Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

So the only people who are delusional are the ones denying the actual facts --- the Governor wants consolidation to reduce the number of municipalities and school districts in the state.   Exactly what I have been saying all along.

Wrong. The Governor said to consolidate school districts with less than 1,000 students. Schenectady has over 10,000 in the City alone. Cuomo actually said that the elimination of Administration and Superintendents (who make $150 k- $300+) is a good place to cut cost. Also, the teachers pension system needs to be revamped.

Quoted from rachel72

Wrong. The Governor said to consolidate school districts with less than 1,000 students. Schenectady has over 10,000 in the City alone. Cuomo actually said that the elimination of Administration and Superintendents (who make $150 k- $300+) is a good place to cut cost. Also, the teachers pension system needs to be revamped.

You must be the most dense person around -- I have been saying for weeks that consolidating the 6 school districts would mean the elimination of Superintendent positions and administrative staff duplication --- then youattack me for saying that --- and add that I am wrong becuase Governor Cuomo said the SAME EXACT THING THAT I SAID.    
The Governor's budget proposal includes incentives for school districts and municipalities that consolidate --

so ... I suggest that  a) you get over your imbecilic hatred of me which causes you to say that I am wrong and that argue the same point that I am making

b) get used to the idea that consolidation is coming to our school districts and to our municipalities.

There are many areas that all school districts can and should cut from the top down. And the parents are the ones who ultimately are going to have to either accept these cuts or pay high school taxes.

Parents have to start being parents and stop expecting the school districts to be their surrogate. Schools are there to EDUCATE!! Cut the breakfast and after school 'food' programs. Cut sex education. Cut the school trips. Make the kids walk a block farther for their their bus. Increase fundraisers for sports/arts/music programs/cheerleading. Negotiate teacher's contracts responsibly and with the taxpayers in the forefront and stick to it!! Raise the admission fees to all school functions. Cut all unnecessary 'fluff' after school programs.

And if they can't meet the challenge.......CHARTER SCHOOLS!

DVOR, for a person that admires Teddy Roosevelt, I find it odd that you support a TOTAL MONOPOLY on education in one county.  It is bad enough our children’s education is determined by geographic location, and if your public school is failing, you have to pick up and move into another school district to offer your child a better education.  With consolidation of schools, families would have to LEAVE the County to get a better education.  A consolidation would plunge the whole county into the toilet.  Saratoga County would see an influx of population on the scale of refugees fleeing Darfur.

Quoted from bumblethru

There are many areas that all school districts can and should cut from the top down. And the parents are the ones who ultimately are going to have to either accept these cuts or pay high school taxes.

Parents have to start being parents and stop expecting the school districts to be their surrogate. Schools are there to EDUCATE!! Cut the breakfast and after school 'food' programs. Cut sex education. Cut the school trips. Make the kids walk a block farther for their their bus. Increase fundraisers for sports/arts/music programs/cheerleading. Negotiate teacher's contracts responsibly and with the taxpayers in the forefront and stick to it!! Raise the admission fees to all school functions. Cut all unnecessary 'fluff' after school programs.

And if they can't meet the challenge.......CHARTER SCHOOLS!

So you believe that private schools which have NO ACCOUNTABILITY to the local tax payers should get local property tax dollars and state money   and at the same time poor kids who don't get breakfast at home should starve ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Wow -- the  Reich-Wing is truly very scary.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

So you believe that private schools which have NO ACCOUNTABILITY to the local tax payers should get local property tax dollars and state money   .

No, just my contribution of taxes.  You know, a voucher.  Then public schools would have accountibility because the customers could be able to yank their portion of taxes out of the failing district.  

Quoted from CICERO

No, just my contribution of taxes.  You know, a voucher.  Then public schools would have accountibility because the customers could be able to yank their portion of taxes out of the failing district.  

Exactly.It would put the taxpayers back in control of their children's education....right where it belongs.

