Money Matters

Yesterday I discussed the idea, really, a fact, that money makes a difference when it comes to providing a quality education for our nation's youth. Aside from attracting and maintaining an excellent teaching staff, having an adequate amount of funds enables a school to properly resource the various programs in the building.

Here's but another way in which having enough money really does count. Those residents who can afford to provide funds to the school are also able to afford activity fees and can able to pay for ACT and SAT exams and classes prior to taking the exams. These parents are also able to afford tutors.

The list goes on. As you can see, money DOES matter.

Dick

Money MAKES a Difference

Whenever I hear critics of schools or those who say that providing more money to schools is simply 'throwing good money after bad' I cringe. I cringe because that simply isn't true.

Over the long haul, which is a must, schools having access to a treasure of funds is absolutely essential. Looked at it another way, show me some of the best performing schools (however one wants to measure it) and I'll bet you that they have ample money available for all sorts of resources...material and human.

How else can schools provide 1 to 1 computer work in the classroom? How else will schools be able to provide essential elective course work in Music, FACS, Tech Ed., Shop, Foreign Languages and Art? How else will schools be able to recruit and maintain a top flight teaching staff?

Money matters!

Dick

Who Are They?

THEY...

...question, research and study
...experiment, innovate and plan
...inspire, ask questions and command
...console, listen and suggest
...demand of themselves, their colleagues and students
...are always there, always ready, and always willing
...are our nation's teachers!!!
...are deserving of our support!!!

Dick

Let Me Say it Again...

There's nothing that beats a great teacher when it comes to student learning. Yeah, I know that's not exactly a bombshell. But it seems that in this day and age of so called 'school reform' we have looked at, tinkered with and promoted so many other technological or organizational changes (some are advances, others...well, I'm less convinced) that we have missed out on one of the key ingredients that must be addressed.

Encouraging, promoting, training, maintaining and rewarding possible teacher candidates and those already serving our children must become our clarion call to action. I don't care what you call the school, to ignore the need for high quality teachers or to think that they will suddenly appear is absolutely ludicrous.

Those of us who have taught, are teaching and care about the children must stay on this mission!

Thanks,
Dick

Persist

There are many urban and rural areas that are constantly underfunded and that can be by design or simply that the local economic base just can't sustain the needs of schools. In many cases those concerns are not easily addressed if the population is dwindling, property values are plummeting and people are leaving those areas.

But I have found that the schools we serve, in spite of the above obstacles, always seem to give it their all. I'm not trying to be flippant about this or use some trite/overused phrase. These students, staff members and other school personnel fight on.

The lesson I have learned over this 13-year period of time is to persist. And that is exactly what our charity, Schools Count, intends to do!!

Dick

Some Sincere Students

I have been witness to past student demonstrations/protests/calls to action over the years. One of the distinguishing features of the student demonstrations yesterday, one month to the day of the Parkland shooting deaths of 17 innocents, was the fact that it was a solemn and respectful day of remembrance and call to action.

Sometimes large protests can turn into a free for all or that there is simply a loss of focus. That can't be said of yesterday's student actions. From Maine to Florida and from Washington, DC to California, the images were the same. Students took 17 minutes to remember those children who have succumbed to school shootings and they did so in a variety of ways.

Some were silent for 17 minutes, others read the names of those lost, still others wrote cards of letters calling for gun reform. There actions were sensible, thoughtful and done in a positive fashion. It would be nice to have our government officials act in the same manner.

Dick

Schools - Students and Safety

I am well aware that today, March 14th, is the one month anniversary of the Parkland High School school shooting. There are many students in all 50 states who are voicing their support for Parkland families while also giving voice to the need to end mass gun massacres and to promote sensible gun safety.

I appreciate the students stepping forward in a constructive manner to say enough. To the students...thank you.

Dick Flesher