Did You Get Your August Electric Bill?

Hey Stand Up for Croydon Students crowd, instead of having a party to celebrate increasing property taxes on your neighbors and keeping children in failing schools, why not give that money to the school?   Let those funds received from the NEA and AFT go back to the school to pay higher electrical bills and not a party.  

What Were Croydon Voters Thinking?

An opportunity of a life time is gone.   Ann at the AG's office,   NH NEA,   NH AFT,  NEA, AFT, and all the other busy bodies that meddled in Croydon's business will make sure this never happens again.  What were you thinking Croydon voters?  If you like your failing and underperforming schools and high taxes you can keep your failing and underperforming schools and high taxes. 

The sad thing is many who will suffer the most under high food and gas prices could have really used that $1000-$3000 savings in their property taxes if the $800,000 budget remained.  

Will you follow people blindly you only hurt yourselves. 

Cathy Peschke 

The Five Lies that had to be Accepted to vote Yes for the 1.7 million Dollar Budget

 List of Lies 

1.  Little Red would be closed.  The school board repeatedly said Little Red would not be closed.  Instead the rumor continued to be spread by the We Stand for Croydon Students crowd.  It was fear mongering plain and simple.  Sheep won't ask questions, they will follow the crowd. 

2.  Deficit spending will cause taxes to go up next year.  Actually, no it would not have, but hey lies will get people to vote against their own interests.  It is like the tree voting for the axe.  

3. Prenda would not provide as good of an education as the current model.   Newport School is 84th out of 89th in New Hampshire and Little Red is Croydon Village School is ranked #252-267 out of 425 elementary schools.   Our schools are failing to educate our children.  10-14% of students are achieving proficiency in math at Newport, it is no wonder that the We Stand For Croydon Students Children crowd was so easily able to manipulate people into voting for the higher budget.     $10,000 per student is generous, $22,000 per student is not only greedy but illogical when students perform so poorly.  

4. The 1.7 million budget was only going to cost an extra $100-$300 dollars a year.  That was a lie that amount is on top of what taxpayers already pay annually towards the schools.  I suppose if someone was not the one writing the checks for their property taxes or taxes are taking out in escrow someone could easily fall for the lie.    It is surprising how easy it is to get the chickens to vote for Colonel Sanders. 

5. School choice would go away.  The Stand Up For Croydon Students kept shouting that but that was a lie.  $800,000 budget allowed for even more choices than before.    The crowd did not want to hear anything about that. With the help of outside organizations who wanted to protect a broken system they made sure people did not get that message. 

The NEA and AFT and their members had a big influence with time and money to fight for the $1.7 budget.  They were the biggest winners.  It certainly was not the taxpayers of Croydon or the children. The children are still locked into a failing school system with no plans for improvement other than keeping the status quo. 

Someone said they were proud of the vote and people coming out to support the 1.7 million budget.  I would not be proud of it if I was part of that group.  I would not be proud of pushing such high property taxes on my neighbors or pushing to keep such poorly performing schools to continue to operate in their current manor.  

The ones who actually cared about education were the ones who said it is time to try something new instead of keeping the same broken system. 

Cathy Peschke 

The World is in Need of more Ian Underwoods

Another outstanding article by the brilliant Ian Underwood.    The following article appears in full at Granite Grok. 

"At Wednesday’s school board meeting in Croydon, a former school board member and current math teacher — the latter detail turns out to be important — stood up to say that he is ‘happy to help pay to educate other people’s children.’

Now, this guy pays at most a few thousand dollars each year in school taxes.  At the same time, the town pays at least fifty thousand dollars each year towards schooling his three kids.

Put a few thousand in, take fifty thousand out.  In what sense is he helping to pay for anything?

To put that a different way, ask yourself:  If you put $3 in the poor box, then reach in and take out $50, in what sense are you helping the poor?

Of course, maybe he means he’ll be happy to keep paying even after he’s paid back what he’s taken from the town.  When would that start?

Well, $50 thousand a year times thirteen years (K-12) is $650 thousand.  If he’s paying $2500 a year in school taxes, he should be able to get around to actually helping in about 250 years.

As Richard Mitchell might say, the really interesting question here is whether this guy understands what he’s saying, or doesn’t understand it. In either case, you can at least be happy that he’s probably not teaching math to your children."

