Posts filed under ‘Budget’
The Budgets Are Coming, The Budgets Are Coming
A reader suggested we talk about the school budgets that will be coming out soon. I am never very knowledgeable on this topic, so feel free to add whatever you know.
Each school gets a budget of discretionary funds that are used to pay for “extra” things that the board doesn’t cover. This CAN (and usually does) cover some teaching positions because the formula through which positions are assigned is sort of crazy. Position assignments work best in a school where the grades are all evenly balanced and the number of kids per grade splits nicely into an even number of classes. In schools that have a lot of kids in the lower grades and very few in the higher grades, and some grades with an oddly high number of kids, it gets out of whack. I believe the number of teachers assigned is basesd on the school enrollment total, so it just doesn’t always fall out evenly, leaving the need for a couple extra teachers here and there.
The money that many schools get is very very dismally small. As we all know, the challenge for 2012/13 is about how to cover this extra time in the school day, when the teachers’ time is pretty restricted in terms of supervising recess, etc.
There is talk that there will be some extra money to help schools cover the time, but it’s still unclear how much and where it’ll come from given that CPS has a budget shortfall. Brizard has talked about PRIORITIZING for months now and I guess this is where we’ll see how it shakes out. We know that the IB coordinators will be cut. Someone wrote to tell me that the program called Freshman Connection (is that just for SE high schools or all high schools) that gives freshman a few weeks to get acclimated to their new (bigger) school is also being cut. I’m sure there will be other cuts as well.
In regards to covering the extra school day time, I wanted to report back on the interviews I did with the principals from Fiske and Disney II. I’ve mention this before, but I was really blown away by both women. The longer day made total sense the way they talked about it. They have vey high standards for their schools and have a LOT they want to teach the kids. Of course I asked about the coverage of recess, etc. They both handle it “creatively” within their school/community. Neither school is using their pioneer money to make it work.
Fiske uses and outside volunteer organization that the principal has forged a relationship with to bring people into the school to help. I asked whether it was difficult to get people to show up, schedule them etc. I was told that the organization (via outside funding or grants or something) actually provides a stipend to some of the volunteers. So that is a pretty awesome setup.
At Disney II, the principal mentioned that they (*updated to reflect input from DII that the use security and classroom assistants for supervision times.)
Both women felt that each school needed to use their particular resources to find a way to make it work, and they didn’t consider it a major obstacle. (just paraphrasing here.)
Each year the big funding questions in the elementary schools tend to be about : Free Pre-K, Full day kindergarten, specials (gym, library tech, etc.) I’d imagine these may still be uncertain this year?
Feel free to share any thoughts/info/speculation on the budgets…..
*See comment #39 for input from CPS. Also below is a link to Brizard’s recent webcast where he answers questions in response to parents’ video questions:
CPS Budget Hearings Open to the Public
Thanks to a reader for sharing this information. I believe this is the same type of forum as the admission policy forums where you need to get therer and register before it starts and you will get a chance to state your opinion.
If anyone feels like they have a firm grasp of the budget stuff, please share. As I was discussing with a friend last week, it all feels a bit like fake money to me and politics as usual. I fully grasp that there is a budget crisis and that CPS appears forced to jump through hoops to get the money. But I don’t get where the state keeps “finding” money. It worries me…
Dear NoTo37 Supporters:
All next week, the Chicago Public Schools will be holding public hearings on the budget for the upcoming school year. This is another chance for your voice to be heard.
The public outcry you and thousands of other concerned citizens generated last spring succeeded in restoring critical funding. Thanks to you, there will not be 37 children in each classroom. However, budget cuts will still mean increasing high school class sizes and cuts to programs across the system.
Attending one of the hearings is a good way to learn more about the budget and keep pressure on our leaders to minimize cuts to important programs.
August 17 Community Hearing for Proposed 2011 CPS Budget
Lane Tech High School
2501 W. Addison St.
Registration begins at 6:00 p.m.
Hearing begins at 7:00 p.m.
August 18 Community Hearing for Proposed 2011 CPS Budget
Westinghouse High School
3223 W Franklin Blvd
Registration begins at 6:00 p.m.
Hearing begins at 7:00 p.m.
August 19 Community Hearing for Proposed 2011 CPS Budget
Corliss High School
821 E. 103rd St.
Registration begins at 6pm
Hearing begins at 7pm
Found some money… so what does this mean?
CPS says it won’t lay off elementary teachers
June 28, 2010 11:55 AM | No Comments
Last-minute changes to state funding were not enough to take all teacher layoffs off the table, however, and schools chief Ron Huberman said high school class sizes could still go up to 33 students from about 31 now.
The district took the opportunity to hammer the teachers union, calling on it and other union workers at the school district to take concessions to their contractually mandated raises.***
Whose credit card is education funding going on?
Cause I sure would like those frequent flyer miles…
One of my spies tells me (spies meaning people who actually read the newspaper instead of just reading CakeWreck and AwkwardFamilyPhotos online like I do) that the state has decided to borrow money to address Illinois’ budget issues for now and they’ll figure things out next year.
Why do I feel like the entire state is going to have a big FORECLOSURE sign on it at some point?
Not sure what this means, but I think we’re safe from classes of 35-37 kids. For now.
Nuts. Who is running the place?
Eek. The budgets.
