45 replies to this topic

[The Average Joe]

I seem to recall a storage facility at the new building, but it has been a LONG time since I looked over the plans.
I guess my point was that yes it is a new building, but it is a NICE new building, not a frugal one. I work all over, and I will tell you that many state offices and most private offices are mostly utilitarian if not downright frugal. Again, I just encourage you all to look around and judge for yourself.
I believe there has to be a fundamental change of mindset on the part of decision makers in the public sector, and the taxpayers who pay for those decisions. The GSA scandal is one prime example of the mindset that has to go. AND the taxpayers have got to start demanding more accountability.
As for "updating" teaching materials every 7 years, I can see that in certain subjects, but the cynical part of me thinks it is more due to the book printing lobby pushing legislators than any concern for teaching the children. Remember college classes that had a "new version" of nearly every required textbook every year? Of course that required a purchase of new books every semester.
It would seem more prudent to keep the same books for english/grammar, foreign language, math, history and science, and just have supplemental booklets for discoveries in the sciences. The core of those subjects will not change.
I think the best idea would be to provide every kid with a generic ipad and just use e-books. Saves a forest worth of paper, can be updated in minutes, and won't cause back problems for the kids due to ridiculously heavy backpacks. Say each kid uses 6-8 books during the year. I'm sure every one of those books is bought at full retail. A customized ipad with limited abilities could be had for about the same price if bought in bulk.
Just a thought.

[tessieca]

joanieb also brought up that there was nowhere else to store the items other than The Granite Center since the quonset hut is being sold.
What's the long-term plan for storage so items don't get moldy in the future and so cleaning supplies don't go to waste?

There was a storage container at Granite Center that had a major leak. that is where we had our lead teachers and stored unused curricular material. The new educational services center has storage facilities that are waterproof so water should not be an issue again. Both the Granite Center and district office property plus Quonset hut land are being marketed for sale. There was a recent public hearing at city council meeting to zone the property and approve tentative map for Quonset hut property.

http://www.fcusd.org/news/article.asp?id=200801148 for more information.

[tessieca]

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As for "updating" teaching materials every 7 years, I can see that in certain subjects, but the cynical part of me thinks it is more due to the book printing lobby pushing legislators than any concern for teaching the children. Remember college classes that had a "new version" of nearly every required textbook every year? Of course that required a purchase of new books every semester.
It would seem more prudent to keep the same books for english/grammar, foreign language, math, history and science, and just have supplemental booklets for discoveries in the sciences. The core of those subjects will not change.
I think the best idea would be to provide every kid with a generic ipad and just use e-books. Saves a forest worth of paper, can be updated in minutes, and won't cause back problems for the kids due to ridiculously heavy backpacks. Say each kid uses 6-8 books during the year. I'm sure every one of those books is bought at full retail. A customized ipad with limited abilities could be had for about the same price if bought in bulk.
Just a thought.

I don't disagree. When I first heard that we had to update certain history textbooks, for example, I just had to question what in history had changed. Well, the state dictates the process (the update cycle), approves the texts that are allowed to be used (we can select from one or two publishers), and changes the "what" that must be taught, such as requiring history education to include contributions of LGBT folks. It would probably amaze people to know how many board policies simply state that the district will follow the law (long story, short).

Ipads and ebooks are a great thought, but you have to consider initial purchases, maintenance, lost, stolen, broken devices that you're giving to kids, technology that is updated more frequently than books, etc. The publishers aren't giving special deals on ebooks either (to the extent that they are even available so far), so along with the hardware and other technology costs, you still have to pay for the books.

[asbestoshills]

Ipad software is a lot cheaper to update and the school district just needs to purchase an insurance policy for the ipads. Just like a lost book, $65-100 charge if lost; ipads at a wholesale cost wouldn't be that much to replace if they were insured. MY iphone is only $9 a month for insurance. I'm sure the school could get a deal and this cost could be part of the $3-4,ooo a year they spend per pupil to cover the cost. In fact, it would eliminate the need for buying books two at a time for each student as they do now b/c the students can't have lockers b/c of the drug issues etc, but that's a whole other issue. I can't stand the way we take away student responsibility, such as lockers b/c some losers might be storing drugs there; as if they couldn't just put the drugs in their backpacks. But I digress. I'm so sick of the low standards we have for our kids. Until the public schools get their funding taken away, they will never change. Look at the charter school successes and you can see the future; classes that use the knowledge taught, early entrance to college, AP classes for all who can do the work, shortened days for students to pursue athletics or music etc.

[l479]

Does anyone else see what is wrong with the below statements? Because the smartboards were purchased with Rancho Cordova money, they cannot be used by Folsom schools. How crazy is that? It is as crazy as saying there is no money so we have to lay off good employees who are very valuable to our childrens' education and safety, but we have this other money to build a big beautiful new District Office Building. Clearly there is money out there, but it is tied up because of rules that should be broken. Our school district is letting smartboards, that are worth thousands of dollars, sit in storage because of idiotic rules. That is a crime against our children. Can Rancho loan them to Folosm until they need them back?

The smartboards were purchased with Rancho Cordova bond money and cannot be used in Folsom since its residents didn't pay for the items. The smartboards are from the school they closed a few years back.

