This will end well.

Eliminate Special Ed.

FTA: For kids that are struggling to even keep up, I'm not quite sure how we're going to get them to recuperate those five days

If some kids are having problems keeping up, I doubt that five days are going to make that big of a difference. Those kids can make up the difference with summer school or repeating the grade.

Code_Archeologist: FTA: For kids that are struggling to even keep up, I'm not quite sure how we're going to get them to recuperate those five days

If some kids are having problems keeping up, I doubt that five days are going to make that big of a difference. Those kids can make up the difference with summer school or repeating the grade.

Even without the financial issue here, the parents should always have taken responsibility for their kids' education. They will not learn everything from school so you need to teach them at home as well. I don't care how good the school it. It's up to YOU, the parent, to ensure your child is successful.

/end rant

Code_Archeologist: FTA: For kids that are struggling to even keep up, I'm not quite sure how we're going to get them to recuperate those five days

If some kids are having problems keeping up, I doubt that five days are going to make that big of a difference. Those kids can make up the difference with summer school or repeating the grade.


I could be wrong, but I think that summer school and/or repeating grades would cost the state more money.

OMG!!! Five days less of public education!!!! The kids will be sooo stoopid without those 5 days!!!!

that's not an awful idea. After all, without jobs, mom and dad will be home anyway to watch the kids when they're on break.

You gotta take a little bit off of everything. California's budget is totally out of whack - as long as there aren't disproportionate cuts to one program and not to another, nobody really has the right to complain.

"Well I'm a teacher so for me it's not a big deal because I could do stuff at home," said Saundra Benson. "But as far as cutting teacher pay, you know, that's not something I'm for."

How about you take the rest of your life off and save the taxpayers some cash and the kids their dose of stupid?

Arnold T Pants: OMG!!! Five days less of public education!!!! The kids will be sooo stoopid without those 5 days!!!!

Even in a high quality private school, five days wouldn't make a damn bit of difference.

What's the problem here?

I say we abolish summer vacation and try to catch up to the rest of the world.

netweavr: Eliminate Special Ed.



Why? How?

Code_Archeologist: Those kids can make up the difference with summer school or repeating the grade.

Repeating a grade costs the state a whole extra year of education costs for that student.

Hack of all trades: netweavr: Eliminate Special Ed.



Why? How?

He's just one guy. Nobody would notice. But I don't understand how that would impact California's budget. Besides, I don't know anyone who dislikes Special Ed. He's good guy.

DarnoKonrad: Hack of all trades: netweavr: Eliminate Special Ed.



Why? How?

He's just one guy. Nobody would notice. But I don't understand how that would impact California's budget. Besides, I don't know anyone who dislikes Special Ed. He's good guy.

I like Special Ed, his friend Simple Jack is funny too.

Hey, if everyone just did their patriotic duty and sent their kids to expensive private schools, we could really balance our budget nicely.

bubbaprog: Code_Archeologist: Those kids can make up the difference with summer school or repeating the grade.

Repeating a grade costs the state a whole extra year of education costs for that student.

If 1 out of every 36 students would repeat a grade at 175 days but not at 180 days, it's a wash. It would still save money in fixed costs due to building only being open, heated, with lunches served for 175 days. If it's less than 1 in 36, you're ahead.

/ Ford Pinto economics!

netweavr: Eliminate Special Ed.




"YAAAAAYYYY!!!! I mean, NOOOOOO!!!"

Hack of all trades: netweavr: Eliminate Special Ed.



Why? How?

Make California English-only.

/sorta serious

Considering that the product of the public schools these days is a completely useless individual, I say cut the rest of the school year too.

Might as well - It's not like they're learning anything anyway.

America: We spend more per capita than anyone else on child health and education, yet we have the world's DUMBEST FATTEST kids.

When I lived in Canada, people always asked me why Americans were so anti-intellectual. I told them you would be too if you had to deal with our educators.

Yeh, but blondes get six weeks off cause they're. you know, like three times dumber than the rest of the Keliforyna brats.

If you haven't read CA State Senator Tom McClintock's "A Modest Proposal for Saving our Schools," it's worth your time. McClintock (one of Schwarzenegger's rivals in the Big California Gubernatorial Free-For-All) outlines how the budget proposed by Schwarzenegger in 2005 could be used to educate kids with Cal State University associate professors and new hardcover textbooks, in luxury office space, with PE at a local private health club, and still have money left over.

