I remember my 6th grade year of Elementary School. A class trip was scheduled for a 3 night, 4 day trip to Washington DC. All year long we saved our money, our allowances, we held car washes and sold cookies to raise the funds needed for one of the most educational trips I have ever taken. Those were the good ole' days.
Today, during my children's Elementary School years they have fond memories of 3 field trips per year to the Jamestown movie theater or maybe to a nearby lake to " feel the sand" while learning Science in class. Not one fundraiser to ever " earn " the needed funds and learn the power of a dollar.
We adults seem to have turned out just fine from way back when. In a time and a place where you learned to live within your means, where calloused hands were not faux-pau and "champagne appetites" never occurred on a "beer budget". Where you walked to school, up hill both ways, in the snow with holes in your shoes as my father would say.
Today, we are taught throughout society and within our schools to shoot for the stars and not accept anything less. Whatever happened to shooting for the stars and being okay with landing on the moon? That's not such a bad thing or is it ? Whatever happened to not buying the things you couldn't afford? What ever happened to buying a whole chicken and cutting it up ourselves instead of the over-processed, full of preservatives, lazy mans way of buying it pre-packaged ?
Today, we build more schools when we cannot afford to operate the ones we already have. We neatly manicure football fields instead of getting down to the true root and meaning of the game " having fun", "teaching teamwork". Instead of enhancing the programs that already exist we don't finish what we start but rather we add " new ones " perhaps to make the old ones not look so bad ?
Today, Custodians, Maintenance and other School personnel lose their jobs to a budget shortfall because of a champagne appetite on a beer budget ! Today, my 16 year old JROTC son came home and said " Mom, I have nothing to look forward to in school anymore ". For those children who would rather walk on hot coals than go to school, you should be so proud, you just rocked their world and took away the only thing that seems to keep them going. Please tell me why our Children have to suffer because no-one can figure out how to balance a checkbook?
Superintendent VanWinkle says " It breaks her heart" This is a Professional who has made our children suffer over and over again this year ! Our County should be ashamed of themselves. A valuable program such as JROTC that keeps our children off the streets of Cumberland County has just been cut because they have been spending beyond their means.
Many Children in Cumberland County are faced with un-excused absences in school as many parents as well as students do not have medical insurance to provide a Physician note but faculty and staff are insured to the hilt...my point, why are the children suffering the most ? Faculty and Staff these days seem to be worth far more than our Children.
Books, Tutoring, Summer School, Drivers Education, ROTC to name a few are now long forgotten. Our Children suffer with substandard education so it should be no wonder why my children come home with " The lightbulb blowed" or " I got " rather than I have !
It appears to me that no-one has any " problem solving skills" the burden falls to our children, a heavy load they should not be introduced to at such a young age. Many of our "Future Leaders", many of the "Future Leaders" who are being taught to defend the freedom of our County, our Country, to stand on enemy lines and fight for what our Country claims to not have enough of just stepped on a "landmine" in a financial war they should have never been a part of. Congratulations to the Cumberland County School Board and County Commissioners for teaching our Children to be the "best they can be" ! You lead by example and you just taught the children of Cumberland County to cut the things that are most important in their lives, to never finish what they start and that education is last. Great job !
Melissa Grant, Affiliate Broker
Yes, I am saddened by these events. I am saddened that our School System has failed our children. I am saddened that many have risen to the occasion to save JROTC and that our Superintendent would rather pay a penalty for breaching a contract with ROTC than save it. I don't and have not seen her cut her salary, or remove personnel from her office. But yet, everywhere we turn something is taken from the students. Tutoring, Text Books, Summer School, Drivers Education, JROTC. Please do NOT tell me you are looking out for our Children. You have only proven you are looking out for yourself !
Today, I have cried for and with the Children of Cumberland County who are loosing the things so very dear to them. If I could pay for all of them I would. If I as one person could raise the funds needed I would. My heart has never broken for so many students as it has today. Cumberland County we are BETTER than this, step up to the plate and do whatever it takes. I WANT TO SEE YOU OUT THERE WASHING A CAR ! Or SELLING COOKIE DOUGH, stop leaving it up to the Children of this County to suffer the consequences for spending way to much money on things NOT needed !
