Q&A for the Director of Special Education - Judy Norton
We hear about the Early Childhood Center (ECC) in the High School. What is that?
The ECC is a mandated preschool and extended day kindergarten program for children 3-6 years old. It works collaboratively with Early Intervention Agencies (EI) and community programs to provide required education services for children. Each class includes a balance of children who are typically developing students and children with special needs. More information is available on the school website on the Department’s page.
Can you provide a better understanding of the Special Education Budget?
The Special Education budget includes:
Out-of-District tuitions
Special Education Transportation
Supplies
Equipment
Summer Programming
Contracted Services
Evaluations
Special Education Staff are budgeted through each school in the district.
The district budget supports approximately 75% of the special education expenses. Entitlement Grants (state and federal) support approximately 12% of the special education expenses. And the “Circuit Breaker” (a state reimbursement program) supports approximately 12% of the special education expenses.
Did You Know?
The Special Education Parent Advisory Panel (SEPAC) meets monthly to educate parents on Special Education issues as well as provides feedback to School Administration. SEPAC is included on the school website under Departments – Special Education.
Showing posts with label Newsletter #2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Newsletter #2. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Newsletter #2 - Did You Know? - ELA & MCAS
Did You Know?
Scituate’s English Language Arts (ELA) books and resources are older than the majority of the students using them (12+ years old). They are no longer available in print and contain out-dated terminology. In fact, the ELA materials used to open the Jenkins Elementary school 4 years ago were retrieved from the Marshfield Public School’s dumpster, as they were throwing the old textbooks away.
Did You Know?
Passing 10th grade MCAS is required in order to receive a state-sanctioned diploma. Students who fail can take the test several times before graduation. The Massachusetts Board of Education voted to change the minimum MCAS score requirements from 220 to 240 starting with the class of 2010.
Did You Know?
Due to budget cuts, there is no longer a technical education program (shop program) at Gates Middle School. There are a number of technical education/engineering questions on the MCAS, with no curriculum to teach the students what they need to know.
Did You Know? Scituate MCAS results, as well as all MCAS results for the State of Massachusetts are available on the MA Department of Education website (http://www.doe.mass.edu/).
Scituate’s English Language Arts (ELA) books and resources are older than the majority of the students using them (12+ years old). They are no longer available in print and contain out-dated terminology. In fact, the ELA materials used to open the Jenkins Elementary school 4 years ago were retrieved from the Marshfield Public School’s dumpster, as they were throwing the old textbooks away.
Did You Know?
Passing 10th grade MCAS is required in order to receive a state-sanctioned diploma. Students who fail can take the test several times before graduation. The Massachusetts Board of Education voted to change the minimum MCAS score requirements from 220 to 240 starting with the class of 2010.
Did You Know?
Due to budget cuts, there is no longer a technical education program (shop program) at Gates Middle School. There are a number of technical education/engineering questions on the MCAS, with no curriculum to teach the students what they need to know.
Did You Know? Scituate MCAS results, as well as all MCAS results for the State of Massachusetts are available on the MA Department of Education website (http://www.doe.mass.edu/).
Newsletter #2 - Q&A for Asst. Suprdt. - Dr. James Kelleher
Q&A for Assistant Superintendent - Dr. James Kelleher
Dr. James Kelleher’s role as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Staff Development is outlined on the school website and on the blog.
What is your role as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Staff Development?
I have served for the past four years and during this time, I have led a variety of initiatives throughout the district, all focused on helping to implement the district’s Five Year Accountability Plan (included on the Scituate Public School website http://www.scituate.k12.ma.us/ on the Superintendent’s page). The goals of the Accountability Plan are to:
Support curriculum alignment and review on a continuous basis for all disciplines;
Improve the quality of classroom, school and district planning by systematically using data to guide decision making;
Endeavor to increase and improve communication and collaboration with colleagues, students, parents and community members, and;
Evaluate and reconsider governance and operational structures; update policies, procedures and systems of central office.
What are the key initiatives you are working on related to the goals of the school district?