As he says: "The school I have just described is the school we're paying for. Maybe it's time to ask why it's not the school we're getting."

(Yes, someone is going to bring up special education. McClintock explicitly excluded any cuts in that at the beginning of the article, as well as a number of other areas. In fact, his budget would also pay 30,000 school bureaucrats just to stay the fark OUT of classrooms...)

Unfortunately, McClintock doesn't have a memorable catchphrase like "I'll be back," or he might be Governor today. (kidding, but only somewhat)

GoodyearPimp: "Well I'm a teacher so for me it's not a big deal because I could do stuff at home," said Saundra Benson. "But as far as cutting teacher pay, you know, that's not something I'm for."

How about you take the rest of your life off and save the taxpayers some cash and the kids their dose of stupid?

Most teachers are paid based upon term, not hourly. If they lower the already dismal teacher pay, it hurts a lot. Where we live, average pay for a 6-12 teacher is between 26k and 32k annually, depending on how long you've been working. Considering the amount of responsibility and stress that go into the job, this is pretty horrid pay. Look across the state at city hall, telephone operators are starting at 30k a year, and they don't have the constant overtime a teacher has (for grading, projects, parent-teacher meditations, etc.).

Don't bash educators until you know what they are getting for pay. It's crap, and they have a crappy job which involves taking your snowflakes and, as carefully as possible (to prevent lawsuits) preparing them for the world beyond their parent's houses. The only thing good going for them are state benefits which vanish as soon as the powers that be need some cash for other projects.

I don't know about the rest of the state, but it seems like kids in LAUSD are hardly ever in school.

Damn teenagers roaming the streets all day long.
There's chimneys these ragamuffins could be sweeping.

Eliminate gifted programs. If the kid is gifted, get his/her skinny little butt out of public school by the fastest means available.

I didn't learn anything in 4th, 7th, 9th, 10th, and 11th grade; instead, I sat around while the rest of the dumb mutherfarkers relearned arithmetic from ten different teachers. If they weren't in school, they would have gone to trade school and got a shiatty job fixing refrigerators for Sears. Instead, they sat through 12 years of public schooling, then went to trade school and got a shiatty job fixing refrigerators for Sears.

Sorry Farkers, but I'm with the governator on this one.

Erbo: If you haven't read CA State Senator Tom McClintock's "A Modest Proposal for Saving our Schools," it's worth your time. McClintock (one of Schwarzenegger's rivals in the Big California Gubernatorial Free-For-All) outlines how the budget proposed by Schwarzenegger in 2005 could be used to educate kids with Cal State University associate professors and new hardcover textbooks, in luxury office space, with PE at a local private health club, and still have money left over.

As he says: "The school I have just described is the school we're paying for. Maybe it's time to ask why it's not the school we're getting."

(Yes, someone is going to bring up special education. McClintock explicitly excluded any cuts in that at the beginning of the article, as well as a number of other areas. In fact, his budget would also pay 30,000 school bureaucrats just to stay the fark OUT of classrooms...)

Unfortunately, McClintock doesn't have a memorable catchphrase like "I'll be back," or he might be Governor today. (kidding, but only somewhat)

Most of the cash invested in the school system vanishes before it reaches the classroom via School Boards and School Principals. I have never once seen a successful raise for educators in the ten years I've been following it (plenty proposed, none actually implemented), though I do know of a School Board office which has been renovated three times in five years.

My kid's high school didn't receive a dozen new computers two years ago when the county made a huge push to update their schools, they received one Dell circa 2003 that had been sold without peripherals. They still have mid-90s monitors in their "media center".

There are other, better ways to go about doing the public education system. The best way to start is by removing everyone between the primary State Education Department office and the school Principals.

janeuner: Eliminate gifted programs. If the kid is gifted, get his/her skinny little butt out of public school by the fastest means available.

I didn't learn anything in 4th, 7th, 9th, 10th, and 11th grade; instead, I sat around while the rest of the dumb mutherfarkers relearned arithmetic from ten different teachers. If they weren't in school, they would have gone to trade school and got a shiatty job fixing refrigerators for Sears. Instead, they sat through 12 years of public schooling, then went to trade school and got a shiatty job fixing refrigerators for Sears.

