The Maryland State Board of Education has denied Wicomico County's request for a waiver of the state's Momentum of Effort rule. County Executive Rick Pollitt, along with the Wicomico County Council will now be forced to come up with approximately $2 million in additional cuts to the county's budget.
Council Joe Holloway (R-5) responded to the state's decision:
This is the heart of the problem. According to the Wicomico county charter it is the responsibility of our County Executive and seven elected members of the county council to determine how our tax money is to be spent. Yet, Fredericksen seems to believe that he and a group of appointees should be able to dictate the county's spending priorities. The arrogance of some just never ceases to amaze me.
I'm quite confident that Sheriff Mike Lewis is grateful that Fredericksen, an appointee of appointees, will find the goodness in his heart to help fund law enforcement in Wicomico County. I'm sure that our county council is grateful to now find out that they are irrelevant. Fredericksen and his school board pals will now take care of the county legislature's most important duty - appropriating our tax dollars and providing fiscal oversight to the county executive. As for my friend Rick Pollitt, I'm sure that he's happy to know that he can now take a long vacation until his term has ended. County Administrator Ted Shea and the department heads can handle business while the WCBOE dictates how they will spend the taxpayers' money.
We need to look long and hard at the school budget for this year. IF Fredericksen can honestly find $2 million in cuts, then why haven't they? Why did they oppose the MOE waiver? The answer is simple - POWER. Fredericksen and his merry band of bureaucrats want us - the voters and taxpayers - to be somehow grateful for them WASTING OUR MONEY! This makes it that much easier to keep kowtowing to their employee unions.
Wicomico County is facing a legitimate fiscal crisis. As someone who is opposed to the revenue cap on principle, I have been willing to entertain the notion that repeal should be, at least, discussed. However, given the actions of the WCBOE I am forced to admit that the revenue cap (as a practical matter) cannot be repealed. Today's decision shows that a group of appointed individuals, who have nothing but contempt for the Wicomico taxpayer, already have FAR TOO MUCH control over how our tax dollars are spent.
In the next few weeks we will see how the county fairs. If even deeper cuts are required to public safety and infrastructure, remember -
cross posted on Delmarva Dealings
Council Joe Holloway (R-5) responded to the state's decision:
I'm disappointed. I was hoping that as a county, the Board, Rick Pollitt and the County Council could work as a team to solve our current fiscal dillemma. Unfortunately, Dr. Fredericksen's efforts seem to have derailed our attempts to weather the county's current financial situation.Councilwoman Gail Bartkovich believes that the WCBOE should find a solution within their own budget:
I think that the board of education needs to find those cuts in their own budget. Our county departments can't make any more cuts this year. While county employees are receiving no pay increase this year, and we're even talking about furlough days, the board is able to increase benefits for their retirees.On Tuesday night, in response to comments I made before the board, Supt. John Fredericksen claimed that he was working with the county to find cuts. He even made a comment that, "If the Sheriff's department needs $100,000 we could find it for them."
This is the heart of the problem. According to the Wicomico county charter it is the responsibility of our County Executive and seven elected members of the county council to determine how our tax money is to be spent. Yet, Fredericksen seems to believe that he and a group of appointees should be able to dictate the county's spending priorities. The arrogance of some just never ceases to amaze me.
I'm quite confident that Sheriff Mike Lewis is grateful that Fredericksen, an appointee of appointees, will find the goodness in his heart to help fund law enforcement in Wicomico County. I'm sure that our county council is grateful to now find out that they are irrelevant. Fredericksen and his school board pals will now take care of the county legislature's most important duty - appropriating our tax dollars and providing fiscal oversight to the county executive. As for my friend Rick Pollitt, I'm sure that he's happy to know that he can now take a long vacation until his term has ended. County Administrator Ted Shea and the department heads can handle business while the WCBOE dictates how they will spend the taxpayers' money.
