Once in a while I will get behind a car with a bumper sticker that says something like "Why is there always money for war and never money for education?" I don't know if I keep getting behind the same car or if there is more than one person in this area stupid enough to believe that. At any rate, it appears they may be right. It comes to my attention that our newest casino, finished recently in East St. Louis, is claiming a 25% drop in revenue because of the smoking ban. http://www.bnd.com/business/story/289872.html
This will be interesting, because education funds allegedly come from casino revenues. Even if it doesn't work out to be a direct benefit to education as our political class maintains, it unequivically generates income for the State, and some of that finds its way to the schools.
So what will smoking ban fans do about this? First of all, it is irrelevant for political purposes whether or not the claim is true. We will see calls to ease the smoking ban in casinos because now taxes are threatened. The only thing more precious than the air we breathe is the tax we collect.
While the State is busy easing up on the smoking ban, I am hoping Champaign will ease up to the point that we can replace some of the garbage cans downtown. They were taken out because God forbid a smoker might use one, though there was no evidence a smoker ever had. How many dogooders in this town would support a needle exchange for addicts and oppose an ashtray for smokers-an ashtray where incidentally I could put the beer bottles I collect on my way to the office.
John
Perhaps it's time to fund education from the income tax.
There is a truth and a fallacy in that bumper sticker. It is truth that too much is spent on war and interventionist foreign policy. Money we need here at home. The fallacy is that more money will produce better students. They hardly ever spend the extra money in a productive way. Discipline does not require money. It requires discipline which is almost counteracted by more money. Regarding gambling---Risk taking per se is not immoral, but gambling is immoral because it is a form of theft based on deceit. The state dug its own grave financially when it entered into the immoral activity of deceit theft, baiting our poorest residents with a get-rich-quick lie through the sales of lottery tickets. There was a while when every time I bought gasoline the clerk asked me if I wanted to buy a friggin' lottery ticket. I countered with a sermon against the lottery each time and somehow they desisted. Lottery tickets are a way of stealing from the people who need the money the most. All of you have seen poor ignorant folk, poor whites, poor blacks, poor hispanics, spending money that their kids need on lottery tickets, deluded by the Illinois State Government (!) into the false hope of getting something for nothing. How is it that anyone thinks that the money gained in this way will help education? Even the hapless chumps who frequent the casinos and the lottery dens dont get the practical education in probabilistic statistics very quickly...those nets are set to get money from the people. Shame on the State for engaging in this activity.
And Shame on the NeoCons for lying too.
On March 27th, 2008 at 03:55 PM, A non-... (not verified) said:
There is a truth and a fallacy in that bumper sticker. It is truth that too much is spent on war and interventionist foreign policy. Money we need here at home
200 billion spent on education in this country every year, How much does it cost to have these school building setting empty for 3 or 4 months every summer? Education is unique, the more money thrown at it the worse it becomes, The opposite of most things, Why is that? I'll tell you why, right in Unit 4 is a prime example, Arthur Culver, They got a hell of a deal when they got this reject from some Texas School Dist. that could not get Him out of town fast enough. Thru the efforts of some community activists, discipline was allowed to go unchecked in the schools, when some was applied, certain groups were being "picked" on, Then the Feds got involved and poof !! the consent decree was born, Whats the total cost of that? I wish the someone would come in and take over Unit 4 and clean house, or at least bring in someone that can run the District ." Hey Art how you doin on that PhD.????"
How come every several months Gregg goes on a long tirade about how "School buildings sit empty". Where are these schools that he's talking about? If a school is in session but Gregg is not there to see it, does it make a sound?
I find it amazing that this group of people who call everyone else "stupid" think that having textbooks or a place to sit or a safe way to school would make kids learn LESS.
On March 27th, 2008 at 06:06 PM, xian said:
How come every several months Gregg goes on a long tirade about how "School buildings sit empty". Where are these schools that he's talking about? If a school is in session but Gregg is not there to see it, does it make a sound?
