TREETON--The political heat is being turned up in Monomi.
Conservative Gov. John Densy and a CNS-controlled state legislature are pushing forward with a budget proposal that will cut more than $1.3 billion in spending.
Densy and the CNS-led legislature proposed the leaner budget to combat a $6.3 billion budget deficit. But among the more than $1.3 billion in spending cuts are about $120 million in education funding.
The results: public school teachers will not receive planned pay increases, nor will instructors at the state's public universities see their pay rise in the next year.
Funding for higher education will be cut by about $72 million, while the remaining cuts will be felt at the K-12 and pre-school levels.
Densy and backers of the budget say the cuts are necessary to dig the state out of its deficit.
"These are painful cuts, of course. But there is no easy way to cut $1.3 billion. Every department, every sector of government is feeling the consequences of these cuts. It's not pleasant, it's not preferred. But it is, unfortunately, necessary under the circumstances," Densy told reporters Friday.
Conservatives also point out that most proposed cuts would be to planned construction projects and non-essential services.
"We are trying to lessen the impact of the spending cuts to our children. We're trying to keep the budget cuts out of the classroom. So most of the cuts will be felt in the construction sector, as well as in maintenance and operations," state Sen. Chris Midges (C-Rantham) told STAR-TV.
That means Monomi's public universities will have to put a hold on many of their expansion projects.
Community colleges and state-ran technical schools will also feel the cuts.
"It's unfortunate that the governor feels the need to balance the burden of the budget cuts on the backs of the community and technical colleges, and the higher ed system in general," Macy Kastetter, chair of the Monomi Higher Education Council told the NPF.
Critics say the budget unfairly punishes teachers by discontinuing their scheduled pay increases. And educators will have to pay more out of their own pockets to buy supplies, the NAT says.
"If these cuts go through, teachers will be paying more of their personal money to supply their classrooms. They will continue to have over-crowded classrooms, and vital programs, such as after school and early education programs, will be eliminated," Dani Damuir, head of the local teacher's union in Scottsville north of Treeton, told the GBC.
State Sen. Lisa McDonnell (N-Averan) says the "cuts at any cost" approach of Densy and Conservatives is punishing children.
"We're not slashing spending with this budget. We're eliminating dreams. We're putting our children on the chopping block. This is Conservative anti-tax crusaders at their worst," McDonnell said.
Densy has tried to soften criticism by proposing a merit-based pay system beginning in 2015, which the governor says would be cheaper than across-the-board pay increases.
"What this proposal does, is it would give teachers that are succeeding and doing a good job, it would reward them for their hard work. Good teachers deserved to be rewarded," Densy said. "But we need to find teachers that are not succeeding, that are not living up to the standard our kids need. And we're not going to fire them right off the bat. We're not going to discipline them. We're going to work with them to improve their performance."
The Monomi Education Association (MEA), the state's largest teachers union, opposes that idea as well.
"Any person that decides to dedicate their career and their life to education deserves a pay raise. And it shouldn't be tied to shoddy standardized tests or inaccurate teacher evaluations," MEA President Molly Ureakin told the Treeton Sun.
Opponents of the budget cuts have spent the last two days rallying at the state capital in Treeton. More than 600 people, many chanting and waving signs, have crowded the capital's rotunda and gathered on the grounds outside the capital to protest the budget cuts.
Kyle Chetgens, who traveled from Del Latto south of Treeton, told the Sun he is not leaving the protesters' make-shift tent camp on the steps of the capital until the proposed budget cuts to education are removed.
"I'm here for the long haul."
While cuts to the state's education system have been the most controversial, other departments, such as the Monomi Department of Labor, the state Environmental Quality Agency, and the Department of Health will also take major cuts under the budget proposal.
Conservative Gov. John Densy and a CNS-controlled state legislature are pushing forward with a budget proposal that will cut more than $1.3 billion in spending.
Densy and the CNS-led legislature proposed the leaner budget to combat a $6.3 billion budget deficit. But among the more than $1.3 billion in spending cuts are about $120 million in education funding.
The results: public school teachers will not receive planned pay increases, nor will instructors at the state's public universities see their pay rise in the next year.
Funding for higher education will be cut by about $72 million, while the remaining cuts will be felt at the K-12 and pre-school levels.
Densy and backers of the budget say the cuts are necessary to dig the state out of its deficit.
"These are painful cuts, of course. But there is no easy way to cut $1.3 billion. Every department, every sector of government is feeling the consequences of these cuts. It's not pleasant, it's not preferred. But it is, unfortunately, necessary under the circumstances," Densy told reporters Friday.
Conservatives also point out that most proposed cuts would be to planned construction projects and non-essential services.
"We are trying to lessen the impact of the spending cuts to our children. We're trying to keep the budget cuts out of the classroom. So most of the cuts will be felt in the construction sector, as well as in maintenance and operations," state Sen. Chris Midges (C-Rantham) told STAR-TV.
That means Monomi's public universities will have to put a hold on many of their expansion projects.
Community colleges and state-ran technical schools will also feel the cuts.
"It's unfortunate that the governor feels the need to balance the burden of the budget cuts on the backs of the community and technical colleges, and the higher ed system in general," Macy Kastetter, chair of the Monomi Higher Education Council told the NPF.
Critics say the budget unfairly punishes teachers by discontinuing their scheduled pay increases. And educators will have to pay more out of their own pockets to buy supplies, the NAT says.
"If these cuts go through, teachers will be paying more of their personal money to supply their classrooms. They will continue to have over-crowded classrooms, and vital programs, such as after school and early education programs, will be eliminated," Dani Damuir, head of the local teacher's union in Scottsville north of Treeton, told the GBC.
State Sen. Lisa McDonnell (N-Averan) says the "cuts at any cost" approach of Densy and Conservatives is punishing children.
"We're not slashing spending with this budget. We're eliminating dreams. We're putting our children on the chopping block. This is Conservative anti-tax crusaders at their worst," McDonnell said.
Densy has tried to soften criticism by proposing a merit-based pay system beginning in 2015, which the governor says would be cheaper than across-the-board pay increases.
"What this proposal does, is it would give teachers that are succeeding and doing a good job, it would reward them for their hard work. Good teachers deserved to be rewarded," Densy said. "But we need to find teachers that are not succeeding, that are not living up to the standard our kids need. And we're not going to fire them right off the bat. We're not going to discipline them. We're going to work with them to improve their performance."
The Monomi Education Association (MEA), the state's largest teachers union, opposes that idea as well.
"Any person that decides to dedicate their career and their life to education deserves a pay raise. And it shouldn't be tied to shoddy standardized tests or inaccurate teacher evaluations," MEA President Molly Ureakin told the Treeton Sun.
Opponents of the budget cuts have spent the last two days rallying at the state capital in Treeton. More than 600 people, many chanting and waving signs, have crowded the capital's rotunda and gathered on the grounds outside the capital to protest the budget cuts.
Kyle Chetgens, who traveled from Del Latto south of Treeton, told the Sun he is not leaving the protesters' make-shift tent camp on the steps of the capital until the proposed budget cuts to education are removed.
"I'm here for the long haul."
While cuts to the state's education system have been the most controversial, other departments, such as the Monomi Department of Labor, the state Environmental Quality Agency, and the Department of Health will also take major cuts under the budget proposal.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment