You can be sure that I will track many of the events and actions that are bound to take place with the Department of Education now that Ms. DeVos is the head of the agency. I will be sure to keep a close eye on a number of things particularly when it comes to discretionary spending. These are funds that can be shifted around or altered more easily than the mandatory dollars for various programs.
I will want to keep close tabs on the $69.4 billion that is discretionary spending this year for Title I. These are the monies provided for children impacted by poverty. I also want to watch for what happens to the $1.7 billion that is mandatory funding for pre-school children for the current year. These kids are the group who are 4 years old.
Cuts to these and other education programs must not be tolerated and those responsible, if cuts are made, need to be called out.
Dick
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Hold On Look Out!!
As many of you realize, today Ms. Betsy DeVos became the Secretary of Education. Perhaps it is no coincidence that some members of the U. S. House of Representative signed a letter to terminate the Department of Education on December 31, 2018. No, I'm not kidding. The person who got this going was Rep. Massie of Kentucky. In addition to Massie the other representatives to sign the letter include; Rep. Chaffetz of Utah, Rep. Amash of Michigan, Rep. Biggs of Arizona, Rep. Gaetz of Florida, Rep. Hice of Georgia, Rep. Jones of North Carolina, and Rep. Labrador of Idaho.
Yes, it's true!! Go figure!!
Dick
Yes, it's true!! Go figure!!
Dick
Bam and Ouch!!
No sooner than mentioning the financial crisis facing the CPS system, as I did yesterday, and along comes another hit to the tune of $69 million. The cash strapped district is proposing additional cuts to the classrooms in light of trying to close a multi-million dollar budget gap.
CPS is calling this a 'freeze.' Well, here's what the freeze looks like. $46 million will be cut (my words) in discretionary spending which includes money for textbooks, field trips, technology and hourly workers who staff recess and after-school programs. Another $5 million will be 'frozen' for teacher training and the remaining $18 million will be saved if CPS scales back funding to the charter schools it helps if the state takes no action before the charters' fourth quarter payment is due.
All in all, it hits the classroom hard. Reducing spending on critical after-school programs, technology and textbooks is a hard pill to swallow for the kids, teachers and individual schools. I've heard of the expression of 'bare bones' and this freeze sure looks and feels like the type of Chicago freeze we get hit with each winter.
Dick
CPS is calling this a 'freeze.' Well, here's what the freeze looks like. $46 million will be cut (my words) in discretionary spending which includes money for textbooks, field trips, technology and hourly workers who staff recess and after-school programs. Another $5 million will be 'frozen' for teacher training and the remaining $18 million will be saved if CPS scales back funding to the charter schools it helps if the state takes no action before the charters' fourth quarter payment is due.
All in all, it hits the classroom hard. Reducing spending on critical after-school programs, technology and textbooks is a hard pill to swallow for the kids, teachers and individual schools. I've heard of the expression of 'bare bones' and this freeze sure looks and feels like the type of Chicago freeze we get hit with each winter.
Dick
Monday, February 6, 2017
CPS Money Woes Continue
The outlook on finances at CPS is still in critical mode - as if we needed reminding - according to the Sunday edition of the Chicago Tribune. CPS ended the past fiscal year $487 million short in its operating fund and at least $100 million remains as a shortfall for last year.
The alternatives seem to be few. Over the past couple of years, CPS headquarter staff have been trimmed, individual school budgets have been reduced on a number of occasions, school staffing has been cut, and CPS has implemented furlough days to further trim expenses.
So we are down to further cuts and/or/with an infusion of money (from where?). So, one thing remains clear...the work of our charity and others will be even more urgent than ever. Please consider a donation, either online at www.schoolscountcorp.org or by mailing a check payable to Schools Count Corp. and mailing it to Dick Flesher, 14004 John Humphrey Dr., Orland Park, IL 60462. Thank You!
Dick
The alternatives seem to be few. Over the past couple of years, CPS headquarter staff have been trimmed, individual school budgets have been reduced on a number of occasions, school staffing has been cut, and CPS has implemented furlough days to further trim expenses.
