Well, there it was in the mail on Thursday afternoon...my official ballot. I knew it was coming, that's all there has been in the letters to the editor in the paper, the "you said it" column, and all over with the yard signs and billboards. You see our local School District 51 has had to tighten it's belt in the last couple years with the downturn in the economy. So, despite getting turned down before they are trying yet again to get the property owners in Mesa County to pony up a little more money. The threats are clear, closing schools, laying off teachers, bigger classroom sizes, etc, etc.
Now for the disclaimer: I currently have three nieces with teaching degrees. One teaches back east, one teaches for District 51, and one is on active reserve attempting to raise 3 1/2 boys. I don't hate them, want them to earn less money, or want them to teach in schools without lights. (And, thank you Allie for agreeing with me on this measure).
You see the problem is that for the last 11 years I have dealt directly with this school district, and all the machinations that it has managed to create. My children currently can not bring home some of their text books because there aren't enough to share and can't leave the school. They have dropped some classes because the district can't afford some of the programs, and they literally go to the same schools I did 30 years ago and have some of the same desks, lockers, and even a few of the same teachers. But throwing money at them isn't going to fix any of this.
The district's mentality that "just give us more" will fix any and all problems isn't the answer. My children have had 30+ year teachers who flat don't give a damn. My nieces school has adopted a policy of "no homework" because the parents complained. The middle school has now adopted a "rubric" style of grading, which is completely bizarre. My daughters high school has 3 assistant principals, 5 counselors (all new this year) and six secretaries. My list of examples can go on and on, but please explain how any of this helps with a quality education.
My parents managed to get pretty good educations with only chalk boards and books, I managed to get a darn good education with chalk boards, books and a few computers. I don't think fancy projection boards, web sites, progress counselors, and dispute mediation's really help. So I am voting no. No, you can't have more money, you just have to tighten your belt like the rest of the country. It's like a teenager that has managed to go through his allowance in the first three days of the week, the solution isn't to give the teenager more money, the solution is to get the teenager to be more responsible. More money is not the solution to this nations education problem. If throwing money at it made it the best, our country's education results would lead the world. Our children and the administration of the district both need to learn the same lesson...responsibility.
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