Since our election in November, we have stayed true to our principles by continually driving home the message that we need fiscal discipline, transparency, and increased communication. I have started this blog to speak directly to parents, teachers, and the citizens of our community about issues facing the school board. Please post comments, participate in polls, and let me know your thoughts on the issues we discuss here.
One of the items we discussed in the last meeting was a request for sewing machines costing up to $1,200 each. I did my due diligence, asked about the reasoning for the machines, and was told it was to help our children be competitive in the fashion and textile industry upon graduation. While I support our students' need to learn sewing and other skills, I question whether it is wise to go further into debt for such expenditures. As it currently stands, our district has over 1.2 billion dollars of debt. In the face of such enormous debt, is it wise to spend $1,200 on a sewing machine?
Second, the district requested additional buses to accommodate three new schools and to replace existing buses that are at the end of their lifespan. Although this is a very large expense, I support it, since I believe it is a necessity for the district.
As an elected representative, I want to hear from you. Please leave your comments about these expenses and our district's debt. Let us do what it right for our community and our children.
I don't think it is a justifiable expense. Isn't there a less expensive sewing machine that could be purchased? Is there a booster club that could raise the funds for this?
ReplyDeleteIf the sewing machines are "industrial strength" and come with a very good warranty, they are priced right.
ReplyDeleteLet the kids sew as long as any purchases are fiscally responsible.
Push for seat belts in school buses.
Well-rounded education demands quality in the arts as well as in traditional academic subjects. Industrial-strength sewing machines will last a LONG, long time, and encourage kinaesthetic and artistic learners to thrive. There's more to good education than textbooks and tests.
ReplyDeleteGod forbid the students of CISD be competetive in the fashion and textile industry! Let's keep fashion world where it belongs...But if they must have sewing machines, the most fiscally prudent thing to do is invest now in a high quality industrial machine without a lot of unnecessary bells and whistles. Unfortunately the immediate cost is high, but will definately pay off over the years.
ReplyDeleteHow many students go on to get jobs using sewing machines? Is there even a textile industry left in the U.S.? It seems like all those jobs have moved south of the border or overseas. I just searched monster.com for "textile" or "sewing" in Houston, TX, and 0 jobs came back. I tried another site, and the only jobs listed under "Textile" were Sales Associates at Macys. No kidding.
ReplyDeleteWe're the 4th largest city in the US. And there are NO textile jobs?
Where am I going wrong? Surely I've missed something.
We cannot spend money we do not have regardless of how good the machines are. I agree with the booster club idea. If it is so important then let the money be raised, but the debt increased. Also, given the young people I meet with in our area from day to day, perhaps we should concentrate and teaching them how to read and communicate, and the basics. Most young people I meet speak some form of "ghetto" language and do not understand the simplest questions. If it is not in their list of "expected" questions, they can't answer and have no idea of where to find the answer. How will these kids get along in life? Until they have the basics, these extras do them no good at all. Also, it does seem futile to train them for jobs that do not exist in the first place.
ReplyDeleteSince Regan there has been a steadily diminishing amount of funding for 'skilled trades' - a concept that doesn't even exist with NCLB.
ReplyDeleteWant to know why the dropout rate is so high? Students who would be very happy electricians, plumbers, carpenters, landscapers etc. see no need for yet another round of Shakespeare or a calculus class. The only thing keeping them in school is either athletics or that elective class like Art or Auto Mechanics.
I'm speaking as a retired school counselor. Buy the sewing machines. Start agitating the state and federal government for vocational funds and CATE program funding. Students who perceive what they are learning as useful to their future don't drop out.
And speaking as a former English teacher as well, for about 45% of them, that doesn't include reading King Lear or being able to derive areas of integral functions.