Is this a "serious" list of possible cuts?
*Disclaimer: The following are the opinions of Tim Bremel, host of Your Talk Show on WCLO. They do not necessarily represent the position of WCLO management or any entity of Bliss Communications.
Let me first start off by saying that I have a great deal of respect for Dr. Schulte and the enormous challenges she faces in running a district that is facing millions of dollars in deficits this year and next.
However, the list of cuts outlined by in a recent Janesville Gazette article would not be what I would have been looking for as a school board member. The new list does show areas where the district could make up the estimated 2.1 million dollar shortfall for this school year. But the new list of cuts appears to me to have very little legitimacy behind it.
To be fair, Dr. Schulte is presenting a list which demonstrates how damaging cuts could be to the district. But I would have expected a bit more practicality.
Certainly we can't get rid of all the sports coaches, advisers and assistants, for exactly the reasons Dr. Schulte points out in the article. So that "cut" on the list, really has no validity. But could we get by without an assistant or two, or one less adviser somewhere else? Then couple that with a plan that might involve some outsourcing in the technology job cuts Dr. Schulte identified. Would it not have been possible to come up with a homogenized list that could have gotten the board close, if not all the way, to the savings they are seeking without throwing the proverbial baby out with the bath water?
The list does back up Superintendent Schulte's point that any further cuts will cause at least some damage to the district's overall education plan. But proposing only a list of cuts that suggests Armageddon for the district is unfair to the school board members who are looking for viable alternatives, and to the taxpayers who are watching the cat and mouse antics between the JEA, Administration and School Board with ever increasing scrutiny as a potential tax hike looms.
If further cuts are indeed as serious as Dr. Schulte indicates, then the only two remaining options are a full 7% (approx) tax increase, or for the JEA to reopen and renegotiate their contract in the spirit of ACT 10, (or a combination of the two). Lori Stottler was right when she was on the show with me two weeks ago: we need a hero.
Join me at 9:15 weekdays and lets talk about it.
Aug 24, 2011 at 8:42 p.m.
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"I have no axe to grind against teachers "
Really? You may not have an axe to grind but you sure do have a microphone to abuse them on.
Aug 24, 2011 at 3:18 p.m.
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Just different view on this...I pay taxes in Janesville but my kids go to a private school, shich I pay for out of my own pocket on top of the taxes I pay for the public school system. I support the teachers at St Pauls who have not received a pay raise in years and do an outstanding job at teaching. Times are tough, and sacrafices have to be made. What makes St Pauls so great is the volunteer attitude and the kids come first attitude. All in the name of God. I refuse to send my kids to a public school where God is not allowed. Money is all they talk about in public schools. God is all they talk about in St Pauls. Priorities People. Whether you agree or not, I am for school vouchers. Let us decide where our tax money goes to educate our children. Privatize schools. Let the free market decide who is a good teacher and who is not. Right now Government is deciding that issue and that is not their strong point. jmo Peace and thanks for reading. If you don't agree with me, I understand, but at least agree their should be more than one option in education. This is the land of 1,000 types of breakfast cereal and yet we still have less than 5 school options. Many people I know would love to homeschool but there are so many hurdles to jump (rightfully so) that it is very difficult to get accredited to homeschool.
Aug 23, 2011 at 1:08 p.m.
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slem- The money you spend out of pocket is a deductable expense for your business. Deduct it like the rest of us who ALSO spend our own money on work items!
Aug 22, 2011 at 6:58 p.m.
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Mr. Bremel,
I appreciate your response and I apologize for using this blog site to respond to your comments on the radio. I should have emailed the show instead. As an advocate for children and teachers, it sure feels like neither is being considered when you discuss budget cuts on the air. Some costs are hard to quantify. Are we taking into account the ripple effect of the choices we make? I just wish you would help the public see the value of an excellent school system instead of using air time to criticize school supply lists. We just don't need that right now.
Aug 22, 2011 at 5:19 p.m.
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slemirande,
First, the topic of my blog has very little to do with teachers and more to do with the current exchange between administration and the board of education. However, in response to your comment, I have no axe to grind against teachers and I appreciate your comments. In fact, some of your response is exactly what I was seeking on the air - a clarification as to what teachers see as "needs" for some items that parents may not be able to see. The program is an open forum and I would welcome a call from you to help dispel the myths you believe exist.
Aug 22, 2011 at 4:20 p.m.
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When the going got tough this year, I was one of many teachers who contributed personal income to the "Save the Janesville Schools" campaign. I am also willing to contribute to my health care and pension plan. I am simply tired of being judged by people who don't have all the facts. The long range costs of reforming government at the expense of our children doesn't even make good fiscal sense.
Aug 22, 2011 at 3:01 p.m.
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The previous post shows the same cynical and resentful atittude that also shows through in the Schulte list. It speaks to the great difficulty in reforming government at all levels. If I followed their example I'd walk out on my church and every other organization I belong to when the going gets tough. I'd ask for my contributions back when a decision didn't please me.
Aug 22, 2011 at 11:38 a.m.
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Dear Mr. Bremel,
I am a teacher in the Janesville School District. WCLO is the radio station of choice in my home and in my car. However, today is the last day I will be listening to your program. I am extremely frustrated by your continued attacks on teachers and the district. I didn't choose teaching to gain status in the community or financial wealth. I am a professional with a Masters degree making a salary comparable to an assembly line worker. I love my job, and do it with pride because I am making a positive difference in the lives of children. But it's not without sacrifice. Maybe you should spend some time asking teachers how much of their own money they spend on providing food for the needy students, snow pants and boots for those without and personal care items for those that are neglected. As for the baby wipes on the school list, I didn't have them on my list last year but purchased them for a epileptic student who would soil herself during a seizure in the classroom. In Kindergarten, "accidents" happen on a regular basis. We also have special needs students who are not potty trained for a variety of reasons. As for school supplies, they're no different than anything else. You get what you pay for. Your price comparison between Prang and other watercolor brands was greatly exaggerated. Fiskars scissors are widely available for less than $2. You act as if teachers are getting some kind of cut from the purchase of certain brands. The only benefit from these requests is a better educational experience for the students. I just spent my own $25 this morning getting classroom cutters sharpened for the new year, which is just the most recent example from the hundreds of dollars I spend every year. Perhaps you could spend some time highlighting the things that teachers do without compensation. I have spent many hours this summer preparing to meet the needs of my upcoming students. Not only has the number of students increased, but the classroom support has all but disappeared. One of my 25 students is still learning English. Two of them will require an instructional program well above grade level. That's not to mention meeting the social and emotional needs of my students in poverty or that are being abused and neglected. As a teacher who volunteers my time after school to advise a community service club, I would love to have a chance to tell you about all the wonderful things we do. I used to proudly wear my JEA T-shirt when I took my group to do such things as pack Thanksgiving baskets at the fairgrounds or to visit St. Elizabeth's nursing home. Now my coworkers and I are experiencing nothing less than being spit on by a public that is ill informed. I am now hesitant to tell people in this community that I am a teacher. You have an obligation to report things fairly and accurately. You should be ashamed of the way you are handling your role in it all.
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