An Open Letter From Valdosta City Schools BOE Member About School Consolidation

Dear Friends:

The Valdosta Board of Education has made clear its position against the consolidation referendum on Tuesday’s ballot.   The purpose of this letter is written to express my personal views on the topic in response to several requests by my constituents as their Valdosta City School Board representative. That said, let me state unequivocally that I am AGAINST this current referendum to dissolve the Valdosta City School System’s charter.   While I could argue my opposition to this effort on numerous grounds, in an effort to be succinct I have three points I wish to offer:

1. I believe that any merger of the two school systems should be just that – a merger whereby both school systems’ constituents participate in the vote.   The common sense inherent in this approach was acknowledged in a 1983 Georgia state constitutional amendment which allows for such a vote.  It would seem, however, that knowing that this method presented a much higher hurdle to jump, the CUEE chose to utilize the more archaic 1926 law which essentially states that any local school system can independently vote to give up its charter and consequently be absorbed by its county system.  It is my firm belief that this method disenfranchises all county voters and is a disservice to all affected.  Stated another way, it’s simply unfair.

Now, to dispute those who might say that my statement is simply sour grapes, let me offer just one real circumstance out of innumerable others that would be a result of the current referendum passing:  Should the voters decide to relinquish Valdosta City School’s charter, any roll that the current system might otherwise play in an orderly transition will be at the sole discretion of the Lowndes County system.  As a parent, Valdosta City residence, and VCS Board Member invested in the Valdosta City School System, and more particularly, its children, this is unacceptable to me.  No, not because it’s Lowndes County but simply because it doesn’t make good common sense.  Lowndes County is ill-prepared to absorb our system into its current operations just as any other system would be under similar conditions.  Willingly, let alone under duress, any merger is a colossal undertaking and should be conducted only after careful, thoughtful, and exhaustive planning.  Not because a few people thought it was a good idea and spent what is reported to be almost $300,000 to-date getting it on the ballot and to a vote!

2.  From my own personal research it’s apparent to me that when independent systems have elected to give up their charter the decision, or lack of, has been the result of the relinquishing system being in dire financial condition.  In stark contrast to this pattern, by any reasonable evaluation, and contrary to numerous CUEE statements, the Valdosta City Schools are in excellent fiscal condition, particularly in light of current economic conditions.  The Valdosta City School System has a fund balance of $8.8 million dollars.  Furthermore, due to the diligent work of the System’s administration and with the full support of the School Board, the System is debt free!   Finally, on this subject, the system has been able to achieve this standing having not furloughed teachers nor cut school days in spite of the fact that Georgia State funding being cut to our system by $25 million dollars over the last eight years.   Truth is, the Valdosta City School System is one of the State’s financial “shining stars” and knowing what it has taken to achieve such recognition, it makes the statements of the CUEE seem all the more out of touch.

3.  Recognizing that school consolidation is an exceedingly complicated matter, as a theoretical concept, I have mixed emotions about whether it might be a positive long-term answer to the educational needs in this community.  In reading and evaluating numerous studies on the subject, both for and against consolidated systems, I’ve come to realize that bigger is NOT always better.  Disturbingly, I have observed a trend in this country when it comes to public policy. It often seems that we have become a nation of people willing to be rushed up to a deadline at which point we’re thrown a poorly formulated idea for solving a complicated issue with the promise that we’ll worry about the execution of the plan after the vote.  I’m among those that believe that is no way to run our governments. It is at best irresponsible and at its worst, lazy.  This is how I view the referendum before us on Tuesday. If you’re asking how I’ll vote on Tuesday, I’ll VOTE NO! 

I am sincerely yours,

Kelly Wilson, Superward West, VCS BOE

Only a Few Hours Left

It is only a few hours until the fate of our school district will be decided. We will know tomorrow night whether or not we retain our charter to operate a school district. I am shocked by the amount of money a few wealthy individuals have contributed in an effort to combine two school districts that only want to be left alone to continue to educate the children of Lowndes County. In recent years both districts have made tremendous gains in student achievement. The fact that improvements have been made in spite of losing millions of dollars in state funds seems to make no difference to the pro-consolidation group. Nothing seems to matter to CUEE except their selfish agenda.

According to CUEE’s campaign contribution disclosure report they have collected and spent over $300,000.00 dollars in their effort to consolidate two school districts when almost all credible research says that it is not the right thing to do. I can only imagine how much good could have been accomplished in our schools if the same amount of money had been contributed to improving instruction for our students rather than trying to destroy, through consolidation, the many great programs and instructional initiatives currently in place.   