Excuse me I'm a high school graduate that drives a truck, I deliver book to schools in 15 counties, I see what goes on in these schools all the time. Why not have school year around?? I'll tell you why, The teachers unions have that locked up! I know You teach in Chicago one of the more powerful school teachers unions in the country. Also by the way I'm a homeowner that has no children in school but I pay a butt load of property taxes to support a system that is on life support. Excuse me again for wanting my money spent wisely.
xian says: "I find it amazing that this group of people who call everyone else "stupid" think that having textbooks or a place to sit or a safe way to school would make kids learn LESS."
If money does nothing for schools, then we should have no problem with funding all of the schools equally from the income taxes and erasing the current funding disparities, yes?
I'm also a homeowner with no children in school. I think the schools should be funded equally across the board, without wealthy neighborhoods having better funded schools.
Historically, students went home to work in the fields at the farm during the summer months, and the school schedule was adapted to meet that need. I went directly from the classroom to the seat of a tractor, literally so, as soon as I got off the bus from the last day of school. What we have in the present quasi-9 month system is a rudiment of that. Dont play dumb xian you know what Gregg is referring to. The school is like any other operation, with fixed costs occurring in the down time, such that a rather inefficient utilization of resources is occurring. The school system needs to put its house in order.
I'm not playing dumb. I happen to work at one of the "bad" schools. I'm there before seven most days, and unless I have an off-site meeting, I tend to leave in the 6ish range. Some nights I'm there until the alarm is armed at 9 pm. If there's an LSC meeting, that might be 10pm.
We also have Saturday school, night school and two summer school sessions.
So unless you are referring to the fact that we don't use the building on Sundays, or during the middle of the night, I'm curious what you are talking about. I don't think our school is unique by any means.
Most business offices are closed far more often than our building. Where does that put them on the "inefficient use of resources" spectrum?
You know, its not that way all over the state, and do all of the students come in for summer sessions even in yer 'hood?
The first 9 years of schooling are only on a 9-month calendar. Summer school doesn't really start until high school, and some junior highs.
Yeah, but there are plenty of schools that have summer programs for students with working parents.
Without going into why we are talking about when schools are open, I don't mind seeing them empty in summer. That's a great time for kids and fanilies to be doing something else. But I do object to our new 4 day school year. Champaign Central is currently averaging, with late starts, holidays, half days and bomb days, something less than four days a week and I am not counting Christmas and Spring break.
I am sure teachers can attest to the uselessness of the many half days that remain and get officially counted.
Children learn more in a consistent environment, with regular schedules and predicatable days. Not to mention they learn more when they are actually in school. Complaining about (the increasingly short) summer vacation is like complaining that the pool table isn't level on the Titanic.
John
The 4 day week saves money through utility savings when a building is not open, resulting from reduced temperature settings (gymnasiums and auditoriums are very expensive to heat) and lighting use, Also one less day of commuting expenses and bussing. The 4 day week is becoming popular with many jobs also for the same reasons. Illinois is just slow catching up with it. Some schools in Colorado (Grand county for one) have been on 4 day weeks for many years.
"Most business offices are closed far more often than our building."
- #1, a private business can be closed or open as much as they feel necessary. They aren't using tax dollars...an obvious distinction.
- #2, I find it hard to believe that you live/work in Chicago and don't notice the many, MANY office buildings that are still open on the weekends downtown. It's 2008, not 1958. Many people work on the weekends and holidays, especially Saturdays, due to the 24/7 business environment. If you're looking for sympathy from business professionals over time spent at work, you won't find it.
ILvoter... it didn't come off as a sympathy plea to me as much as a continuation of the long raging battle over whether teachers are earning the pay they currently receive. Some teachers and even some business professionals work their keister off for salary that seems a bit low compared to the time/effort put in. Others feel other factors make up for the pay differential... such as having long vacation periods, supply/demand factors, limitations on what tax payers are willing to dish out for government jobs... and alternatively for businesses, if the job is a stepping stone towards a big job with high pay/high demand such as internships and other entry level gopher jobs for the upper ups.
