Just click on the screenshot below to see the agenda for the latest meeting…
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And look at item T – I’m sure you’ve already heard about it.
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You know, it’s a pretty small shakedown.
This time.
The tax increase works out to a buck for every $100,000 of the assessed value of your home. Seems like the board could have done something wildly radical like decrease expenses – LIKE MOST OF US LITTLE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
Costs for JCPS keep increasing even though performance keeps decreasing. When folks get less for their money, they can get pretty irate.
JCPS doesn’t teach penmanship. They don’t teach cursive. The emphasis on spelling has slacked off. Here’s what you’ll hear at a parent-teacher conference: “We don’t teach (fill in the blank)_______________________ because the kids use computers.” If these kids don’t have the basics, why are they spending time on a computer?
Don’t get me started (again!) on the importance of having a solid foundation a few silly old basics. Spelling skills. Proper penmanship. Fancy cursive writing. I guess I’m just an old-fashioned girl. BTW, to all of you who were so sure a guy was the blogger, thank you. It’s a compliment to be addressed as “Dude” in this patriarchal society in which we live.
Back to the shakedown.
The bozos on the board could have presented a few easy and relatively painless ways to save a few bucks. They would have totally looked like Superheroes! Here are some examples:
1. Eliminate the board meeting dinners. The financial savings is tiny but the positive image boost for the board would be priceless. I can see the above-the-fold Crapola-Journal headline now! Board members implement cost savings for JCPS. The accompanying photo would include a tight shot of Wesslund sipping from a 44-ounce Polar Pop and Haddad muching on Grippo’s with chip detritus littering her agenda.
2. Two-week furloughs for administrative employees who make over $60,000. Yeah, I know. $60,000 isn’t what it used to be. Cry me a river.
3. Decrease starting salaries by 20% for new hires in administrative positions.
4. Eliminate the human resources department and replace the entire crew with contractors. Let’s be honest here, the teachers union has hijacked the hiring process so why is the JCPS HR department so bloated and so overpaid? Has JCPS heard of a killer ERP? Guess not!
5. Neighborhood schools, neighborhood schools, neighborhood schools. The savings would be in the zillions!
The board could have implemented some fresh ideas but prefer to keep sticking it to the taxpayers. What a bunch of Supervillains!
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There is sooooo much money to be found out there if they would get their heads out of their butts!!! I know of one school that has a million dollar sports budget! Another dept that blew a million on software and didn’t like it so they don’t use it any more. Or how about saving pay by not sending various types of workers to the board’s houses to do work because they don’t want to pay a contractor!!!!! And the employees are told not to say anything if they want to keep their jobs!! Or the ones who pad their job with overtime so it will count towards their retirement. How about the 26 million at Valley! That could have built 3 new schools! The whole system is not about kids and teaching!! IT IS ABOUT STUFFING POCKETS!!! It is time to go lie down before I blow a blood vessel!
WHOA! YOU NEED TO START A BLOG!!!
There is no way I could compare to your great writing skills. Keep up the great job you do and maybe the so called media will start doing some deep investigating!
I am with you 100% Insider. And I feel powerless against the board, the teachers union and an apathetic community. There has to be a way to fix this!
All of this is just as many of us have assumed all along! It ain’t about warm feelings and good intentions. It is about the green and the perks! I am so mad I could blow a gasket myself. You know the courier won’t look at this stuff, would have to be Wave, Wlky, etc. There is a story here, I hope I am still around when it cracks open!!!!!!!!
No one will look at this. If it doesn’t fit into a 15 to 30 second sound bite or a 2 minute story it will not happen. It would be too much of an effort for today’s reporter. Only the person who does this blog and a few others really work at trying to change the system for the good.
I believe that many changes are just over the hill! I am hopeful!!!!!!!