It is more disturbing the Chamber of Commerce is at the forefront on CUEE’s consolidation efforts. I have always been told that the mission of the Chamber is to promote local business by spending money locally.  When you look at CUEE’s disclosure report thousands upon thousands of dollars were spent paying out of state consulting companies. I wonder if CUEE or the Chamber could not find local companies or at least in-state consulting firms to do their work. I strongly suspect that the reason out of state consultants and consulting companies were used is that these companies and individual consultants were willing to support the efforts of CUEE and the Chamber regardless of the feeling of the community at large.

What is done is done, so at this point I have to hope and pray that voters will see through the ill founded efforts of CUEE and the Chamber and vote to maintain Valdosta City Schools as a separate and great school district. We have more than one hundred years of great tradition as a school district. Why give that up now to a group of people who before now have never been interested if the well being of our schools?

I encourage you to vote tomorrow November 8^th to save our district and allow us to continue our efforts to provide the very best education possible to our thousands of deserving students. 

What are your thoughts on the consolidation effort? 

     

Now Is Definitely Not The Time

Time is drawing near for the critical vote on school consolidation. If you have not voted please make sure you get to the polls and cast your vote. In my opinion this will be the most important vote that will be cast for decades to come. The consolidation issue has become one of the most divisive issues to face this community in many years and perhaps forever. On the other hand it has served to bring two school districts together as never before. We are united in our efforts to stop this ill founded effort to consolidate two very good school districts that fully understand that this is not the right time for this to happen. Both districts do a great job of educating the very diverse students they serve.

I have been asked many times by CUEE if now is not the time to consolidate then when is. The answer is now is definitely not the time. Both districts have shown marked improvement in their instructional programs in recent years. My question is why push consolidation now and run the risk of derailing this great progress? There will be years of turmoil and uncertainty following the decision to consolidate. Students will suffer while all the necessary decisions are made and implemented following consolidation. Our most disadvantaged students will suffer the most and the longest. Valdosta City Schools knows what it takes to provide the best education possible for those students. Almost all recent and valid research indicated clearly that deconsolidation rather than consolidation is better for all kids, not just the disadvantaged student. Bigger is not better. Now is not the time and maybe there will not be a good time in the near future.

We are proud of our accomplishments in Valdosta City Schools. We need to continue down the path of great success on which we have embarked. Vote your conscience and pray that we are allowed to remain very good and separate school districts. It is in the best interest of all the students in this county that we maintain two school districts as a result of the vote on November 8^th.

If you have questions or concerns related to consolidation that are still unanswered please leave a comment and I will respond.

Thanks for reading.

Dr. C

Care About Keeping the Tradition of Valdosta City Schools Alive?

It will soon be voting time in the most important election this school district will ever face. You will be voting to save your school district as we know it. A vote yes will mean that you are voting to give up the Valdosta City Schools charter forever. A no vote will keep our school district as is and we can continue to educate our children in the outstanding fashion to which they have become accustomed.

The first day you can vote will be October 17, 2011, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the elections office located at 2808 North Oak Street, Valdosta, Ga. There will be extended hours for early voting at this same office from October 31- November 4^th between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The final day for voting is November 8, 2011 at your assigned polling place. Voting hours on November 8^th are 7 a.m. -7 p.m.

If you care about keeping the tradition of Valdosta City Schools alive you must vote. We cannot stand by and allow a few CUEE members to destroy all the great things we have in this school district. Don’t be lazy and not vote. Make time to show up at the polling places and vote to keep your schools.

When the vote is taken on November 8^th regardless of the outcome we all have to join hands and restore the trust in each other that this effort to consolidate has destroyed. I feel strongly that CUEE’s effort will be defeated and we will continue to function as Valdosta City Schools with our charter intact. If this is the case we must continue to improve in all areas so that our students receive an even better education than they currently receive.  We all have to accept the challenge to provide the very best for our students.

Remember, what does not destroy us makes us stronger.   Are you planning  to vote?  

Our Kids Are Depending On Us – It’s Time We Put Consolidation to the Side

As the question of consolidation becomes more and more heated it is time to take a step back and remember that our focus has to remain on our students. It is difficult to accept the huge amount of division this issue has caused in this community. I predicted this negative outcome very early in CUEE’s effort to force consolidation of two very good school districts that do not want to be consolidated. Kids are smart! They have very quickly picked up on the negative feelings. During my visits to Valdosta High School I have been asked several times why are they trying to take our schools. It is a difficult task trying to explain to teenagers why adults do what they do.