To read more of Ian's brilliant writing visit Granite Grok. 

Group Think is Dangerous

This cartoon reminded me of Saturday's meeting.  Group think is dangerous.     I wonder how many people actually analyzed the whole situation or did they just listen to the lie that Little Red would be shut down if the $800,000  budget remained. 

With retirement accounts taking big hits, gas prices being an all time high, and food prices being high; I can't help but wonder how some of these people will feel when their December tax bills come due.  

"One Hundred Authors Against Einstein was published in 1931. When asked to comment on this denunciation of relativity by so many scientists, Einstein replied that to defeat relativity one did not need the word of 100 scientists, just one fact."

Cathy Peschke 

If you like your Failing Schools

If you like your failing schools and high taxes you can keep your failing schools and high taxes. 

Sound familiar? 

Croydon Village School is ranked #252-267 out of 425 elementary schools.

Newport Middle and High School is ranked #84 out of 89. 

A parent asked me, "Why do you care if we want to send our children to a failing school?"  Someone should care and as a taxpayer I care.  On May 7th Croydon we had an opportunity to do better for our students.   377 people spoke, they want to keep the status quo of failing schools and high taxes.  264 people stayed home because they hoped for better opportunities for Croydon Students.  Apparently two people did not get the message to stay home. 

Cathy Peschke

Extortion?

 Ian Underwood has another fabulous article on Granite Grok.  

Your House is My ATM

An interesting thing happened in Croydon on Saturday. At a special school district meeting, 377 people decided that the voters who attended the annual meeting in March hadn’t offered enough charity ($800,000) to parents of school-aged children, so they gathered to extort more (an extra $900,000) through the threat of force (give us the money, or we’ll take your house).

One parent, who had already been offered $27,000 for tuition for his children at nearby public or private schools, insisted that he needed an additional $27,000. After the end of the meeting, he said that he had ‘never been prouder’ of his town.

He didn’t seem very concerned about the people from whom the money would be taken, or that over the course of their schooling, his children would cost the town more than $700,000.

Taking the money by force wasn’t unusual. It’s just the same kind of Marxism that happens in every district, every year.

As usual, the object lesson for the children of the district was that what you can’t do as an individual, with a gun, you can do as part of a gang, with a ballot. The first is robbery, which is bad. The second is democracy, which is good.

How are you supposed to raise moral children in a society that operates this way?

Anyway, what made Saturday unusual is the vote, which was 377 to 2, because the 40% of registered voters who believed that their money was their money boycotted the special meeting.

You can read the rest of the article by clicking here.

Cathy Peschke 

"Intelligence appears to be the thing that enables a man to get along without education. Education enables a man to get along without the use of his intelligence." - Albert Edward Wiggin

Croydon Had a Unique Opportunity

Croydon had a unique opportunity to reform public education to ensure its long-term viability.

On May 7th, we squandered that opportunity.

"We Stand Up for Croydon Students" ran a tremendously effective campaign to persuade 377 voters to overturn the town hall budget.  This campaign, successful at its immediate goal, depended heavily on outside influence - the very sort of outside influence a recent NEA video hypocritically warned us all against.

Did our town enter a Faustian bargain with these outside groups?  What are the long-term consequences of this invitation to meddle?

The methods of this campaign have left a stain of hostility on our community.  The NEA, AFT, and other self-serving influence peddlers will pack up and move on to their next target, leaving the people of Croydon to pick up the pieces.

It didn’t have to be this way.

As fiercely as I disagree with some members of this community, I truly believe that, left to our own devices, residents on both sides would have run a more amicable and civil campaign. The final vote may have remained the same, but we would not be faced with possibly years of senseless acrimony whose creation was standard operating procedure for the meddling outsiders, who in no way need bear its cost.

Croydon’s fate must now, and forever more, be the domain of Croydon residents, and residents only.  No spoon is long enough to safely work with these outside groups.

Jim Peschke 

Correcting Inaccuracies

My name is Aaron, vice-chair of the Croydon School Board, writing in response to the recent article regarding the Croydon School budget decision currently making waves. There were several inaccuracies in this article, which some parents have been spreading both locally and in various news outlets.

