Saturday, April 16, 2011

Teachers have not unbalanced our budgets

On another post Anonymous wrote:

"For your teachers who are readers and writers here, may I suggest you print this commentary:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11103/1138817-109.stm"

- Subtitle: Teachers have not unbalanced our budgets, wars have"

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Questioner.

I would hope that all teachers have read this and feel a bit more empowered.

Me? I simply continue to have disdain for this "governor" who is brazen enough to enact policy that takes care of those who have provided him with campaign funding. Another republican who takes care of his own.

Anonymous said...

I too am disappointed in the Governor's recommendations for school district and college funding. It's an outright assault on public education.

That being said, I can't help but think that much PPS' current crisis is of their own making.

For five years the Board and Superindent have received repeated warnings that the PSERS crisis would not go away and in fact, adding health care inflation, would double the cost of employee benefits at the same time local revenues would be flat and state/federal revenues would decline.

On the brink of said crisis, Roosevelt was worried about kayaking and improving his life insurance exit strategy.

The only Board member who seemed to pay attention to the need to trim costs and speak for all children in the city was Mark Brentley. He wasn't always right (in fact sometimes dead wrong and fixated on the wrong problems) but when the dust settles I think we will be surprised at just how much of the time he was right.

Anonymous said...

Brentley is a very sharp guy. He may say some things that could have been expressed differently, but he has long experience and sees to the heart of issues.

Anonymous said...

Mark Brentley is the only independent thinking Board member, who has been a consistent voice for his constituents and an advocate for the children of this city who are NOT being educated in the PPS.

Those with the means will always find a way to provide the best for their children; however, the academic achievement of ALL children has its strongest advocate in Mark Brentley.

The teachers of the city would do well to support advocates for the children they teach or the budget will be balanced on their backs.

Old Timer said...

Anon, I thank you for your suggestion and truly, I think we do as a force support advocates.But your last comment is a bit off base. That ship has already sailed.