>>>>> "sb" == Steve Brandt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
sb> But the estimate was that we would save one-half
sb> of 1 percent of our budget this year if we did that closing plan,"
sb> Your conclusion depends on whether you consider $3 million significant
sb> or not.
Thanks for the quick response. I guess I'm not sure how to evaluate
the significance of a savings of $3 million against the disruption
imposed on the children in question. How many children will have to
be relocated? What's the cost divided over that many children?
Note that this isn't intended to be a snotty response --- I *really*
don't know how to evaluate the dollars here, because I don't know how
much that is on a per-child basis.
Even worse, I don't know how to project indirect costs --- does this
mean that yet more families will choose to withdraw their children
from the school system? Or does it mean that education will be
delivered more efficiently, so that more children will see better
results?
My guess is that the disruption will motivate parents to pull their
children, and that may help a bad feedback loop.
My biggest concern is that a constant cycle of bad news will turn our
public school system into an educator of last resort. I once lived in
New Orleans, where the public schools were just a poverty dumping
ground (in 1991 they were using science textbooks that said "maybe
someday an American will walk on the moon," they were teaching in
decades-old "temporary" buildings, and their plumbing systems were
malfunctioning frequently). I'd hate to see that happen here.
Best,
Robert
--
Robert P. Goldman
ECCO
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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