$chool Wa$te

At the moment, I have no internet, so I'm blogging on WordPad, and then I'll post it on the following blog on my page when the modem arrives in the mail.

Today's subject: $chool Wa$te

Schools this year--more than any year I had ever been aware of previously--claim to be majorly pressed for money. 'They' say the coming year is going to be even worse. My question is WHY? I realize that times are hard for most Americans these days, but we're still paying taxes and schools are still getting money (albeit less than before). In some Florida districts, schools are planning to get rid of extracurricular activities like softball--a less popular sport. I'd love to see them try to get rid of football; parents wouldn't hear of that! Even unviersities aren't immune. The University of Florida threatened to get rid of Korean language classes due to money issues. Apparently, those plans are still pending. So why are we having to get rid of certain classes, sports, and clubs? Answer: The school board doesn't know how to manage money--let alone schools.

What are our school board members and schools doing with the money they get? The answer to this one is plain and simple: They're wasting it.

Right now, the people in charge--or the almighty 'they'-- are punishing students--especially those who actually care about their future. A year or two ago, they got rid of busing for students in magnet programs. Now there's a great idea...let's stop busing the smart kids to school just to save money on gas! Keeping driven children out of magnet programs, extracurricular activities, and advanced classes is NOT the way to save on money. But wait--there's more! As a senior intern this past fall 2008 semester, I was appalled to learn that the school I was working at was watering down their soap, and it's not like that soap was even purchased by the school either--it was purchased by the parents! So why water it down to 'save money' when it's not even saving school dollars? Healthy and smart! Another brilliant setup I noticed at the school was found in the lunchroom. The lunchroom staff fills styrofoam cups with whatever unhealthy food is being served that day, and then the kids are supposed to put those cups on top of styrofoam trays. I've got an idea--why don't the lunchladies just dish the food onto the trays and get rid of the styrofoam cups once and for all! Not only are those styrofoam cups costly to schools money-wise, but they're also costly to the environment. As for the styrofoam trays, it would be interesting to see if it would be more cost-effective to just get plastic trays and wash them, but I'll leave that research to someone else.

So you may be (or should be) asking yourself, "Besides getting rid of styrofoam cups, what can be done to cut spending without cutting all the special classes and extracurricular activities?" For starters, let's get rid of the school board or at the very least drastically reduce their control and, of course, pay. They have proven themselves to be less than brilliant when it comes to knowing what to cut, how to handle budgets, and anything and everything connected with schools and money. Their salaries will be a great addition to school budgets. But who will be in charge if the school board is dismissed? Here's an easy one--parents and teachers. Now there's an idea--having people who actually know what's going on being in charge. Let's change the previous school board mass into a larger PTA-like body. Since only interested, educated, and involved parents and teachers will participate, there should be no fear of careless voting on important decisions that will impact student learning.

Besides the change in power, there are simple in-school money saving options. There are the aforementioned styrofoam cups, but schools also waste a lot of money on paper. Too many copies are made because worksheets are overused. If the budget is really as tight as it is portrayed as being, why not get rid of the FCAT--if only for a while? My sister came up with that suggestion, and I agree with it wholeheartedly. Being as involved in schools as I have been, I know firsthand how the FCAT has the potential to squeeze its way into the curriculum and almost totally push out any chance of having fun and meaningful lessons that should be taught on a regular basis. It's not that the test doesn't have things on it that kids don't need to know, it's the approach that teachers are forced (yes, forced) to take to drill the information into the heads of the children, who are ready to burst by the time the test comes around. It creates an unnecessary burden on teachers and students. In addition, it doesn't allow for much leeway when it comes to teachers planning lessons. I could go on about the FCAT, but I digress and will return to my suggestions for money saving options.

Another option is to stop building new schools just on a whim. Of course, this urge could be quelled by getting rid of the build-happy school board members, but I'm including it on my list anyway. Trimming down the professional development requirements would also be a smart way to save money. Oftentimes, those professional development sessions feature old news--things that are taught in colleges and universities. I should know! As a recent graduate from the University of Central Florida (elementary education major) and professional development attendee, I can honestly say I learned very little to almost no new information at all whenever I went to local schools' professional development sessions. The information consisted of topics and suggestions that I had already heard in my college courses. Granted, there are older teachers who may be unfamiliar with some things, but a lot of the information is common sense! If it isn't, all those teachers have to do is ask a colleague for help.

Well, this long blog contains only a start to the possibilities that schools should reach for in an effort to achieve a setup that is based on more common sense, less money, and fewer high-falutin' school leaders. I'm sure I will get riled enough to continue this at a later time. ;) Thanks for reading! Come back soon.