Woodstock CT Café

First, the Academy itself says their increase is 4.26% for per pupil tuition for 2008-09. Second, the BOE budget is increased by 4.34%. Third, the town budget is increased by 4.35%. So, the CPS doesn’t know math. Not surprising.

See “Woodstock Unveils… Budget…” in the Norwich Bull.

This is an opportunity for Republicans and Democrats and Independents to unite and pass the budget. Congrats to the BOF, BOS, and BOE for their hard work.

The CPS Blog at Ernie St. Jean’s on Route 197. Just because he’s a ‘Saint’, that doesn’t make him RIGHT!

Orson and Kevin exchange views.

Orson: First, while we are neither lawyers, I have trained and worked with these issues with frequency, including a recent day-long session with special tax counsel regarding allowable expenditures (of a different type) by nonprofits (of a different type); this in addition to my former experience doing due diligence on advocacy groups for a foundation, where I worked with special tax counsel in determining allowable expenditures (of a different type) by nonprofits (of a different type).  Since the potential cost/penalty for violations is very high (loss of nonprofit status), legal advice always includes (i) err on the side of caution; and (ii) each case is fact-specific taking into account the totality of circumstances.  Your comments make it clear you have never been made aware of this common advice. 

Second, while I had previously reviewed the same IRS website, and chose to summarize my understanding for purposes of brevity, it is clear only a specific reference will do for you.  I wish you had devoted more time to this site to gain an understanding of the problem, rather than retrieving a snippet of information which you have inflated to some all-encompassing, simple directive that leapfrogs decades of evolved tax law litigation.  So please note the following from your source:

“Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Contributions to political campaign funds or public statements of position (verbal or written) made on behalf of the organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign activity.  Violating this prohibition may result in denial or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of certain excise taxes.” Read the rest of this entry »

There are some issues that are out of control of local BOE’s and school administrators. There are mandates from the state and federal government that require local BOE’s to focus funding on special ed and standardized tests. School officials are, to some extent, scared to death about CMT scores. If schools fail to make adequate yearly progress as a whole, and when broken into subgroups (such as special ed, minority students, students who receive free/reduced meals) they can be labeled as failing. No school administrator or BOE member wants that label.
 
The natural reaction to this issue is for the BOE to tell the Superintendent that CMT scores are a district priority. The Superintendent tells building admins that CMT scores are a priority. The building admins often have 3 year contracts, or perhaps shorter. If they don’t get the right results, their jobs are in jeopardy.

The reality is that there are some students who will excel on all areas of standardized tests unless their teachers are totally inept. There are many students who will do well enough on all areas of standardized tests with adequate teachers. There are some students who will do well on many, or at least some standardized tests only with the instruction/expertise exceptional teachers. There are some students, due to either innate ability or family environment, who will either struggle to pass any test or, in some cases, refuse to take them, or not attend school to take them. All these students are the responsiility of the building admins (thanks to NCLB).

It’s no surprise that some building admins, superintendents, and BOE’s panic and make these tests a priority. Read the rest of this entry »

Dean: Taxpayer, the key with the CMT scores is how you compare with other communities.  I don’t know if they are hard or easy (and neither do you since you have not taken them).  Regardless, if you score higher than your peers that can be used as a measurement of success.  Don’t you agree that given the levels of funding for the k-8 and their comparative performance against better funded schools (and I am not talking about Hartford and other urban schools) that that is a measurement of success?

A Taxpayer: The CMT is a very simplistic exam that tests on prior year’s material in which the school spends an exhorbitant amount of time preparing the students for…to the point of sheer boredom and, frankly, educational neglect and irresponsibility by failing to teach new and challenging material. Ask any kid that values education and they will confirm this.

Scoring higher or lower on these exams is not a reflection of success but rather a reflection of demographics.

Compounded with an obstructive teacher’s union, we get a perfect recipe for a failed system that cannot progress or compete globally. The only saving grace is personal integrity of students and families.

This dysfunction is not the fault of the WPS or the WBOE, however they perpetuate this problem and become accomplices to it by failing to honestly address it. 

Instead we are told we need more money. Certainly we do, however, there is little faith that more money is the solution to the underlying problems I describe.  These problems must be addressed first and then the money will follow, and gladly. Read the rest of this entry »