We need to look long and hard at the school budget for this year. IF Fredericksen can honestly find $2 million in cuts, then why haven't they? Why did they oppose the MOE waiver? The answer is simple - POWER. Fredericksen and his merry band of bureaucrats want us - the voters and taxpayers - to be somehow grateful for them WASTING OUR MONEY! This makes it that much easier to keep kowtowing to their employee unions.
Wicomico County is facing a legitimate fiscal crisis. As someone who is opposed to the revenue cap on principle, I have been willing to entertain the notion that repeal should be, at least, discussed. However, given the actions of the WCBOE I am forced to admit that the revenue cap (as a practical matter) cannot be repealed. Today's decision shows that a group of appointed individuals, who have nothing but contempt for the Wicomico taxpayer, already have FAR TOO MUCH control over how our tax dollars are spent.
In the next few weeks we will see how the county fairs. If even deeper cuts are required to public safety and infrastructure, remember -
- If your house is burning down and the fire truck doesn't get there in time - call John Fredericksen
- If your spouse clutches their chest in pain and the ambulance doesn't arrive in time - call Michelle Wright
- If the wheels fly off your car because the roads are nothing but a series of potholes - call Mark Thompson
- When someone robs your house and the deputies can't respond with their usual speed - call Ron Willey
cross posted on Delmarva Dealings
58 comments:
How much does it cost the county per day to keep all the schools open and running?
The price of cookies at the WCBOE bake sales just went up to a dollar each. Sales are projected to be slow.
If Mr.Frederickson would spend the same amount of effort in putting discipline back into our puplic school system as he seems to be doing at looking for way to expand the BOE, just maybe we could reduce the county expenditures in law enforcement. But we know that it has not been fashionable or politically correct to do this since the mid to late 1960s.
ga that is about the most stupid post I have ever seen you write, I usually enjoy your point of view, but that was just plain stupid
As long as teachers are teaching children they will use their power to get as much money as possible. Most of them say they could make as much in the private sector but that is ridiculous. Most of them have no idea what to do in the private sector. They are not accountants, nurses or doctors.
As always, G.A., is so correct in his analysis. As taxpayers, just take time some day to walk thru the Board of Ed building and see the staffers--I have regularly observed the long, long time that some staffers spend recreationally surfing the web, making personal phone calls, etc. And at budget time.............somebody should watch what they do--using oldest tricks in the book for spending down.
Read the State BOE's decision on their website (see below) -- it was a no brainer under the rules that apply to this matter.
http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/NR/rdonlyres/C7373AA6-0C41-41D2-A526-80EB30FACB95/20060/Wicomico.pdf
It is clear that the County's tax revenue cap, which the Board could not consider under those rules, has caused the problem.
So give due credit to Don Coffin and VOICE for this one!
Why is Wicomico one of only three counties that felt a waiver of the State rule for educational funding was necessary?
Mr./Ms 2 PM:
Can you say "tax cap"?
Anon 1317 -
What was stupid? If you don't agree with something then you need to explain why. Otherwise, you sound like Jonathan Taylor and his ilk.
Anon 1352 -
I read the opinion and just didn't have time to attach it. The MSBE claims that they could give NO weight to the revenue cap or any other tax matter that did not eminate from the State Legislature.
This is not Don Coffin's fault, or anyone else that supported the cap. The fault lies with an arrogant group of appointees who just don't have the guts to say no to out of control spending at the WCBOE.
Anon 1400 -
There were originally 8 counties. AA, Worcester, Calvert, etc. withdrew their apps leaving PG, MoCo and Wicomico.
As to why? You would need to call up the county execs / councils in the other counties.
GA:
Please itemize your charge: "out of control spending at the WCBOE".
Ted never stopped running the county and it's budget
We need an elected school board that will appoint a fiscally conservative superintendent.
Teachers are over paid for the
service that they render. Most
students graduate and are still
idiots at the age of 17 and 18.
I think the WBOE needs to replaced with an elected group of officals.
Nobody wants to admit that we have a serious problem with stupid students that are passed to the next level. Now they have an idiot superintendent of liberal proportion!
The Child Left Behind Act was such a horrendous political move....
That being said...the Board of Education needs to look at the administrative salaries compared to the teachers salaries.
