2 things--1) I think the ConVal SAU is next to be confronted with this RSA 32:5-e resident petition to blah-blah-blah Budget Cap. Kudos to Kearsarge-- Conval gonna be next... (my son-in-law is on the School Board and told me about this last night.
2) Interesting about DEms not doing enough (2018 School Funding Commission, led by 2 Dems... you probably already wrote about this, but.. say more.. especially with new House Committee on School Funding) ANDin stopping the Downshift. ... "Dems claoim they cab solve school funding inequities without a new source Of revenues. IT'S HARD TO FIND THEM CREDIBLE." My latest hobby-horse is I& D revenue stream... I get that for Joyce Craig it was the 3rd rail. Nevertheless. Your thoughts Andru?
Mary, thank you for confirming my position against cellphones in the classroom. It is, I agree, a minor problem compared to many others dogging our educational system. But a minor problem here, a minor problem there, pretty soon you have a major problem - and grist for someone's mill.
I totally agree with your second paragraph. The voucher system has to go. My feeling is that the public school system must be improved, and vouchers distract the resources necessary for this to happen. We are falling behind other advanced nations in academics, especially at the pre-college level. I do believe in promoting the concept of "magnet" schools to address the needs of more advanced students, but they should be part of the public education system.
As a disgruntled Democrat, I don't understand the position (or non-position) on banning .cellphones in school. What is the pedagogical purpose of a cellphone in class? They can be a distraction. I wonder what the teaching profession thinks about this issue.
I can assure you most feel they are a distraction. Each school may or may not have policies regarding cell phones. Some may allow the teacher to confiscate the cellphone for the time the student is in class. Most teachers don’t want the responsibility of taking possession of an item that may cost between $500-$1,000+. Yes most of my former colleagues wish that they (cell phones) were not there. One teacher, I know, hands out brown paper bags at the beginning of class. Students are instructed to silence their phones,put them in the bag, staple the bag shut and they can keep their cell phones on the desk. What they can’t do is open that paper bag until class is over. Most see this as a deflection from addressing the real issues & concerns facing our public schools
The reaction that I have seen from my former colleagues and friends that still teach is basically the forehead slap🤦🏻. They would much rather see the governor address the lack of funding and increasing it. They would rather see the governor end this voucher program and/or enforce accountability for each dollar that’s being given out, because there isn’t any. They see the State handing out public money on vouchers, with recipients not documenting how that money is spent. Yet public schools have to account for their spending, even when there may be an errors.
2 things--1) I think the ConVal SAU is next to be confronted with this RSA 32:5-e resident petition to blah-blah-blah Budget Cap. Kudos to Kearsarge-- Conval gonna be next... (my son-in-law is on the School Board and told me about this last night.
2) Interesting about DEms not doing enough (2018 School Funding Commission, led by 2 Dems... you probably already wrote about this, but.. say more.. especially with new House Committee on School Funding) ANDin stopping the Downshift. ... "Dems claoim they cab solve school funding inequities without a new source Of revenues. IT'S HARD TO FIND THEM CREDIBLE." My latest hobby-horse is I& D revenue stream... I get that for Joyce Craig it was the 3rd rail. Nevertheless. Your thoughts Andru?
Great post.. Thank you.
Mary, thank you for confirming my position against cellphones in the classroom. It is, I agree, a minor problem compared to many others dogging our educational system. But a minor problem here, a minor problem there, pretty soon you have a major problem - and grist for someone's mill.
I totally agree with your second paragraph. The voucher system has to go. My feeling is that the public school system must be improved, and vouchers distract the resources necessary for this to happen. We are falling behind other advanced nations in academics, especially at the pre-college level. I do believe in promoting the concept of "magnet" schools to address the needs of more advanced students, but they should be part of the public education system.
As a disgruntled Democrat, I don't understand the position (or non-position) on banning .cellphones in school. What is the pedagogical purpose of a cellphone in class? They can be a distraction. I wonder what the teaching profession thinks about this issue.
I can assure you most feel they are a distraction. Each school may or may not have policies regarding cell phones. Some may allow the teacher to confiscate the cellphone for the time the student is in class. Most teachers don’t want the responsibility of taking possession of an item that may cost between $500-$1,000+. Yes most of my former colleagues wish that they (cell phones) were not there. One teacher, I know, hands out brown paper bags at the beginning of class. Students are instructed to silence their phones,put them in the bag, staple the bag shut and they can keep their cell phones on the desk. What they can’t do is open that paper bag until class is over. Most see this as a deflection from addressing the real issues & concerns facing our public schools
The reaction that I have seen from my former colleagues and friends that still teach is basically the forehead slap🤦🏻. They would much rather see the governor address the lack of funding and increasing it. They would rather see the governor end this voucher program and/or enforce accountability for each dollar that’s being given out, because there isn’t any. They see the State handing out public money on vouchers, with recipients not documenting how that money is spent. Yet public schools have to account for their spending, even when there may be an errors.