I have to respond to the letter I read that was submitted by Robert Body. Are you really suggesting that we have two superintendents to run each school district in the county? I don't think I've ever read anything so absurd.
For starters, one must realize the nature of such a position and the tasks he/she must face day to day. Though I've had disagreements with other supers in our area, I am one of many that support our own. Allowing principals to run a school with little or no time to meet with their superintendent is not the answer. You're suggesting micromanagement in a sense, a philosophy that never works. I have children in our schools. I like knowing our principals, board and a few in the Thornton Avenue office, especially Mr. Pabis.
Let's expand your opinion to be statewide. With 64 counties and schools in nearly each town, there's no way this can happen, though the idea is humorous.
Perhaps the cost per student is more because New York state demands more. Our educational expectations are set higher than most other states and I feel our successes are measured far longer. I am proud be a product of New York state schools. My two children will be some day as well.
To oversee a high school, two middle schools, and five or so elementary schools costs money, and some newbie with no knowledge of the teachers, staff and community can do what our super does now. Perhaps, if you disagree, you should be more actively involved in these decisions by running for school board. It's opinions like yours that are forcing me to do just that next year.
Lastly, prices increase. Gas costs more, paper costs more, college costs more for our learning teachers, so, simply put, education costs more. If you don't like it, you can always leave and rent an apartment in some hillbilly hick town out west and not have to worry about the taxes. Or, if you want to look at things that cost taxpayers, may I suggest other things to point fingers at and leaving our kid's educations alone?
Eric P. Hodson
Auburn
Let's expand your opinion to be statewide. With 64 counties and schools in nearly each town, there's no way this can happen, though the idea is humorous.
Perhaps the cost per student is more because New York state demands more. Our educational expectations are set higher than most other states and I feel our successes are measured far longer. I am proud be a product of New York state schools. My two children will be some day as well.
To oversee a high school, two middle schools, and five or so elementary schools costs money, and some newbie with no knowledge of the teachers, staff and community can do what our super does now. Perhaps, if you disagree, you should be more actively involved in these decisions by running for school board. It's opinions like yours that are forcing me to do just that next year.
Lastly, prices increase. Gas costs more, paper costs more, college costs more for our learning teachers, so, simply put, education costs more. If you don't like it, you can always leave and rent an apartment in some hillbilly hick town out west and not have to worry about the taxes. Or, if you want to look at things that cost taxpayers, may I suggest other things to point fingers at and leaving our kid's educations alone?
Eric P. Hodson
Auburn
The Citizens' Say
There are 10 comment(s)
brew1234 wrote on Jul 28, 2008 11:51 PM:
brew1234 wrote on Jul 28, 2008 11:43 PM:
MISSEY1941 wrote on Jul 28, 2008 2:25 PM:
If the district didn't hire all the new (additional administrators) this year, there would have been more than enough $$$$$$$ to run all the programs with no increase in taxes. So don"t give us the gas, utilities, paper, etc. balony.
Education is in business to take care of their own, students are secondary. "
tlb4 wrote on Jul 28, 2008 1:30 PM:
You know the truth about students succeeding in school? Parental involvement. Parents need to take an active part in their kids education. Make sure their kids are in school, their homework is done, they are well rested.
The Auburn district has caring quality teachers and intelligent administrators. They alone cannot improve education.
Mr.Morgan you are the King of Gloom and complaining. "
movedsouth wrote on Jul 28, 2008 1:17 PM:
jlmorgansr wrote on Jul 28, 2008 7:34 AM:
If the standards of education has increased, when then are our schools on the states failure list, or the needs to be improved list?
Can you tell us why we have so many dropout? Can you also tell us why we have so many administrators?
Can you tell us if the drop out rate improved since the hiring of these administrators.
It's not an obession Mr Brew, its just a topic that gets under my skin, why should we have a 66 million dollar budget proposal when student enrollment gets smaller and smaller every year?
I'll tell you,,,, all the above,,, that's why "
brew1234 wrote on Jul 27, 2008 8:46 PM:
cm wrote on Jul 27, 2008 10:29 AM:
My county has:
1 Superintendent
7 board members/1 per district
209 schools +60 additional centers
227 principals
393 Asst. principals
15,370 Teachers
25,473 Full-time staff
206,756 STUDENTS
2.2 Billion dollar Budget
The Superintendent base salary was $236,504 and a bonus was $48,240.
This persons contract also includes bonus pay based on 18 performance factors, most derived from student tests.
( I think this needs to go to teachers: strange, we pay the people who actually EDUCATE our kids about the same in one year as we give in bonuses to the person who SUPERVISES the people who teach our kids)
Besides pay, receives a $125 monthly car allowance, mileage, a $1 million life insurance policy and retirement plan equal to 15 percent of salary in addition to state retirement.
maybe when Pabis reads this he will want to apply here! "
jlmorgansr wrote on Jul 27, 2008 8:44 AM:
I want you to think about how it would feel to have to choose between food, medicine, and or paying your taxes. I want you to consider how it would feel to be forced to move to some little hick town out west simply because you were unable to stay in the home you raised your family in, the home you paid for, the home you built, or remodeled.
Your comments are uncalled for Mr Hodson, I pray as you get older and you are able to retire, you have the insurance to pay for any health issues that may arise with either you or your spouse. I pray you will have a retirement package that will leave you and your family comfortable for many years to come. Then I want you to consider those who may have retired with no pension plan, all they may have is social security, or those that may have lost their jobs because their employer found it cheaper to operate in that little hick town out west. That my friend is the reality many people are facing in NY. Every year, more and more people are leaving their homes because they can no longer afford to live here. Check the statistics. I have.
Then I want you to look deeper into Mr Pabis and his crew of administrators. I want you to compare what has been achieved by his administration, has the quality of education gone up? Has the drop out rate decreased? Has he improved the educational standards in our district? The answer is a resounding NO! Everything has either remained the same or has gotten worse. We still are on the states failing list, and our kids are still failing. All we have to show for it is a million dollar price tag associated with those administrators. They will retire with hefty pensions and we will be stuck holding the bag. I would also question why this board chose to pay a rookie superintendent more money than the out going superintendent. JD Pabis has not earned the confidence, nor the respect of the community or the teachers.
If you decide to run for a position on the Auburn School Board, I suggest you look at the issues, I suggest you look at the progress we have made and what it is costing this community. We don't need another bobble head Eric, JD Pabis has enough of them now. What Auburn needs is someone who will do something to insure our kids receive a quality education, yet, be considerate of the people who are paying the bills. No one can afford education at any cost, including you. "
jlmorgansr wrote on Jul 26, 2008 11:55 PM:
We need responsible leadership, we need people who understand what another tax hike will mean to the seniors, we need leadership who understands what it means having to choose between food or medicine, or the consequences of having to pay for a bloated administrators pay raise.
Reality is knowing that people all over America want the same for their children, I have found that the school districts here in Florida operate on such a system you labeled as crazy. There is one Superintendent for the entire county, they have managed to eliminate layer upon layer of government that has done nothing but duplicate itself and cost the taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Their educational standards have not been compromised, instead it has flourished.
I suggest you take the rose colored glasses off and look at the world the way it truly is. "