I live in a different state but with the same problems...where the Board of Education director makes over 100K per year - his Administrative Assistant (glorified secretary) makes 86K. Yet they complain they cannot afford text books...what is wrong with this picture? How many vehicles do you see for the Board of Education - why? They can't use thier own cars and get the state mileage rate like other employees?
The spending is getting done in the wrong areas. These are our children we are talking about. This is the future of the country. If we cannot afford basic education practices what does that say about our childrens education? The first place that always gets cut is the school system - this should be the very last place that money is taken from yet nobody in politics agrees with this....
With hold the wboe's paychecks until we can resolve this matter....if we dont have the money, we dont have the money. The teachers can keep teaching without the boe....get the keys to those cars they use to get to work and home and auction them off, cuts out fuel and insurance cost too....gotta start somewhere!
The state dosent have any money either, their not going to help or waive, in hopes they dont have to come up with that 5 mil. NOW is the time to make serious cuts and bring budgets down in proportion to what they really should be anyway. What can we citizens do to bring the BOE in line? {short of an angry mob}
1:19: "They are not accountants, nurses or doctors."
You're right, teachers have to attain more college education than accountants and nurses. Teachers have to earn a Master's degree within 10 years and continue to earn 6 post-graduate credits every 5 years after that.
Nothing against accountants or nurses, but the comparison is not an accurate one.
Boy am I glad that I voted in favor of slots for education.
You want cuts from the BOE? Here you go. No field trips at all. You want to play sports? It will now cost $100 per sport to play. Likewise for band, orchestra,and chorus, pay to play. All buildings will be shut down at exactly 5pm and the air conditioning turned off, or heat at a minimum. No new textbooks or materials will be provided.
And I can tell you this much - there's no love for the WCBOE bureaucracy among teachers. Most teachers could name 5 positions off the tops of their heads that could be eliminated with little to no effect on classroom instruction.
There's not much waste at the school level (some county schools don't even have photocopiers for teachers - teachers have to send materials to the WCBOE and wait for them to come back the next day), but that office on Mt Hermon Road could use some culling, that's for sure.
Not only did the State give the finger to the council and citizens, the board members who voted this week for the increase for retirees gave everyone the finger too. They must not get out often or they have inherited a lot of money or won the lottery. I guess the economic climate is not bothering them like the rest of us. Who voted for it again and why were they so hell bent on getting the vote in before the state weighed in on the money? Keep digging GA.
Hey G.A. I have an idea why don't you go get a real job and donate the proceeds from it to the county to spend any which way they can, then and only then you will understand the reason for the tax cap.As a business owner and taxpayer here in Wicomico county I for one am fed up with how our tax money is spent.There in lies the reason I am for keeping the cap where it is until we as taxpayers can be sure our elected officials are not going to screw us like they always have.Your buddy Pollitt has done nothing for this county but add more expense since he was elected.Ask him to come up with the budget on his own without Ted Shea and he'll bury himself. Look at who actually is doing the peoples work and you can get rid of a whole bunch of dead weed and save money.Take a ride around town and watch some of these county employees supposedly working and weed some of the ones out just holding the shovel up so to speak.With communications where they are today there is no need for this county to provide ride around cars for the likes of these office people we are providing for.The only ones we should be providing a car for is the sheriffs office the rest need to be in a pool that in itself would save a bundle of money.The education of our youth should not be the area where compromise is made I dot totally agree with
bucking the county the way Fredericksen but do agree with some of the other posters about your article not being a very smart post!
2:31 - Somebody already itemized it in comments last week - check the central office positions, the travel, and now the health benefits. That's just the easy stuff.
Want to cut costs - get rid of the Board of Education!!! Why can't a principal oversee the school and answer to a high power like the mayor or governor? Get rid of the middle men whose salaries far exceed the teachers, the text books and supplies needed, etc.
4:43 PM
Actually, pay to play was tried, and killed participation in so many sports it was ended. We can have an argument about the value of sports at schools, but all studies done show HS athletes' GPA are better than the average student.