Each year, I lead a core committee of stakeholders in reviewing a new curriculum area, with the intention of identifying new trends and purchasing new materials, as necessary. Dr. James Kelleher - “My number one priority currently the English Language Arts (ELA) program.” English Language Arts (ELA) includes: reading, writing, language (vocabulary, grammar, and usage), as well as speaking, listening and thinking skills. In the first several years of school, up to 50-60% (up to 3 hours a day) of a typical student’s daily curriculum is ELA. The K – 12 program is currently in need of replacement as the books and resources used currently are ‘on loan’ from the publishers as a pilot program. We need to purchase those materials this year to replace the outdated 12-year old materials currently owned by the district.
What are the district's plan to address the gap in MCAS scores which could result from the
elimination of key curriculum, particularly at the high school and middle school levels?
Teachers are responsible for reviewing and interpreting the scores and needs of their students and planning class lessons appropriately. Principals also review the scores for their school and meet with the teachers to discuss where changes or additions to the curriculum need to be made. All staff have been trained in Performance Improvement Mapping (PIM) so they have the skills to interpret MCAS scores and set new goals based on discrepancies that are identified. This becomes more challenging when the district is not able to provide them the materials or teaching staff they need to instruct this curriculum.
Dr. James Kelleher’s role as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Staff Development is outlined on the school website and on the blog.
What is your role as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Staff Development?
I have served for the past four years and during this time, I have led a variety of initiatives throughout the district, all focused on helping to implement the district’s Five Year Accountability Plan (included on the Scituate Public School website http://www.scituate.k12.ma.us/ on the Superintendent’s page). The goals of the Accountability Plan are to:
Support curriculum alignment and review on a continuous basis for all disciplines;
Improve the quality of classroom, school and district planning by systematically using data to guide decision making;
Endeavor to increase and improve communication and collaboration with colleagues, students, parents and community members, and;
Evaluate and reconsider governance and operational structures; update policies, procedures and systems of central office.
What are the key initiatives you are working on related to the goals of the school district?
Each year, I lead a core committee of stakeholders in reviewing a new curriculum area, with the intention of identifying new trends and purchasing new materials, as necessary. Dr. James Kelleher - “My number one priority currently the English Language Arts (ELA) program.” English Language Arts (ELA) includes: reading, writing, language (vocabulary, grammar, and usage), as well as speaking, listening and thinking skills. In the first several years of school, up to 50-60% (up to 3 hours a day) of a typical student’s daily curriculum is ELA. The K – 12 program is currently in need of replacement as the books and resources used currently are ‘on loan’ from the publishers as a pilot program. We need to purchase those materials this year to replace the outdated 12-year old materials currently owned by the district.
What are the district's plan to address the gap in MCAS scores which could result from the
elimination of key curriculum, particularly at the high school and middle school levels?
Teachers are responsible for reviewing and interpreting the scores and needs of their students and planning class lessons appropriately. Principals also review the scores for their school and meet with the teachers to discuss where changes or additions to the curriculum need to be made. All staff have been trained in Performance Improvement Mapping (PIM) so they have the skills to interpret MCAS scores and set new goals based on discrepancies that are identified. This becomes more challenging when the district is not able to provide them the materials or teaching staff they need to instruct this curriculum.
Newsletter #2 - Q&A for Selectman Jim Pollard
Q&A for Selectman Liaison to School Committee - Jim Pollard
What is your role as the liaison to the School Committee?
I have been a selectman since 2001 and have served as the liaison to various Town committees. As a liaison, I am responsible for establishing and maintaining communication and a mutual understanding of current and future issues between the two groups.
What are the key issues facing Scituate?
The major issues we face in Town are financial. The Town has and will continue to face a fiscal squeeze as our underlying costs grow faster than our revenues and local aid. The financial crunch has been created by a series of events, including: (1) several consecutive years of declining local aid from the State and 2 years of double digit increases for national health care costs, which are quickly spiraling out of control.
Last year’s increase in State aid and slight increase in Scituate Town revenues had little impact and will be insufficient to maintain the level of vital Town services we need.
In my view, Scituate can not continue to rely on real estate taxes, fees and other charges to balance future budgets. We need one or all of the following changes to occur at the State level:
· A steady increase in the share of tax revenues from the State;
· An increase in Chapter 70 Educational funding; and
· Greater authority to manage health care and retirement costs.
Do the selectman feel the current Town budget is sufficient to cover the current needs of the schools and town offices?
This year’s budget will be a challenge. Since we can’t rely on the State, Scituate residents may have to decide what is in the best interest of our Town. There are a few options available outside the normal budget process, such as operational and debt exclusion overrides that allow the town to raise taxes over the legal limit set by Proposition 2 ½ .