The school board is proposing major changes to our educational model in order to meet a highly reduced budget forced through by local taxpayers, but lower cost does not necessarily mean lower quality. In fact, it might prove to be better.

In K-4, we would not be laying off all teachers. We currently have 2 teachers and 2 assistants. Under the new model, we would retain 1 teacher and bring in 3 instructors hired by Prenda, whom the NH Department of Education currently has a contract with. They use a mastery approach that is self-paced but also incorporates group activities and project-based learning that better emulates the real-world.

In grades 5-12, choice is not being eliminated, but expanded. Instead of choosing between a handful of failing public schools, parents would be able to choose between 40+ different types of curricula to find the one that best matches their child's learning style. Instruction would be provided by certified teachers at fully accredited schools. Although these schools would be online, the actual learning would happen in a physical location along with other children and facilitated by an in-person coach. The in-person experience (used in addition to the online curriculum) would be provided by Kai Learning, who recently signed a contract with the NH Department of Education.

Local private schools such as Newport Montessori and Mount Royal would still be fully covered by the $9,000 tuition cap.

Regarding Newport High School, it's worth mentioning they are one of the worst rated schools in the entire state (see NH Dept of Education data and US News and World Report). We reached out to the Newport Superintendent about negotiating better rates, to which he expressed complete unwillingness to negotiate. Other local schools are not much better on performance, with the exception of Sunapee, which is very selective with which of our students they accept.

Regarding welding and other trade programs, this would still be available to children and could be provided under the $9,000 tuition cap. This is offered by the Sugar River Valley Regional Technical Center, not Newport High.

Finally, since online tools are being employed in this model, it's worth noting that screen time would be limited to 30 minutes for K-2, 90 minutes for grades 3-4, and 2-3 hours for grades 5-12. This is not "COVID-style" remote learning with 6+ hours of screen time every day.

The school board has not "magically found a way" to do what we've been doing, but for half the price, as suggested by some of our local parents. We have spent countless hours researching options, meeting with various educational providers, and poring through financial models. We have not found a way to do what we've been doing because what we've been doing provides a poor education to our children at a price that is unacceptable to taxpayers.

The model we have come up with is well-researched, already being successfully used elsewhere, and would allow all our children to have 100% custom-tailored educational experiences, while still maintaining socialization and enrichment. Paying $23,000 per child for a poor education is unacceptable, and more money is not always the solution. It's time we make use of current innovations in education and deliver what our children truly deserve.

Don’t undo Croydon vote

The following Letter to the Editor appeared in the Union Leader  

Don’t undo Croydon vote

To the Editor: As the May 7th Croydon budget do-over vote approaches, it is important for residents to understand what is at stake and how to make their wishes count. Two bits of misinformation have come out lately that must be addressed so that people can make informed choices.

One writer suggests that raising the budget from $800,000 to $1,700,000 will cost a typical homeowner between $100 and $200 per year. This is far lower than reality. On a $300,000 home, the increase is over $2,100 per year.

Another writer suggests that all voters, regardless of their position on the increase, should attend the meeting to make their voices heard. This is a trick. This meeting does not operate in the usual manner, where the majority of votes wins. Since this is a do-over meeting, no vote may take place unless 283 or more voters attend. Attending the meeting to vote against the increase actually helps to pass the increase by helping to reach quorum. Don’t fall for it.

If you support the tax increase, attend the meeting and vote yes. If you oppose the increase, do not attend the meeting at all. In either case, understand the consequences of this vote — the tax increase is much higher than advertised.

JIM PESCHKE

Croydon

It's a Spending Problem

 

Information about Micro Schools

This link will take you to information about micro schools.   Click here. 

Make an informed decision.  This is a David and Goliath moment,  possibly a life changing moment for education in America.   In America?  Yes, look how much money and time the NH NEA and NH AFT are putting into supporting the 1.75 million budget on May 7th. 

Stay home or do not pull a ballot on May 7th.  

Cathy Peschke 

Good Luck on May 7th - Enjoy the nice weather at home

Good luck to all sides on the 7th. 

The total number of BALLOTS must reach 283 for the vote to be legal. 

Those in favor of the 1.7 million budget need your ‘no’ vote to make their ‘yes’ votes count. 

So the ONLY way to vote against the $900,000 increase is to NOT cast a vote on May 7th. 