HVAC in school buildings is controlled by the WCBOE, and at the high schools, shuts off at 3:30, going into a mode that barely keeps the air circulating. It doesn't come back on full duty cycle until 7:30 the next morning and operates on that power-savings mode all weekend.
No new textbooks or materials, huh? Then what exactly are teachers supposed to teach with? Kids lose books - it's what they do. Books fall apart. Even a well-maintained book has a shelf-life of 6 years at most. At the beginning of a year, a teacher may issue 120 books, and get back 90 at the end of the year. Kids move, kids transfer schools, the book doesn't get returned. Kids lose books. Books get dropped in mud puddles, left in cars when the window's open and it rains, left in a bookbag that's left outside. So, no more learning for that child or next year's children?
No field trips? Field trips now have to cover the cost of transportation and the substitute teacher, at least at the HS level. You can't do a field trip unless it pays for itself. No savings to be had there.
And those Beyond The Limits trips kids go on are almost always paid for from outside grants, i.e. someone else besides Wicomico County is paying for the trip.
And killing band, chorus and all extra-curriculars? Because I'm sure NONE of those existed when you went to school, right? The WCBOE has already eliminated Drivers' Ed (about 20 year ago), built exactly ONE new school building (Salibury Middle) in a space of 30 years (1975-2005) and is only now replacing a high school that began crumbling 10 years ago while still not building a 4th city high school, which is needed due to overcrowding.
WCBOE already has reduced the transportation available to students (it's now a 1 mile radius for elementary students starting at age 5 and a 1.5 mile radius for secondary schools) and is considering widening that radius even more. Sure, let the kids walk to school - as they get run while they cross Route 50 or 13.
There may be savings to be had in the WCBOE (and I think administration at the Board level is an EXCELLENT place to start looking), but not from your suggestions.
4:43 Cut field trips to Busch Gardens? Sounds good because I sure struggle to come up with the $ 37 cost per child + fast food money for the trip home. What part is paid by the board anyway?
Pay $100 for sports or band? Many parents are already paying much more than that and help those kids whose parents can't or won't pay for uniforms, food, supplies, etc. Joe already advertises plenty of school fundraisers.
Too many BOE people think they are entitled to bigger contracts and the board majority just gives in.
Way to go GA, you've covered the problem with the BOE well. Most of the budget problems for the BOE stem from the teachers union crying for more and higher pay, for a group of workers who put in about 9 months a year at extremely high pay for what they do (or should I say "don't" do?). The leadership at BOE needs to evaluate itself and make cuts as needed, including administrative and teacher salaries. We should start right at the top, as a matter of fact!
It’s very clear why the State B of E shot down the three counties that may be unable to make maintenance of effort.
Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties have for years overspent on everything, including public education. A teacher in those places with longevity and credentials can earn over $100,000 – the highest ($109,012 in Montgomery) and 2nd highest ($103,634 - PG) in the State – compare that to the max. in Wicomico ($76,750 – 16th of the 24 jurisdictions and over $4,000 less than in Worcester County). Now that the housing bubble has burst big time in those places they have a real revenue bind.
Here, it’s clearly the tax cap that has caused the problem. If that were not in place, there would be considerably more tax revenue. As the State Board pointed out in its decision, that is not a factor that it can consider because we have the tax base (capacity) to generate more tax revenue but have opted not to do that.
We can expect increasingly to be faced with objections to requests for state funding because of the tax cap – other counties argue that we are simply trying to make Wicomico a ward of the state and that unless we bear the same local tax burden as they, we should get less funds so they can have more. That’s a winning argument, folks.
No doubt some of the usual crowd of complainers (VOICE) will object to the salary mentioned above for a senior teacher. It’s time to stop whining about out of control/wasteful spending by the school system and face the state funding reality stated above.
1:19-
Teachers are nurturers, accountants are the jackals of society.
