American Morning
Kansas City mayor explains school closings
(CNN) – It's a devastating blow for thousands of school children in Kansas City. A school district in the city's urban core will close 28 of 61 public schools by summer to try and stave off bankruptcy.
The school board narrowly passed the decision last night. The $50 million budget shortfall will force about 300 teachers out of work. The vote was met with desperate pleas from parents and calls for the school superintendent to be fired.
Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser joined us on American Morning Wednesday via phone.
Read more: Kansas City moves to close nearly half of district's schools
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I do not like the federal government take-over of education or of anything else. They haven't proven they can do a good job at running anything. States would be better able to handle their own problems. We are creating a nation of entitlement and dependents. As a school board president I admit many things need to be done with education – but way to much money is aimed at the lowest performing kids while none is aimed at the higher performing kids. This should be a better mix of funds spent as those who are performing higher lose interest because they are not challenged. That is why charter schools with concept-based learning for all skills should be furthered – so that parents and kids have a choice on how their child learns and is taught.
Schools will have to do what they must. A 4 day week that would included the 5h days hours being devided in the first 4, whould take a lot of adjustments to everyone. The choices we have are limited, and when you mention taxing for education, you have a problem in the public approving it. We as a nation are so far in debt that we now burden our children with less schooling and a higher debt they will be expected to pay off in their life time.
Education cuts come easily because there is vetry little widely accepted agreement possible on specific minimum requirements for what's needed for "America's children". Right or wrong, the theortical generalities underlying educational "standards" more often reflect desires rather than needs. When the rubber of rhetoric meets the reality of the road, the screech and smoke are disturbing. The road kill involves a whole herd of sacred cows, to which must be added the raw-nerved link between property taxes and school finance. A real dream-world for aspiring demagogues and apprentice journalists.
The cutting of School hours, Healthy food programs, and a Good Education is the beginning of the end. These type of cuts will turn Our Country into a 3rd World Nation over night. How are we letting this happen when Corporations are making Record Profits, and Giving out Record Bonus's to a handful of people. Are we Really a Free Nation?
It is absolutely insane to waste trillions of dollars on a war that we should never have been engaged in, and cutting the education of the very people who will run this country in the future. One more thing, how much of these cuts are affecting the people at the top that add nothing to the kid's education, and is siphoning off the much needed money?
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Teachers and students would be helped most by expelling troublemaking kids from school. Tough to do, but you might reduce class sizes substantially.
All of the country this is happening and until unemployment goes down and more tax money comes in, it will continue. The fix is not to have the children and our future as a competing nation suffer. It is to create some new jobs to replace the ones that are never coming back, and temporarily raise taxes until then. This last thing is something nobody even wants to consider, even if this is not touching you directly, eventually everyone will feel it. You will pay more for your child to get a "free" education. You will pay more for your children to go to college to get a education. Raise taxes for the short term until America can return to the thriving nation it once was...if not this is the beginning of the end.
What is wrong with this country and with our representatives in Washington. Our schools are our most important asset.There should be no hesitation about making sure our schools stay open for a full week and with the books that are needed.The schools aree more important than Wall Street or AIG yet no one seems to care.Our country is sliding downhill fast. Please wake u[ amd dp sp,etjomg/