The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
Budget cuts this year could have negative implications for Virginia schools for years to come, members of the State Board of Education said Thursday.
The new state budget will result in $700 million less going to public schools over the next two years, including $177 million less in lottery funding, said Kent Dickey, assistant superintendent for finance with the state Department of Education.
The impact would have been more than a billion dollars if legislators hadn't also cut the amount the state and localities have to contribute to teachers' retirement plans, he said.
"To me, this is very distressing," said David L. Johnson, a board member from Richmond. "Borrowing from retirement is like going down to Wachovia. That has to be paid back down the road."
The General Assembly also gave schools permission to increase average class sizes by one student and waived requirements for the number of elementary resource, gifted, ESL and career/technical teachers, as well as new librarians, guidance counselors and technology support staffers.
Board member Billy Cannaday, the former state superintendent, said that change might be tough to reverse.
"Staffing levels will be addressed last," he said. "This could be a six-, eight-, 10-year correction."
The legislature also delayed for one year a requirement for individual student academic and career plans by eighth grade, as well as a mandatory new economics and personal-finance course.
The board on Thursday accepted a first draft of the curriculum framework for that class, which would require students to learn the laws of supply and demand, the purpose of the Federal Reserve system, how to choose a credit card and the way to prepare a personal budget, among other skills. The framework will be up for public comment for 30 days.
Several dozen other new laws will also affect schools statewide, including one that requires closer monitoring of which students take the alternative VGLA state test for special-education students. The state has been looking into irregularities involving that test in Norfolk schools.
The board also approved accreditation of Virginia Wesleyan College's teacher-preparation program "with stipulations." A review of the program cited problems with student performance and the faculty.
The program doesn't formally admit students to the teaching program until the semester before student teaching, making it difficult to measure student progress. According to the review, the faculty is insufficiently diverse, the director is overworked and he is uninvolved with faculty evaluations, all problems that were also found in 2004. Problem areas must be corrected by 2012.
Lastly, the board delayed voting on a request by Fairfax County public schools to waive a weather makeup day. Board member David M. Foster of Arlington questioned whether possibilities such as extending the school day or adding a Saturday class had been exhausted.
Locally, Virginia Beach schools have extended the school day and Suffolk held classes on a Saturday to make up for missed school time.
Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133, lauren.roth@pilotonline.com
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Va lottery and the public school system
Can someone tell me where the billions that the va lottery has donated to the public school system? Who has the money? The children haven't benefitted from it as I can see.Teachers aren't benefitting from it.So where is the darn money going? Maybe there should be an investigation on overseas bank accounts.I smell a rat and the wind is blowing from the Richmond area.
No child left behind....(cont.)
Therefore, there is no clear cut solution. There needs to be intelligent thought and consideration as to what can be cut and what needs to remain and perhaps even increased to achieve the educational results that truly do not leave any child left behind.
We tend to over simplify problems. An adequate solution can surely not come in a one paragraph editorial post, nor can it reasonably come in a few days or even months of budget discussions by the General Assembly. The education of our children is a very important issue and it deserves far more attention by our legislators then it has received.
No child left behind....
focuses on standardized testing results. As a result, teachers have been forced to narrow curriculums and focus on teaching for the test.
Reading and math are two major components of the standardized testing curriculum. A lack of emphasis on math is not the problem.
Blaming teachers is a simplistic approach as well. Although there are undoubtably teachers who do not perform as well as others, I believe it is absurd to think that the majority of teachers out there are incompetent and doing a poor job.
We are dealing with human beings, albeit small ones, like all issues which deal with the human condition there are a variety of factors which influence the results. Therefore, there is no clear cut solution. There needs to be intelligent thought and consideration as to what can be cut and what needs to remain and perhaps even increased to achieve the educational results that truly do not leave any child left behind.
We tend to over simplify problems. An adequate solution can surely not come in a one paragraph editorial post, nor can it reasonably come in a few days or even months of budget discussions by the General Assembly. The education of our children is a very important
You spent it all?
Hmmmm, wonder what they did with the $4 plus billion the Virginia Lottery has given public education...
schools
what does "diversly insufficient" mean. This comment gives me great concern. It implies there are positions given because of ones ethnic origin to fill quotos. I could care less about ethnic origin. You are either qualified for the job or your not! It matters not what your ethnic origin is. I also question why standards could be lowered so that unqualified or enebt teachers have a job. What is going on in this country. What ever happened to hard work, self motivation and integrity in our system. Oh! heres a novel idea! lets do away with affirmative action. There was a time when this law was necessary and essential to equality. I see no need for it any longer as anyone in this country who wants a good education and is willing to work hard and do the right things to be successful, can. In other words no more freebees!
Poof...Quality Education in Va for the Next Generation....
The long-term effects of these budget cuts will be devastating, moving Virginia further down the ranking of state spending on education. That was the whole point.
Everyone knows that we are in dire economic times, but Virginia has never been known for its extravagant spending on education. It is an annual trek to Richmond and before city council's for educators, hat-in-hand, to beg for fully funding the "needs" of schools.
Are there wastes? Are there problems? Sure. But those of you who complain here and elsewhere need to become pro-active at budget time...words here are a cop-out.
The moral crime is that being a low tax state trumps the needs of public education while people here and elsewhere decry the public education "abyss."
Many complain that teachers want something for nothing...it appears to me there are far too many taxpayers who want something for nothing...and then whine when it doesn't meet THEIR expectations.
Here's an idea
I watched a story on the evening news on how a large group of teachers from several schools in Vermont, voluntarily took two or three "no pay days" per month. By doing so, they were able to avoid having anyone get laid off. I wonder how much money the state would save, by having all school employees "donate" a day? I know I would be willing to do so, if it meant saving someone's job. I thought I would throw this idea out there, instead of just being another person posting critical comments.
Teachers ARE sacrificing,,,
Teachers are ponying up in Hampton with significant pay cuts across the board, class sizes are going up, teaching assistants are being RIFFED, and the only help available is from parents. And from what I see, parents aren't as supportive as they used to be.
Here's an idea
I watched a story on the evening news on how a large group of teachers from several schools in Vermont, voluntarily took two or three "no pay days" per month. By doing so, they were able to avoid having anyone get laid off. I wonder how much money the state would save, by having all school employees "donate" a day? I know I would be willing to do so, if it meant saving someone's job. I thought I would throw this idea out there, instead of just being another person posting critical comments.
No child left behind...(cont.)
Therefore, there is no clear cut solution. There needs to be intelligent thought and consideration as to what can be cut and what needs to remain and perhaps even increased to achieve the educational results that truly do not leave any child left behind.
We tend to over simplify problems. An adequate solution can surely not come in a one paragraph editorial post, nor can it reasonably come in a few days or even months of budget discussions by the General Assembly. The education of our children is a very important issue and it deserves far more attention by our legislators then it has received.