School closure thinking needs to focus on kids

Schools don't need to be closed in Cedar Rapids because of poor management! Poor school management foolishly jumped to conclusions and set up committees to close schools. No committees were established to keep schools open. Even worse, there were no thoughts or considerations for keeping schools open for the kids! Just as bad, I've seen no considerations for the damage school closings would wreak on student achievement. That is irresponsible.

School administrators and teachers always prevail on taxpayers to pay more and more taxes for the kids and then demand even more money for increasing their salaries and benefits. Never do administrators or teachers consider or mention anything more they can and should do for the kids. That, too, is irresponsible. Here is why:

Website http://www.iowalive.net/matrix1.htm provides a matrix of information needed to keep schools open. This is information the superintendent should have provided to the school board, taxpayers, The Gazette and a committee needed to keep schools open, such as the:

1. Percent reduction in average district teacher and administrator pay needed to keep schools open.

2. Duration of teacher and administrator pay and benefit freezes needed to keep schools open.

3. Percent improvement in average district operating efficiency needed to keep schools open.

4. The optimum combination of the above three items needed to keep schools open.

Similarly, http://www.iowalive.net/matrix2.htm provides a matrix of information needed to even consider closing a school. Once again, the superintendent irresponsibly provided none of it!

Dick Fredericks

Palo