Sorry Farkers, but I'm with the governator on this one.

Your experiance might not be universal, though I would say it happens all too often. The Gifted program dosen't usually cost anything more than usual. In my area the teachers get a $1,000 bonus a year for teaching it (if they have the education to back it), and those who do are in the minority. The classes aren't extra, more classes would need to be generated if they were in the regular track to compensate for the additional students.

Or you could just, you know, stuff them in somewhere. Average class size here ranges from 25-40, usually in the upper ranges for non-specialty courses.

How did education come to eat up 40% of the state's budget? Jebus.

Let's see...the school buildings are falling apart, the teachers are underpaid, and the kids are underachieving.

I can only surmise that the school system administrators are grossly incompetent and the parents are low-brow morons who think an education is like a package of macaroni and cheese which you simply purchase.

Everyone wants to dance around the real problem in America (and not just regarding the public school system): the "adults" of America have utterly failed. They can't manage their own households, they tolerate abject political corruption, they are incompetent at managing the country at every level, and they can't be bothered to spend the time to ensure their own children are educated.

I have to agree with the Governator. Why not cut the school year? It won't make any difference. We live in a disintegrating, decadent society, and vomiting more money upon the public schools won't make any difference at all.

JollyMagistrate: Don't bash educators until you know what they are getting for pay. It's crap, and they have a crappy job which involves taking your snowflakes and, as carefully as possible (to prevent lawsuits) preparing them for the world beyond their parent's houses. The only thing good going for them are state benefits which vanish as soon as the powers that be need some cash for other projects.

I'm not quite sure how to respond. Most of your post is a rehash of the same points made in every "teacher" thread none of which have anything to do with my shallow post. I was "bashing" the stupid line of reasoning used and the lack of proper diction.

Yet he seems to forget what NOT educating them costs.

They can learn plenty working in a factory. What's the problem?

HEre's a concept: Those students that are college bound, who have excellent grades, how about letting them graduate early? Develop a high-achievement diploma, allow a student to graduate in 3 years, require a B or better average and has a track toward college, trade school or other post-graduation education. Require better then average attendence and behavior. Skim out everyone who has an 85+, from a whole year of senior-itous, and you'd get motivated students.

I'm sure there's a lot of waste, so why not try to cut that first? Make a policy, that if a state worker can identify waste within their department, they are rewarded with 10% of the savings. 420,000 eyes in the field have got to be better than a handful in the capitol building.

saintstryfe: HEre's a concept: Those students that are college bound, who have excellent grades, how about letting them graduate early? Develop a high-achievement diploma, allow a student to graduate in 3 years, require a B or better average and has a track toward college, trade school or other post-graduation education. Require better then average attendence and behavior. Skim out everyone who has an 85+, from a whole year of senior-itous, and you'd get motivated students.

Run for school board. Not singling you out, but education threads irritate the hell out of me. Public education is only as good the people that participate in it. As soon as it becomes something for someone else to fix, it's too far broken -- as the Public is taken out of the equation.

I was lucky to go to a very fine Public school -- and it was because the community wanted to to be a damn fine school.

DarnoKonrad: saintstryfe: HEre's a concept: Those students that are college bound, who have excellent grades, how about letting them graduate early? Develop a high-achievement diploma, allow a student to graduate in 3 years, require a B or better average and has a track toward college, trade school or other post-graduation education. Require better then average attendence and behavior. Skim out everyone who has an 85+, from a whole year of senior-itous, and you'd get motivated students.

Run for school board. Not singling you out, but education threads irritate the hell out of me. Public education is only as good the people that participate in it. As soon as it becomes something for someone else to fix, it's too far broken -- as the Public is taken out of the equation.

I was lucky to go to a very fine Public school -- and it was because the community wanted to to be a damn fine school.

I tried to help - studied for four years and got my BA in education. Did my student teaching and was told despite earning my degree, I couldn't actually teach (get my certification) because I couldn't teach 15 drug addict 17+ year olds (Note, my program was K-6, this was the only placement they had for me) how to do fractions.

I'll come up with good ideas, someone else implement them. I'm dealing with another whole breed of children now: researchers.

No, you can't bring coffee into the research room with the 300+ year old documents. No, you can't have a pen because you like it better, only pencil. No you can't lay out a picnic lunch! Gahh!!

