![[The Brazil Times nameplate]](http://www.thebraziltimes.com/images/nameplate.png)
|
|
Overcast ~ High: 37°F Friday, Feb. 10, 2012 |
|
Who Cares?Posted Friday, October 9, 2009, at 6:41 AM
I'm going to take some quotes from a comment posted to an article on The Brazil Times website concerning education; however, I will not identify the commentator as my objective of this blog article is not to complain about what has been said but to comment upon what was said.
"For months we've all had to listen to the pompous comments of how Clay County residents are of a lesser intelligence and don't care about whatever because we don't care. I've wanted to reply several times (knowing that many of my fellow neighbors do care a great deal), but didn't, not knowing exactly what to say without being mean." "You both have become what you have protested the most about, Negative Nellies. After reading your posts on this particular story, it is the necessary confirmation you have been assimilated into the "blind to the issue uneducated, poor masses" who reside within our county boundaries. All hail the new QUEEN and KING of the uneducated masses!! OR ARE YOU THE COURT JESTERS?" I know of many very intelligent people who are residents of this county and I know a few who are "dumber than a box of rocks." I do not think that we have an edge on any other county or community in either direction. On the issue of caring, however, I believe that there are many who have their priorities wrong as to what they care about most in education or, simply, do not care. This became clear during the petition and remonstrance where far less than a quarter of those qualified to sign one or the other failed to do so. A decision that will affect education and this community for decades was not of sufficient importance for a commitment of placing a signature on a document to many people. We have many teachers, administrators, other school employees, parents, and other community members who care a great deal about this community and the education that takes place within it. I meet some of these caring people far too often professionally in attempts to help students everywhere from the educational facilities to the county courthouse. However, some place a higher priority on using education dollars on everything except education. I am neither an advocate retention of what now exists nor of change as far as education is concerned. What I advocate is "maximum education at minimum cost," period. Whether that means that something needs to be changed, added, subtracted, or retained depends on what the facts indicate will move us closer to that goal. I find myself compelled to make a comment considering the post that I quoted in the beginning of this article. Taking into account the many Marines that I served with, the stupid things that I sometimes did, and the reactions of those Marines to my stupid actions, I can honestly and unequivocally state, without reservation, that I have been called worse things by better people. Of course, many Marines can say the same with me in mind. However, my superiors in the Marines and I may have said some wild things in an angry manner but we did not do so with such mean spirit or without intent to improve a Marine which does not appear to be the intent of the writer of that comment. As long as I receive more positive comments on my actions than negative ones, I will keep pursuing my goals of maximum education at minimum cost. To date, the ratio of positive to negative is running about 10 to one. Comments Showing most recent comments first [Show in chronological order instead] |
Hot topics Every Day's a Holiday - Data, Scope, and Perspective(0 ~ 7:15 AM, Sep 22)
On People, Permanence, and the Almost Perpetual Nature of a School Corporation
'PORK' and the Fallacy of Community Schools in Indiana in 2010
Professionals, Experts, the Common Man and Government Decisions
Musical Chairs, What a Game!
|
Email link
Read comments (3)
Blog archive
![[Feed icon]](http://www.thebraziltimes.com/images/icons/feed-icon-14x14.png){kind=icon}
Then there is the Village Idiot right Leo?
ClayCountyGuy -- Laughingly, there are always "gray" areas and even plain black and white factors that need to be explored and discussed, publicly, before any decision is made, especially when considering a decision concerning the use of tax dollars, education of future generations, and the operation of a public entity such as a school corporation, city, or town, etc. That is one problem I see in how the school board operates or its members lets themselves be manipulated. They simply do not question the recommendations of the administration or they focus on one small part that is on their individual agendas and as long as their desire is going to be fulfilled, they do not care about the rest of what is being proposed and the future or even present ramifications to other operations within the corporation. You just cannot spend the same dollar twice.
You are not alone in your opinion that Northview is too large and that two smaller high schools would be a better option to serve the north end of Clay County. I have spoken with several educators who agree; several had data that indicate that the opinion has some validity.
Elementary education, on the other hand, is different. While high school is building-based and students move individually between the classrooms, elementary education is classroom-based and classes mainly move in a supervised group; therefore it is just as educational but more cost effective to build them larger than they are at present. Elementary schools neighboring Owen and Greene counties support that conclusion, as they are larger, over five hundred students, with almost matching demographics and performance indicators.
Extra-curricular activities are not a requirement of law that must be included or provided for in our education system. They do have a minimum educational benefit to the entire student body as they spur some participants to achieve the grades required to be able to participate in them. It is said that they boost morale of the school, but that would be hard to quantify, in my opinion.
As to building facilities to accommodate extra-curricular activities, which is a costly error that has became the norm across the nation. Schools are educational facilities, not entertainment venues or social clubs. Frankly, building anything specifically to support ECA's costs money to construct, operate, and maintain draws funding that could support classrooms. If there is a requirement of law and curriculum that requires a facility, that is justifiable and if ECA's can utilize that facility when it is not fulfilling its educational purpose as long as the ECA can generate enough funds to pay for the facility's operating costs for the time it is being used. If that were a requirement for ECA's, I think that they would fold like a house of cards in a gale. I doubt that it will ever become a requirement within a school corporation unless it is written into law. There are far too many students, parents, and members of the community that care far too much about having ECA's more than making sure that all of the tax dollars that is collected for education is being spent to the best educational advantage.
We need the school corporation to consider these tough issues. We need to ask the hard questions and get the answers. LOL, we need our school corporation to do many things that I just do not see happening.
Leo, I agree with almost everything you say, but there are always "gray areas" in anything that is as vast as educating students as cost effectively as possible.
For one example, as far as pure operating costs go, the more consolidation of services; school buildings and teaching/administrative positions, would be the way to go. However, it can be argued that you pay a price in the quality of education that each individual student receives in the bigger schools versus smaller ones.
It's been my opinion all along that Northview is too big. Certainly there are many high schools larger than Northview(some much, much larger), but those are not here, and here in Clay County is my concern. In my view, there should have been two northern high schools built that should have had enrollments of 500-600 students. That enrollment is viewed by many experts as being a perfect size for a high school; big enough to offer more diverse classes, yet small enough to maintain good individual experiences by the students.
Yet on the flip-side, I think Clay Community Schools has one more elementary in the city of Brazil than what is financially responsible. The elementary school issue is one that I have been in complete agreement with you Leo. Two new elementaries should have been the result in Brazil, not three renovated old buildings.
But still Leo, I think if we take your view of "maximum education for minimum cost period" literally, then you have to ask some tough, and I mean really tough questions, and it is time to say them out loud.
The main one comes to mind is...if we don't have money to waste on things other than educating students, then how can we justify extra-curricular activities?
Now let me state up front, I generally support ECAs, but are they a necessary ingrediant in the education of our students? You have to have the facilities there for them, and pay for the utilities and maintenance of them as well.
Or to put it more simply; an individual sport may make money, maybe even enough to pay for uniforms, officials, coaches, bus rides, etc., but they do not pay for the lights on the football field, the bleachers, or the locker rooms. That money was absorbed by the taxpayers of this county. Again, I'm OK with that, but if you want to literally spend money only on education, then I don't think those qualify.
Anytime additions or improvements are mentioned for Northview such as an auxiliary gym, or improvements to the outdoor athletic facilities, it really is always about improving the sports programs and not the educational need for them. So lets get these tough things out in the open so we can discuss what we really want to pay for and what we can't afford at the expense of educating our youth in Clay County.