Topic: School Board Elections This Fall

[Steve.Deserved.Better]

This is probably new news to a lot of people who have sat back while the school babysat their children. 

A little involvement from parents from the get go on the quality and historical correctness would have prevented this.  But as the economy in the past years have forced both parents to work, it was not a priority, because you are suppose to trust to those you put in the positions, to be trustworthy.

[dhw]

Thompson says were 3 million in debt.  Watson says we have excess money in the school system.  One of them is wrong.  If Thompson is correct, were going have to have a levy or bond issues.  If Watson and Barone are right, we will never have a need for another levy or bond issue.  And, if they made a mistake, they either can make cuts or pay the needed money out of their own pockets.  Don't come back after the election and ask the taxpayers to cover the shotfalls.

[seabiscuit]

Thompson says were 3 million in debt.  Watson says we have excess money in the school system.  One of them is wrong.  If Thompson is correct, were going have to have a levy or bond issues.  If Watson and Barone are right, we will never have a need for another levy or bond issue.  And, if they made a mistake, they either can make cuts or pay the needed money out of their own pockets.  Don't come back after the election and ask the taxpayers to cover the shotfalls.

dhw

If Thompson is correct, we will have a bond/levy issue pretty quick.  If Watson and Barone are correct, then there won't be one right away.  Having a $6.5 million surplus doesn't mean that we'll never ever ever again have a levy issue up before the voting public.  With the cuts at the State level, that surplus could be eaten up because of reduced state funding.  The point is that we DO NOT currently have a $3 million deficit.  We HAVE a $6.5 million surplus on the books right now.

[Bubbleburst]

Update on Kirk:

http://www.knoxpages.com/?NewsID=7535&CatID=1

[mz gulagg]

Any  of these candidates concerned with what kids are actually TAUGHT? Curiculum? Textbooks(referred to earlier)?  A FOX News special on textbooks showed a book for ELEMENTARY kids about two homosexual PENGUINS pictured with a BABY penquin. Nice trick,that. A validictorian at a US izlam school joined Al Qarda & planned to kill our PRESIDENT ! What's being taught? What's in our textbooks? enquiren minds wanna noed,ya noed.

[wastintime]

Any  of these candidates concerned with what kids are actually TAUGHT? Curiculum? Textbooks(referred to earlier)?

Steven Hughes talked about textbooks at one of the community forums I attended.  Seemed like a very, very knowledgeable man.

[mz gulagg]

wastintime, liked to have heard what Hughs said about textbooks. Lots of people tell me they pay taxes so "experts" will pick textbooks,curriculum,etc. Remember,the "experts" at Harvard & other business schools & kolleges like Kenyon (Zack Space's alma mater & support place) gave us credit default swaps,idiot loan standard(& other stanards)destruction and our school "experts" gave us a generation that had NO CONCEPT of interest rates. "Experts" gave us a near depression ,massive debt and a massive weakening of our currency.I'd like these textbooks to be available to the common man in our library so maybe he'll get involved and maybe save America....maybe. Any better ideas?

[NotJustinsOtherName]

Any  of these candidates concerned with what kids are actually TAUGHT? Curiculum? Textbooks(referred to earlier)?  A FOX News special on textbooks showed a book for ELEMENTARY kids about two homosexual PENGUINS pictured with a BABY penquin. Nice trick,that. A validictorian at a US izlam school joined Al Qarda & planned to kill our PRESIDENT ! What's being taught? What's in our textbooks? enquiren minds wanna noed,ya noed.

Fox has all the best gay books!

[mz gulagg]

justin,pop sum more mexcan drugs & git back in yer hole.Go on,GIT ! More air from the resident airhed.

[NotJustinsOtherName]

justin,pop sum more mexcan drugs & git back in yer hole.Go on,GIT ! More air from the resident airhed.

Im sorry if that upsets you. But fox does seem to have ready access to all the best gay books! They must have unfettered access to the GOP Congressional library.  Log cabin republicans like logs you no-ed!

[ohioproud]

I am exhausted from reading all these about Mt Vernon.  Anyone had information on the other schools?  Cburg, EK, Fred

[mz gulagg]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/offbeat/ktla-gay-penguins,0,2640057.story

Any  of these candidates concerned with what kids are actually TAUGHT? Curiculum? Textbooks(referred to earlier)?  A FOX News special on textbooks showed a book for ELEMENTARY kids about two homosexual PENGUINS pictured with a BABY penquin. Nice trick,that. A validictorian at a US izlam school joined Al Qarda & planned to kill our PRESIDENT ! What's being taught? What's in our textbooks? enquiren minds wanna noed,ya noed.

