I sent this message to my local Representative and now am forwarding it to you for your consideration.
Privatization, Michigan Senate Bill No.1074, 20J funding Sunday, March 14, 2010 10:49 AM From: "Alison Smith" To: senncassis@senate.michigan.gov
Today, after reading an article in the local Spinal Column I got a Picture in my head, You know that painting of the dogs sitting around a table playing cards....Well, transpose the heads of the Governor, Senators, and Legislators (Politicians in general) onto the heads of the dogs. The pot is made up of all the "stuff" they are GAMBLING with..and there IN THE MIDDLE OF THE POT sit OUR KIDS. I want a billboard sized sign of that posted in my front yard.
"Privatization" and "20J funding" are just words to the layman.
We are in an economy where the gap between the "haves" and the "have nots" is getting wider and "outsourcing" and "privatization" is becoming trend.
Here is how I, a taxpayor and registered voter, perceive the situation.
There is legislation sitting in our Michigan House and Senate to address everything under the sun. EDUCATION for our children, who are the future of our state, should be a priority.
Proposal A, was supported by voters in 1994. Prior to this vote local tax dollars went to local school districts to support that districts programs. At the time the situation we find ourselves facing now was predicted. 20 J funding was born for larger districts which the Proposal A funding was not enough. In June of every year our local school districts have to submit a balanced budget to the state for approval. However the state doesn't submit its budget until October, four months after the school districts.
This year in October, four months into the 2009-10 school year, the state decided that it wasn't going to give the districts the money necessary to fund the budget it submitted in June, the money that was allready designated. Thats like saying, you have to pay your bills, but your employer has cut your wage by 30% and its retroactive to four months ago. So, now you have to figure out what to cut out of your budget to survive without loosing everything.
PROPOSAL A NEEDS AN OVERHAUL.
THE DATE FOR A BALANCED BUDGET FROM THE STATE AND THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT NEEDS TO BE REVERSED.
Walled Lake Consolidated Schools is a 20J Funds District.
Part of Walled Lake Schools solution to this problem is "Privatization". I am fully aware that you are a co-sponsor of Bill 1074. This is not a solution. This opens up this area to the possibility of higher unemployment, higher foreclosure rates and less stimulation to the economy. It brings MULTI NATIONAL FOR PROFIT CORPORATIONS, with Lobbiest on the Payroll, into the area to take over the jobs that OUR RESIDENTS, the people who have something vested in our local school district and local economy, now hold.
In the Walled Lake School District alone, which covers 55 square miles, 285 people are faced with loosing t
Speaking as a layoff employee of Walled Lake Schools, giving them 12 years of great service. I worked as Paraprofessional helping high school students with postsecondary plans (helping every student put together a Education Development Plan, which was State Mandated), and the program was CUT. This is an absolute travesty what the state is doing to our public school systems. CUTS! CUTS! CUTS! There are employees that have worked for the public schools for year that have ownership and pride in their jobs. Giving back to the community making a difference in our kids lives every single day. NOW you are making more cuts forcing the pubic school to shop out bus drivers, custodians, paraprofessional, layoff teachers increasing class sizes and putting more people on unemployment. I thought our kids education was the most important "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT", my gosh is this state of Michigan reverting backwards. Our children, are the future of this country and you can't even provide a promising education, with programs being cut, class sizes increasing. That's right make the schools cut more jobs putting more people on unemployment, and forcing them to move out of Michigan. The TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT does that mean anything to you!!! When you force people to leave our state business suffer. This is really SAD!
We can't we think of our children first? We have to stop the mismanagement of funds in goverment. We are being short sighted about our future, teach the children well, they are our future, they need to be able complete in this ever change world and a great education is the begining.
I think it is absolutely sad that we keep going to the school districts for these types of cuts.Based on the financial situation of this state is education something we want to enforce rather than minimize resources.This is very unsettling.
This is happening to schools all across the US - and it needs to stop! How are our children going to help this country's future if we are not helping them learn now!!
Please do not let this happen! Why privatize so that more people collect unemployment??Makes no sense! We love our kids and want highly qualified people around!!
Please help the Walled Lake School District. The cuts for our students is ridiculous. The legislators need to take a paycheck themselves. People are gonna be voted out of office left and right. SAVE OUR SCHOOLS!!!!!!!
