I think the obvious answer is there isn’t one answer (you’ll see what I mean in the video below). I have learned one very important thing through my ongoing reading and research on the subject: It isn’t about money until there is vision and a plan.

The “factory” approach clearly isn’t going to work going forward (and hasn’t for quite some time). Moreover, I’ve heard many people liken the WPS to a “Prison Camp” (especially WMS) which is as about as derogatory as I think you can get when talking about a K-8 program. This doesn’t surprise me considering the pedigree of our current administration and the seeming lack of vision of our BOE. However, we have technology coming out of our ears ...<< MORE >>

What, Me Worry? Yes, you should worry. Your schools aren’t as good as you think they are.  

One of the great mysteries of Connecticut is that its residents like to fashion themselves progressively ahead of the curve, yet such a self-assessment is wholly unsupported by the facts. In education, Connecticut’s performance is nothing short of embarrassing.

Connecticut education reform efforts lag behind those of most other states, notably, Florida, Idaho, New York, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Louisiana … and the list goes on. Here are a few of the areas in which Connecticut’s education policies woefully trail the rest of the country’s.

Someone forwarded these documents to me a few minutes ago. The email list that they have been circulated to is not surprising- teachers, PTO members and the usual crusaders who believe that money is the answer to all of the ills of the Woodstock Public Schools.

While I admire their fortitude in trying to protect themselves from the givebacks that have been asked for by the BOE and trying to protect their jobs in the face of widespread financial problems... << MORE >>

Tuesday’s Woodstock Public Hearing on next year’s budget held few surprises.  Attendance was heavily PTO/Teachers who decried “cuts” to education even though spending will increase by some $180,000 — $95,000 in the budget itself and another $85,000 in the offset between expiring ARRA funding and Education Job Funds – a total of 1.2%.  Only in government is a reduction of increases called a cut.

The real surprise came Wednesday morning... << MORE >>

Update: Opinion from the CSDE on the district's ability to 'Reduce SPED enrollment' growth.

In what should be an affront to every parent in Woodstock, our BOE has put forth their ‘scenarios’ to comply with the directive to cut $482,927 from their initial budget proposal.

As mentioned in the previous article, the line items published therein mean absolutely nothing and have no bearing on how funds will actually be spent. However, and it’s a BIG however, if you are a parent who happens to be paying attention, the BOE has seen fit to announce that somehow they have the ability to... << MORE >>

Update: It appears that the Mayor of Middletown has had enough of the budget charade.

The can-kicking charade of the Woodstock budget process has begun once again and there is plenty to mock in both the Town and BOE budgets.

The specter of the potential cuts in state aid appears to have very little bearing on the approach to this year’s budget requests, and while I don’t have a crystal ball, I don’t think anybody really needs one to see what’s coming down the road, yet the bloat and disregard for quality of education, not to mention taxpayers, continues.

Have a look at the proposed town budget -HERE- (.xls).  While I understand that raises have been put off for a couple of years, the carrying of assistants in nearly every department defies any conceivable logic in a town of this size; one has to wonder what work load justifies these positions. Walk in some afternoon and have a look around at the activity and judge for yourself.

The BOE continues to obfuscate the budget bloat with the same old scare tactics we hear year after year. This year there is a slight twist in that give-backs are being sought from teachers and administration- a ploy that has little chance of success just as it does at the state level. Some of the line items in their ‘scenario document’ released yesterday literally made me laugh out loud- have a look -HERE- (pdf).  As you can see, the “cuts” are not cuts in any way but simply more smoke and mirrors designed to infuriate parents and those foolish enough to believe that this is how money will actually be spent.

Be sure to keep an eye on the upcoming BOE cash dump in May and June where year after year we see the “cut” items as well as all sorts of questionable expenditures emanate from our “starved for funds” school system.  

The West Mifflin, Pennsylvania school district is laying off 52 employees. The Houston Independent School District let 90 staffers, mostly literacy coaches, go. Government schools in Jefferson County, Colorado are considering 212 layoffs. The immense school district in Clark County, Nevada, might reduce salaries by 8 percent and pink-slip 2,500 employees.

It’s taken several years, but educrats are finally being forced to confront the economic and fiscal realities of the Great Recession. The Obama administration’s “stimulus” kitty is...<< MORE >>

During the run up to the 2009 elections, both Woodstock town committees were expecting big changes in operation of the Board of Education, and with the election of Tony Walker, Sarah Harkness and Scott Sincerbeaux it appeared that those expectations would be met.  However, it is clear from the budget that has been put forth by Mr. Walker and the BOE that those expectations were based on pure fantasy.
    

Even in these difficult economic times when, according to the March 8^th board of finance meeting minutes “approximately ten percent of Woodstock taxpayers are unable to pay their taxes in full and are now making monthly payments” Chairman Walker gives us the same old story, without an increase in spending we will be “seriously impacting the students of the Woodstock Public Schools” – today’s version of Lindsay Paul’s “bare bones maintenance budget”.   Hey it’s only 3.72% right? Guess...<< MORE >>