So we are down to further cuts and/or/with an infusion of money (from where?). So, one thing remains clear...the work of our charity and others will be even more urgent than ever. Please consider a donation, either online at www.schoolscountcorp.org or by mailing a check payable to Schools Count Corp. and mailing it to Dick Flesher, 14004 John Humphrey Dr., Orland Park, IL 60462. Thank You!
Dick
Friday, February 3, 2017
In A Nutshell
Yesterday I noted that the commission studying school funding said that the areas in the state with the highest rates of poverty (not just CPS) need additional dollars to get the job done. Perhaps the chairperson, Beth Purvis, and Secretary of Education here in Illinois said it best..."What's at stake for Illinois, if we don't fix the formula, is our ability to provide a high quality education for every child in the state." She went of to say, "We'll lose that opportunity."
The education component is but one piece of a 'grand bargain' but it is a piece that surely necessitates both sides of the aisle to roll up their sleeves and get the job done. To do otherwise is, in my view, more than a travesty, it's an injustice.
Dick
The education component is but one piece of a 'grand bargain' but it is a piece that surely necessitates both sides of the aisle to roll up their sleeves and get the job done. To do otherwise is, in my view, more than a travesty, it's an injustice.
Dick
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Funding Far From Adequate
It's not often you can get Governor Rauner, CEO Forrest Claypool and members of both political parties on the same page but that is exactly what happened in the last 24 hours with regard to a report on state school funding. Here's the essence of the report in just one sentence. "The commission members agree that low-income children and those who live in areas of concentrated poverty require additional resources and attention to reach their academic potential."
What will be done to advance this core principle? Who will take the bold action to see to it that the most impoverished among our state's school children have their needs met?
One of the other elements in the report stated that it will cost $3.5 billion over a 10 year period to bring every school district to the desired level.
This won't be easy for lots of reasons. There is a budget crisis in the state and we have members of the legislature at odds with one another and the Governor. These education needs are but one of many that has to be addressed within the larger framework of an entire state budget. There are plenty of other potential roadblocks to getting this done.
Like I said, can we get people to work together to address these concerns? Time will tell.
Dick
What will be done to advance this core principle? Who will take the bold action to see to it that the most impoverished among our state's school children have their needs met?
One of the other elements in the report stated that it will cost $3.5 billion over a 10 year period to bring every school district to the desired level.
This won't be easy for lots of reasons. There is a budget crisis in the state and we have members of the legislature at odds with one another and the Governor. These education needs are but one of many that has to be addressed within the larger framework of an entire state budget. There are plenty of other potential roadblocks to getting this done.
Like I said, can we get people to work together to address these concerns? Time will tell.
Dick
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Betsy DeVos - Part 2
Many of you may already know this, but Betsy DeVos, the nominee to be the next Secretary of the Department of Education, made it through the first hurdle. On a party line vote Ms. DeVos cleared the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions by a 12-11 vote.
She will now be scheduled for a full Senate vote in the coming days.
I did watch the entire hearing and can tell you that I was struck by a number of things. Ms. DeVos typically responded to a question by thanking members for their questions and often, in reply to a question or point made by a Senator (form either side of the aisle) would say that she looks forward to working with them on said question or proposition.
This may sound fine, on one level, but as an educator I was left with the impression that she was merely glossing over or moving on so to speak. More pointedly, I was left with the impression she knew little about public education in general and little about the department she would be running.
It will be interesting, and telling I might add, to see where the full Senate comes down on her nomination.
Dick
She will now be scheduled for a full Senate vote in the coming days.
I did watch the entire hearing and can tell you that I was struck by a number of things. Ms. DeVos typically responded to a question by thanking members for their questions and often, in reply to a question or point made by a Senator (form either side of the aisle) would say that she looks forward to working with them on said question or proposition.
This may sound fine, on one level, but as an educator I was left with the impression that she was merely glossing over or moving on so to speak. More pointedly, I was left with the impression she knew little about public education in general and little about the department she would be running.
It will be interesting, and telling I might add, to see where the full Senate comes down on her nomination.
Dick
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