Please don't let intimidation be a factor in voting on Saturday, it will only encourage more of it in the future. It is your money, it is not greedy to want to keep your own money and expect the school district to be more fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars. 

Cathy Peschke 

“• As society rapidly changes, individuals will have to be able to function comfortably in a world that is always in flux. Knowledge will continue to increase at a dizzying rate. This means that a content-based curriculum, with a set body of information to be imparted to students, is entirely inappropriate as a means of preparing children for their adult roles.” 
― John Taylor Gatto, Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

Correcting Some "Facts" Again

Jim's responses in red to Chris  Prost's Letter to the Editor.  

Second chance for Croydon voters

I’m a Croydon resident and I’ve read bold claims about what has happened here. Over 100 registered voters of our town have petitioned the school board to hold a special school district meeting to reconsider the massive budget cut that was passed. We’ve been called “sore losers” and “crybabies” by some who claim this is part of an illegal plot to change the vote. In fact, we have followed the processes in RSA 197 to petition for this meeting.

Nobody that I’m aware of claimed the do-over vote, or the methods used to obtain it, were illegal.

Only 34 voters participated in the budget vote at the original school district meeting.

According to historical records, this turnout was typical, not low as often claimed.

 We’ve been told that those who didn’t show up that day brought this budget cut upon themselves. They weren’t engaged, and now they have to face the consequences.

Apparently not, since you’ve managed to obtain a re-vote.

The special school district meeting is a new opportunity for the town’s residents to weigh in. Per the RSA, we need 50% of registered voters to participate, and that’s a good thing. It will provide a truer picture of the townspeople’s thoughts on this budget that will dramatically alter education in our town.

Insincere, to put it mildly.  This meeting isn’t about finding out what townspeople think.  It’s about trying to overturn the March 12^th vote.

Would this revote have happened if the same 34 people voted against the budget cut?  Would you have collected 100+ signatures for a do-over vote just to “provide a truer picture of the townspeople’s thoughts”?

Opponents attempting to express their thoughts at board meetings since the town hall were berated, ridiculed, and often silenced by the same people who organized the petition.  That doesn’t sound like they want to know what others think.

However, many who favor the budget cut have decided not to attend the meeting and are telling other residents to stay home — including in letters printed in the Valley News. These are some of the same people who say residents brought this on themselves by not showing up to the first meeting.

The two meetings operate under different rules, and for good reason.  You know this, but would like to trick opponents into helping you reach the quorum of 283 attendees necessary for any vote to take place.

There is no reason for any opponent of the 113% budget increase to attend the meeting.  The way to vote “no” is to stay home.

You can’t have it both ways. Being engaged means voicing your opinion when the opportunity arises. I’m asking all Croydon residents to attend the special school district meeting at 9 a.m. on May 7 at Camp Coniston to make their voices heard.

And I’m asking all Croydon residents who don’t want a $900,000 increase in their property taxes to stay home.  If you attend and plan to vote “no”, you will inadvertently help to pass the tax increase by bringing attendance closer to the needed quorum.

Attending the meeting helps pass the tax increase, no matter how you vote!  They’re trying to trick you.

These people don’t care what you think.  They just want you to show up so they can reach the quorum.

The best way to defeat the tax hike is to STAY HOME on May 7^th.

“I don’t think we’ll get rid of schools any time soon, certainly not in my lifetime, but if we’re going to change what’s rapidly becoming a disaster of ignorance, we need to realize that the institution “schools” very well, but it does not “educate”; that’s inherent in the design of the thing. It’s not the fault of bad teachers or too little money spent. It’s just impossible for education and schooling to be the same thing.” 
― John Taylor Gatto

Stop the Bullying

I really hope someone records the voter intimidation that is happening around town. The best way to counter the bullying is to not show up. If the other side has a valid case people will show up, without the bullying.   Caving to the bullying will only encourage more of this behavior in the future. 

Cathy Peschke

Much Needed Budget Adjustment

 This letter (italicized for clarity) from Delia Leslie appeared in the Concord Monitor on 5/3. My comments in red.

