Every single penny spent on every single thing is absolutely necessary to let the educators tell it.
I see it differently.
I went online and looked at the original budget and the originally proposed cuts. Can we say redundancy? There are programs on top of programs, many of which seem to be aimed at achieving the exact same goals. All of these programs and plans and wonderful new ways of doing things cannot all be absolutely vital.
I see other things that have come to be seen as normal and necessary which really aren't. I remember back in the dark ages, in a state other than Texas, seeing my local school superintendent pull up in front of my high school and get out and walk inside. We all stood around and watched, because his pickup truck was so old the door nearly fell off every time he opened it. We kept waiting for it to fall off completely (it never did). The superintendent of my local ISD here in West Texas drives a school-owned (and fueled) new Suburban, as do several other Administration members. This is a small district, BTW.
The wife of an Administration member of another local ISD recently complained to me about how "poor" their small district is (it's small enough that they play six-man football). A day or so later she mentioned in conversation that they were going out of town to visit family, using her husband's frequent flyer miles he has acquired through his travel for the school district.
A friend of mine is married to yet another administrator at another nearby district. She frequently tells me he is going to be out of town, traveling for school. Any time anyone is going for any training, he goes too, though he does not spend any time in the classroom. He goes (in his school-owned and school-fueled vehicle) to "support the students" at every ball game, track meet, tennis match, literary meet, stock show, etc he can possibly get to. That's a nice idea, but necessary?? Then there are always "meetings."
Anyway, I am convinced that most school districts, if forced, could find ways to reduce spending other than taking textbooks and teachers out of the classrooms.
I absolutely agree with your commentary.
I am a school nurse in a very small private school in Dallas where we play 6 man football.....I look at our small school and the education we offer in not a fancy school building, I think public schools could learn a lot from us.
My children graduated from a moderate size school system where I also worked as the school nurse in IN. I felt money was wasted on a top heavy administration,a school building that was not utilized but rented to private companies. I didn’t think we needed the pretty buildings with a theater for school productions and never mind the football stadium they built......
I agree. Having worked closely w/ a school district here in Bexar county, there is indeed many areas where districts could cut w/o much impact in the classroom. In this county, which is mostly San Antonio, there are 13 independent school districts, each w/ a six figure head. Make a Consolidated School District! Save 1.3 million+!
In at least one district’s support staff there are electricians, carpenters, pavement patching, grounds keepers, masons, plumbers, HVAC, etc., All w/ their own dedicated equipment/vehicles, getting paid by the District and bought into the Texas Teacher’s Retirement Fund. I believe this is repeated in 11 of the remaining districts.
The overhead is staggering in personnel cost alone, not to mention equipment upkeep/ and replacement! Outsource all that stuff and save money!
I could go on and on...but Tommy Lee Jones is on his commercial and I have to shut the TV off.