G.A., you're being a bit dishonest about the impact of the REVENUE cap. It capped REVENUE collection, not the tax rate, at an increase of 2% a year or the cost of inflation, whichever is lower. Meaning, even as new construction is added to the county, and even as the value of properties in the county goes up, and even as inflation rises at a rate greater than 2%, the county is legally bound to LOWER its effective real estate tax rate to meet this artificial and arbitrary restriction.
The county is guaranteed not to have enough money to have even the same purchasing power from one year to the next.
What costs $100 this year WILL cost more than $102 next year if inflation is above 2%. Yet the county is bound to collect just $102. The effect has been lower real estate taxes for county residents, there's no doubt.
But with less revenue comes fewer services. And it seems the people of Wicomico County want their cake (revenue cap) and eat it too, in the form of the same level of service. Simple math shows it's just not possible. How about setting a satisfactory tax rate and leaving it alone? A great idea that lets growth pay for growth, but one that's not allowed under the REVENUE cap.
having found out some of my former teachers salaries. it's easy for me to say. cut them by at least a third. they are as overpaid as a doctor or lawyer. greedy is all they are. heck with the kids. teachers first. humbug. cut their pay like the rest of us!
4:43 You voted for Slots for Tots? You must be from the Teachers Union carrying water for O'Malley. The state hasn't even seen a dime from slots yet, but in return the Governor's liberal loons like Wright, Kilgore, Thompson and Chase have already given you more retiree benefits as a measure of thanks. It's a vicious circle. Thanks for showing it GA.
You know something Folks. GA Harrison and Joe Albero are man enough to use our names. If you're going to go on the attack, do so like grown ups and use your name.
In the mean time, while comments like this come in, wait till we start digging deeper and every one sees the reality of the School Board and its Union.
You have never felt a tidal wave like Salisbury News can deliver. Is that what you want? If so, keep bringing it on and you'll quickly see just how many thousands of people come here and blast away right back at you.
If you have a civilized and rational answer to every single Wicomico County Taxpayer, offer it up. Until then, I strongly suggest you put your name on the line where others may respect your comments 100% more than they do right now. We have a pretty good idea who some of you are.
I remember former Wicomico Library Director Kathleen Reif saying at a Rotary meeting, prior to and immediately the vote on the revenue cap, that it would take 8-years before the financial bottom would fall-out of Wicomico forcing the County to eliminate services, not just reducing services. She gave examples of city and county governments across the Country that had closed their public libraries to balance budgets. That was THE reason Kathleen got the hell out of Wicomico. She knew this day was coming. The harsh reality is the WCBOE will get their funds and Rick Pollitt and the County Council will make the unfortunate decisions of starting the slow elimination of County services.
Some of us have jobs we'd like to keep. For anyone who works for the WCBOE to say anything bad about any of its spending (i.e. there's waste at the main office) would be career suicide.
This is great news for our county. It is about time that ALL departments cut their budgets even more. The BOE is already looking at ways to do this an so should the WCSO, and all other county depts.
I have a solution, cut ALL sports, go to 4 day weeks for students next year, start making kids walk over a mile to school, stop picking up kids every 50 yards, cut field trips, raise class sizes to 40 per room.
Now I bet that will get the attention of the public. Come on Wicomico County, lets see how much you B and complain when this happens.
anonymous 6:24, perfect answer. Then the BOE can stop promoting, "It's All About The Kids" and finally tell the truth. It's ALL about the UNION!
Hey Joe Public...I know where we can cut the 2 million...stop all construction on the new Bennett HS and don't even consider building the new Bennett Middle School.
Any takers? I doubt it...
With all do respect Joe, in these economic times, "its all about the money" I may not agree with the decision to raise retirees rates to 70% but I think the BOE needs to make drastic cuts like other areas and the solutions listed about are one place to start. Remember, the BOE goes longer than required by MSDE. Let's shorten the day, end by Memorial day, etc.
Chair Robin Holloway has been very quiet lately. What gives with her? She usually is very upfront about what is going on.
Joe, you haven't seen the wrath of the Union. You all are just ticked off that the union has so much power and can't be scared into submission like Barrie Tilghman. My contract says I get a raise this year no matter what since I vastly increased my level of education. So, thanks for the raise and you can't stop it from happening.
