BUDGET REFORM for STUDENT LEARNING at lmsd.info - the lower merion school district alternative information source

Are We Investing in a Failing System?

Perhaps our school board leaders could take a lesson from the mayor of New York.  This quote was run in the OpinionJounal from the Wall Street Journal editorial page.

"The fact is, our education system looks a lot like the U.S. auto industry in the 1970s -- stuck in a flabby, inefficient, outdated production model driven by the needs of employees rather than consumers...

Is Our School Board Focused on the Right Issues?

Has our school board's fixation with new schools turned their attention away from a real problem?  While we have never heard about student's "increase in alcohol consumption" and "provocative behavior" from the Board, it has apparently advanced to a point where at least some administrators finally see the need to act. 

School District "Spins" the Facts

The following was emailed by the Lower Merion School District to all public school parents in mid-December.  Because of the nature of the content, Budget Reform for Student Learning believed it was necessary to prepare the commentary that follows.  The original words are in black and our commentary is in blue (italics).  While you read this, please keep in mind our overriding concern is the distorted priorities that guide the Board's spending. 

Is Our School Board Ignoring The Law? Come To The December 18th Board Meeting To Hear Their Answer!

Do you believe that the Lower Merion School Board is breaking the law?  That is precisely the concern that 68 residents expressed in their November 9, 2006 letter to the board.  So what action has the board taken to respond to these citizens?  So far, the board has simply ignored them.  But, while ignoring certain members of the public has been routine for some members of this board, ignoring the law is another matter!

Resident Questions the Board's Intent; Board Defends Using Students to Promote its Agenda

This resident questions the board's promotional materials that were prepared by district staff at the expense of the public and handed out by students at the poles on Election Day (click here for district's flier). He is concerned about the welfare of the children and the express Act 1 prohibition of the use of public funds for political purposes (see page 44, paragraph m. of Act 1, click here to view the entire Act).