Here's hoping that information will be elicited on - the charter high school's status,
- what's happening in the future at Burke (AP academy?? Academic Magnet rumors??),
- the "tech" hi at Rivers (real??), and
- this year's results of address verification at Buist. Oh, yes--
- how about a full-time principal at Fraser,
- what's happening to all the funds given to Memminger, and
- what's being done to make Charleston Progressive a REAL magnet school.
Well, there's always hope!
Posts
24 comments:
How about you getting a job with CCSD (if you can) and try fixing some of the problems yourself?
Sure glad I don't have a kid at Bishop England, Clelia.
No such luck. Good questions but no answers were to be had to these questions because the format made it difficult to ask any of them. It was turned into a Q&A with the communications officer (Mary something) trying to read other people's handwriting off index cards. What happened to the conversation? With three county board members present Dist. 20 must be important, but not important enough for Toya Green to show up to support her own district.
Well, here's the latest. CCSD announced this evening with the Superintendent that after the new Sanders-Clyde is finished (no date was given when) there are two other NEW schools to be demolished and replaced...Memminger and James Simons! This is news. There was no mention of Rivers or Buist. According to recent statements to the county board made by Bill Lewis, Rivers (1936) is in "dire" need of structural repair. Yet according to recent private statements also made by Bill Lewis, Buist (1921) is in the worst shape of any Dist. 20 school. Now this evening, without mentioning when the constrution on the new Sanders-Clyde begin (and previously promised by Bill Lewis to be finished by August 2009), the Superintendent announces for the first time publicly that CCSD will replace Memminger (1955) and James Simons (1919). Someone forgot to tell the principals of both schools, because until tonight they and just about everyone else in Dist. 20 were totally unaware of CCSD's desire to churn some more constrution money in the name of "dire need". Who's dire need, Dist. 20 or Bill Lewis?
Most agree that Buist is in of significant renovation, if not replacement. James Simons is a classic Gothic style neighborhood school associated with its historic neighborhood. It probably needs a solid renovation, but why replace Memminger unless it's to ready the site for sale to the CofC. Who knows? It's another case of make an announcement, catch everyone off guard and then try to get Dist. 20 residents on board after the dust settles. Why does CCSD continue to do this? Are they that stupid? Someone should tell these people this approach always backfires. Nothing's changed.
It was so nice to see the Mayor of CCSD Butzon there last night. Too bad he is so enormous that he had to sit was in the back because he couldn't fit in an auditoium seat. This meeting was another BS fest with Greggie saying he wants to put the rent issue back on the agenda so they can negotiate the rent for other incentives What! Tha sounds like bull to me.
If I remember correctly, we elected this school board who hired this superintendent, who was the brains behind the last embarressment, Goodloe-Johnson. Why then, does any of this stuff surprise anyone? The time has come to disolve the CCSD and let each district fend for themselves! Just look at all the monies taxpayers can save if we don't build another Taj Mahal (aka The School of Excellence). I'm with John Graham Altman who said that our schools and education should be about reading, writing, and arithmetic. Not about girls and boys dancing around in skirts; or pretty choral music; or even "fixing" education by throwing money at problem and criminal children! Facilities/money doesn't mean our children will succeed, folks! For those of us who are senior citizens, how much longer can we afford to live here with CCSD and their spending habits?
More was revealed last night by what was NOT said and who was NOT there.
Toya Green was AWOL without any explanation.
Buist, Penisula Plan, AP Academy, Sanders-Clyde's new building, High Tech High, Buist-Lite at Memminger...all were left hanging with no real answers, if they were addressed at all.
Did anyone get this? Dr. McGinley announced that both Memminger and James Simons are to be demolished and replaced after the new Sanders-Clyde is finished (without bothering to say when that would start, much less be finished). That's the first time these schools have been marked for total destruction. Where did that curve ball come from? Where was Bill Lewis?
