Let's have a fireside chat

Sorry for the hiatus. It’s been a busy week and I have bloggers block. A mini vacation has cleared my mind and opened my eyes to what it is like to truly run a district on a shoestring budget. I visited a district in WV with over 150 busses. I’m still processing everything I learned to blog about later. So today I’m going to throw out a potpourri of items just to hear your thoughts on them.
First, someone commented on the new wellness policy and asked if I have any knowledge of our lunch program. I have been asked to challenge all principals to eat the children’s lunch menu for an entire year. Would they do it? I doubt it. Are parents satisfied with the selections? I suppose our lunch menu meets some sort of nutritional requirements. Although I have to question French toast sticks for lunch next week.
Here’s one for teachers. What are your thoughts on controlling classroom dollars? Next year our teachers become more accountable in the classroom. I’m not sure how this will work with tenure. As it stands now, once a teacher attains tenure, it’s a guarantee lifetime job, with the cushiest benefits and extra perks anyone could hope for. So I am curious. Would teachers give up tenure and accept accountability in return for more control in the classroom? A direct budget and the freedom to teach your own style, materials, books, etc… The classroom is truly yours. Do as you wish. As long as your students flourish the way you do it, nobody interferes. But your continued employment in the district would be dependent on your students success. As well as evaluations from students, parents, peers, and superiors. So let’s hear it teachers. Is this appealing or not? If anyone is curious and would like more information on running a school district using unconventional methods that are taxpayer and community friendly, I recommend Making Schools Work by William G Ouchi. In my humble opinion, Ouchi is the band-aid for public school systems.
One last item I’d like to hear thoughts on is the death of the TEL. For those unfamiliar, the Tax Expenditure Limitations amendment would have devastated school systems the most. Although I am in favor of spending caps and limits for governmental entities, but this would have forced our district each year to spend nothing on our children. ALL monies would have went to salary, insurance, and utility increases because that is the only way we could have stayed under the spending cap. Everything you know and love would take a hit. And not just schools. City services would come to a screeching halt as well. Once again paying salary and benefits would come before park upkeep, road plowing, leaf pick up, etc. Although it looks as if TEL will appear on the November ballot, measures are already being put in place to negate TELs’ ill effects. Thank goodness.