The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem.
-- Theodore Rubin
Education Ride 365
One Year --
50 States --
50,000 Miles
Goal: 50 States TX LA MS AL FL GA AR NM AZ NV CA OK KS CO WY MT ND SD NE MO IA MN TN OH PA MA IN ME NY NH VT RI CT WV OR WA AK KY ID UT NC SC IL WI MI NJ DE MD VA HI . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . |
Miles per Month; Goal: 50,000 Miles Total (roll over for details)
In The News: A Wise Approach To Difficult Decisions---> Ask The People!
Quite a different context, but the same fundamental problem--->Decatur ISD is one more Texas district struggling with what connective tissue to cut from their already trim existence. They are also wisely considering how to raise revenue.
I recently worked as a principal in this district. There was little--if any---fat to cut. Nonetheless, due to the state budget slash of 2011, they must now cut millions.The district recently conducted a survey of parents (47%), students (17%), teachers (21%), staff (12%), and community members (32%) to gauge acceptability of a full slate of potential cuts. Below is an image of the final three categories. The first six are Administration, Benefits, Facilities & Transportation, Instruction, Salary & Pay, Scheduling & Staffing.
As a side note: I wonder if the district can further disaggregate these numbers by respondent category (parent, student, teacher, etc).
This is an interesting document that you can download here.
"More
than 70 percent of Americans believe that teachers should be paid based on the
merits of their work rather than on a standard-scale basis according to a recent survey conducted by
Phi Delta Kappa and Gallup."
"The
annual PDK/Gallup Poll surveyed more than 1,000 Americans—77 percent of them over
the age of 40—about their thoughts on public school education. While the poll
shows declining support for President Obama’s education agenda, it highlights a
strong public interest in bolstering teaching quality."
"Forty-four
percent of those surveyed said that "improving the quality of our
teachers" is the most important national education program—placing it
ahead of initiatives such as "developing demanding education
standards," "creating better tests," and "improving the
nation's lowest-performing schools."