Jim Peschke 

As a Croydon student, I think this new school budget is insane. It isn’t enough to provide a beneficial learning environment,

Newport Montessori and Mount Royal Academy might disagree.

keep a public school operating,

That is a reflection of public school inefficiency, not need.

or pay for other schools’ tuition. The school board has suggested “micro schools,” small groups of students monitored by a guide while taking courses online. The COVID-19 lockdowns and closings of schools in 2020 proved that this wouldn’t work well.

Invalid comparison. Microschools are on-site, in-person learning aided by the Internet. COVID lockdowns were remote learning. Big difference.

Most students just can’t learn like that,

Why not? If true, this should be addressed, as it is a failing of education.

and others who can, don’t enjoy it at all.

Going to school isn’t a particularly enjoyable experience for many students.

Part of being on the school board is making decisions in students’ best interests.

A bigger part is making decisions in the townspeople’s best interests.

Responsibility for the welfare of minors rests with their parents. Lower taxes empower parents to serve their children better.

This obviously doesn’t benefit students. The budget-cut and school closing would only benefit the Free State project’s goal of minimizing government.

The board had nothing to do with the decision to amend the budget. This is classic “shooting the messenger”. The board made many attempts to obtain public input on how to address the amended budget, but the angry mob would have none of it.

The board’s role is to make the best of the available budget. They did the best they could, with no help from people upset with the situation.

Decreasing education is a step in that direction.

This change does not “decrease” education. It only decreases the cost.

Students today will be running the country in a few decades; how can we be expected to do that if we’re uneducated and inexperienced?

The real leaders of tomorrow aren’t making excuses. They are busily building themselves up to become great people. They aren’t waiting for someone else to do it for them.

This issue affects everyone, so everyone should know about it. Education is one of the most valuable resources and should be provided for everyone in a way that helps students learn and understand. The school board needs to do what is best for students instead of focusing on personal gains.

In what way did the school board “focus on personal gains”? The board implored the public for input as to how to best operate, and was met with jeers, rude interruptions, and demands for targeted members to step down. What more could they have done?

Since they failed to do that, there is another town meeting.

No. There is another town meeting because some residents are unwilling to accept the legal and binding vote that occurred on March 12th. The board’s actions had nothing to do with the citizen petition for the do-over meeting.

Saturday, May 7th a meeting will be held at Camp Coniston at 9 a.m. If 283 Croydon citizens (50%t of registered voters) come and re-vote, this unrealistic budget could be changed.

Which is why people should skip the May 7th meeting and leave the amended budget intact.

“School is a twelve-year jail sentence where bad habits are the only curriculum truly learned. I teach school and win awards doing it. I should know.” 
― John Taylor Gatto, Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

Effort and Greed

I have been amazed at how much time, effort, and money the Stand Up For Croydon Students crowd has  put into trying to pilfer more money from their neighbors though higher taxation.    Can you imagine if such effort went into helping the school board reach that $800,000 budget?    

$22,000 per student is greedy. 

$10,000 per student is generous. 

If you agree with the $800,000 budget, stay home May 7.  

Cathy Peschke 

“Independent study, community service, adventures and experience, large doses of privacy and solitude, a thousand different apprenticeships — the one-day variety or longer — these are all powerful, cheap, and effective ways to start a real reform of schooling. But no large-scale reform is ever going to work to repair our damaged children and our damaged society until we force open the idea of “school” to include family as the main engine of education. If we use schooling to break children away from parents — and make no mistake, that has been the central function of schools since John Cotton announced it as the purpose of the Bay Colony schools in 1650 and Horace Mann announced it as the purpose of Massachusetts schools in 1850 — we’re going to continue to have the horror show we have right now.” 
― John Taylor Gatto, Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

Correcting Some Errors

Thomas Moore former Croydon School Board member had a Letter to the Editor printed in the Valley News.   Jim Peschke former School Board member responded to Thomas Moore's Letter.   The quoted sentences in black are from Thomas Moore's letter.  Jim's responses are in red.  

Cathy Peschke

“Cutting the Croydon school budget to $800,000 means families would pay $8,000-$9,000 per student for “public” school.” - FALSE

FACT: The amount depends on the school selected.  These numbers apply to Newport, one of the most expensive public schools in the area, and one of the worst performing according to state testing.  Sunapee would be closer to $6,000.  Most charter schools, Prenda, Kai as well as private Newport Montessori and Mount Royal would remain cost-free to the parent.

