Archive for the ‘Schools’ Category
April Fool’s Day 2013-The Tax Man Cometh
Monday, April 15th, 2013April 15, 2013
Hurry and write those checks and get them into the post office. Also more good news, the City Council and the County Commission start budget discussions. I have looked at the proposed 2014 County budget and compared it to the 2009 adopted budget. The 2009 adopted budget (countywide total) was $1.12 billion. The 2014 proposed budget is $1.17 billion.
The county up until the recent last few years has done a good fiscal job compared to the City of Memphis. The real problems are down at City Hall. However, I do not like the trends I see on the current County Commission which is looking more like the City Council.
Looking at the expenditures, it is obvious that the main items are personnel and education.
Let’s start with personnel. This is the real areas of possible savings. However, can seven votes be garnered to cut salaries and benefits? The figures show that the average city and county salaries and benefits are 50 to 60 percent greater than the average (more…)
Educational Competition Is The Answer
Monday, April 8th, 2013April 8, 2013
I was very disappointed to see that some kind of state wide voucher program may not be passed this year. It should be across the board and available to every family regardless of income. After all, it is the taxpayer’s money, not the government’s money.
The large bureaucratic educational monopoly gives us the result that all monopolies produce. That is an inferior high cost product, the education of our children. One thing that it does very well is produce lots of high paying jobs with fancy titles, good pensions and high end benefits.
The educational bureaucracy continues to say that we must spend more for inferior results. They have one thing in mind, protecting their jobs and protecting the union dues that go to the politicians they help to elect. They fear competition because wherever competition from home schooling, vouchers and charter schools have been in place, such competition has produced positive results which show up the public education lie.
ALERT!! Common Core
Thursday, March 28th, 2013March 28, 2013
The more I dig in to Common Core, the worse it looks. Consider the following.
- Common Core has its origins in the stimulus bill. There was language hidden in the bill that set up the framework for Common Core. They wanted it to be uniform across all the 50 states.
- Bill Gates, Microsoft and other large companies had a hand and an interest in seeing Common Core implemented.
- Now we are beginning to see what is in Common Core and what the elite want for our children.
Take a look at the attached document from the U. S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. It is entitled “Promoting Grit, Tenacity and Perseverance“.
Go to page 32 (page 50 of 126) and you find that they are recommending that fMRI (Functional magnetic resonance imaging) be (more…)
Common Core! What Is It?
Thursday, March 21st, 2013March 21, 2013
I watched a program recently about Common Core and I am disturbed that Tennessee seems to be on a path to adopt this change to the public school curriculum without input from parents and taxpayers. I note that Texas and three other states have rejected this perceived lowering of the standards of what and how it is to be taught. Fifteen other states have a strong movement in the process to stop this top down intrusion. Tennessee apparently does not have such a movement or if they do, I am not aware of it.
I would like your thoughts on the adoption of Common Core or if you are even aware of it. I have gone to http://www.tncore.org/ and (more…)
Two Important Changes
Tuesday, March 5th, 2013March 5, 2013
In looking at how to save money on what we pay our public employees, there are a number of things that come to mind. Salaries and benefits (vacations, sick days, personal days etc) and pensions compared to private sector comparable jobs. There are millions of dollars to be saved here and still maintain fairness with the private sector. Hopefully Mayor Wharton’s total financial review will address these items in the upcoming budget season.
However there are two things that need special consideration concerning the City of Memphis, the MLGW, Shelby County and the school system and any other public taxpayer financed subsidiary in Shelby County.
One is the line of duty disability system at the City of Memphis. I was the first one to notice that the line of duty disability rate of approval at the City of Memphis was 10 times higher than Shelby County government or the MLGW. I asked why.
The School Consolidation Debacle
Wednesday, February 20th, 2013February 20, 2013
I have been investigating the school consolidation deficit debacle. There have been newspaper articles reporting the new combined deficit of anywhere from $80 million to $180 million dollars.
Now here are some interesting tidbits that I dug up.
Look at the bureaucracy at the two systems. Who is losing their jobs with the combination? This is just a small example of the (more…)
What Is PECCA?
Monday, November 26th, 2012November 26, 2012
With the irreconcilable differences between the City/County and the suburbs on educational issues, Judge Mays will come down with a decision on whether the state law allowing suburbs to have their own schools is constitutional or not. Whatever he rules, the other party will not be happy and no doubt will seek other ways to do what they want. However there is hope on the horizon in the form of PECCA and parental choice.
PECCA is the Professional Educators Collaborative Conferencing Act of 2011. This piece of legislation is the most (more…)
Identifying Free Speakers
Monday, July 30th, 2012July 30, 2012
I was shocked to read of the subpoena filed on behalf of the Shelby County Commission seeking to find the names of those who commented on Commercial Appeal articles about school consolidation. It appears that some County Commissioners are trying to build a case based on racial attitudes.
Well my name is Joe Saino and I am here to say that the great majority of parents want the best education for their children and that (more…)
Who Knows Best?
Monday, July 16th, 2012July 16, 2012
The newspapers are full of the upcoming elections (both national and local) and especially the school board election and the decision by the six Shelby County incorporated cities to have their own municipal schools.
The Commercial Appeal is especially full of its admonitions to give the transition planning commission plan a chance to work. Well (more…)
Did You Know About This $2 Million?
Monday, April 23rd, 2012April 23, 2012
There are many hidden policies in government that cost you, the taxpayer, millions of dollars per year. Here is one of those obscure facts that are difficult to understand and to get your arms around.
The new combined Shelby County Board of Education (23 members) and the Transition Planning Commission (21 members) are hard at work trying to form a new educational super hero system by combining the Memphis School System and the previous County School System. I have in the past pointed out the huge difference in (more…)