The Schools, consistently praised for providing an excellent education for the children in Town, are desperately seeking additional financial resources to move forward. The Town continues to discuss projects such as a Senior/Community Center and new Fire Stations and the associated costs to operate them. I’m convinced this year we will once again need to ask Town residents to decide (1) What they want from our Town Government and School system and (2) Are they willing to financially support it?
Many communities, both locally and throughout the State, are facing the same financial challenges as we are here in Scituate. During the next few months, I look forward to working with other elected officials, town employees and citizens volunteering their expertise and support in moving Scituate ahead.
What is your role as the liaison to the School Committee?
I have been a selectman since 2001 and have served as the liaison to various Town committees. As a liaison, I am responsible for establishing and maintaining communication and a mutual understanding of current and future issues between the two groups.
What are the key issues facing Scituate?
The major issues we face in Town are financial. The Town has and will continue to face a fiscal squeeze as our underlying costs grow faster than our revenues and local aid. The financial crunch has been created by a series of events, including: (1) several consecutive years of declining local aid from the State and 2 years of double digit increases for national health care costs, which are quickly spiraling out of control.
Last year’s increase in State aid and slight increase in Scituate Town revenues had little impact and will be insufficient to maintain the level of vital Town services we need.
In my view, Scituate can not continue to rely on real estate taxes, fees and other charges to balance future budgets. We need one or all of the following changes to occur at the State level:
· A steady increase in the share of tax revenues from the State;
· An increase in Chapter 70 Educational funding; and
· Greater authority to manage health care and retirement costs.
Do the selectman feel the current Town budget is sufficient to cover the current needs of the schools and town offices?
This year’s budget will be a challenge. Since we can’t rely on the State, Scituate residents may have to decide what is in the best interest of our Town. There are a few options available outside the normal budget process, such as operational and debt exclusion overrides that allow the town to raise taxes over the legal limit set by Proposition 2 ½ .
The Schools, consistently praised for providing an excellent education for the children in Town, are desperately seeking additional financial resources to move forward. The Town continues to discuss projects such as a Senior/Community Center and new Fire Stations and the associated costs to operate them. I’m convinced this year we will once again need to ask Town residents to decide (1) What they want from our Town Government and School system and (2) Are they willing to financially support it?
Many communities, both locally and throughout the State, are facing the same financial challenges as we are here in Scituate. During the next few months, I look forward to working with other elected officials, town employees and citizens volunteering their expertise and support in moving Scituate ahead.
Newsletter #2 - Message from Senior Citizen - Val Baker
Message from the Senior Citizen Community – Val Baker
I would like to thank CSI: Scituate for the invitation to be included in this new communication forum. As Vice Chairman for the Council on Aging, I feel strongly that the senior community works with the younger community for the better good of the town.
Over the past 40 years I have always strongly supported the Scituate schools. There are parents of school age children who think Scituate’s senior population does not support the schools. This is a misconception. My husband and many friends contribute weekly by volunteering in the schools. Many seniors teach religious classes for students in grades K-10. When a need presents itself, many seniors are willing to help.
After listening to discussion by town leadership and community members, it is clear that there is a unique opportunity presenting itself based on the needs of the seniors and the needs of the schools. The High School is quickly becoming space constrained. This could be alleviated if tenants of the High School such as the Recreation Department and/or the Early Childhood Center found a new home. Maybe now is the time for the Town of Scituate to consider a community center. Working together we can find the right answers.
I would like to thank CSI: Scituate for the invitation to be included in this new communication forum. As Vice Chairman for the Council on Aging, I feel strongly that the senior community works with the younger community for the better good of the town.
Over the past 40 years I have always strongly supported the Scituate schools. There are parents of school age children who think Scituate’s senior population does not support the schools. This is a misconception. My husband and many friends contribute weekly by volunteering in the schools. Many seniors teach religious classes for students in grades K-10. When a need presents itself, many seniors are willing to help.
After listening to discussion by town leadership and community members, it is clear that there is a unique opportunity presenting itself based on the needs of the seniors and the needs of the schools. The High School is quickly becoming space constrained. This could be alleviated if tenants of the High School such as the Recreation Department and/or the Early Childhood Center found a new home. Maybe now is the time for the Town of Scituate to consider a community center. Working together we can find the right answers.