[l479]

Does anyone else see what is wrong with the below statements? Because the smartboards were purchased with Rancho Cordova money, they cannot be used by Folsom schools. How crazy is that? It is as crazy as saying there is no money so we have to lay off good employees who are very valuable to our childrens' education and safety, but we have this other money to build a big beautiful new District Office Building. Clearly there is money out there, but it is tied up because of rules that should be broken. Our school district is letting smartboards, that are worth thousands of dollars, sit in storage because of idiotic rules. That is a crime against our children. Can Rancho loan them to Folosm until they need them back?

The smartboards were purchased with Rancho Cordova bond money and cannot be used in Folsom since its residents didn't pay for the items. The smartboards are from the school they closed a few years back.

Thought about this and now I am confused. I thought that Riverview had not been modernized with Smart Boards. Also thought that Cordova Villa was not either. If that is the case, then there should not be any Smart Boards from those schools. Where did the Smart Boards, that are in storage, come from?

[The Average Joe]

Forget smart boards...I prefer smart kids... a motivated kid can learn physics with a 20 year old textbook read by candlelight. After all, people with chalkboards and slide rules put men on the moon. Galileo, Euclid, Newton had none of the tools we have, and yet somehow managed to figure out the core of what is with nothing more than their brain.

We have kids using technology that have no idea how to write or do math for themselves. Sigh. Tech can be a wonderful tool or a terrible master.

But then again, parents are responsible for a learning attitude, and schools are responsible for a learning environment. Both seem to be lacking.

[cw68]

Forget smart boards...I prefer smart kids... a motivated kid can learn physics with a 20 year old textbook read by candlelight. After all, people with chalkboards and slide rules put men on the moon. Galileo, Euclid, Newton had none of the tools we have, and yet somehow managed to figure out the core of what is with nothing more than their brain.

We have kids using technology that have no idea how to write or do math for themselves. Sigh. Tech can be a wonderful tool or a terrible master.

But then again, parents are responsible for a learning attitude, and schools are responsible for a learning environment. Both seem to be lacking.

Great post!

[AMETHYST PRODUCTIVITY]

Does anyone else see what is wrong with the below statements? Because the smartboards were purchased with Rancho Cordova money, they cannot be used by Folsom schools. How crazy is that? It is as crazy as saying there is no money so we have to lay off good employees who are very valuable to our childrens' education and safety, but we have this other money to build a big beautiful new District Office Building. Clearly there is money out there, but it is tied up because of rules that should be broken. Our school district is letting smartboards, that are worth thousands of dollars, sit in storage because of idiotic rules. That is a crime against our children. Can Rancho loan them to Folosm until they need them back?

The smartboards were purchased with Rancho Cordova bond money and cannot be used in Folsom since its residents didn't pay for the items. The smartboards are from the school they closed a few years back.

So, what's the point of the Folsom Cordova UNIFIED School District?

[ducky]

So, what's the point of the Folsom Cordova UNIFIED School District?

It does seem strange, but from what I can tell it looks like the funds may have come from
Measure N, which could only be used for schools in the Rancho area. It's a shame the money went to
equip and train the Smart classroom in a school that the district eventually closed.

[Homeguy]

So, what's the point of the Folsom Cordova UNIFIED School District?

This is the result of the effort to split the district into two several years ago. Folsom people were complaining that their money was going to support schools in Rancho. The separation of RC and Folsom for bonds was a political move to quiet those people and keep the district together. The argument of funds not being comingled is a farce as items are bought and transferred. Bond money should not be spent as it has on technology (computers),that can easily be moved from site to site a year after being purchased.

[joanieb]

Why were all these things being stored there if it was such an unsuitable location?
The news reporters were handling the things and I didn't see any evidence of mold in the photos.
If the sponges and mops fell apart, that means they must have been stored there for a very long time.
Why weren't they being used?

I know this isn't the story of the century, but I wish they'd take better care of things our tax dollars buy.

I get that the new admin office comes from a different fund, but that doesn't mean we can't notice the
difference of the surroundings the administrators have compared to that of our children.

I meant there was no storage at the old District Office - sorry - the new storage is wonderful.

[mac_convert]

I am not 100% sure the smartboards are from a closed school as I said, but I do KNOW that the technology was purchased with bond money that is exclusive to Rancho Cordova.

It does seem strange, but from what I can tell it looks like the funds may have come from
Measure N, which could only be used for schools in the Rancho area. It's a shame the money went to
equip and train the Smart classroom in a school that the district eventually closed.

[Soonerborn]

I am not 100% sure the smartboards are from a closed school as I said, but I do KNOW that the technology was purchased with bond money that is exclusive to Rancho Cordova.

For some reason, if I remember correctly, weren't these Smartboards part of the 2007 Microsoft settlement a few years back? I believe that this settlement was directed towards schools with certain percentages of free and reduced lunches and the funds could be used to purchase software or hardware. I remember there being strict guidelines of where the products could be used at anytime and this would definitely prevent Folsom schools from using them based on the free and reduced lunch percentages.

[ducky]

For some reason, if I remember correctly, weren't these Smartboards part of the 2007 Microsoft settlement a few years back? I believe that this settlement was directed towards schools with certain percentages of free and reduced lunches and the funds could be used to purchase software or hardware. I remember there being strict guidelines of where the products could be used at anytime and this would definitely prevent Folsom schools from using them based on the free and reduced lunch percentages.

I don't know if that's right. I've seen documents from 2007 that say it cost $6,000 to $7,000 to outfit a classroom to become a SMART classroom. Maybe that's something different?