We moved to our home specifically for the Walled Lake school system. We were proud that our kids would be part of Walled Lake schools, that they would get a great education and would have a good base from which to launch a college career. This is pathetic, humiliating and unacceptable to keep cutting the budget to the point of absolutely no return. In a heartbeat, we will think about taking our kids to a private education system where we can be assured they will get the education that they richly deserve and need in order to succeed in this competitive world. This is shameful. Would YOU want your kids here? Do something!
I have two childern that attend the Walled lake schools, not only does this affect my childern this will affect many others. As I sat in the board meeting I learned they will be taking away my child's special need readind recovery teacher, HOW CAN YOU LET THIS HAPPEN? What is that saying NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND! But my child is! Besides all the other children. The school board act's like taking all this away is no big deal, they don't understand straight down to the bus driver whom they see everyday picking them up who they trust and their parent's trust.Special Need Student's cannot adjust to different driver's and different teacher's, also closing school's is not the answer, that is just pushing more on the school worker's than they all ready have plus what they will also be taking away, IS THIS A SOLUTION? Mr. President and my congress of lansing the school board for Walled Lake have never taken a wage freeze. I know for a fact that the school officials about to lose their jobs have for the past 2 years have taken a pay freeze and a pay cut, You MR. President have 2 daughter's yourself you wouldn't like their school's to be privitized, I have done research on some companies and was appalled to what I have found! On the board member's of Walled Lake School District HOW CAN THEY ACTUALLY SLEEP AT NIGHT KNOWING WHAT KIND OF COMPANIES THEY ARE TAKING BIDS FROM, WHO THEY ARE AS OF TODAY WALKING AROUND SHOWING WHAT THEY HAVE FOR SALE! PLEASE HELP US AND OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT FROM OUR SCHOOL BOARD DESTROYING WHAT IS A VERY GOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT. Please I know you can stop this!
SAVE OUR SCHOOLS
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Privatization, Michigan Senate Bill No.1074, 20J funding Sunday, March 14, 2010 10:49 AM From: "Alison Smith" To: senncassis@senate.michigan.gov
Today, after reading an article in the local Spinal Column I got a Picture in my head, You know that painting of the dogs sitting around a table playing cards....Well, transpose the heads of the Governor, Senators, and Legislators (Politicians in general) onto the heads of the dogs. The pot is made up of all the "stuff" they are GAMBLING with..and there IN THE MIDDLE OF THE POT sit OUR KIDS. I want a billboard sized sign of that posted in my front yard.
"Privatization" and "20J funding" are just words to the layman.
We are in an economy where the gap between the "haves" and the "have nots" is getting wider and "outsourcing" and "privatization" is becoming trend.
Here is how I, a taxpayor and registered voter, perceive the situation.
There is legislation sitting in our Michigan House and Senate to address everything under the sun. EDUCATION for our children, who are the future of our state, should be a priority.
Proposal A, was supported by voters in 1994. Prior to this vote local tax dollars went to local school districts to support that districts programs. At the time the situation we find ourselves facing now was predicted. 20 J funding was born for larger districts which the Proposal A funding was not enough. In June of every year our local school districts have to submit a balanced budget to the state for approval. However the state doesn't submit its budget until October, four months after the school districts.
This year in October, four months into the 2009-10 school year, the state decided that it wasn't going to give the districts the money necessary to fund the budget it submitted in June, the money that was allready designated. Thats like saying, you have to pay your bills, but your employer has cut your wage by 30% and its retroactive to four months ago. So, now you have to figure out what to cut out of your budget to survive without loosing everything.
PROPOSAL A NEEDS AN OVERHAUL.
THE DATE FOR A BALANCED BUDGET FROM THE STATE AND THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT NEEDS TO BE REVERSED.
Walled Lake Consolidated Schools is a 20J Funds District.
Part of Walled Lake Schools solution to this problem is "Privatization". I am fully aware that you are a co-sponsor of Bill 1074. This is not a solution. This opens up this area to the possibility of higher unemployment, higher foreclosure rates and less stimulation to the economy. It brings MULTI NATIONAL FOR PROFIT CORPORATIONS, with Lobbiest on the Payroll, into the area to take over the jobs that OUR RESIDENTS, the people who have something vested in our local school district and local economy, now hold.
In the Walled Lake School District alone, which covers 55 square miles, 285 people are faced with loosing t
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