“...townspeople to pay an extra $100-$200 per year to pay for the original budget.” - MISLEADING

FACT: These small numbers seem compare the original $1.7 million to last year’s budget, not the new $800,000 budget.  Raising the budget on May 7th would increase school taxes on a $300,000 home by over $2,000 per year.

“I say it is unfair to expect parents to come up with $9,000 per child for basic public education!” - If it were only that cheap!

I say it is unfair to expect the town to come up with $17,000 per child for public education.  Tom is not objecting to the cost, almost twice the number cited.  He’s objecting to paying part of this cost out of his own pocket.  He’d rather burden his neighbors with the cost.

“They are shifting the financial responsibility to families raising children or offering them a sub-par alternative.” - FALSE DICHOTOMY

FACT: Evidence shows that microschools outperform many public schools.  That NMS and MRA outperform public schools is well established.

“Most of us have benefited from public education.” - MISLEADING

“Public education” does not mean “public schools”.  Does a child benefit from going to a public school when less money could have been used to send that same child to a better school?  Must include opportunity costs.

“It is our civic duty to share the cost of children’s education.” - Your opinion, not shared by many.

Education is a parental responsibility.

“The board cannot even guarantee the legality of the micro-school proposal.” - DELIBERATELY MISLEADING

This is a made-up red-herring argument.  There is no evidence whatsoever, other than the dreams of people wanting to kill education progress, that the micro-school proposal runs afoul of the law.  This is simply wishful thinking. These microschools already have a contract with the State of New Hampshire to provide education.  Obviously the State doesn’t consider it illegal.

“It will be the death of our community if this reckless decision stands.”

Just like school choice was in 2014, right?

“Next year the deficit spending will be added to the tax rate, making it higher than anybody in town wants.” - FALSE.

Like “bad math” false.  So let’s try some math and see where it takes us.  The budget is $800,000, but let’s suppose Tom is right and we actually have to spend, say $1,000,000 in 2022.  Next year, the board says “Oops, we needed more money.  We’ll budget $1,080,000 (8% increase) for 2023, but we have to repay the $200,000 we had to borrow, plus $20,000 interest (10%).  So now we need $1,300,000 for 2023.

Is this $1,300,000 “higher than anybody in town wants?”  If so, what do you think of $1,700,000?

In the $200,000 deficit scenario, we spend a total of $2,100,000 for 2023 and 2024.  In the tax hike scenario Tom advocates, we spend $3,400,000 over the same period, and this assumes no increase at all for 2023.

You don’t save tax money by spending more of it!

“Families have been moving to our town, and property values were increasing because we had an attractive school choice program and a successful little school.” - PARTLY TRUE

In my time on the board, several families had indicated that they moved here for school choice, which the $800,000 budget preserves.  I do not recall a single family claiming to have moved here because of CVS.  Test scores at CVS are unremarkable.  Low property taxes are a powerful incentive and are proven to increase property values.

“Please join us to reverse this awful decision at 9 a.m. on May 7 at Camp Coniston.” - NO, PLEASE DON’T

The only “awful” decision was to attempt to resurrect the nightmarish $1,700,000 budget.  Stay home if you want to reverse a truly awful decision.

Visit vnews.com to read Thomas Moore's letter,

Do Over Dictators - Democracy schmocracy!

The We Stand For Croydon Students thinks they are entitled to your money and screw the democratic process.  

The following excerpts are from Granite Grok. 

Cathy Peschke 

"It’s rare to read a story about the recent Croydon budget adjustment that doesn’t mention how small the number of voters was, as if it was some kind of anomaly.

The final vote was 20-14.  For comparison, here are the tallies for votes in recent years, at the town and district meetings, where votes were reported in the minutes:  16-8, 38-5, 20-17, 18-15, 20-12, 22-19.

I say ‘ironically’, because requiring even this watered-down version of consent would make it clear that the people calling for the special meeting do not, in fact, object to small turnouts. What they want is a turnout that is just small enough that they can use majority rule to confiscate property, where consent — approximated by the ‘super-duper majority’ contemplated here — would prohibit that.  Which is to say, they don’t have a problem with small turnouts, just with what they see as the wrong turnouts."

To read this entire brilliant story by Ian Underwood, click here.

