School Changes

[Catwoman]

The primary reasons for WE not being able to attract students:  (1) Lack of industry that would entice the adults with children to move; and (2) Lack of amenities for the people once they get there.  It's the same problem that faces WE every time they try to attract qualified professionals to the educational system in Elk County. 

[Wilma]

Good questions, Patrick.  All of them.  No, a color palette is not a palette with cans of paint stacked on it.  I looked it up.

[Ideas]

Good job Bluestem football you are out of the gutter.  WE held that distinction in the past.   WE has a better athletic program now but I  haven't seen a Rhode Scholar yet.

But I think that WE should and does cater to the regular old stupid kid.   We have a special education budget that is  60% of the entire school.   Still we have made improvement and NCLB benchmarks.   But what happens next year.  If you have good students, good scores, and good teachers, then what do you do to improve?  It is call Annual Yearly Progress.  If you are not meeting AYP you can lose your funding.  Less stupid than last year gets funding.  Good but not better gets the shaft. 

The system is not set up to reward teaching the most inovative or out side the box type of structure.  If you could get more funding more programs would be created.  But this is the real world, I am constantly reminded on other channels, if you send 1/4 of you students out of district than 1/4 of your funding goes with them. 

Why are we not stealing students from other districts?   What is so wrong with our system that is driving away our Patriots?
Couldn't we grab a couple of cubs before they become Lions?   
If we took a couple of small devils they would not become so sad.   

This system has many flaws, its run like your typical run of the mill government.

Lets go back....

School district Superintendent and higherarchy got raises, Special teachers get $15,000 raises

WE cant settle teachers contract because of lack of funds, and hey they dont want to raise taxes.

City wants to raise taxes $200,000 to tear down someones

Now lets think about this, City wants to raise taxes to tear down wealthy citizens property so they dont have to, but WE cant raise taxes to increase the standard of living for teacher.  GEE why would anyone want to move here to be a teacher

4 Teachers quit, cant find new ones to late in the year and pay sucks, 1000 jobs in kansas teaching system.  anyone know the website.

Rearrange school idea,

Does anyone know what the school higherarchy is getting paid? We know what public officials make, what senators make, what people working minimum wage jobs make, what teachers make, why dont we know was they make??

Bussing system is horrible. Kids have to get on 2 hours before school because they live 10 minutes away.  (scratching head) this doesnt make sense. 

"Why do we only hear about the windows being broken out, stores being vandalized, mail boxes smashed, and score of the ballgames?  "
Because WEST ELK & ELK COUNTY REVOLVE AROUND SPORTS. TO ANYONE NEW HERE WE DO NOT PUNISH ATHLETES. THEY CAN BREAK OUT WINDOWS, VANDALIZE STORES, PLAY MAILBOX BASEBALL, LEAVE THEIR ALCOHOL BOTTLES WHERE EVER THEY LIKE, PARTY AT THE BRIDGES OUTSIDE OF TOWN, PLAY THEIR LOUD THUMPING MUSIC, NOT WORK BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS PAY FOR ANYTHING THEY NEED, NOT TAKE TESTS, DONT DO HOMEWORK, SKIP SCHOOL WHENEVER THEY WANT, HAVE KIDS OF THEIR OWN IN HIGH SCHOOL, DROP OUT AND STILL PLAY SPORTS OR JUST SAY THE KIDS ARENT THEIRS, THE GIRL IS A LIAR,

If we want to promote the area for adults to move here all we need do is make a commercial, kind of like the one on tv for that other city with the really good schools, drawing a blank

Alright, Commercial.

We Can show the kids doing all the activities above, and then a football game, and say "Elk county has the best school system in the state of KS because we pass the kids as long as they bring home championships, then show the track team.


and for funding if we take 1/4 of student out of the system and send them to, lets say longton, then that funding goes with them.  Hey heres an Idea, knew my name meant something, This isnt wichita you dont have a choice where you go to school, You live in howard you go to West elk, You live in Severy you go to west elk, you live in moline you go to west elk, There shouldnt be a choice, if you live in the northern half of howard and north you go to severy e, the southern half and south go to moline e.  This would solve a huge problem with the busing i Mentioned before, because kids have to be bussed from near severy all the way to moline e. because their babysiitter is in moline.

Another Idea, hang on hear me out.  Im not a rocket scientist, I probably couldve work on the atomic bomb, with Ideas like this.
Cut The School day week to 4 days, Think about how much money this would save.
One less day heating or cooling school to compfortable level, One less day filling buses up, One less day paying busdrivers, para's, secretaries, cooks, cleaners, janitors. All the money saved, you could pay teachers more which in turn would draw more teachers here for jobs, better teachers, better schools, New residents moving here paying more taxes, new business better road surfaces, tourists.

But then again, Why would we want to do it someone might have to work....

[Lookatmeknow!!]

Idea you got it right on the nose!!!

[Tobina+1]

They don't have 4 day a week school, but they do have at least 1-2 days a month of "lights out" in all the schools to help cut costs.  Even the teachers can't go in and work on planning.  Lights out.
I think the sports rant was a little harsh.  Did you see the kids standing on the sideline the first game because they didn't make it to practice on Labor Day (or call the coach to tell them they'd be gone, at least)?  Sports teaches teamwork.  Sports teaches kids they have a job every day after school and they have to be on time or 5 laps around the track.  Sports teaches sportsmanship.  Sports teaches curfew.  How many school shooters were star sports players?  Or even played in sports at all? 
PARENTS teach drinking.  PARENTS teach irresponsible behavior.  PARENTS teach lack of respect to others' property.  Underage kids drinking out in the country?  Call the sherrif, and then call the parents, and then call the coaches.  I'm betting at least 1 of the 3 will care.  If the kids aren't in sports, that's only 2 to care.  If the kids are in sports AND on the debate team, that's 4 people to care.  FFA?  One more adult to care.  Getting it yet?

[S-S]

I played sports, was the Vice-President of FCCLA (formerly known as FHA), on the Flag Team, in FFA and always had excellent grades.

My mother was an excellent parent. Worked her ass off to raise my sisters and I. Did I drink while in high school? Yes. I never destroyed anyone's property. I knew better than that. It was MY choice to do the things I did.

My teachers were EXCELLENT. I am PROUD to say I graduated from West Elk. I never had anything below A's and B's.

Oh, and...My 2-month old son was sitting WITH his father at MY graduation. MY CHOICE.

[Diane Amberg]

You chose wisely, grasshopper.

[jprxmkt]

One less day paying busdrivers, para's, secretaries, cooks, cleaners, janitors.

I'm sure these fine folks love your plan.

[pepelect]

STUPID IDEAS missing the forest for the trees.  I am not against sports, athletics, or the track team. Preferential treatment is not just for the boardroom anymore.  Stupid ideas like to not think that algebra, accounting, and vo-ag are much more important  than sprints, fellowship, and networking.  Special stupid ideas ed teachers got special stupid ideas ed raises out of special stupid ideas ed budget.  I would pay more taxes for increased stupid ideas teachers salaries if the stupid ideas teachers would work my hours.  City is only raising your taxes a little, the county is after the rest.  Who cares what stupid ideas hierarchy makes per year?  Two hours on the bus is far better than one of your stupid ideas.   Go ahead and try to mother the entire world you never played stupid ideas sports did you?  Are you volunteering  to baby sit for every Severy kid going to Moline and every Moline kid going to Severy? How wonderful that you care so much.

What other stupid ideas can I punch a size ten hole through?

[DanCookson]

What other stupid ideas can I punch a size ten hole through?

Well, there was the whole bit about the tv commercial???