GoodyearPimp: JollyMagistrate: Don't bash educators until you know what they are getting for pay. It's crap, and they have a crappy job which involves taking your snowflakes and, as carefully as possible (to prevent lawsuits) preparing them for the world beyond their parent's houses. The only thing good going for them are state benefits which vanish as soon as the powers that be need some cash for other projects.

I'm not quite sure how to respond. Most of your post is a rehash of the same points made in every "teacher" thread none of which have anything to do with my shallow post. I was "bashing" the stupid line of reasoning used and the lack of proper diction.

You're assuming the teacher in question answered this question via some sort of written medium. My guess is that the journalist who wrote this piece simply called up a bunch of folk and asked them on the spot what they thought of this situation. Most people don't speak in perfect grammatical diction, teacher or otherwise. Those that do are probably robots.

I would guess the question asked to Saundra was something along the lines of: "How will this affect you as a teacher?" She answers the question and adds a logical amendment. How is this condemnable?

As a public school teacher, I can pretty much assure you that those 5 extra days gone won't be a huge loss. Heck, the last 5 days of school are usually a huge waste anyway, since most teachers try to finish everything up a week or two before the last day of school. What they're really uppity about is the fact that that would be five fewer days they'd be paid.

Is it possible that our government really does not WANT our kids to be all that educated? It makes a lot of sense. Educated people tend to be more informed, more involved and complain a lot more. An educated populace is much harder to control. The dumber and fatter we are, the more reliant we are on those who wish to control us.

//Adjusts tinfoil hat

Eliminate Special Ed, Gifted programs, etc.

Get down to the bare basics then see where you are.

Those extra programs are just that, extra. And California can't afford extras right now.

JollyMagistrate: The best way to start is by removing everyone between the primary State Education Department office and the school Principals.

THIS. It's almost guaranteed that everyone in the educational system aside from some teachers are complete morons. It can get as bad as politics in Washington DC with these schools.

My high school was considered a pretty good one, but it seemed like every so often some mid-level management would be brought up on embezzlement charges.

There are a few parts to the education problem in California.

One, we set a certain level of funding for CA schools (K-14).

Two, when the lottery was instituted, the money was supposed to go to schools. It does--but districts started counting on that money in their budgets rather than considering it additional monies. You can see the flaw there.

Three, if your district takes in too much money (property tax revenues, etc.) you don't get all your state money per student because you have "excess revenue".

Four, the lion's share of the money comes from the state, due to two things: Prop 13 and Serrano v. Priest (I'm not going to detail that..look it up). Which means when the state goes tits up, so do the school districts.

Welcome to the Golden State.

netweavr: Eliminate Special Ed.

oooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, now you've done it

WhoGAS
It's up to YOU, the parent, to ensure your child is successful.

What a blatant troll. Pure crazy talk. This is America, dang it. Personal, parental, and fiscal responsibility is for commies.

netweavr: Eliminate Special Ed, Gifted programs, etc.

Get down to the bare basics then see where you are.

Those extra programs are just that, extra. And California can't afford extras right now.

Special ed is required by federal law... just as an FYI for you all and gifted is defined as part of that umbrella.. but please people who know nothing about education, continue with your asshat suggestions.

That rant over, yes it is true the last 5 days are certainly a wash... here in FL for anything over gr 3 any day after the FCAT is kind of a wash... now have those testing days the last days of school and teaching would be to the last day.

I was paid to LEAD, not to READ!

The important thing is that they don't cut social programs or cut benefits to illegals.

Besides, an expanded uneducated underclass will help keep the Dem's in power.

Gov. RINO

The farked up budget is what was disallowing transfers to Cal State universities. Totally sucked.

Remove all Republicans: California can. It just needs to pay for them. It is possible to have your cake and eat it too. We just need to start recalling politicians who are closed-minded in their views of how government should work.

Yeah, because that worked so well in the past. Don't like the budget? Spend millions recalling people in office! That'll fix things.

Half of all children in California have at least one immigrant parent. Nearly one in ten are foreign-born themselves. 58/ California spends almost $2.2 billion annually to educate illegal immigrant students in grades K-12-enough to pay the salaries of 41,764 teachers, or 14 percent of California's teachers.

Impact of Immigration on Education (new window)