Anonymous 8:59:
In case you missed it:
1. Those "singing and dancing schools"--Rollings, the Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, Ashley River Elementary School of the Creative Arts, and others--are some of the best schools in the State;
2. John Graham Altman gave us much of the mess we have today;
3. Emerson Read and others have created a tax shift so that long-time peninsula residents are not being taxed at full value for their homes and local property taxes will not be used to support local schools;
4. Your tax money (and mine) is being used to fund the favorite charities of Hizzoner as well as his favorite public projects--the new Citadel Stadium, the new C of C arena, the new Clemson Architecture Center, the new hotel on Citadel Square, the renovation of the Dock Street Theater, and on and on.
BTW, I strolled by the CCSD offices the other day and happened to overhear the construction workers. Not a one was speaking English. Also I noted that the kids from Buist were using the area in front of Gaillard Auditorium as a ball field. I offered to buy this property a few years ago, so I think we should charge Buist a little rent for its use--after all, what is fair for the goose (Rivers) is fair for the gander (Buist).
Dear Paul E Ticks:
I'm with you on some of what you have to say (high performing arts and science schools, sause for the goose, et cet.). I'll split the difference on where our other tax dollars are being spent (on some of it you're right...Dock St. Theatre/Clemson Design Center and others you're probably not exactly right...Marion Sq. Hotel). I have to take serious exception with how you're painting the school tax issue. Peninsula tax payers are continuing to pay through the nose for services they're not getting.
I'm quoting you here, "...long-time peninsula residents are not being taxed at full value for their homes and local property taxes will not be used to support local schools." Your picture of this issue is incorrect.
Not until after 2010 will "long-time peninsula residents" not be taxed at full value. The "full value" was applied with the last reassessment notices in 2005 and it's a five year cycle for reassessment. New purchasers are being hit now at full value, as the new law states. They no longer can use the existing fixed reassessment value that would have protected them until 2010.
As for the statement that "local property taxes will not be used to support local schools", this is dead wrong. First of all, only General Operating Expense (GOF) taxes will be shifted to the state and funded by from our pockets through an increased sales tax. (Have you looked at the increased taxes on your sales receipts lately?) Even this shift only applies to owner occupied primary residences (you know those houses that Buist parents don't declare when they use another location where they really don't live to get their kid into Buist.) Primary residences make up only 49% of all properties in Charleston County and only 39% of the tax base. So while some benefits are being seen by some property tax payers, 51% of all property owners paying taxes on 61% of the value of all taxable properties are paying a lot more than they were last year.
You didn't mention the school Capital Expense Fund taxes. That's the money taxpayers pay on the HALF BILLION DOLLARS in bonds CCSD issues every 5 years just to demolish and build more schools. There's no shift in these taxes. They still appear on everyone's tax bill. Remember, 2009 is coming up, so it's time for CCSD to tell us they need another HALF BILLION DOLLARS for new buildings since they'll be starting another 5 year cycle.
The tax shift is not what it was made out to be. Downtown taxpayers are still putting in at least $33 million dollars every year to support downtown schools that get less than $21 million back...and that's after state and federal aid has been added. So where's the money going? You tell me.
CCSD would love to have us bicker back and forth about who's paying their fair share. It takes the spotlight off them. Stay focused. Follow the money.
VOTE THE INCUMBENTS OUT IN NOVEMEBER....ALL OF THEM.
Start with the city elections.
The only Incumbents that need to be voted out is Toya Green, Nancy Cook and Hillery Douglas. Vote these bums out and you could possibly see a difference in them. Don't vote them out and the rest as they say is history. Things will get worse. While this is a more gentile, polite board, it is a joke with a capital J
There were not enough questions asked or answered last night. People left knowing only a little more than they did before they got there. I've always thought that the use of index cards for questions at public meetings could be used to manipulate what the public said. Written questions work best were there is already a feeling of mutual trust. The public is clearly distrustful of the people who run our schools. They need to work on developing a genuine dialogue (they don't have that now) or they risk the people finding other communication outlets like this one.
Toya Green doesn't owe downtown people anything...she was elected countywide. There are bigger problems at CCSD than downtown Charleston. Ms. Green is a busy woman with a law practice and a child to raise. I'm sure Burke is not in her backyard. Cut her some slack. She is barely paid anything for the work she does for COUNTY schools. Just watch, she and her husband have a bright political future no thanks to downtown Charleston. At least they put their child in public school!