Personally I see empty school buildings, especially in the summer as a great opportunity for kids programs, GED/job training programs etc, either through private organizations or approved government programs to help a community improve. As xian was pointing out, many schools in communities where this is useful already make additional use of the building... unlike in 1958. I think we could do the same here, depending on community demand (and I could have sworn we already do to some degree).
--
Glock21 Op/Ed
The first 9 years of schooling are only on a 9-month calendar. Summer school doesn't really start until high school, and some junior highs.
No, there are summer school programs even for elementary kids, usually for the special-ed program and the kids who are REALLY far behind.
I think we could do the same here, depending on community demand (and I could have sworn we already do to some degree).
There is some of that here. I know the park district and YMCA, as well as the school district itself, all use some Unit 4 buildings for their summer programs. There could be more, but there is also time needed to thoroughly clean the buildings as well as upgrade various parts of the building. The summer is really the only time some of this can happen so it doesn't disrupt the learning of the students.
Excuse me I'm a high school graduate that drives a truck, I deliver book to schools in 15 counties, I see what goes on in these schools all the time. Why not have school year around??
Yes, let's ignore the word of people who are actually spend every day working with these kids and take the word of the textbook delivery man. The UPS guy comes to my office every day, does that mean he has a keen grasp on how we operate?
Excuse me I'm a high school graduate that drives a truck, I deliver book to schools in 15 counties, I see what goes on in these schools all the time. Why not have school year around?? I'll tell you why, The teachers unions have that locked up! I know You teach in Chicago one of the more powerful school teachers unions in the country. Also by the way I'm a homeowner that has no children in school but I pay a butt load of property taxes to support a system that is on life support. Excuse me again for wanting my money spent wisely.
I'm sincerely proud of you--that's a constructive, honest job.
However, you probably don't see my classroom much--no textbooks. We do have year round schools. If you would take the time to read the Chicago contract, we have year round schooling built directly into our contract.
And no, we are not one of the more powerful teachers unions in the country. Chicago Teachers Union is not a union. It is a local, and it's currently pretty weak and predominantly salary focused.
And don't worry, I doubt too many of your taxes are getting to my school, despite the fact that it is open 6 days a week for the vast majority of the year.
I have no problem with you having your own cynical opinion of what it is that I do. But I hope you'll forgive me if I correct your "butt load" of factual inaccuracies.
Incidentally, what are these schools that you are at delivering books when the school is closed? I'm not trying to catch you on something, I'm honestly curious. The textbook deliveries we do have are during school hours, or at least while someone is at the building.
I'm not realy concerned with what the Chicago Public School System does with it's school buildings. I don't pay taxes in Chicago. And I'm damned glad I don't!!!
On March 28th, 2008 at 04:24 PM, Arvid said:
Yes, let's ignore the word of people who are actually spend every day working with these kids and take the word of the textbook delivery man. The UPS guy comes to my office every day, does that mean he has a keen grasp on how we operate?
Absolutely!, The UPS guy is in 75 to 100 businesses a day He sees a lot of different operations, ones that work and ones that do not. You are in one. He knows more about your operation than you think. The same is true of the schools I deliver too. Yes Xian I know what a school teachers job is. And no I do not see your classroom, I don't work in Chicago.
Why not have school year around?? I'll tell you why, The teachers unions have that locked up! I know You teach in Chicago one of the more powerful school teachers unions in the country.
We do have year round schools. If you would take the time to read the Chicago contract, we have year round schooling built directly into our contract.
And no, we are not one of the more powerful teachers unions in the country. Chicago Teachers Union is not a union. It is a local, and it's currently pretty weak and predominantly salary focused.
I'm not realy concerned with what the Chicago Public School System does with it's school buildings. I don't pay taxes in Chicago. And I'm damned glad I don't!!!
:)