The Virginian-Pilot
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CHESAPEAKE
Schools Superintendent James Roberts on Tuesday called on state leaders to restore cuts made to K-12 public education or prepare for further negative impacts on the classroom.
"The future success of school systems in Virginia will be in direct proportion to the current investments," Roberts said. "I've been in this profession for more than 40 years. I've never seen such a long-term lack of financial support for schools in Virginia."
Roberts joined the four other South Hampton Roads school division chiefs and the heads of all five city school boards Tuesday morning for the first regional public schools education symposium. State and federal standardized testing goals, school construction and teacher evaluations were among the topics discussed.
More than 300 educators, city officials and business leaders attended the two-hour program, held at the Chesapeake Conference Center and presented by the Chesapeake Public Schools Educational Foundation.
Virginia Beach Superintendent James Merrill shared details of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents' Blueprint for the Future of Public Education. The plan, presented to the state Board of Education in October, focuses on five goals, including using research-based teaching models and gauging student progress using multiple measures.
The blueprint came about, Merrill said, because superintendents felt they weren't getting enough respect.
"Our voice is seldom listened to or heard by the state board or the state Department of Education," he said.
Roberts told attendees that the Chesapeake division lost millions of dollars when the state took away lottery money and changed how support positions - people such as nurses' assistants and account clerks - are funded. Cuts attributed at the time to the poor economy have become permanent adjustments instead of temporary losses, he said.
The division has compensated by eliminating hundreds of positions and delaying the purchase of buses and other equipment in recent years. Roberts said he's concerned about not being able to attract and retain high-quality employees.
"The strategy is cut, cut, cut because that's what you have to do," he said. "... We need to be going in the other direction."
Hattie Brown Garrow, (757) 222-5562, hattie.brown@pilotonline.com
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Cuts? Really?
The teachers in VA Beach got a two month raise, one in October and one in November. Prior to that, it was three years. Have you seen the salaries of the superintendents? The teachers have to work with the students three additional days and VA Beach schools are not ahead of the curve, Chesapeake is. Chesapeake students attend for 180 days AND their superintendent makes less than Dr. Merrill. Dr. Merrill, you need to stop feeding your pocket and take care of the people in the "trenches" who are working so hard and not being rewarded. It was disgraceful that VB schools system was the only system that didn't get the Friday off before the Christmas vacation. How much teaching and learning do you really think was going on? Grow a heart VB.
Hyprocrisy at all levels of government.....
"The blueprint came about, Merrill said, because superintendents felt they weren't getting enough respect.
Our voice is seldom listened to or heard by the state board or the state Department of Education, he said."
Join the club, Jim. Most of your employees feel the same way. And oh, BTW, where is the action taken on those surveys that replaced the Employee Input Process that replaced Meet and Confer? Oh, yeah...they were so negative you didn't release them to the public. As a matter of fact, employees haven't seen climate surveys in how many years now?
And do you think those prof development activities leave most teachers w/ a feeling of being respected? The one on "bullying" was especially offensive.
make due with less is the future
I guess these folks have not been watching the news. Cut , cut , cut is the way of the future for the near term anyway. There is enough money out there...of course more is better and all that. But these are educated people.....they must figure it out. Frankly the higher paid admin folks could cut their salaries 10% and freeze them for 3 years for a start. Never once have we heard a school board or supertendant say....dont worry city "X" "we can make due with less this year" I understand it is the budget "2 step dance" but the folks have now a deaf ear to all this nonsense. And when the school system is underperforming it just makes the whole thing down right sad.
No public notification of our own servants activities
Where was this meeting posted for public notification ? Is it closed to public ? Why ?