The local school board has been told that there will be cuts of several million dollars to their budget this year. It was expected, but it still comes as something of a shock and is a bit hard to take when we have just spent so much money on staging the Olympics!
Very soon the process of deciding where the cuts will actually be made will start. This is where the rubber meets the road. The cuts are no longer something that happen ‘out there’, now the discussion comes down to what programs will be cut, where savings can be made, how many teachers will be let go, maybe even which schools to close. It all gets very messy and uncomfortable.
I have been through this process several times and, when everything is settled, this is what usually happens.
First, there are cuts to seemingly non- essential services such as cleaning, playground supervision, food programs. I don’t think they are non-essential but there you go.
Next comes cuts to programs such as music and physical education and games. Savings can be made in teacher salaries and equipment when these programs are cut.
Then there are the threats about cutting special education programs for children with special educational needs. Now I am all in favor of these programs, I used to teach in them, but I have noticed that these programs never get cut as much as other programs. Why? Because parents are usually very vocal and aggressive when it comes to cutting them. These parents know the system, they have been struggling with it for years, and they know how to use the media. Result- school boards are less likely to cut these programs.
Libraries come next. After all, who needs a school library when there are public ones nearby? Or so the thinking goes. Poor libraries, funding for books is cut drastically and teacher-librarians are expected to take on additional duties. They have been in this situation before and know how to lobby against the cuts. And the lobbying pays off. After citing research that shows that libraries are essential to a child’s learning they tend to survive.
Teachers come next. New jobs are cut, teachers are offered an early retirement package, and class sizes are increased.
So how does this affect you and your child?
Here is my list -
* Bigger class sizes – mean less attention to children with learning issues (not so much for children designated as in need of special education, because there has to be extra provision for them)
* Fewer of the kind of programs that a child could excel in, such as music and games. Some children who do not do well in class get their boost of confidence from these types of programs.
* Poor teacher morale – it is hard to be upbeat when your job might be cut and you might be given extra work to do. This often leads to less concern for discipline and a lack of innovation, both things that benefit underachievers.
* More rote learning. It is easier to stick to the books when there are large numbers of children in a class. It is more difficult to allow children to learn in different ways. If your child is a different learner he or she will not be getting the support they need.
* Lack of individual attention. Teachers try hard, but in a 45 minute lesson with a class of 35 children no child will get more than the merest hint of personal support.
This is what happens. So what are the implications for you?
To put it simply, you are going to have to provide your child with the service and support that he or she will be lacking in school. If you want your child to do well, to reach their full learning potential, you are going to have to do more to help him or her learn.
I don’t know what that ‘more’ will be. Every child will require different support depending on their learning needs. Your job is to find out exactly support what they need and to ensure that they get it.
Your role in supporting your child’s education is always vitally important but never more so than when schools start cutting back on services.
You can do it, I can hep.
