the cost of things, she showed no interest in the cost of the videos that the board produced on the topics of the budget and negotiations when that question was asked.<br /><br />Clearly, the changes to policy LEB regarding acceptable behavior by PTO/HSA members was changed due to the fact that the general statement that school facilities can not be used for political purposes had to be removed since the district does in fact rent out school facilities to political parties. So, instead, the definition of PTO/HSA (and as a result the rules established in this policy) was broadened to not only include the officers of these groups, but every parent/guardian in the district. Maybe some people haven't paid their dues. Maybe some people don't WANT to be members of the PTO. How can someone be assumed to be part of a group and subject to rules that limit their rights as a member of that group, when they haven't even consciously joined it? And why is it ok for Mrs. Snook to ask her fellow Republican Committee people to attend board meetings to support "their position" and Mrs. Adsett to make an election day robocall representing herself as a board member and asking people to vote for the candidates she supports, but parents can not circulate information on pro-public-education activities because the board considers them "partisan". They are only partisan if you are against them, and isn't a public school board director being against public education an oxymoron?<br /><br />Why was Mr. Carpenter dancing around the question of the board passing a resolution asking for changes to the charter school funding methodology? Doing so is not saying one does not believe charter schools should exist--I think we all acknowledge that there are some good charter schools out there and that they are better learning environments for some children. It's about the manner in which they are funded which is completely extraneous to their cost structure, especially in the case of cybers and with special ed formulas. It's a simple question--do you or do you not see issues with the way they are funded and believe the current methodology is financially damaging to the public schools? Citing parliamentary procedure rules about who can request a resolution for committee or make a motion for consideration during a board meeting is nothing but evading the question of where this board stands on the issue.<br /><br />Lastly, somewhat surprisingly no one asked a question about the Keystone to Education grant that the district declined. It would most definitely have been fitting for it to be mentioned by the Chairs of the Education or P&F committees, or both, but the board continues to ignore the issue in the hope that it will fade quietly into the sunset.West Chester V.O.T.Ehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15814291000047105472noreply@blogger.com