Agenda - 09-04-2014 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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15 1 about the students' future means that others must make up for their shortsightedness. County 2 residents are behind you. Please take bold action and fully fund the school district's request. 3 4 5 From: Andrew Ross 6 Phone Number: 9196196178 7 Message: 8 Dear County Commissioners, 9 10 I am a resident of Chapel Hill for over 7 years now. I am writing with some great budget 11 concerns regarding education in North Carolina and specifically, in our district. However, I first 12 want to thank you for your service during this tough fiscal time. I am a strong Democrat and 13 recognize the challenges that you have had to deal with. As an involved parent of an 8-yr old 14 daughter at a Chapel Hill Public School (Seawell Elementary), I also understand the challenges 15 that each school administration and it's teachers have had to deal with. To say a lot is asked of 16 them is an understatement. Likewise, parents are asked to give more money, give more time 17 and get more involved. I probably receive on average 5 emails a day either from the school or 18 district with some specific request of parents, usually money or a request for volunteers. 19 I don't think the school administration, it's staff or it's parents should have to devote so much 20 time and effort to funding schools. For example, I run a committee that helps to maintain the 21 school grounds on a $500 annual budget. There are several acres. Just purchasing basic tools 22 will run me beyond that on an annual basis. I have spent at least$1000 of my own money to 23 ensure the grounds are in good shape in addition to contributing to most fundraisers that the 24 school has and believe me, there are many. 25 Schools must be adequately funded and by that I mean funded to ensure proper support is in 26 place for educators and students and only teachers and their bosses really know what that 27 means. Teachers must be paid and paid well. It is despicable that we want to pat ourselves on 28 the back for offering a starting salary at $35000, and I believe that number won't hit for years to 29 come. We love to talk about how important our teachers are but we sure don't pay them like 30 they're that important. North Carolina has become the laughing stock for a number of issues 31 across the country and our education spending per pupil is at the bottom. I think if we are going 32 to look back in 15-20 years with any sense of pride about policies that were created, schools 33 must be funded at or near requested levels and teachers should be paid at rates near the top of 34 the nation, not the bottom. Raise taxes, cut other programs, end the giveaways to industries that 35 don't need it, do whatever it is you have to ! 36 do to show how important education is in this state. Education is the beginning, the middle and 37 the end and without a good, accountable, well-funded system, little else will be achieved. I'm 38 confident you will do the right thing and stand up for fully-funded schools. 39 40 Thank you. 41 42 From: Melissa Maloney 43 Phone Number: 9199290132 44 Message: 45 Dear Commissioners, 46 I am a resident of Carrboro and the parent of two children: one in middle school and one in 47 elementary school. I am writing to ask you to, please, do whatever you can to fully fund our 48 schools. 49 Year after year our schools have been experiencing cuts and we feel them. Seriously, at the 50 holidays we were asked to not send gifts of candy or a teacher's mug?What they really would 51 appreciate was copier paper.