If you want lower taxes and education reform we suggest you stay home May 7. 

The Truth About Taxes

There is a great post on Granite Grok about property taxes and public education.  Below is just a snippet of the article by Patrice Myers who has a degree in education. 

Cathy Peschke 

My point is, why should we be forced to pay for something that we don’t agree with, that isn’t producing good results. A system that thinks that parents/grandparents are “in the way,” and is not accountable for their actions?

Why should we pay for a broken, unserviceable system?

It’s time to starve the beast (the government school system – NOT the municipal) and withhold the funding that, when we pay it, gives our consent to their irresponsibility. Not to mention the constitutional questions regarding the system of taxation in this State.

To read the rest of the story click here. 

Croydon residents, if you believe schools have a spending problem and not a funding problem please consider staying home May 7th. 

Why Disruption in Education is Essential

The following Letter to the Editor appeared in the Concord Monitor.  Click the title to be directed to the LTE  in the Concord Monitor. 

Cathy Peschke 

Opinion: Why disruption in education is essential

Every year, small towns across New Hampshire grapple with ways to keep their budgets in check. This usually entails minor adjustments and revisions that tighten up spending, but don’t dramatically alter the character of town or school operations.

This spring, residents of the town of Croydon adopted a novel approach, setting the school budget based on a simple per-pupil formula multiplied by a total student population. The final number, $800,000, came in at less than half of the board’s original $1.7 million-plus figure. This budget was disruptive, as it was meant to be.

As one of 20 vilified residents who voted in favor of the budget overhaul, I’ve heard many concerns about this approach, from the reasonable “can we deliver on this small budget?” to the absurd “the kids will end up in prison because they didn’t get enough art class.”

Among the cacophony of hyperbolic scenarios, one comment sounds quite reasonable: “This budget amendment seems abrupt and severe. Why was it necessary to cut the budget this way?”

It’s a good question, and it deserves a good answer.

Public education spending has gotten completely out of control in New Hampshire. When recently polled at a school board meeting, not a single board member felt the previous $1.7 million budget was appropriate. All felt it needed to be reduced. Each board member suggested a small reduction.

So why not try incremental reductions instead of large cuts? Because incremental reductions in education spending don’t work.

I have personally fought this battle in Croydon for over 15 years, but it plays out every spring in town halls across the state. Some cut proposals get shot down immediately. Others make it through the vote, producing a brief respite from the waste typical of public schools. Unfortunately, any progress gets undone as soon as voters become complacent.

The cut-reverse, cut-reverse cycle is why New Hampshire schools find themselves with bloated budgets despite years of temporarily successful budget cuts. Even with our best efforts, the gravy train keeps rolling.

There is one glowing success of permanent education reform: school choice. This program took eight years to enact, defending against rabid resistance culminating in a lawsuit from Big Ed’s acolytes in Concord. Croydon prevailed in classic David versus Goliath fashion. School choice is now a reality in our town, and an option state-wide.

Our school choice initiative not only won the legal battle, it won the hearts and minds of residents. Many of its most vocal opponents became supporters in just a few years. How did this happen?

It happened because school choice was a disruptive, not incremental change in education. Enacting school choice did not involve tweaking an existing system, it altogether scrapped much of it. The entire structure of post-4th-grade education in Croydon was reworked to implement the new model.

Both promoters and opponents of school choice understood one important point. Once the public got a taste of school choice, they would never tolerate a return to the old ways. School choice, with its many benefits, is here to stay.

Croydon’s $800,000 education budget was designed to be small enough to require systemic change, yet large enough to make implementation practical. Ian Underwood, that dreaded Free Stater we’ve all been programmed to fear, made a case for the specific number of $10,000 per student based on high quality, functional, existing schools.

That this number, higher than some schools spend, is considered “unworkable” says much more about the mindset of public education finance than it does about Mr. Underwood’s “Bond-villain” plans. Any school district that demands over $22,000 per student in an area where other schools demand less than $9,000 is ripe for restructuring.

We’ve tried incremental reform, and it has failed. It’s time for a paradigm shift in public education. The amended $800,000 budget accomplishes this in a responsible manner. It will provide higher quality at a much lower cost. As with school choice before, the public will not tolerate a return to the tax-and-spend ways of yesteryear once they’ve enjoyed the benefits of the new budget.

