FOCUS ON EDUCATION “The BOE and PSS Stuck in Quicksand”

By Anthony Pellegrino

On April 8, the Board of Education held its monthly meeting in the Oleai Elementary School cafeteria at 6 p.m. A handful of concerned teachers and several parents showed up–a total of about fifteen. But the most obvious missing people were the legislators.

I want to state that the BOE members, the COE, the entire PSS staff and teachers are some of the most dedicated people I have ever met. They are like religious zealots devoted to their profession. However, their hands are tied in too many situations concerning decisions for the PSS. The major problems are what are they to teach and what type of education do we want. These are complex problems which must involve the community and especially the people who control the money and power.

Because of reduction in funds, last December the BOE took the initiative and passed a resolution to reduce all personnel’s salaries by 10 percent. Suddenly, the governor gave PSS a windfall of $1.7 million dollars to avert this action. As a result the PSS was able to delay, not avert, the dilemma until May. The PSS is grateful for the money but it did little to solve the problem. What should have accompanied the gift should have been a meeting with the powers to decide how to solve this continuing situation. Not just throw money at it and hope that the problem would solve itself.

Since then the BOE and the Commissioner have been struggling with the low morale of teachers because the PSS cannot assure a salary for the full term of their contracts. The COE has had to issue notices stating that many of the teachers and staff personnel would be terminated within 90 days. This action because of government policy has sent shock waves throughout the system causing several morale problems.

We are about to lose many devoted teachers and on one outside the PSS and the BOE seems to care very much. The inflammatory problem of teachers’ salaries can be calmed down if the “right people” were to speak to the teachers and give them honest answers. These teachers deserve better treatment than what we are giving them.
When students have fewer teachers in their classes, overcrowding of student ratio to teacher, low morale among teachers and students, all hell will break loose.

I am concerned with the impersonality of how the budget is being decided which shows a lack of planning on what kind of education we want for our children. Money is being allocated with indifference. If the administration and the legislators do not want to participate in the planning process, then fine. But, in all due respects, please be quiet about the results you receive. The community will get what it deserves with the meager funds and meager participation.

Before I became a member of the BOE, I felt I knew everything that was wrong with the PSS. Wow! Was I wrong. Only when I became an insider did I learn the multitude of problems. Ironically, most of them can be solved if the BOE, the PSS, the administration and the legislators were to have a dialogue face to face. Yes, the PSS needs more money, but it also needs you to sit down and talk in earnest about our direction in education. DO IT NOW!

Let’s stop throwing only money at the problem. Instead give the PSS your genuine interest so that the money will go further resulting in better education. Remember the universal law: the amount of effort, time, thought, and money you put into a project is in direct proportion to what you will reap. No more, now less.