And they wonder why the best teachers go to Pennsylvania?
Joe, dig into this further. You will find more WASTE at the administration level. They love the unions too! What the Union asks for the Adminstration benefits from too. Just look what the 4 Board members did. Say they want to bring good teachers to the County by doing this. Teachers???? They voted on Retiree benefits. Who benefits??? Just look at who is getting ready to retire on Long Avenue. There's your answer.
When people start seeing the cuts and the effect on their children, then people will sing a different tune.
I have a solution, cut ALL sports, go to 4 day weeks for students next year, start making kids walk over a mile to school, stop picking up kids every 50 yards, cut field trips, raise class sizes to 40 per room.You HONESTLY want 40 kids per room? You obviously don't have a child in public schools to promote such a absolutely wrong idea. Violence would rise and achievement would drop.
Some states are going to 4 day weeks. I'd say it's an idea that bears consideration.
As already noted, field trips must be cost-sufficient. No savings there.
Start making kids walk more than a mile? Easy to say when it's 68 degrees and sunny at 7:00 am like it is now. Offer that solution in February, when it's 12 degrees and the wind is blowing 22 mph, and see how much support you get for asking a 6 year old to walk a mile to school.
Joe, I can't believe you're ready to fall in line with "it's all the UNION'S fault!" The WCEA is a collective bargaining unit that has no real power. Look at MD law - if the local bargaining unit and the county BOE can't reach agreement, the county, unilaterally, can declare an impasse. The matter then goes to an arbitrator whose decision is not binding on the BOE. They can do whatever they want to the contract any year they want.
And the teachers have no recourse - a "concerted job action", meaning not even a strike, but a sick out, means the teachers involved are fired and their certificates are revoked. That means not only can you NOT teach in MD, you can't teach in any state that recognizes a MD certificate, which, conveniently, is all of them.
Blame the "union" all you want, but the WCBOE brought this on themselves.
One last thing - more than 40% of Wicomico County teachers are looking at a pay freeze for next year - step increases (yearly increments) will continue for those that qualify, but nothing else. Teachers in years 1-14 will still get raises, but very few after that (years 19, 23 and 28, I believe) will see an increase.
So this funding isn't going to make active teachers richer next year - almost half will have their pay frozen at this year's level. And as one affected, I can totally understand why. You'll not see me complain about not getting a pay increase next year, and to be honest, I haven't heard a single one of my colleagues complain. The country and the county are hurting. There's no way teachers will ask for step increases and for CoL increases in this economy.
It never ceases to amaze me how you people buck the revenue cap. Let's face the real problem with the BOE. It is common knowledge that this enity waste more money on non educational purchases. Before North Salisbury School was built. There were fire doors bought to replace the existing doors. They were never used, in fact ended up on the land fill.The also spent over $300,000 on a state of art av & tv studio system. I saw the invoice.. So they need to be accountable for their budget and spending. Maybe the people of this county should demand a full audit of this enity. Please don't insult us about taking away from the kids. That is the BOE favorite come back
Joe just wants to fire up all the teachers for the sole purpose of creating more attention to himself and the blog. He couldn't stop the fire dept.from getting what they wanted, and he won't stop the BOE from getting what they want. Last I checked the new fire palace was built, the ladder truck and other new vehicles purchased, and now the hazmat trailer. Teachers will continue to receive good benefits and pay because they are highly educated and deserve to be compensated. They also provide a valuable service to the taxpayers of this county, as well as contributing a large amount of property taxes. Judging from the extremely large amounts of Free and Reduced meals students in the schools, there aren't many others around here paying into the system.
If your house is burning down and the fire truck gets there in time - Thank a Teacher
If your spouse clutches their chest in pain and the ambulance arrives in time - Thank the Teachers Union
Next time you drive down a smooth road - Thank a BOE Administrator
When someone robs your house and the deputies respond quickly - Thank all the support staff in the schools
Jobs are created by the money teachers spend and the taxes they pay. It is amazing how nobody cared about waste, or overpaid and compensated teachers two years ago. Your life sucks, so bring everyone else down with you.
