With a $91 million dollar budget shortfall predicted this year, my school district has had to make some very difficult choices. The School Board along with our Superintendent have had to prioritize cuts that will be made based upon projected cuts to educational funding by the Florida Legislature. They've tossed around several ideas this year...cutting elementary art, music and PE, furloughs for teachers, a four-day work week, cutting after school sports in middle and high school, delaying the purchase of new textbooks (although by law, they are to be purchased every 5 years), making administrative cuts, demoting full-fledged teachers to "associate teachers" and paying them less, asking employees to contribute both to the pension plan and health insurance - the list goes on and on...
Every year it's the same story. I hope that one day, our leaders will wake up and realize that cuts to education are robbing our children of something that is critical to their success as an adult - the right to a quality education. Our students are currently being funded at the same level I was funded in 1976 as a 10th grader here in Duval County. It is now 2011. We are doing a great disservice to the very ones who will be the decision-makers, the lawmakers, the caregivers and those in authority over us in our elder years. Will they be equipped to handle the job?
Elementary Music Class - First Grade
Until next time...
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