2010-2011 School Calendar

2010 - 2011 School Calendar Board Approved 3-23-10

I'll be back!

I'll be away for a few days so I won't be approving any comments or adding any new posts till middle of next week.

You can submit comments but they may not be published until I get back.

If you haven't seen the NESPA website yet, I've added a link to their page over to the right.

Enjoy the nice weather!

.

Can you spot the facts?

I can't.

What next, outsourcing causes cancer?!?

I've looked at this NESPA ad from today's Courier three times, and I can't find anything factual about it. I've gotta get back to work now, but if you find anything worth mentioning, please feel free to post a comment. Maybe if I get a break later, I'll chime in with some facts . . . you know, verifiable pieces of information instead of emotional statements, useless platitudes and fear mongering.

Great timing for this ad, too. Tonight is the first meeting with the State-appointed Fact Finder (following two previous cancellations due to inclement weather).

NESPA Ad 03152010

Unions cool to Board invitation

The following Article courtesy of Joe Dynan from The Advance . . .

The Neshaminy Board of School Directors unanimously agreed Tuesday to seek input from both the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers and the Neshaminy Educational Support Professional Association (NESPA) before deciding where to cut programs and personnel to avoid raising taxes.

Reflecting the hard feelings that have built up during the prolonged labor impasse, the leaders of both unions were skeptical moments after the board's vote during a meeting at Neshaminy High School.

Louise Boyd, president of the teachers' union, thinks school officials should focus on a new contract for the approximately 650 teachers she represents before asking them to help eliminate the deficit. "It seems like an odd order to do things, don't you think?" she asked. The NFT's previous contract expired in June 2008 and Boyd was quick to point out that, as of Tuesday, the teachers have been working without a contract for 617 days.

Mindy Anderson, president of NESPA, the support staff union, was also under whelmed with the offer from district officials. "We'll wait until we get the invitation," she said. "I can tell them where to cut in administration," she added.

You can read the entire story by clicking here.
.

Here's a cost-cutting idea

I thought you could use a laugh. This was sent to me by a reader . . .

How do you trim $7.6 million?

That's the question in front of this Board, and there are no easy answers. Even if we do eventually outsource support staff positions (we are still in negotiations with NESPA), we are likely to have some deficit for next year's budget. And, Heaven forbid, what do we do if we want to actually improve some of our programs, say elementary computer education? How will we pay for that?

During last night's meeting the Board reviewed a list of potential budget cuts. Nobody out there with any concern for our programs should dismiss this list assuming some 11th hour miracle solution will come along. But judging by the parent attendance, or lack thereof, at last night's meeting, that is exactly what this community is thinking. So please forward this post to every Neshaminy parent you know and tell them to get involved NOW. Start coming to meetings and help the Board determine which expenditures can be cut. Some sacrifices will be made, and with YOUR help we can do it with minimal impact to our students.

Don't pretend this problem doesn't exist. Don't ignore it. And whatever you do, don't show up at our last meeting in June and say that we never told you about potential cuts. Don't make me bring out Mr. Angry Eyes again!

You can read the Courier Times recap of last night's meeting by clicking here. The complete list of potential budget cuts discussed is summarized below:

1. Eliminate Middle School IOP

2. Eliminate Middles School Sports/Co-Curricular Activities

3. Close both remaining middle school pools

4. Middle School pools - Charge appropriate extra fee for use

5. Eliminate Elementary Guidance Counselors (8)

6. Eliminate Reading Specialists

7. Eliminate Elementary Librarians (8)

8. Eliminate Middle School Librarians

9. Close Alternative School and contract out service for existing students

10. Creation of activity fees

11. Special Ed Instructional Assistants - Reduce

12. Eliminate High School Co-op program

13. Middle School Librarians - Share in complex

14. Increase Facility Usage fees

15. Split Principals in Middle School/Elementary School Complexes

16. Increase Aquatic Program Usage Fees

17. Reduce or eliminate instrumental itinerant Music

18. Reduce per-pupil allocations for all schools

19. Eliminate Art/Music/Phys Ed teachers for each building - Use traveling specialists

20. Reduce or eliminate use of Department Heads in High School

21. Eliminate Sophomore Phys Ed

22. High School - Further increases in class size

23. Senior release time (shorten school day for seniors with sufficient grad credits)

24. Change Middle School concept to Jr. High concept

25. Eliminate Kindergarten

26. Eliminate Kindergarten specials (art, music, library, phys ed)

27. Eliminate 1 pre-first class

28. Eliminate/Reduce Family Consumer Science Classes in secondary schools

.

Neshaminy Info now on Facebook

Just click on the icon and become a fan of Neshaminy Info on Facebook!