I believe politics has reduced the quality of education in SAD 13 and has denied our two towns the option to decide the outcome of Quimby School.
Politics also killed any chance of starting a long-term plan this fall.
In my opinion, incomes and retirement funds for teachers and administrators should not be favored over educational programs for the students.
Taxpayers know teacher and administrative contracts are protected under negotiations. Taxpayers cannot touch them, and educators know it.
State mandates to schools must get paid. I believe the board uses that to justify protecting incomes and retirement funds. Educators must have enough to live on, but they don’t need to keep up with pay scales throughout the state. Educators get two increases annually; taxpayers, little if any.
About 20 educators neither live nor pay taxes in our district. About one-third of the population, earning between one-third and one-half the income of teachers and administrators, pays the school budget each year. We could face closing all three schools.
I don’t question the value of services of some educators, but I do question the reasons for others to remain. From the board room to the leader of the pack, I believe it’s time for everyone to sacrifice and re-set goals in favor of education. That’s what schools are for, after all.
The United States is listed 26th in the world of mathematics and 17th in the world of science.
Throwing more money at educators is not the answer, any more than No Child Left Behind. I believe educators fail to put students and their futures first.
Taxpayers should discuss this matter and vote on it on June 6 at Quimby School, and then vote “behind the curtain” on June 12 in each of your two towns.
Essie Golden
Bingham
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