So schools should be or are starting to hear about their budgets for 2010/2011. It seems like some schools are reporting few significant cuts while others seem to be harder hit.
Pre-School-For all appears to be saved at all schools (?) which seems a bit weird to me. If CPS truly believe in the Tier system as an accurate judge of socio-economic level, why would any Tier 4 (or even Tier 3)-heavy school get free preK? Maybe I’m just bitter because I shelled out $8K-freakin’-dollars for pre-school. 
The most likely cut will be that schools will get funding for fewer teachers. Although CPS has been publicizing the 35 per class number, the trouble is that things don’t always fall nicely into grades like that, meaning that staffing is going to be a nightmare.
Consider a typical neighborhood school that is running at almost full capacity. They get a good number of local kids and pull in some out-of-district kids to make their class sizes line up. So maybe they have 2 classes of about 28 kids in each grade (this isn’t necessarily common since many schools are more sparse in they upper grades, doing split grade classes.) They get 1 teacher per class and it all works out. For 8 grades, they get 16 teachers. So they have 464 kids (28 in 1-4, 30 in 5-8.) If the new formula gives them 1 teacher per 35 kids, they now get 13.26 teachers. 13? So how on earth do they shift those kids?! They need to make 16 classes into 13 classes. It just screws things up. Do they take in extra kids to fill the classes? It’s not even that easy since CPS bases your teacher assignment on last year’s enrollment and THEIR projection’s (not the schools own projections.) A school would need to get all the new kids actively enrolled before getting any new positions.
I suppose it COULD be a chance for people who say they’re in crappy neighborhoods to get into some of the “good” neighborhood schools, but who knows if it’ll work that way.
This should be interesting, people. Post any news from your school here.
Some good budget news
Here ya go Mr. Huberman!
Apparently principals got news from Ron Huberman today that the state has allocated some extra money to help the CPS budget crisis (reducing the CPS deficit from $1 billion to $600 million.) So they kicked in $400 million?
In any case, this is great news, but it also delays the budgets that the principals were waiting for (such as will there be Pre-School for All next year? Will they lose teaching positions?)
So CPS is working out more details.
Hopefully someone runs across a sack of money with $600 million in it and this all goes away……
Da budget
Well, here are the details on the budget. Horrifying is the 37 kids per room.
Don’t blame CPS. Blame our beloved state and the politicians who won’t vote ti increase education funding in Illinois.
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/district-299/FY2011%20Budget%20Briefing.pdf
Wah! Even the suburbs may not be a great option anymore…
Thanks to Hopeful for sending in this depressing link… 
Really, I feel very badly for teachers who get laid off. It’s not like there’s a ton of other professions where you can easily transfer your skills, right?
Well guys, this is going to be an interesting month for CPS this month, between budget cuts and the 4-Tier system for assigning magnet and gifted/classical spots.
Illinois Schools Chief: 13,500 Layoffs Likely At Schools
March 4, 2010 by admin
Filed under Broadcasts, Governor, State News
SPRINGFIELD – The latest warning from Springfield to local schools across Illinois is to get the pink slips ready.
Illinois State Superintendent Christopher Koch told lawmakers at the statehouse Thursday that the state’s 12-billion dollar budget deficit will likely force local schools across the state to lay off thousands of teachers, administrators, and other workers.
30410Koch1 :15 …in school buildings.”
Koch says if he is ordered to take a budget cut, or is included in Governor Pat Quinn’s 1-point-5 billion dollars in education cuts, the number of layoffs will only grow.
Rockford Democrat Chuck Jefferson says that cannot be allowed to happen. He hopes the legislature does something, and soon.
30410Jefferson1 :14 …number might be.”
Lawmakers have talked about immediate budget cuts, but both Jefferson and Koch say there’s no way a local school could trim anything from its budget before classes let-out in June.
Governor Quinn will deliver his budget proposal next Wednesday.
Will budget cuts axe the Gifted/Classical/Magnet progams?
So the big panic now is the massive budget problems plaguing CPS. I’ve said already that I’d never want Huberman’s job. It’s hard enough trying to educate an inner-city student base when the state of IL kicks in very little to help out. Now he has to do it with almost a billion dollars less than we’re spending right now.
I won’t go into the gory details, mainly because it gives me a headache and makes me want to start perusing the suburb real estate listings.
But, one of the threats is to eliminate the gifted/classical programs and magnet schools to save many millions.
The thing I don’t get about this possible solutions is the following: It’s not like by eliminating these programs the kids in them just disappear! I mean they’ll just resurface at their neighborhood schools where CPS will STILL have to pay to educate them! Right?!
Does it cost a lot more to educate kids in the gifted/classical/magnet programs than in other schools? I know these schools get full day Kindergarten for “free” from CPS, while neighborhood schools do not. Gifted and classical schools get a foreign language, which costs more. I supposed gifted/classical teachers get some extra training. I wouldn’t think that magnet teachers do. These schools tend to have full classes, which makes them more efficient than many neighborhood schools. Of course bussing is a big cost.
So it seems like it would just result in a “re-allocation” of kids. Not a reduction of any sort. I can see addressing those extra costs I mentioned, which would actually make things more fair. But I’m not seeing how full-on elimination is going to help.
Frankly, I’ve talked to people about how getting rid of these “enablers” would force more parents to support their neighborhood school which wouldn’t be entirely bad.
My God, what would I obsess about then?!
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