REPLAY: Cobb School Budget Impasse
Watch the video of Thursday night's Board of Education meeting to see how the budget failed, Teach for America passed and more.
Photos
Update 11:30 p.m.
We've replaced the live stream with the two-part recording of the 3½-hour school board meeting, so you can replay the parts of the meeting that interest you most.
We'll have more from the meeting in the morning. In the meantime, we welcome suggestions for a budget that could win at least four votes.
Original Report
The Cobb County Board of Education is scheduled to vote tonight on the final fiscal 2013 budget, the school calendar that accommodates the approved furlough days, a contractor to prepare for a SPLOST IV referendum in March 2013, and the pursuit of donations and grants to support 25 Teach for America teachers in South Cobb starting in the 2013-14 school year.
The board is meeting at 7 p.m. at the Cobb County School District's Central Office, 514 Glover St., Marietta. A half-hour of public comments will open the meeting, followed by board recognition for some newly crowned Georgia High School Association state champions.
You can follow all the action here and comment in real time in the space below.
Michael Jacobs
7:22 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Is Connie Jackson right—is Teach for America wrong for Cobb County?
Michael Jacobs
8:49 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
I hope everyone was paying attention. There will be an accounting exam after the meeting.
Kiri Walton
8:54 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Stultz says the Cobb BOE should consider greater cuts to the FY 2013 budget. What are your thoughts?
Michael Jacobs
9:09 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
David Banks questions the value of keeping money in the bank while cutting back on the quality of classroom education. Is this the rainy day the school system saves for?
Michael Jacobs
9:10 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
$54 million equals 720 teachers at $75,000 per teacher.
Michael Jacobs
9:14 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Stultz and Bartlett say they can't support any of the budget options, and Banks asks for a lot of changes to accept any option. Bartlett says the board has to agree to sue the state to get the full QBE funding for her to vote for any of these budget options, which she says are all unsustainable.
Carter K.
6:10 am on Friday, May 18, 2012
While I completely agree with Bartlett that the CCSB and the taxpayers need to insist that the State restore our Cobb tax dollars taken through austerity cuts and educational redistribution of wealth, we MUST set a budget. It's a little disingenuous to wait until now to grandstand about this. She's been in office for 3 1/2 years. Bartlett and Stultz had no solutions - NOT ONE - to balance the budget. (Other that Stultz's suggestion to cut $54M in teaching salaries.)
Michael Jacobs
9:27 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
The board is unable to pass a budget tonight. What do you think of that failure? Is there a path to compromise to break the impasse?
Michael Jacobs
9:28 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Will Teach for America be less divisive than the budget?
Michael Jacobs
9:36 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Here's a link to the article Bartlett is reading: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pam-grossman/experienced-teachers_b_1442123.html
Ella Mentary
10:00 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
I didn't see Connie Jackson's comments, but I oppose bringing TFA in Cobb.
Michael Jacobs
10:06 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Basically, she said that TFA makes sense for communities that can't hire all the teachers they need, but Cobb has more teachers than it can hire, plus a great teacher-training program at Kennesaw State. Still, the proposal passed, 4-3.
Kiri Walton
10:20 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Although Cobb has more teachers than it can hire, most of the teachers that resign in Cobb, resign from South Cobb schools. Additionally, South Cobb has the widest achievement gap and parents from South Cobb have voiced that they would like to try something new so their children can achieve at the levels of the rest of Cobb, instead of doing the same things over and over.
Oldtimer
10:17 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
I would liek to see the cuts at the county office. Being new to Cobb and a retired teacher, I would like to know how top heavy Cobb is....
Ella Mentary
10:17 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
It is a mistake. What is even more concerning is that Hinojosa made joint application wtih TFA for Race to the Top money to fund bringing TFA to Cobb. That would mean that upon award of those funds the school system would be subject to all the Federal requirements of those funds. In the case of RttT funds, that would mean merit pay for teachers based on student performance.
Oldtimer
8:50 am on Friday, May 18, 2012
I wish we could get the federal government and DOE out of education... let that money just stay in Cobb. Education is a local matter.
Ella Mentary
10:19 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Another thought. Did Sweeney vote in favor? He's been saying that he insisted that any initiative be revenue neutral. TFA teachers are proven to cost districts more. If he did vote in favor, that was a serious flip flop on position.
Oldtimer
8:51 am on Friday, May 18, 2012
I would be willing to bet there are certfied, experienced teachers will to relocate to Cobb.
Jessica Jones
10:23 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Did the announce the name of the principals they are voting on/for? I am interested in who they voted for Russell Elementary
Kiri Walton
10:27 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Hi Jessica! Yes, they did announce the new principals. Russell's new principal is Peter Manson, currently the assistant principal at Kemp Elementary.
Ella Mentary
10:32 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Pardon - but how does David Banks know about LCE's bed time? A tad
forward for a comment on the dais, don't you think?
Carter K.
6:15 am on Friday, May 18, 2012
Since they were sitting next to each other - I would assume she made it obvious to Mr. Banks and the others who tend to make very long closing speeches that it was 10:30 p.m.
Donna
10:51 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
What was the outcome on the vote to out source mental health services?
Michael Jacobs
11:54 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
It passed 7-0.
Tomeca
11:09 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Can someone tell me who's the new Principal for Hollydale ES?
Michael Jacobs
11:45 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Stacey Abbott, who's now the assistant principal at Belmont Hills Elementary.