Newsletter #2 - Did You Know? Teacher Information
Did You Know? (by Laura Lawson – President of the Scituate Teachers Association)
America’s public school teachers spend an average 50 hours per week on instructional duties, including an average of 12 hours each week above and beyond the contractual work day on activities such as grading papers, club advising, curriculum building, and mentoring new teachers. In addition, teachers spend an average of $443 of their own money each year to meet the needs of their students. Source: 2003 National Education Association survey.
Did You Know? – Out of the 280 teachers in Scituate….
99.5% of core academic teachers are identified as Highly Qualified
74% hold a master’s degree (compared to approximately 50% nationwide)
62% are Scituate residents
Did You Know? Scituate has the lowest teacher salaries among our competing schools on the S. Shore.
Avg Teacher Salaries
Cohasset - $57,957
Duxbury- 58,592
Hingham - 56,679
Marshfield - 55,049
Norwell- $59,550
Scituate - $51,726
Source: Mass Dept of Education website
Did You Know? Only one of the 4 elementary schools has a dedicated music room. The remaining elementary schools share space in the library or have ‘music on a cart’, where the music teacher visits the classroom with a push-cart of instruments. Instrumental music teachers have been known to use a closet or two to provide lessons to students.
America’s public school teachers spend an average 50 hours per week on instructional duties, including an average of 12 hours each week above and beyond the contractual work day on activities such as grading papers, club advising, curriculum building, and mentoring new teachers. In addition, teachers spend an average of $443 of their own money each year to meet the needs of their students. Source: 2003 National Education Association survey.
Did You Know? – Out of the 280 teachers in Scituate….
99.5% of core academic teachers are identified as Highly Qualified
74% hold a master’s degree (compared to approximately 50% nationwide)
62% are Scituate residents
Did You Know? Scituate has the lowest teacher salaries among our competing schools on the S. Shore.
Avg Teacher Salaries
Cohasset - $57,957
Duxbury- 58,592
Hingham - 56,679
Marshfield - 55,049
Norwell- $59,550
Scituate - $51,726
Source: Mass Dept of Education website
Did You Know? Only one of the 4 elementary schools has a dedicated music room. The remaining elementary schools share space in the library or have ‘music on a cart’, where the music teacher visits the classroom with a push-cart of instruments. Instrumental music teachers have been known to use a closet or two to provide lessons to students.
Newsletter #2 Scituate Elementary Teacher Thoughts
Scituate Elementary Teacher Thoughts –
I am fortunate to be using a new reading and writing program for the past two years, as a part of the pilot team for the much needed new English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum. The pilot program incorporates all of the current research into a teacher and student friendly, up-to-date literacy program. With the pilot program coming to an end this year, I am a bit worried that if our district does not have the funds to purchase the new ELA books and materials I will go back to teaching the old ELA curriculum. My son, a junior in college, used the ELA series currently owned by Scituate Public Schools when he was in first grade.
I look over my list of new students. I observe that there are some students who will require special attention in my class. I try to strategize ways in which I will meet all the needs of my students in the few hours a day that I am given to teach a curriculum that grows exponentially each year. I know that I need to get each of my students ready to pass the MCAS. How will I do that? Will I work with the slower students and try to catch them up, and leave the others on their own? Will I try to use some of my lunch hour to teach and help catch up the lagging students? I make a note to consider scheduling a few of the students with the reading specialist before her time gets booked up. I further decide I need to do some research on one of my student’s disabilities and talk to the previous year’s teacher. My “To do” list grows.
Time has past and I am well into the school year. I have some real concerns about some of my students. They are not making the kind of progress that I would have hoped. I know that this is a critical year for developing literacy fluency. All the research says that young children can be caught up, gaps can be narrowed and no child will be left behind. I am here by 7:30 AM and some days don’t leave until after 5:00PM. I spend every weekend planning for the following week - modifying, creating and individualizing and yet I feel that these students could use many more hours of extra help and instruction. Worse yet, I need to choose between those who can and those who can not.. Who do I teach? I look around my building. These students won’t qualify for special educational services. Our reading specialist is booked solid. We don’t have a math specialist. There simply is not any available support for these students. I do the best I can.
Despite all the challenges, I would not want to be doing anything else – I the students and love being a teacher!