Melissa Grant
lissalgrant@yahoo.com
772-419-1369
Virtual Solutions Guru to the Entrepreneur Extraordinaire. Helping others reach for the stars in life and business.
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Oh Melissa, I feel so bad for your son. I know through your posts how much it meant to him. I hate this, my husband is a high school teacher, and 2 weeks into the year, they had to cut 25 teachers, and redo the schedules. So 2 weeks lost of teaching. Teachers laid off, now why didn't they plan better and do it in the summer months.
Melissa,
Selfishness and self centeredness abound all around us in every area of our society...only where focus is on 'other' can real love be found...and we're starving for it!!! Thanks, Fran
In Hamilton County a couple years ago, we had similar discussions. Cutting science labs, music, coaches. Nothing on cutting administrative staff or selling the Taj Mahal that serves as the school board office.
Richard
Missy - It is very sad and Josh is NOT taking it well at all. For him and many other students the carpet has been pulled out from under them. Here, our school board delayed the opening of school until a Judge finally made them open it. Now, within a month of school finally opening they are taking from the students. NOT ONE teacher position has been cut or administrative staff. The burden lies on the children and their programs. They have cut teachers aides, that's as close as it gets. Its sick, unfair and unjust.
Fran - You are right, more importantly our children are starving for it.
Richard - The same goes here. They are taking everything away from the kids. The school board however sits in freezing cold offices with plush desk's and chairs and all the amenities one can get while the children don't even have enough text books to bring home !
Melissa, Oh my gosh. Poor kid. This is the last thing your son needs right now. You poor thing. You NEED to run for the school board when it is time. You are a natural, girl! GO GET EM! I'm so sorry Melissa. That stinks, not to mention what these moves will do to your real estate market. Hang in there!
BTW...I just got back from Nashville, mom in tow:) Thanks for everything. You're the best Melissa.
Elizabeth - I must admit both professionally and personally I am overwhelmed with all of this. I am teetering that fence of anger and sadness and oh how it changes every 5 minutes. It is so hard to watch your child cry over a loss that seems so big to him and know there is nothing, not a damn thing you can do about it.
I am so glad to hear you have your Mom strapped to your hip..lol ! If you need anything please don't hesitate to call. Don't you drive back here for anything when I am only an hour away k. That's what me and Fed-Ex are for, got it ! Call me when you can and let me know how your Mom is and YOU. Remember, TAKE CARE OF YOU ! Talk soon !
Melissa - What a shame?! I don't understand how cities and states can let schools fail. (As you proved above, just because they open the doors doesn't mean that they aren't failing). Children are the valuable resource that this country has. Yet, we continually take things from them and make it harder for them to succeed. I am truly sorry for your son.
Melissa - Great post and I too feel for your son and your students. I hope you'll send this post to the school board, the local paper and maybe even your State Senator. I hope you'll consider running for school board.
Schools need parent involvement. They need our voice to be heard for the children.
We are a rural school district - one of the poorest in the state of Missouri; our tax base just isn't there. We have made do with trailers vs new buildings - but we have not cut staff and we have not cut school programs for the kids. We are the only school ranked with distinction in our county.
You can make a difference - go for it Girlfriend!
Lissal, the school system is yet another failed attempt for our great USA. But sweetie, it's not just now. My mom was a Professor at Sam Houston University and retired early in 1992 because she said, "our state is more interested in raising money for exchange students and are accepting an aptitude of mediocrity..." Way to go mom. She didn't want to just "give" grades away because the guy played football or the exchange student made extra money for the state.
When my son was in the 5th grade he brought home his spelling words. I always practiced with him to help him memorize them. We came to a word and it was "PURPOSE."
I gave him a sentence. I said something like...what is your purpose here, sir?
He looked at me like I was crazy. He said, "no mom...it's like, will you purpose to the woman to get married...?"
We argued. As it turned out. His teacher did not know how to pronounce the word "purpose" therefore she was not fulfilling her purpose...ugh.
I was livid. I contacted her and she said, "oops, I guess I read it wrong........"
Whew. Mediocrity is rampant. We pay our teachers like we pay our janitors to empty garbage. We have real problems. I admire your attitude and your beliefs, Liss.
Love you,
Deb