Report Inappropriate Comments

Teacher,

There's a reason the issue is money: it's because without money, we can't continue supply the level (some would argue the bare minimum) of education we do now. Let's cut thru to the root problem here: for most of the last decade too many people--including the Teachers Union--have been silent when the school budget has come before the City Council. They have let Superintendent/School Committee serve as whipping boys for a City Council looking to make political hay by excoriating the School budget while simultaneously taking all of the additional revenue gained from tax increases and putting towards the city budget. As a result, the school department has been left to look for ways to cut because they know they certainly aren't going to get an increase. Yes, the teachers union has made some concessions, but that isn't enough. Standing up to support the schools vocally would have gone a long way towards mitigating some of this. But it was more convenient to let the SC and Admin take the hit than to join them! The opposition to the Gorton closing was proof that you can organize effectively against something you don't like and apply some very real pressure. That sort of effort has been absent year after year as the school budget has been level funded by the City Council. With no evidence that the public or the teachers will support them, the School Committee/Admin is left to trying to come up with other ways to save money and the only remaining option is to close buildings that are expensive to maintain.

From: On a roll to save Vets High

Please explain the inappropriate content below.