I am fortunate to be using a new reading and writing program for the past two years, as a part of the pilot team for the much needed new English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum. The pilot program incorporates all of the current research into a teacher and student friendly, up-to-date literacy program. With the pilot program coming to an end this year, I am a bit worried that if our district does not have the funds to purchase the new ELA books and materials I will go back to teaching the old ELA curriculum. My son, a junior in college, used the ELA series currently owned by Scituate Public Schools when he was in first grade.
I look over my list of new students. I observe that there are some students who will require special attention in my class. I try to strategize ways in which I will meet all the needs of my students in the few hours a day that I am given to teach a curriculum that grows exponentially each year. I know that I need to get each of my students ready to pass the MCAS. How will I do that? Will I work with the slower students and try to catch them up, and leave the others on their own? Will I try to use some of my lunch hour to teach and help catch up the lagging students? I make a note to consider scheduling a few of the students with the reading specialist before her time gets booked up. I further decide I need to do some research on one of my student’s disabilities and talk to the previous year’s teacher. My “To do” list grows.
Time has past and I am well into the school year. I have some real concerns about some of my students. They are not making the kind of progress that I would have hoped. I know that this is a critical year for developing literacy fluency. All the research says that young children can be caught up, gaps can be narrowed and no child will be left behind. I am here by 7:30 AM and some days don’t leave until after 5:00PM. I spend every weekend planning for the following week - modifying, creating and individualizing and yet I feel that these students could use many more hours of extra help and instruction. Worse yet, I need to choose between those who can and those who can not.. Who do I teach? I look around my building. These students won’t qualify for special educational services. Our reading specialist is booked solid. We don’t have a math specialist. There simply is not any available support for these students. I do the best I can.
Despite all the challenges, I would not want to be doing anything else – I the students and love being a teacher!
Newsletter #2 - Did You Know? School Committee / Selectman
DID YOU KNOW?
The school committee and selectman are subject to “open meeting laws” and therefore cannot meet as more than two members at a time outside of a public open meeting. This significantly restricts the ability to discuss complex matters prior or subsequent to meetings to come to consensus and take action.
Did You Know?
At every School Committee Meeting they ask for comments from the public at the beginning and end of the meeting. The School Committee takes these comments into consideration for the current or future meetings. This presents a good opportunity for community members to voice their concern or praise related to the schools.
Did You Know?
The Board of Selectmen consists of five members who are elected to serve three year terms of office. The Board is responsible for the operation of Town government, the oversight of personnel and operating policies of all agencies of the Town except those under the direction of the School Committee. The Board of Selectmen is the chief executive office of the Town and serves as the chief policy making agency, including:
legislative directives and town meeting articles;
the general evaluation and oversight of the administration of Scituate’s government and municipal buildings including all schools;
the coordination and development of both short and long range planning; and
the development of the annual operating budget.
Refer to the Town of Scituate Annual Report for additional information on the Board of Selectmen
Did You Know?
The Town of Scituate Charter Article 6 provides the finance and fiscal procedures for the Town and The Town of Scituate Annual Report provides the financial reports for the town, including: historical data, balance sheet, income statement. The Charter is the first item available on the town website and the Annual Report is available to every citizen at Town Hall.
Did You Know?
Selectman meetings are held every other Tuesday and are televised on Channel 10
The school committee and selectman are subject to “open meeting laws” and therefore cannot meet as more than two members at a time outside of a public open meeting. This significantly restricts the ability to discuss complex matters prior or subsequent to meetings to come to consensus and take action.
Did You Know?
At every School Committee Meeting they ask for comments from the public at the beginning and end of the meeting. The School Committee takes these comments into consideration for the current or future meetings. This presents a good opportunity for community members to voice their concern or praise related to the schools.
Did You Know?
The Board of Selectmen consists of five members who are elected to serve three year terms of office. The Board is responsible for the operation of Town government, the oversight of personnel and operating policies of all agencies of the Town except those under the direction of the School Committee. The Board of Selectmen is the chief executive office of the Town and serves as the chief policy making agency, including:
legislative directives and town meeting articles;
the general evaluation and oversight of the administration of Scituate’s government and municipal buildings including all schools;
the coordination and development of both short and long range planning; and
the development of the annual operating budget.
Refer to the Town of Scituate Annual Report for additional information on the Board of Selectmen
Did You Know?