Quoted from CICERO

DVOR, for a person that admires Teddy Roosevelt, I find it odd that you support a TOTAL MONOPOLY on education in one county.  It is bad enough our children’s education is determined by geographic location, and if your public school is failing, you have to pick up and move into another school district to offer your child a better education.  With consolidation of schools, families would have to LEAVE the County to get a better education.  A consolidation would plunge the whole county into the toilet.  Saratoga County would see an influx of population on the scale of refugees fleeing Darfur.

Teddy Roosevelt was a progressive.  He didn't live with his head up his back side as you folks do.    Our school districts were created over a half century or more ago --- they are obsolete.
I am sure that Teddy Roosevelt would agree with me that it is better to consolidate the school district -- save money by having  ONE central administration instead of six  central administrations.

This would free up resources to actually educate our young folks instead of wasting resources on redundant upper and middle management positions.

Consolidation would lead to an improvement in educational opportunities --- for example a large number ofstudents in the school district would make it more cost effective to offer  language and other courses that would not be cost effective in a smaller school district.

Also --- consolidation would NOT mean  one high school  ... a school district can have more than one high school  ... more than one middle school .. etc.       Consolidation would mean that instead of Mohonasen and the city school district building  MORE class space while other districts have too much class space and are closing building -- a consolidated school district could make the most cost effective use of the EXISTING  classroom space.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

So you believe that private schools which have NO ACCOUNTABILITY to the local tax payers should get local property tax dollars and state money   and at the same time poor kids who don't get breakfast at home should starve ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Wow -- the  Reich-Wing is truly very scary.

The nonprofits aka churches/city mission/food pantries are more than equipped to supply food to the schools that have 'starving' children....at no cost to the taxpayers. That is the responsibility of these non profits. Schools are to EDUCATE!!

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Teddy Roosevelt was a progressive.  He didn't live with his head up his back side as you folks do.    Our school districts were created over a half century or more ago --- they are obsolete.
I am sure that Teddy Roosevelt would agree with me that it is better to consolidate the school district.

He didn't think that was a good idea for Standard Oil.  

What does progressive mean - the nationalization of all private industries?

Quoted from CICERO

No, just my contribution of taxes.  You know, a voucher.  Then public schools would have accountibility because the customers could be able to yank their portion of taxes out of the failing district.  

The way charter schools are set up now --- if a student from your school district attends a charter school -- part of YOUR property taxes will follow that child to the charter school.    Last time that I checked , local property tax owners had no right or ability to vote for the school board or the budget of any charter school.

This lack of direct accountability is what I am objecting to   --- If taxpayers were able to vote for the school board and budget of the charter school  ... then I would have no problem with them receiving part of our property tax dollars.

The other problem that I have is that Catholic schools don't qualify for the same dollars that charter school do -- and there are examples of charter schools run by other religious groups -- most notably a few Jewish charter schools downstate.      It seems to me that there is a disconnect here -- either  all privately run religious schools are entitled to the same  vouchers or school aid .. or .. none of them should be entitled to it.

DVOR, it is apparent you have NO CHILDREN.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

The way charter schools are set up now --- if a student from your school district attends a charter school -- part of YOUR property taxes will follow that child to the charter school.    Last time that I checked , local property tax owners had no right or ability to vote for the school board or the budget of any charter school.

What you described sounds just like Metroplex.  You don't have a problem with that.

Quoted from CICERO

DVOR, it is apparent you have NO CHILDREN.

Thank God.

Quoted from bumblethru

The nonprofits aka churches/city mission/food pantries are more than equipped to supply food to the schools that have 'starving' children....at no cost to the taxpayers. That is the responsibility of these non profits. Schools are to EDUCATE!!

So you want the school bus to drop the kids off at a church or the city mission for breakfast and lunch ???

Also, I believe the responsibility of feeding the poor is EVERYONE'S responsibility both government and non-profits.  

Oh -- and just where do the churches get the money to supply food ????    From the taxpayers through the collection basket.    The churches only have the resources that their members are willing and, more importantly, able to afford togive.