First Day of School

The children started back to school last Thursday. Because of Kentucky educational cut-backs, we have less teachers, classes have been cut and the buses have new routes. I'm not sure how the State of Kentucky expects our children to excel under these conditions.

Many excellent teachers were forced into retirement at the end of the last school year. I am only speculating, but I believe it was so they could hire new teacher and not have to pay them as much as the experienced ones. Three out of our four schools lost either a Principal or Assistant Principal and many teachers. I noticed on the District website, they had job openings for teachers and Assistant Principals. That seems to verify my speculation of "out with the old - in with the new". I don't know how other states work, but in Kentucky teachers are paid by how many years they have in and how much education they have. So, a Rank 1 with one year of employment with the district is paid less than a Rank 1 with 20 years with the district. Almost all of the teachers let go were in the higher pay bracket. There was even one let go who taught me in school over 20 years ago. I don't know about you, but I like the though of my children being taught by experienced teachers from the county.

Several classes at the High School have been cut and apparently supplies have been drastically cut.

The following classes were cut completely from the High School:
Financial Accounting
Advanced Computers
Business Law
Math for Business & Industry
Multimedia Publishing
Special Topics: Microsoft Word
Economics

Several classes have been modified. Business Management is now a substitute for Business Law, Economics & Multimedia Publishing. Physics is now limited to seniors who have had Pre-Calculus. Computer Applications are now limited to grades 10-12.

My 16 year old wants to be a Geneticist. She is a straight A student in her Math, Science and English classes. (History is not her strong point, but she maintains a B average.) She had her entire high school schedule worked out by the end of her freshman year. Last year she took Biology, Honors Algebra II and Honors Geometry. This year she was going to take Chemistry, Physics and Pre-Calculus. Her senior year she had planned to take two science and two math classes. The modification to Physics this year really set her back. She was not able to take Physics because she is not a senior. She hasn't quite decided what to do, but she does know she cannot spend an entire year in a Study Hall. The counselor has suggested being an Aid to one of the Math or Science teachers. We'll see what happens.

I was also informed by my 16 year old that because of cut-backs she does not have textbooks this year. WHAT?!? No books?? How do you learn? How do you do homework? Well, the Pre-Calculus teacher has one book. He makes copies of the chapters and passes them out to the students in packets. That's really saving money! You can't tell me that making hundreds of copies is cheaper than buying books you can use year after year. I still haven't figured that one out.



You might think it's ridiculous to go to all that trouble to pick up my children when I could let them ride the bus. I could. Then they would get home around 5:00. I chose to take my children to school long before I ever had children. It stems from a bad bus experience I had. My first day of school, I was put on a bus. When I asked to be dropped off at my stop, the bus driver refused. I was on the bus until 5:30. My cousin and I were the only two left on the bus. Since he wouldn't let us off at our stop, he had to keep us on the bus until he got us back to the bus garage. Then he would have had to figure out what to do with us. Lucky for us, my Mom and my Aunt were determined women. They called the school and found out what bus we were on and what route it took. My Aunt tracked down the bus and got us off. My biggest worry was, I was supposed to be dropped off at my parent's business. They closed at 5:00 and it was long past that. I was just worried they would leave me. I was only six years old and I was terrified. I never rode a bus again. My mother always took me. As I grew up, I decided that would NEVER happen to one of my children. I vowed they would never ride a bus as long as I was able to take them and pick them up from school and they never have.

Now, with this new bus schedule, it is making it hard for me to pick up my children. I'm not the only one. There are many parents who have children in more than one school. My only hope is that they will straighten this out soon so I don't feel like I have to be in three places at once.

Luckily, all three of my children had a great first day of school. They all loved their teachers and were happy to be back with their friends. I on the other hand did not have a great day. I missed them terribly!

Until next time...