The Town of Scituate Charter Article 6 provides the finance and fiscal procedures for the Town and The Town of Scituate Annual Report provides the financial reports for the town, including: historical data, balance sheet, income statement. The Charter is the first item available on the town website and the Annual Report is available to every citizen at Town Hall.
Did You Know?
Selectman meetings are held every other Tuesday and are televised on Channel 10
Newsletter #2 - School Committee Message by Libby Michaud
School Committee Message by Libby Michaud
As a member of the School Committee since 2001 and a working mother of five grown children who attended the Scituate Public Schools, I appreciate the top-quality education Scituate is providing its students. However I can clearly see that the growth and changes in the town require vigilance to successfully manage our schools going forward. While Scituate is known as a top-performing school district, our on-going success will depend on the actions we take now.
Developed by school leaders and community consensus, the Scituate Public Schools Five Year Accountability Plan (2003 – 2008) presents a vision of where the Scituate Public Schools plans to be going forward. Find it on the school website (http://www.scituatek12.ma.us/). The goals are simple but the objectives are detailed and the responsibilities outlined.
While ultimately the Superintendent ensures the completion of all objectives, we as a school committee have identified three top needs for the schools currently and have created sub-committees to address them: facilities, finances and communication.
The sub-committee’s charge will be fact-finding, working groups with representation from various Scituate schools and grade-levels. They will be led by a school committee member who will report back to the school committee for feedback, discussion and a vote on the sub-committees recommendations.
I am the chair of the communication sub-committee. Members include representatives from each of the 6 schools as well as each of the organizations supporting our schools. Our mission is to forge school community relations. The communication sub-committee members and goals are included on the school website on the School Committee page.
As Mark Twain once said “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” I believe there is much community members don’t understand about the process, or things they think they “know” for sure.
The communication sub-committee will develop a policy that outlines procedures for communications with the public, media, parents, staff and students. There will be a focus on ensuring positions are clear and consistent to avoid confusion or misunderstandings.
The School Committee’s responsibility is to implement statutory requirements pertaining to public education as well as fulfill local citizens’ expectations for the education of the community youth. We want to hear those expectations and act on them.
Working with the newly formed CSI: Scituate, we plan to improve communications in the district. I want the power of our intentions to drive the direction of our school district
As a member of the School Committee since 2001 and a working mother of five grown children who attended the Scituate Public Schools, I appreciate the top-quality education Scituate is providing its students. However I can clearly see that the growth and changes in the town require vigilance to successfully manage our schools going forward. While Scituate is known as a top-performing school district, our on-going success will depend on the actions we take now.
Developed by school leaders and community consensus, the Scituate Public Schools Five Year Accountability Plan (2003 – 2008) presents a vision of where the Scituate Public Schools plans to be going forward. Find it on the school website (http://www.scituatek12.ma.us/). The goals are simple but the objectives are detailed and the responsibilities outlined.
While ultimately the Superintendent ensures the completion of all objectives, we as a school committee have identified three top needs for the schools currently and have created sub-committees to address them: facilities, finances and communication.
The sub-committee’s charge will be fact-finding, working groups with representation from various Scituate schools and grade-levels. They will be led by a school committee member who will report back to the school committee for feedback, discussion and a vote on the sub-committees recommendations.
I am the chair of the communication sub-committee. Members include representatives from each of the 6 schools as well as each of the organizations supporting our schools. Our mission is to forge school community relations. The communication sub-committee members and goals are included on the school website on the School Committee page.
As Mark Twain once said “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” I believe there is much community members don’t understand about the process, or things they think they “know” for sure.
The communication sub-committee will develop a policy that outlines procedures for communications with the public, media, parents, staff and students. There will be a focus on ensuring positions are clear and consistent to avoid confusion or misunderstandings.
The School Committee’s responsibility is to implement statutory requirements pertaining to public education as well as fulfill local citizens’ expectations for the education of the community youth. We want to hear those expectations and act on them.
Working with the newly formed CSI: Scituate, we plan to improve communications in the district. I want the power of our intentions to drive the direction of our school district
Newsletter #2 - A Message from Scituate Citizens for Limited Taxation by Norm Paley
A Message from Citizens for Limited Taxation Norm Paley
The following quotation is attributed to Alexander Fraser Tytler, economist and professor at Edingurgh University, writing at the time of the American Revolution.
