Couple of things
- I understand politics and I understand negative campaigning, but I really think Barack Obama's past drug use won't be that big of a deal. Not to say folks won't make it out to be, but I think he can use his story of recovery and determination in putting that behind him to his advantage. The folks who wouldn't vote for him because of this issue probably wouldn't vote for him anyway.
- Call me crazy, but I'd like a little more pomp with our swearing-in ceremonies. Wrapping the whole thing into a regularly scheduled commission meeting is a bit anti-climatic for me. Plus, I'd like to see a 'State of the City' report like other communities do.
- You can knock a few back in Watkinsville now, which means I'll never again see a group of frat boys, decked out for a formal, drag in an 18-pack of Bud Light into Maison Bleu again. You stay classy fellas.
- Bill Shipp looks at the Georgia Democratic Party race for chair, calling Gwinnett County's Mike Berlon 'the favorite.' Listen, the guy can't raise money to save his life, can't recruit candidates to run for office (meaning he's run for some seats, including a 43-point loss for Public Service Commission) and has a weird view of what he wants the party to do. I know Jane Kidd's the local person, so perhaps I'm a bit biased, but seeing how she can raise money and has made recruiting candidates a vital aspect of her party platform, she's easily the stronger candidate.
- But, James, comparing the Athens-Clarke County school system to the rural ones that surround us isn't fair. Those counties have different socioeconomic and environmental circumstances than our schools do, which means it isn't as easy as simply saying 'well Oconee County has good grades for less money.' There are a wide variety of factors that are affecting our schools and some of them are financial while others are more societal.
- Call me crazy, but I'd like a little more pomp with our swearing-in ceremonies. Wrapping the whole thing into a regularly scheduled commission meeting is a bit anti-climatic for me. Plus, I'd like to see a 'State of the City' report like other communities do.
- You can knock a few back in Watkinsville now, which means I'll never again see a group of frat boys, decked out for a formal, drag in an 18-pack of Bud Light into Maison Bleu again. You stay classy fellas.
- Bill Shipp looks at the Georgia Democratic Party race for chair, calling Gwinnett County's Mike Berlon 'the favorite.' Listen, the guy can't raise money to save his life, can't recruit candidates to run for office (meaning he's run for some seats, including a 43-point loss for Public Service Commission) and has a weird view of what he wants the party to do. I know Jane Kidd's the local person, so perhaps I'm a bit biased, but seeing how she can raise money and has made recruiting candidates a vital aspect of her party platform, she's easily the stronger candidate.
- But, James, comparing the Athens-Clarke County school system to the rural ones that surround us isn't fair. Those counties have different socioeconomic and environmental circumstances than our schools do, which means it isn't as easy as simply saying 'well Oconee County has good grades for less money.' There are a wide variety of factors that are affecting our schools and some of them are financial while others are more societal.
posted by Jmac at 7:13 AM
8 Comments:
How about the biggest comment in Shipp's article. For a while now, it's been public knowledge that Speaker of the House, Glenn Richardson, has a woman on the side that he even brings to events, but this is the first time I've heard anyone remotely call him out for it.
Consider these numbers. The disparities in per pupil expenditures and school board millage rates between Clarke County and its neighbors are significant. According to the most recent figures I could find from the Georgia Departments of Education and Revenue, 2005 per pupil expenditures and 2006 school board millage rates were:
Clarke County: $9038 per pupil, 20.0 mills
Jackson County: $7480 per pupil (+ 21%), 18.9 mills
Madison County: $7465 per pupil (+ 21%), 16.92 mills
Barrow County: $7263 per pupil (+ 24%), 18.5 mills
Oconee County: $7243 per pupil (+ 25%), 16.5 mills
Oglethorpe County: $6985 per pupil (+ 29%), 16.0 mills
Commerce City: $6745 per pupil (+ 34%), 17.75 mills
Jefferson City: $6314 per pupil, (+ 43 %) 14.0 mills
The percentages in parentheses are measures of how much Clarke County spends in excess of the other school systems. For reference purposes, the state average for per pupil expenditures was $7426 (per pupil expenditures are the combined total of expenditures in seven specific categories: instruction, pupil services, staff services, general administration, school administration, transportation, and maintenance & operations). Even when compared with others school systems around the state that are similar, either in terms of population size or demographic breakdown, Clarke County spends more per pupil across the various categories.
I completely agree that societal factors play a role in the chronic under-performance of Clarke County’s schools. My question is how will higher expenditures alleviate those societal factors so as to improve education? It seems to me we've tried that approach for quite a few years now, and the results are nor encouraging.
I just want to second James' point, which I think is excellent. I have noticed also that in disputes about public school funding, social factors are usually used to excuse unsatisfactory performance, but then those social factors are ignored when the unsatisfactory school board asks the voters for more money.
Societal differences b/w Clarke and Oconee counties are used to try explain the money differences (efficiency differences) b/w the two counties. But then the solution that is proposed for those societal differences to help catch Clarke up to Oconee is...a money solution.
I predict that by 2008, I will hate Barack Obama like the plague. Specifically, the plague that's always in the news that you're sick of hearing about.
One primary reason additional money is requested to deal with the different socioeconomic circumstances is because those circumstances often require different programs which are more costly. Whether or not these programs and resources are providing us with dividends is a whole different thing, and I happen to think our increased investment is paying off for us.
However, I won't dispute you that the school board needs to do more with its current financial resources. Addressing and correcting these societal factors require community leadership (rather than, say, moving your children out-of-county), and I don't think we've seen much of that in recent years (I think this is changing for the good with Partners for a Prosperous Athens).
Hopefully, we'll see things like more mentorship programs, increased partnerships between Athens Tech and our schools and new, creative ways to encourage parental involvement. I think the financial investment is worth it, however we need to make sure we spend wisely and work to get the community involved.
I, for one, think the Clarke County schools get an awfully bad rap. I've had positive experiences there and have met determined and bright students across the county. I have no qualms about sending my children to our public schools.
The thing about education is that anyone who wants one can get one. The real problem, if you ask me, is that being smart and educated is just not valued in the culture today. More money won't change that. There's no shortage of learning materials in this country, but kids in the inner cities and such don't even go to school a lot of the time, so there's not much you can do.
I think private schools outdo public ones in part because parent's won't pay to put a dumb kid who doesn't know anything or care in them. Since the cost comes out of your pocket directly, you feel it.
There's no shortage of learning materials in this country, but kids in the inner cities and such don't even go to school a lot of the time, so there's not much you can do.
You have to look at a variety of the factors causing them not to attend (though I don't necessarily agree with that statement either), and those include those societal factors I mentioned. If you grow up poor in the inner-city, particularly thinking you have no way of getting out of that lifestyle, school doesn't appear to something that is worth your time.
It's important to engage these students and let them know there are ways to get out ... and it doesn't involve destructive things like gangs or drugs or crime.
I think private schools outdo public ones in part because parent's won't pay to put a dumb kid who doesn't know anything or care in them. Since the cost comes out of your pocket directly, you feel it.
Yeah... Um, I went to private school and I can pretty much completely confirm that's not the case.
Re Clarke County's education costs: special education is expensive as hell and not fully funded in any way. That alone can account for a huge chunk of the difference, if not all of it.
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