Governor Daugaard was just noting on KCCR radio that he doesn’t think a special session is going to happen, simply because the Blue Ribbon task force is only part-way done:
South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard says while he respects the ability of state legislators to call themselves into a special session, he doubts it will happen.
And…
Daugaard says he doesn’t think there is a consensus on any approach to education funding…
Daugaard says he thinks most legislators want to wait and see what the “Blue Ribbon Task Force on Education” comes up with…
The task force is only part way done because their whistle-stop campaign to promote the cause of raising taxes hasn’t succeeded yet?
Maybe Jensen and May should have proposed a special session of the legislature for the purpose of raising taxes instead?
From Mercer:
“There isn’t a requirement that a South Dakota legislator must be able to count votes or accurately sense public sentiment. There also isn’t a requirement that South Dakota news reporters must be able to count legislative votes or accurately sense political sentiment. When those vacuums exist at the same time and place in our state’s social universe, we get situations such as that now involving Rep. Elizabeth May, R-Kyle.”
Have you ever seen the old TV series Gilligan’s Island? I think Rep. May is like Gilligan. She says and does silly things, but because she lives on a deserted island with a small band of cast-aways, her message doesn’t go anywhere, even though she’s shouting at the top of her lungs.
May made national headlines this year when she blamed the Common Core for the deaths of eight children on the Pine Ridge reservation. The five legislators that align themselves with her are “guilty-by-association.” Nut cases all. They have no credibility.
You still aren’t looking at what the Blue Ribbon task force is doing. They aren’t looking at what the schools are spending money on.
They are softening us up for a tax increase, either in sales taxes, property taxes, or a state income tax.
They are going around declaring we have a crisis, we don’t pay the teachers enough, we have a teacher shortage, and something must be done “for the children.”
Of course the solution is more money. If more money might result in high school graduates who know how to make change, if, by the time they graduate, they can figure out how many quarters are in a $10 roll, maybe they could get us on board with the idea. But some of us want to see results.
If money is spent on curriculum changes will the quality of the education improve, or will we still find ourselves explaining to the kids at MacDonalds how many quarters equal a dollar?
Or is math illiteracy part of a socialist plot to create an electorate of imbeciles?
Of course they’re looking at what schools are spending money on, Anne. Before spreading silliness, why don’t you talk to a few task force members to learn the facts.
Anne and Anon:
Together your raise a good point. One of the things nobody talks about is to what real end is the State studying funding while school boards have most of the discretion on how they spend the bulk of the money.
1) Do we throw more State taxpayers money at school districts and hope they spend it right?
2) Do we throw more State taxpayer’s money at school districts with strong standards and measured accountability of results?
Personally, I’m not interested in more State taxpayer’s money without strong standards and measured accountability. If a school board wants to set their own standards and measures, they can do it with LESS State taxpayer’s money.
P.S. If I have a beef with Common Core, I think the standards can be higher and more rigorous*. However, in the meantime, Common Core is an improvement over No Child Left Behind.
* Keep in mind the most common beef with Common Core Math is it is too rigorous because it requires elementary students to use multiple techniques to solve arithmetic problems so they have a broad base for future mathematics class.
Let’s face it , when it comes to teacher pay local control is a failure . The state should force a minimum teachers wage , pay for performance and real accountability for teachers . If a teacher passes students who can’t meet the standards for their grade level fire them . If the administrators can’t enforce standards fire them . If the school board is a toady for the administration elect a new board .
Why stop there? Let’s just dissolve all the school boards. bring all the schools under direct control of the federal government. There done and done. It is no longer our problem.
School boards have the same problem that some areas, finding candidates to run or the open positions. No body really cares until it is a problem to them.
Rep. V. It’s a small-minded man that blames everyone else but never looks inward. The state constitution provided control of our schools to the state, not the locals. And you, my friend, are the state.
If you want the legislature fully engaged in education, rather than a special session, wait until the task force is done, and have the bodies take the legislation up as a committee of the whole during session. Every member hears the testimony, can ask questions, has input. We have the time during the session, we will already have the staff there and would incur no extra expense, and we might actually reach some consensus – if well were all forced to be a part of the process.
Is there any precedent for the legislature to meet as a committee of the whole?
Rep. Verchio and MC:
I think you two are almost saying the same thing from different perspectives.
If a company is putting out poor product, to the stockholders fire all the line workers or cut their pay? Nope, they demand accountability from management and fire them if they don’t get it..
But, how do we know if we are putting out a good education product? We really don’t because we really don’t measure student performance and report the performance openly. Common Core gives is the beginning of a vehicle to do so.
If we have clear standards of what a student must know in each grade progressing to graduating with skills to be career, military, or college ready AND reported the actual results on how individual school districts were doing, the citizenry would have the tools to demand accountability.
I don’t care if it is Gettysburg, Pierre, or here in Sioux Falls, a school district consistently not meeting expectations would get a bushel basket of school board candidates ready and willing to demand results. It starts with having standards, measuring them, and then reporting them.
Roadster ‘
THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT I AM SAYING LET THE STATE TAKE CHARGE & MANDATE HOW & WHO EDUCATES OUR K-12 STUDENTS . THEN FULLY FUND THOSE STATE DIRECTIVES . After all look what an amazing job the state has done far .
I watched the video of her news conference. When the camera panned the room, I counted five people in the audience. That’s one fewer person than the six legislators in the room.
When even the legislators own constituents fail to show up for this, it’s pretty clear the Group-of-Six presser has very little meaning.
Rep. V. With all due respect, I’m tired of you guys taking my money. Last year you grabbed $$$$ tens of millions for roads. Now you want more? Just pony up half the road money and give it to education. It’s not so hard to figure out. Sometimes I wonder about you guys in Pierre.
Who said anything about a raised or new tax for education . Let the citizens give us a laundry list of what they are willing to give up so we can shift that revenue to education . Lets start with yours .Take your time & be serious not flippant about it .
At this point,AND if it were up to me (which it is not) Before jumping to anything, I want to hear what this blue ribbon panel has come up with, the pros and the cons.
A Special Session? No.
Special Sessions should only be used for time sensitive, emergency situations. Then only for one issue. Yes, this is a pressing matter, but not an emergency.
As it stands, this panel has a few months to fine tune their message. Come next January Let’s hear what they have to say, or better yet. present it to the public.
Hey MC, has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like Charlie Hoffman?
Master Charlie MC is not Roadster though the stash does resemble a good looking one. (Nice to have a shout out here on a positive note; thanks!)
Three simple points on public education:
One: School Boards are beholden to the taxpayer.
Two: Extra money sent to schools does not guarantee increased teacher pay.
Three: Low student scores are a culture problem no amount of teacher pay increase will improve.
I’ve had a few people say I look like Ned Flanders