Superintendent Maria Geryk
In order to trim their budget and stay within Finance Committee guide lines of no more than a 2.8% budget increase, the Regional Schools will nix
According to Superintendent Maria Geryk: "The decision to cut German and Russian at the Region was made about 3 years ago. Since that time, no new students have been added to the classes. We maintained enough FTE to support the students who were already taking classes in these languages. This year is the last group currently in Russian, and we have one more group left in German. For FY13, there will be a .4 reduction in these areas. Therefore, Russian is cut in FY13 totally and German will be cut in FY14."
At least they're still offering Chinese.
You would think with $17000 per student we would have enough money to fund our extra languages. I guess you might even think we would have the $200K shortfall for HS sports that Mark Jackson mentioned in the paper a few weeks ago. I guess $5,000,000 (1200 students x $4K / per)more spending for a school our size compared with the rest of the state just does not buy what it used. Or maybe the money is going somewhere else. Hmmmm where could that be?
ReplyDeleteThe reason fewer and fewer kids sign up for these languages is that they get wind, way down in sixth grade, that the language might be cut. It's self-fullfilling. Kids won't sign up for it if they even get a hint that it might be cut. So of course fewer and fewer kids are in these classes to begin with. 11:01 pm is right. $17k per student apparently doesn't buy you what it used to. But the rest of the state seems to do a spectacular job with less money. WTF Amherst???
ReplyDeleteThey don't take them because there is no reason to take them. These days the languages to take are Spanish and Chinese. Welcome to the modern world.
ReplyDeleteIt's not terribly complicated to understand, the Amherst school system. Who ever is doing the bean counting is more likely than not surrounded by individuals with immense special intersts. This group as a whole is great at running a smoke and mirror show to the likes I've never seen or imagined could be allowed to have developed, or allowed to continue. Amherst schools are still very good but do not accel above many of the school systems that work for much less per student. I don't claim to have the easy answer because there is none, but all the powers to be should be held to high standards as far as showing true accounting for their purpose and spending. They have been at it long enough to have a solid easy to understand plan as to how to bring all of this in control, and if they can't very shortly we need to find some positive influences who can.
ReplyDeleteThe decision to cut Russian and German was made before Maria Geryk became Superintendent. But leave it to Larry and his blog minions to try to pin it on her.
ReplyDeleteThis was a long time coming and a prudent move. Long before talk of cutting these programs, there was v. low enrollment. I believe, Russian, was down to something less than 17 students (all together, all grades combined). This is a good thing!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Amherst bean counters have done a fabulous smoke and mirrors show with M.G. holding the mirrors! Sadly, for our kids, we have too many chiefs doing a lot of paper shuffeling and justifying their positions while many students are struggling. Transparency is a myth with our School Committee and Superintendent. When will people open their eyes and don't let intimidation and retaliation blind you to the seeing the truth.
ReplyDeleteKathy Perry:
ReplyDeleteWhat FACTS do you have to back up your post? Without facts, your post is nothing but smoke and mirrors.
Besides the fact that Germany is the second largest exporter in the world, Herr Goetz is an outstanding teacher. Of course it's hard to have resources for languages when we have all those extra administrators "doing" curriculum and instruction and those critical wood craft courses etc. Why would we hold on to successful programs and courses? I just feel incredibly lucky that my child had the opportunity to take German at the High School. Thank you Herr Goetz.
ReplyDeletePS And French is really important because....???
I just learned that the location for tomorrow's School Committee meeting, which was originally posted for Town Hall has been moved to the HS library.
ReplyDeletePlease help get the word out on this change of venue. The opinion piece that ran in the Bulletin about school choice and classroom size in the elementary schools also had indicated that the SC meeting would be at Town Hall. I am an elementary school parent and have talked with a number of other parents who want to attend... which will be hard to do if they haven't realized the mtg has moved.
To Anon. February 13, 2012 9:37 AM
ReplyDeleteExactly my point. Down in 6th grade the kids hear that the language might be cut, they don't sign up for it. Kids in 7th grade who were taking it, switch out the next year to another language. thus and fewer and fewer kids end up in the class. Class size drops because they hear thru the grape vine that the language might be cut. Self fulfilling. I saw it in action. I saw that kids who wanted to take these languages, they were disappointed and opted to take something that they knew wouldn't be cut.
Anon 6:09 - News Flash - German and Russian were cut several years ago. Maria Geryk was not Superintendent when they were cut for budgetary reasons.
ReplyDeleteAnon 5:01 - School choice is a done deal. It has already been voted on. So, there will be a discussion of class room sizes, but that is about it.
To Anon. February 14, 2012 9:29 AM
ReplyDeleteYou made my point.
Isn't the reason the elementary and regional schools short of cash all the new hires made by the superintendent in the past 2 years? Fewer teachers, fewers students and more administrators.
ReplyDelete