Schools, then and now
Maybe I am misremembering, but I don't believe that a free public education ever cost so much as it does these days. In the first two weeks of school for my daughter, they have nickel and dimed me to the tune of nearly $100 .... and that's before the $150 calculator she also needs. Yep ... that's one HUNDRED fifty dollars. Holy crap! We used our fingers and toes, and a good measure of pencil lead and erasers. Now granted, she is taking classes that require extra supplies ... art and photography, but still. Oy vey!At work today, someone left a catalog and order form so people could order cookies. Obscenely over-priced cookies at that. But for a "good cause" ... it was for their child's school fund-raising efforts. Over the years, I have paid princely sums for cookies, wrapping paper, decorations, hot drink mix ... to fund something for the school. Soon, Knox County schools will start their kids hawking coupon books. I have never felt comfortable sending my kids out selling this crap, and we do have the option to let them sit it out, but the schools are very clever in hawking the sales programs to them ... bribing them to sell Sell SELL! with prizes and promises of pizza parties for the top-sellers. Any kid that forgoes this is an instant pariah. Of course, the rich kids who's parents can afford to buy a boat load of these items are the ones that typically take top prize.
I feel like I am about to tell a tale about walking to school through the snow all year long, uphill both ways, barefoot and carrying a little sister on my back ... but seriously, back when I was in school, we didn't need to go door-to-door selling all kinds of crap to help fund the schools. Sure, the PTA sold cookbooks of recipes donated by students' parents, but that was to fund our yearly carnival and Christmas parties (Yes! We had real Christmas parties and the Jewish kids enjoyed them too! No one got all offended or anything!) The drama club had car washes to buy costumes and set scenery. The choir would sell candy to fund the trip to the competition. Stuff like that. We didn't need to go earn our keep ... or our pencils and books.
For those of you that have been along for the ride here recently, you know that I just moved to a new home in Oak Ridge, after having lived in and been happy in one place for the last nearly 7 years. The primary motivation for the move was that my 16 year old daughter came to live with me full time, and she and I both want for her to continue at Oak Ridge High School. Not just to avoid the trauma of changing schools midway through, or missing her friends and activities, but because Oak Ridge High School has consistently ranked in the top tier of the nation's high schools year after year after year. What parent doesn't want the best for their kid? And besides, it's my alma mater ... Roll, Wildcats!
Eh hem ..
Anyway. There is growing concern about the status of the school system here. This is a town where education is highly regarded. Or was. With a national laboratory and a nuclear weapons research facility being the life-blood of the city, we have probably one of the most highly educated cities in the country. So, why has education and the city schools become a falling priority over the years?
Once again, back in my day, the schools enjoyed nearly half of the city budget. Now, they barely get one-third. We didn't sell crap to buy text books, and our parents weren't nickel and dimed to death. Granted, we did have a stupid bus ticket program, but at least that forced most of the costs on those who actually needed and used the school bus system. This year, the school has had to impose a limit on who can ride the bus and who cannot. Those within a 1 mile radius either walk or go by car. Worse yet, the once laudable ranking of Oak Ridge High School, which at one time was in the top 100 in the nation, has sunk lower and lower year after year ... #465 for last year.
There is now a grass-roots, community based movement to bring attention to the declining priority of the schools in Oak Ridge, TN ... the Atomic City Education Society. Already garnering attention from the local newspapers, ACES aims to put a spotlight on this concern and bring attention to this important matter. I will soon be sporting bumper stickers on my cars and encouraging others to do the same, plus donating to the cause and letting my voice be heard along with other concerned parents that we care about our children and want the very best for them, and their future. Next entry: Crikey!
Previous entry: Freedbacking for Bloglines
Posted by The Bosphorus on 09/01 at 09:16 PM