                 Well,I guess it's hopeless. We've got textbooks being unduly influenced by special interests from homosexuals to radical izlam  and you folks laugh.  The textbook about homosexual penguins used for little kids in Califernian elementary schools,against many parents wishes was written long before  the purported(repeat,purported) gay penguin thing glenns gram posted. The homosexuals & their supporters began by using bullying as a pretext for making elementary schools address homosexuality in an APPROVING way. I read Calif passed a law mandating homosexuality be included in  curriculum but ONLY IN APPROVING WAYS. To present anything else is illegal. Shortly after getting their foot in the door,the gay faction got the Penguin book included in elementary schools---a book that doesn't address bullying which applies to many besides homosexuals, but does  address homsexuality in a approving.bambi-like way--advocacy propaganda to little kids,not education. Outraged parents were disregarded,per usual.     The same thing goes on when other special interests lobby for THEIR interests to take precedence over education.   It's a big problem. See "The lies my teachers told me" & "The Language Police" ,books that document the process.   The textbook makers  really do a number on christianity vs other religions and butcher US history when it's even taught,which is less & less.   Now,go back to laughing & worrying about "budgets".  NEA:NO bureacrat left behind.

[seabiscuit]

I was just re-reading Ian Watson's statement in the Mount Vernon News, November 2nd, page 6A and thought it would be appropriate to post his statement.  I believe it speaks volumes and helps provide clarity to our school's "alleged" deficit.

Straight talk about school finances from Board President Ian Watson:  What you HAVE NOT heard from Steve Thompson or Robert Kirk

To The Voters of the Mount Vernon School District:

I am running for re-election to the Mount Vernon School Board, and I'd like to offer you something you haven't gotten from Steve Thompson and Robert Kirk - straight talk about our school district's finances.

The merged Thompson and Kirk campaign has spent an unprecedented amount of money - considerably more than the $12,000 they reported as of October 14 - publicizing what might, charitably, be referred to as "fiction", concerning the finances of our school system

You've no doubt received their expensive direct mail pieces, and perhaps you've heard their non-stop radio ads that refer to a "colossal" $3 million deficit.  The truth is, that "deficit" does not exist.  The term "deficit" has been tossed around like a beach ball by both Thompson and Kirk, based on their superficial reading of a school district expense and revenue statement that never pretended to be a comprehensive budget presentation.

Sadly, Thompson and Kirk never bothered to fact-check their gross misrepresentation of the Mount Vernon City School District budget, and have persisted in pouring thousands of dollars into a deceptive and malicious advertising campaign to discredit me, and the entire Mount Vernon Board of Education.

Steve Thompson and Robert Kirk absolutely refuse to acknowledge the availability of a $6.5 million "rainy day fund", which I and my fellow school board members have prudently maintained in anticipation of difficult economic times, which our community, our state and our entire nation are now experiencing.

Thanks to our budgeting foresight we have more than enough cash on hand to weather the current economic storm, without having to dramatically cut services to our students, and without having to ask voters for additional tax dollars.  This is not to say we can go on indefinitely without a more predictable stream of state funding, or without additional local revenue.  But for the time being, please don't cart us off to the poor house!  We're managing quite well with the tax dollars you have provided, despite the fact Mr. Thompson and Mr. Kirk are trying hard to convince you otherwise.

As one recent letter to the editor astutely noted, if there really is a $3 million deficit, as Thompson and Kirk falsely claim, we would be voting on a substantial school operating levy tomorrow.  But we're not, are we?

Rest assured, the school board, superintendent and treasurer are not complacently waiting for the economy to cure itself.  We have already implemented, numerous cost reductions, and will continue to implement more.  For example, we cut back summer school, keeping the best and saving $100,000 on the rest.  We eliminated two teaching positions, and a teacher's aide, through attrition saving $150,0 per year.  And, we divided the duties of the former business manager among other administrative staff members, saving more than $100,000 annually.  These are but a few of the savings effected.

In short, the school district has been efficiently conducting business, without the need to ask for additional tax dollars, and without weakening the instructional program.

Certainly the past four years have been filled with challenge; but with a new administrative team now in place, our school district is fixed on a path to excellence.

Proud of my accomplishments to date, I respectfully ask for the privilege of continuing to serve you as a member of the Mount Vernon Board of Education.

                                                                   Ian Watson
                                                                   MVHS Class of 1968

[mz gulagg]

wat bout pedagogy (er watever the heck it is) and CONTENT !?!  Gawd. Sounds like we don't needa scool bord,we could git by with a good accountant.That wat edeekations all about? Credit deefault swaps? Ruin? Weird,ain't it ,how America goes closer to Hell longer scool prayer's silent? We elect marxists of the "gawddamn America" kind? 10 commandments wouldda served America FAR better than Harvard business & law scools......& Barney & his subslimes.Mt Vermin scools gonna teach INTEREST RATES? A tad of economics, maybe a touch of James Madison ....or just art & Palosi's & Space's multeekulturalizm? And  I is a heathen,to the core.  Still probly vote fer Watson,if I ever vote.

[Steve.Deserved.Better]

mz, if you haven't clicked on this video, you might find it very interesting........very telling.

http://www.mvohio.net/index.php?topic=16427.0