"tions"

EducationTION, LegislaTION, communicaTION.....all topics we'd better not shun away from if we hope to accomplish anything.  Our locals schools are now in a battle for survival...literally.  I'm not sure the life support they're on is going to last more than a couple of years and it's becoming a real possibility we'll flat-line!  Thankfully, our past Boards and Administrations have kept us solvent enough to have balances (savings accounts, if you will) to see us through 2013-14.  There will be cuts both through layoffs and attrition and a course or two will only be offered to some students for only a 1/2 year rather than full. Thankfully too, we have a compassionate superintendent who is fighting desperately for her students.  We have a really good educational system in Moravia.  Rural schools generally have caring staff. You don't just see them in the classroom. In a small town, everyone knows everyone... That's not always a bad thing.  The financial picture is strained enough that a community member even asked this at a recent budget forum, "Can a school district go bankrupt?"  Another, sadly lamented that she couldn't even imagine her baby not having Millard Fillmore Elementary in her future........real possibilities.
So who do we blame? Blame's a great game but this time it's not shame on us.  It's literally shame on the politicians.  Every school is NOT the same. We cannot be lumped with every NYS school.  We hear the Governor say he's not raising taxes...OK, he's not but he's forcing the school officials to raise them for him.  It's really not their job to help make him look good.  That really is trying to put lipstick on a pig (right Sarah?)

There is little a constituent can do but bitch (or squeak if you will..I prefer bitch as I'm an expert). Our Administrators have been on the road, extolling our abundance of virtues, or lack of wealth and our insistence that they pay attention to the repercussions of their actions.  We can do that from the comfort of our desks and kitchen tables.  One suggestion is a letter or note writing campaign.  Someone in these offices has to open the mail.  If they get a couple of letters from angry Moravia residents, so be it.  But if they get 20, they're liable to make mention of it. Michelle, our super Super, offered the idea of fancy paper, bright envelopes or even thank you notes.  Yesterday I picked up a package of T-you's and will be sending them off today.  I've decided my last lines (it needn't be too wordy) will be... Please be aware of what your votes mean to New York's children. I fear an uneducated legislator is far more harmful  than an unlegislated educator!