Things are not good with respect to education in the US. There have been issues always, sure, (as with any system) but it's gotten much worse in recent years. It's quite depressing to see the government make budget cuts by nicking off vital & social services (schools, trash removal, fireman, nurses, etc.) while more and more money is spent to support efforts that kill people (in the US and elsewhere). And then once the system is down & barely breathing, incentives are offered for people to come back in, maintain and perhaps rebuild. 'No child left behind' is a concept that 'experts' said would not work - but they went ahead with it anyways. The results so far seem to reinforce the 'rich get richer' and 'the poor get poorer.'
Relating this to the music - I can only wonder what kind of sounds we'll hear coming from those who grow up & live in these conditions. Lisa ----- Original Message ----- From: diana potts <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Monday, April 5, 2004 7:18 am Subject: RE: (313) Detroit schools to cut 3,200 jobs > > As someone who is from detroit and getting ready to > enter the teacher work force this cuts deep. I'm glad > this was posted to the list-I think it adds some more > dimension to a city that is just referred to here in a > techno context. > > I'm also glad to see the article mentioned the no > child left behind act. In the whole cycle of > everything, these kind of actions kill a city. How can > you expect a city to thrive when it's > schools/communities can't even support themselves? > What happens when the foundation starts to crumble? > > Truely sad. > > --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > yep true and sad........ > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Katrin Richter [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Mon 05/04/2004 10:56 > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [email protected] > > > > Cc: > > Subject: AW: (313) Detroit schools to cut 3,200 > > jobs > > > > > > > > Well, I guess this says it all: > > > > "Ninety percent of the remaining students are > > African-American, with more than 7 out of 10 > > students coming from families living below the > > official poverty level." > > > > > > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- > > Von: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Gesendet: Montag, 5. April 2004 11:37 > > An: Katrin Richter; [email protected] > > Betreff: RE: (313) Detroit schools to cut 3,200 > > jobs > > > > so the simple thing is to invest :) > > > > I know we all have a soft spot for Detroit and so I > > am be a little biased here but is it me > > or is detroit picked on? I think they should if > > they ae doing cut backs, use the money to invest in > > the city > > not make matters worse.. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Katrin Richter > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Mon 05/04/2004 09:49 > > To: [email protected] > > Cc: > > Subject: (313) Detroit schools to cut 3,200 > > jobs > > > > > > > > I guess this is on topic as school was the > > only place to hook up for > > Derrick, Kevin and Juan as there was > > nowhere else to go > > > > Detroit schools to cut 3,200 jobs > > By Jerry Isaacs > > 3 April 2004 > > Use this version to print | Send this link > > by email | Email the author > > Detroit Public Schools officials announced > > Thursday the district would lay > > off 3,200 school employees, including 900 > > teachers, by July 1. The job cuts, > > which amount to 13 percent of the > > workforce, are in response to a budget > > shortfall of $78 million last year and a > > projected deficit of $91 million in > > 2005, officials say. > > The cuts in the $1.5 billion budget follow > > an announcement last month that > > an additional 450 administrators could lose > > their jobs. The district, which > > already faces chronic overcrowding in the > > classrooms, also plans to shut at > > least three schools, in addition to the 16 > > closed or consolidated last year. > > The budget for supplies and purchased > > services will be cut by more than > > one-third to save $50 million, with funding > > for playground improvements > > slashed from $1 million to $250,000. > > The layoffs will wreak havoc, particularly > > for teachers who are already > > short-handed and stretched to the limit. > > "You could see a gym teacher who is > > certified in kindergarten through six grade > > become a homeroom teacher, or an > > instrumental teacher might have to go back > > to the classroom," district > > spokesman Mario Morrow said. > > Kenneth Burnley, CEO of the Detroit Public > > Schools, said he also plans to > > renegotiate the district's contract with > > the Detroit Federation of Teachers > > in order reduce or eliminate 3-4 percent > > annual raises that teachers are > > due. > > The 151,000-student school district-the > > largest in the state-has been hit > > hard by federal and state budget cuts, the > > ongoing loss of manufacturing > > jobs and tax revenue in Michigan, rising > > fuel costs and a decline in > > enrollment. Over the last eight years > > nearly 30,000 students have > > transferred to charter, private and > > suburban schools. Ninety percent of the > > remaining students are African-American, > > with more than 7 out of 10 students > > coming from families living below the > > official poverty level. > > Facing a $1 billion state deficit, > > Michigan's Democratic governor Jennifer > > Granholm and the state legislature are > > cutting per-pupil grants for K-12 > > education by $55 per student and revising > > the formula for counting pupils in > > schools, in order to slash another $43 > > million from state spending for > > schools. In the proposed state budget, > > Detroit could also lose another $15 > > million it has been receiving since the > > state took over the district in > > 1999. On Wednesday the state senate also > > rejected a plan that would have > > given extra money to districts with > > declining enrollments. > > Because of stagnating or falling revenue > > school districts throughout > > Michigan are facing budget cuts and > > layoffs. According to Tom White, > > executive director of the Michigan School > > Business officials, 90 percent of > > state districts are planning to lay off > > staff or not fill open positions. > > "It's like getting squeezed by a python," > > he said, the "pressure just is > > increasing as time goes by. It is going to > > get ugly and I don't hear a great > > deal of concern being raised in [the state > > capital] Lansing." > > Like other districts nationwide, Detroit > > schools are also threatened by the > > provisions of the Bush administration's > > 2001 federal education plan, the > > so-called No Child Left Behind Act, which > > removes federal funds if districts > > fail to achieve specific academic goals. > > One quarter of the district's > > schools have already been warned they must > > overhaul their operations because > > of "chronic failure." The school district > > received a federal reading grant > > of nearly $6.5 million in August but > > continued funding hinges on > > 1st-through-8th and 10th-graders passing > > tests at the end of the school > > year. The budget cutbacks announced > > Thursday all but ensure future failures, > > guaranteeing even more devastating budget > > cuts. > > "We don't need any more cuts," said Mary, a > > longtime Detroit school bus > > driver. "What is going to happen to the > > kids with special needs, the > > disabled and impaired students? We heard > > they plan to take away the bus > > attendants that help us in the busses with > > handicapped students. This is > > outrageous. > > "The conditions are already unbearable in > > the schools. Buildings are falling > > apart, there is no toilet paper or soap in > > the bathrooms, the classrooms are > > overcrowded and the teachers are spending > > money out of their own pockets for > > supplies. These budget cuts are taking the > > future away from our kids. With > > the casinos downtown making millions and > > CEOs are raking it in how can they > > say there is no money for schools? > > "You know the economy is way down when you > > start taking away from schools > > that are already hurting. How can you talk > > about 'No Child Left Behind' when > > you are laying off teachers?" > > See Also: > > Detroit school employees march against > > layoffs > > [22 February 2002] > > Detroit school restructuring plan attacks > > workers and students > > [17 April 2001] > > > > > http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/apr2004/detr-a03.shtml > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > === message truncated === > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Small Business $15K Web Design Giveaway > http://promotions.yahoo.com/design_giveaway/ >