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse (generous benefits) from the public treasury.
“From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising them the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
“The average age of the world’s great civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through this sequence:
“From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependence back to bondage.”
We are in my opinion in the next to the last stage of Tytler's warning. We have a public wanting more services and a government more than willing to provide them and an apathetic public unwilling to educate themselves as to why it costs so much. We are beginning to reach the point where government has grown so large and has become so powerful that they really don't care what the public thinks or what their programs cost. But those services do come with a price. Government tends to be a ferocious feeder. Feeding on our wealth and labor and always eager to add to their ranks workers dependant on the State, City or Town for their jobs. They then form unions to increase their wages and decrease their workload.
We pay for the School Department to educate our children to a level that will provide the best and the brightest a path to college or university. We also provide for the others a path to a decent job and decent living. I use the term path because we cannot make a promise that all children can, or desire to, make the effort to continue on to college and a great career.
The School System operates on the theory however that everything that possibly could be done will be done to make all children equal in their educational outcome. This is known as Outcome Based Education. The state joins them and provides mandates that while illegally unfunded are pursued none the less. In order to try to achieve these goals they have pursued several avenues. Small classes that make it easier for the teacher to give special attention to each student, specialist teachers to take up the slack for what the regular teacher can't, won't or has not been educated to do, and administrators and assistant administrators and principles and assistant principles all there to see that all the goals are met.
We then add the publishers of new curriculums all promising that their new method, or their new technique will suddenly enlighten even the most uninterested or challenged student. Most of these new programs have failed. The so called new math curriculum is the most recent and is being abandoned throughout most of the country. The cost of most of these new programs is exorbitant but is pushed with the same enthusiasm as the drug companies marketing the next new cure.
The cost will continue to grow as the size of the workforce grows to provide the service. There will come a point where we will no longer be able to fund this. We will either put an end to the insanity or we will vote with our feet and leave the town and then the state to find a school system where learning goes on at a more reasonable cost. The march out of Massachusetts has already begun. And an apathetic public continues to elect the officials responsible for the high cost and the poor performance.
The following quotation is attributed to Alexander Fraser Tytler, economist and professor at Edingurgh University, writing at the time of the American Revolution.
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse (generous benefits) from the public treasury.
“From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising them the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
“The average age of the world’s great civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through this sequence:
“From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependence back to bondage.”
We are in my opinion in the next to the last stage of Tytler's warning. We have a public wanting more services and a government more than willing to provide them and an apathetic public unwilling to educate themselves as to why it costs so much. We are beginning to reach the point where government has grown so large and has become so powerful that they really don't care what the public thinks or what their programs cost. But those services do come with a price. Government tends to be a ferocious feeder. Feeding on our wealth and labor and always eager to add to their ranks workers dependant on the State, City or Town for their jobs. They then form unions to increase their wages and decrease their workload.
We pay for the School Department to educate our children to a level that will provide the best and the brightest a path to college or university. We also provide for the others a path to a decent job and decent living. I use the term path because we cannot make a promise that all children can, or desire to, make the effort to continue on to college and a great career.
The School System operates on the theory however that everything that possibly could be done will be done to make all children equal in their educational outcome. This is known as Outcome Based Education. The state joins them and provides mandates that while illegally unfunded are pursued none the less. In order to try to achieve these goals they have pursued several avenues. Small classes that make it easier for the teacher to give special attention to each student, specialist teachers to take up the slack for what the regular teacher can't, won't or has not been educated to do, and administrators and assistant administrators and principles and assistant principles all there to see that all the goals are met.
We then add the publishers of new curriculums all promising that their new method, or their new technique will suddenly enlighten even the most uninterested or challenged student. Most of these new programs have failed. The so called new math curriculum is the most recent and is being abandoned throughout most of the country. The cost of most of these new programs is exorbitant but is pushed with the same enthusiasm as the drug companies marketing the next new cure.
The cost will continue to grow as the size of the workforce grows to provide the service. There will come a point where we will no longer be able to fund this. We will either put an end to the insanity or we will vote with our feet and leave the town and then the state to find a school system where learning goes on at a more reasonable cost. The march out of Massachusetts has already begun. And an apathetic public continues to elect the officials responsible for the high cost and the poor performance.
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