It might have been different if CUEE  had used a different tact in their efforts to bring about consolidation rather than trying to force the issue. It is wrong to use half truths and lies by omission to make Valdosta City Schools look bad in the eyes of the voting public as a way to gain votes. CUEE continues to point to our graduation rate as a huge negative by using the federally mandated cohort method of calculating the rate when in fact no one knows for sure what our graduation rate will be using this method of calculation. What is being omitted in the discussion is that just as Valdosta City School’s rate will drop using this method so will the rate of all other districts in the state and nation.

This is just one example of how failing to provide full information is misleading and wrong. I will be glad when the consolidation issue is settled we can get back to the important task of educating our students. Many employees of Valdosta City Schools are afraid of losing their jobs. CUEE has said on a number of occasions that this won’t happen but the reality is that it will. In addition to the jobs issue there are so many other things that are uncertain. There are too many questions left unanswered.

It is time we put the issues of consolidation aside and concentrate on the things that affect our students. They are depending on us for an excellent education. Please put other things aside and get out and vote on November 8th.

-Dr Bill Cason, Valdosta City Schools Superintendent

Open Letter to the VCS Teachers and Staff

 

Open Letter to the VCS Teachers and Staff:

We are a proud school system facing many challenges over the next few months. We have to deal with the disruptive issue of consolidation until November when the voters decide whether we remain as we are or become a part of the Lowndes County School District. If consolidation happens we will deal with it as the true professionals that we are.  In addition to the consolidation issue we have to begin to implement all the changes required by the move to Common Core Curriculum. Then there is the issue of funding that is always an uncertainty. These are just a few of the challenges we will face through the remainder of this school year.

It is difficult to remain focused on the task of educating our students with all the distractions. I urge you to put them aside and continue to do the great job you are currently doing. I wish there were a way to let our parents and the general public know just how much effort you and the district expend every day and every hour to ensure academic success for our students.

I encourage you to be strong, focus on your jobs, and not be affected by all the outside issues swirling around you. We have over 7500 young minds that are depending on us every day to ensure that they get the best education that Valdosta City Schools has to offer. 

Remember that in the game of life it is hard to beat a person who never gives up. 

 

 

 

Consolidation Between VCS and LCS? Wrong Place & Wrong Time

The issue of consolidation/unification of the Valdosta City Schools and the Lowndes County Schools is an issue of extreme importance. The vote on this issue will be taken in November and will forever more affect the lives of the students in both districts. This is an issue that the voters cannot take lightly.

As it currently stands we are fortunate to have two outstanding school districts that do a great job of educating our students. Furthermore, we are constantly looking for ways to improve. With this in mind, I question the real motive for the huge push by the Community Unification for Educational Excellence (CUEE) to consolidate the two school districts. Perhaps I would be more understanding of this effort if CUEE could present a plan that would clearly show how combining the districts would enhance and improve the education of our students. The truth is they have no such plan. It is my contention that there are motives other than the education of our students behind this push to unify the school districts.

There are so many important questions demanding answers that to date have not been addressed. One important question is how will bigger make things better for our students? There are many examples of school consolidation across the nation that indicate bigger is not always better. One of my greatest fears is that our students who come from poverty will not continue to receive the same level of intense and rigorous instruction they currently receive and as a result will fall through the cracks. I also fear that many of the strong academic programs we currently use will be weakened or will disappear. This is not to say that the Lowndes County School District would want this to happen; however, based on experience some good things disappear or are weakened through the disruptive process of consolidation. 

I feel strongly that this is the wrong time and place for consolidation to occur. Why try to fix something that is not broken but, in reality is working extremely well? Statistics from both school districts related to academic achievement of our students shows significant gains in almost all areas of instruction. At least two to three years of turmoil and change following a consolidation and reorganization of the districts will do significant harm and delay to our continued improvement.

I strongly encourage all parents and concerned citizens to learn all they can about this issue before voting to relinquish the charter that allows Valdosta City Schools to continue to exist.

In future posts, I will address the impact of consolidation on our teachers and other staff members.   Feel free to leave me your comments, thoughts and suggestions below. I would love to get your thoughts.

I’m listening and thanks for stopping by.

-Dr. Bill Cason