That ENP business was a ripoff. Pay people 10% of their salary for up to 3 years for telling when they'll retire and then not making them stick to it? So an asst supt gets over $30,000 in three years to say when he MIGHT be leaving? He can leave early or ontime or take the bonus and not leave? Why is it a percent of salary? Not hard to figure out. Who makes the highest salaries? Can't continue ENP after this year? Well, those who wanted the money got it and are getting out.
I teach in Wicomico County and have for 18 years. I know what to cut. Get rid of any position made up for someone who should have been let go. Also they have been making everybody a director at a huge salary or a coordinator at a wasted salary.
joe , heres some more cost savings not from the b.o.e. how bout ricky p cut his 85 grand salary by 25 grand, give fineran a ticket to alaska one way! 40 grand plus a year savings. eb baker and matt creamer both take 25 grand a year cuts too.executive form of govt in wico sucks . i trily think alot of woll was pulled obver the smoke and mirrors on this one
The coordinators do more than anyone else over at the BOE. How about we get rid of the ineffective teachers, new and old? Those who refuse to adapt to the different children they have in their classrooms, or have no management. If you are a teacher, your in the classroom, and have no idea what really happens at the BOE. Lots of positions look cushy or wasted untiul you find out what really happens day to day.
One "cushy" part of Bd jobs is that comp time is given for anything beyond the work day. That is not just for clerical and custodial as it is in the schools, but professional staff members get it too. That is insulting to school based professionals who put in hundreds of hours outside the school day and get no comp time. We attend meetings after school, nights and some weekends. We spend hours every night on school business. The Bd professionals can do the same without getting the time back.
It does seem that now that the mayoral race is over this blog needs a new fire to flame. The public has no idea what happens in the educational programs in this county. Schools are nothing like they were 20-40 years ago. That's good and bad, but it is the reality. Federal (largely unfunded) mandates regarding special ed and now No Child Left Behind requires a phalanx of paper-pushing bureaucrats just to be legally compliant.
Wicomico county is looked down upon by the Western shore as rural and backward. It is a quality educational program that will keep us competitive in attracting business and industry in the future. Let's work together instead of this back and forth invectiveness.
Hummm the county is crying the blues because they are short of money, but if it wasn't for our vigilant law enforcement, I wonder if they would have ever discoverd the theft of taxpayers dollars at county landfill??? By the way where is the head of that department?
I guess they have learned from that fiasco and we have no more waste?
close schools for two extra months.
Cut teacher salaries. for two months.
And some of those officials must go.
Good riddens.
I dont have children in school and i dont want to pay for all the extra stuff they have to have now days.
cut all after school activitys that are not self supporting. There was some county employee the other day raising money for softball, they better start spending out money on things that have to be done.
If it is not self supporting the gov does not need to support it.
No i dont mean things like free lunch. If parents cannot afford to feed there kids then us as responsible citzens should help.
Oh i know a lot of you are going to cry ,cut welfare off. well welfare is something we need not as a taxpayer thing , but as a humane thing.
I dont mind helping people that are truly hungry or need a roof over there head.
It is the ass---- that are in charge bledding us to death , that need to go.
I find it unbelievable that any teachers will be getting raises, when "ordinary, average salary making" county employees will be getting furlough days.
So you don't want to pay for school things because you don't have kids in school??? So instead when all the high schoolers are out on the street joining gangs and destroy your property then you'll be complaining that law enforcement isn't doing anything. And welfare isn't a humane thing, its an example what human greed will do. Many people that are on it have more kids just to get more money. And note to the others earlier, just because teachers aren't accountants, doesn't mean they couldn't be. We went to college and went into education knowing that we probably wouldn't get paid the same as others that have the same amount of education. Also, if anything, students should be in school more days, not less. It's bad enough after three months in the summer they've lost a third of what they learned the previous year. While certainly the administration of the BOE needs some reconstruction, don't take it out on the teachers, they are at the bottom of the food chain.
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