The education establishment’s response to Croydon’s realigned budget is a “do-over” repeal vote scheduled for May 7th. Time will tell whether enough voters attend and cast ballots to restore the old model.

In either case, residents taking charge and enacting higher quality, cost-saving school budgets is an idea whose time has come. The old ways of making change at the town level don’t work anymore, and the public knows it. Expect to see more of this kind of citizen action in the future.

Jim Peschke 

Schools are Not Free

"The more subsidized it is, the less free it is. What is known as "free education" is the least free of all, for it is a state-owned institution; it is socialized education - just like socialized medicine or the socialized post office - and cannot possibly be separated from political control." - Frank Chodorov, "Why Free Schools Are Not Free"

Schools have become an entitlement and those that use them have become very greedy and ungrateful.  $10,000 per student is generous anything above that is just greedy.  We have poor families subsidizing wealthy families.  Do your part for more responsible spending in government schools stay home May 7. 

Cathy Peschke 

Spring Clean Up

Grantham is having their spring clean-up May 7, 9-12. Who would like to join them and pick up garbage along the streets of Croydon that day?

Cathy Peschke

Have You Even Read About Prenda?

Have you even read about Prenda, or are you only getting your inform from the We Stand With Croydon Students crowd?    Three teachers in town have a direct conflict of interests, they want to protect the school budget because they are teachers, at least one of them boasts being a proud teacher union member.

If you believe in the individual you can't support unions, at least I can't.  This country was founded on individual rights, unions are the anthesis to the individual.    Good employees don't need unions.  Bad employees are protected by unions.  If you stand for freedom, you stand for the rights of individuals.  Union dues are just another form of tax and slave/master type situation.  Employment laws protect individuals there is no need for unions. 

Teacher unions' serve teachers not students.  There are plenty of books to read about how the teachers' unions have destroyed public education in America.  With test results being mediocre at best and Newport Schools ranking in the bottom 20% why not give Prenda a chance?  As a parent the first thing you did was research it yourself and not have someone else tell you about the program, right?  A person especially would not want to hear from teacher who is trying to protect their own racket. 

Giving the $800,000 budget a try is a huge David and Goliath moment.  It could be the end to excessive spending and poor educational results in public education. 

Click the title to read about Prenda and do some more research yourself. 

Cathy Peschke

Recovering Bright Futures

Every student deserves a Recovering Bright Futures Program.

The Department is partnering with Prenda schools for a new and exciting grant opportunity 

to support your students and families who have experienced learning loss and who have 
may have experienced significant stress and disruption as a result of the COVID-19 
pandemic – Recovering Bright Futures. 

The Recovering Bright Futures Program offers School Districts and communities the 

opportunity to provide students with access to Learning Pods starting this fall.

Learning Pods may be new to many, but throughout the pandemic and across the country,

they have served thousands of students in a small-group, multi-age and trauma sensitive 

learning environments. Learning Pods are particularly helpful to students who have 

experienced learning loss and will thrive with more individualized attention.

Learning Pods as an option for those students who might benefit from this unique, 
supportive educational environment. The Department will also directly support the 
creation of Community Learning Pods, especially for families who do not have a 
District Learning Pod available to them.

The Department will offer grants to School Districts to support the creation of District 

Learning Pods as an option for those students who might benefit from this unique, 

supportive educational environment. The Department will also directly support the 

creation of Community Learning Pods, especially for families who do not have a District 

Learning Pod available to them.

School Districts interested in the Recovering Bright Futures Program will received 
grant application packets separately.

What is a Learning Pod?

Learning Pods involve, small, in-person, multi-age groupings of students in a trauma sensitive 
environment that allows children to stabilize, rekindle curiosity, and accelerate learning 
so that they might catch up with their peers. Generally, a micro or learning pod has 
between 5 – 10 students in grades K-2, 3-5 or 6-8 groupings. One New Hampshire 
elementary education teacher, who taught in a Learning Pod this year, described it as 
outstanding and noted that her own child was thriving using this learning system. The 
learning system, which is aligned to the New Hampshire academic standards, 
focuses on empowering learners through three different mastery and project-based learning 
modes each day: Conquer, Collaborate and Create.

To read the rest of the information click here.