[Vision2020] MSD Student-to-Teacher ratio

[Mike Curley]

<color><param>0100,0100,0100</param>Mr. Courtney: 

Some, perhaps all, of us are not arguing with whatever  
point you are trying to make, but simply stating your  
statistics are off.  So, here are some more facts or  
explanations of them that you can fit into your argument. 


By contract the MSD school board has provided teachers  
with one preparation period (no students) per day.   
Translating that to a simplified but realistic example:   
assume there are 1200 elementary students (the '02-'03  
projection was 1197).  At an average of 20 students per  
class, there would be 60 classes in session for 6 periods  
per day.  They would, of course, require 60 teachers if  
each teacher taught every period.  However, to provide a  
prep period for every teacher, we need 72 teachers to  
cover those 60 classrooms. 


You also stated that every district's statistics are biased if  
Moscow's are biased.  However, we don't KNOW that is  
true or if it IS true, to what extent.  If you really want to  
compare, you have to check each individual district to find 
 out how many of their "certified staff" (teachers) are NOT  
performing classroom work.  Here are three examples  
that would NOT exist in every district:  MSD has at least  
one teacher performing administrative work (as  
previously noted);  MSD has gifted/talented coordinators  
who are reported to the state as teachers, but who do not  
hold class;  MSD has in many years a teacher who is being 
 paid (and counted for statistical purposes) who is on  
medical leave at full pay.  And, MSD has the above-noted  
prep period.  Not every district would have all those  
situations OR in the same proportions as MSD.   


(below are additional thoughts, not comments on the  
statistics as such)   

I'm not sure that it is really necessary to compare MSD to  
anywhere else because we simply introduce many more  
variables into whatever equation we are constructing.   
We can simply look at the reality of what is happening in  
MSD and use numbers that accurately reflect each piece  
as we look at it.   


We can compare MSD numbers to any other single district 
 in Idaho and, with some work, probably isolate why and  
how that district spends less per student than MSD.  But  
that would only tell us what we already know:  we could  
cut costs if we reduced expenses in the same areas.  It  
seems to me that if someone wants to argue MSD is  
spending too much money, they* can look at the  
expenditures by area and say, "we should cut this area by  
that much because..."  Ideally that would be followed by  
information showing or suggesting that MSD can get along  
satisfactorily (and legally) with the reduced level of  
services or products. 


The district's $17M budget is pretty complex.  District  
Business Manager (accountant) Sue Driskill has  
repeatedly won state awards for her office's thorough,  
accurate, and timely work on the budget and other  
financial matters.  The numbers are available in eye- 
glazing array for anyone who wants to analyze them. 


To maintain services and pay increased salaries it is clear  
that MSD will be back for a levy increase at some future  
date, perhaps as early as next year.  It is unfortunate that  
we don't get answers to questions and statistics like those  
presented by Mr. Courtney directly from the district.    
Superintendent Donicht promised better communication  
from that office.  I think this listserve deserves an  
occasional answer from her, but as her first year draws to  
a close, I don't recall seeing anything responsive from her  
on this list.  For $91,000 per year I hoped for better. 


Mike Curley 


* I understand that it is now grammatically acceptable to  
avoid the troublesome she/he by using they, although I  
remain uncomfortable with the change (now there's  
something unusual, discomfort with change...).  


On 18 May 03, at 8:43, Dale Courtney wrote: 


<color><param>0000,0000,0000</param>From:           	<color><param>0000,00=
00,8000</param>"Dale Courtney" <<dale@courtneys.us><color><param>0000,0000=
,0000</param> 

To:             	<color><param>0000,0000,8000</param><<vision2020@moscow.c=
om><color><param>0000,0000,0000</param> 

<bold>Subject:        	<color><param>0000,0000,8000</param>Re: [Vision2020=
] MSD Student-to-
Teacher ratio</bold><color><param>0000,0000,0000</param> 

Date sent:      	<color><param>0000,0000,8000</param>Sun, 18 May 2003 08:4=
3:27 -0700<color><param>0000,0000,0000</param> 


<underline><color><param>0000,8000,0000</param>[ Double-click this line fo=
r list subscription options ]</underline><color><param>0000,0000,0000</par=
am>  


I'll attempt to answer all the objections that were raised 

to my posting that of the 25 school districts with >2,500 

students, only one (Blaine County) had a smaller ratio. 


Don Kaag says I'm oversimplifying, and that the numbers  
do 

not reflect reality in the classrooms based on his 

head-counts in the classrooms. However, *if* these  
numbers 

are mathematically biased, then the numbers for the  
*entire 

State* are biased; but the relative standing remains (e.g., 

if the district is really at 15.22, then we're still the 2nd 

best in the State because everyone's numbers are  
higher...). 



Best, 

Dale Courtney 

Moscow, Idaho 


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