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 

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 

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

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

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,