Index of SPPS Budget Discussion http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/spps-posts.html _________________________________________
Pam: I have shared many similar concerns as you regarding the way that budget cuts are administered by the SPPS, especially in the way these cuts have impacted the classroom the past several years. I have also questioned the efficiency and effectiveness of the layers of administration that exist within the district, especially with regards to some specific programs and the issue of whether area superintendents are an unnecessary bureaucratic layer. And while I continue to have many misgivings about SPPS, including whether the system could and should get by with less layers, I believe the ultimate problem is not with the system but with the personnel that fill some of these key positions. Right or wrong, I too have criticized the size of the superintendent's salary as well as the questionable wisdom in driving a luxury car around a school district that has many pockets of significant poverty, but I also don't think it's realistic to expect her to have the level of availability that every frustrated parent seems to want from her. Running an organization the size of SPPS, with the myriad of programs and personnel, would be a daunting task for anyone. Whether Superintendent Harvey is doing a good job is one thing; whether she should re-evaluate her key personnel is another. But the idea that getting rid of a few area superintendents (or the PR department, as Board member Tom Conlon advocated in the past) will solve the problems created largely by state spending that does not keep up with district costs, not to mention the special challenges that both St. Paul and Minneapolis face in trying to educate an increasingly diverse student population, is to me shortsighted when such costs represent a fraction of the $500 million budget (and would not solve this year's present budget gap). Believe me, I'm not an apologist for the district or the unions, and if I were superintendent, I would do many things differently to improve the system, one being to dramatically improve the lack of effective communication between the district and parents, highlighted especially by the inconsistent performance of the area sups. But I would be hard-pressed to find all these positions here and there that could just routinely be cut with the idea that this would have a significant impact on solving the budget crisis and not end up creating additional problems down the road. There are clearly some stop gap things the district could do, but structural change takes a long time, especially after many years with questionable leadership on the school board. I now believe the board has a chance to have some longterm positive impacts on improving the system, fulfilling the promise of site-based management, improving accountabilities, etc. Their task will be complicated, of course, by the continued defunding of education at the legislature, combined with a wholly asinine system of testing and unfunded federal mandates that perhaps will never be funded (and I'm not even talking about the "All Child Left Behind Act"). But I'm trying to have a little hope in spite of previous misgivings and battles I've fought on behalf of my son's school. And I'll continue to work to hold district officials accountable when they don't perform in what I believe to be a satisfactory matter. But advocating for the dismissal of certain positions--rather than personnel--is not something I see as a panacea right now. Tom Goldstein Mac-Groveland _____________________________________________ SPPS Budget Reduction Forum - Feb. 23-27 Co-Sponsored By NEAT: http://www.stpaulneat.org/ _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