Public--yes, that would be Buist.
5:29 Funny thing I don't remember Toya saying while she was campaigning that she would only be available after her kid, law practice and husband. They should stop focusing on their future political ambitions and fulfill what she promised her constituents she would do if elected to this board.. Also, I don't remember hearing anyone say that she went to any other county wide meetings either so don't use that old she represents all of Charleston County.. She is the District 20 representative causing any other candidate to not be able to serve their constituents. It is time for her to represent them and not just when Joe Riley tells her to. I don't care what her husband is or isn't. She is the county board member for downtown
I don't have a problem with the Buist kids using the Gaillard for their PE (although they ruin the grass each year). I do have a problem with their cheating parents flooding our streets during the carpool time. Go back to your neighborhood school and give our neighbors a place to send their kids.
The Ansonborough crew should get organized like Byrnes Down did.
Toya Hampton Green is a political shill for Mayor Riley as are fellow board members Gregg Meyers, Brian Moody, Nancy Cook, Hillery Douglas and the almost illiterate Ruth Jordan.
As for working at CCSD, with their 22 percent annual teacher turnover and 45 percent graduation rate, why would anyone really want to be a teacher in this system? Excessive turnover is directly attributable to poor management. And with a graduation rate like that, education in a CCSD school is little more than a coin toss. 31 percent of teachers leave teaching because of undisciplined students and administrators who won't inforce discipline. No self-respecting individual will subject theselves to this kind of abuse, especially from a child whose job is to conform to the requirements of the teacher. Anything less is the tail wagging the dog.
Amen to what 8:02 says. As a retired CCSD teacher with 30 years in, I really don't see how today's young teachers right out of college can stay in most classrooms. If things had been like they are 30 years ago, I'm sure I wouldn't have retired with that many years. Experience gained over the years helped me in dealing with classroom management. CCSD definitely does not give teachers enough help with classroom discipline.
taxpayer:
For reasons you articulated, I do not wish to be in an adversarial position with you. However, the property tax cap legislation we passed in South Carolina is a version of California's ProposItion 13--which has failed miserably and which was opposed by non other than Warren Buffet. Moreover, I think that folks on the Charleston Peninsula are going to soon learn that the new property tax laws are going to have some serious negative unintended consequences. Beaufort is trying to eliminate some of the upcoming surprises. See, http://www.beaufortgazette.com/local_news/story/6617147p-5894246c.html.
It may be fair to shift some of the tax burden to non-homeowners through a sales tax increase. Still, this is a tax shift. It may not be much of a tax shift. And Peninsula homeowers may not be getting a fair return on their taxes. But, no matter how you look at it, these amendments contitute a tax shift.
Finally, if you do not think that our taxes are going to fund the construction of the new Marion Square Hotel, then you are unfamiliar with either Bill Regan or the Neighborhood Renewal Program.
The word is out that there will be 23 failing schools this year. A far cry from the 5 or 6 three years ago. Does this board not understand that is the wrong direction to be going in?
In response to paul e ticks:
No offense taken from your reply. We might pick apart the "gray areas" on the Marion Square project (and there’s a lot of fuzzy grayness on that one) but I don’t want that to distract us from the main issue.
I’m at least 99% in agreement with you on your latest comments about the tax shift. There’re definitely going to be some serious unintended consequences that will more than likely cancel out many of the anticipated benefits for property owners in downtown Charleston.
This was a quick fix as the law stands. Some have continued to express a concern that this stab at property tax reform will cost everyone more in the long run. A few might beat the consequences, but most will get hit with additional costs indirectly, even if they see a slight decrease in property taxes on their home for the next couple of years. Some will see a higher personal costs sooner and across the tax spectrum. Others might not see their increased tax related costs until a little further down the road.
To taxpayer:
Well said.
Assessor warns of future tax inconsistencies--what Emerson Read wroght
http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/6607236p-5884818c.html
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