3 CORNERSTONES
There are three cornerstones I believe the School Board and School District need to balance the future on: strong academics, a strong district and a strong community.
The first step to developing strong academics is to establish learning as the priority for the district. This means placing any items that are extra to the curriculum (extra-curricular activities) on the outside of the budget looking in. I am not privy to the total cost of 5 swimming pools (1 for each middle and high school), 5 athletic directors (again 1 for each middle and high school) and multiple athletic facilities, but I can imagine the savings created by eliminating items that are extra to the curriculum would be substantial. I would direct your attention to Birmingham Southern University; a school that reduced its emphasis on extra-curricular activities and grew as a result (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/frank_deford/01/10/birmingham.southern/index.html). Once we begin with a solid foundation of academics, the community will invest and grow to provide the luxury items we now protect. When you look at possible options for cuts for the Eau Claire School District, be brave. Weaken luxuries and strengthen academics.
To balance a budget there are two sides to the equation, revenue and spending. Most, if not all the discussion has been on cuts in spending. I would like to emphasis growth in revenue. The Eau Claire School District is not growing, but this trend can change. As you were presented recently in Milwaukee at the 86th WASB-WASDA-WASBO State Education Convention, school choice is a necessity to grow a school district. A strong school district should have ties to the business community, each marketing the strengths of the other to foster growth for the city, district and financial sector. As an example, my family chose to move here from the Cities to have a stronger sense of community. I was working for 3M and had my choice of communities to transfer to. The number one factor we considered in our move was education. The presence of the Chippewa Valley Montessori Charter School made the choice clear. Since moving here, I have met others who made the same decision and an educational choice is what made these professionals chose Eau Claire. Strengthen the school district, provide alternative educational choice.
When I was a resident of Minnesota, I was on the Early Childhood Family Education Board. Every year we fought for state funding for the effective birth-K education that was unique to the state. In the process I became aware of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis study on education and financial return to the community (https://minneapolisfed.org/publications/fedgazette/early-childhood-development-economic-development-with-a-high-public-return). I would like to highlight a section of this report- “Research has shown that investment in education brings a real (that is, inflation-adjusted) public return of 12 percent and a real total return, public and private, of 16 percent.” To strengthen the community, investment in education is the only solution. Any other investment is a zero sum return at best. Developing new options in the school district needs to occur; but until the current Charter schools are secure, established, fully funded and promoted by the school board and the school district progress cannot be made. The current group of parents and teachers at the existing Charter schools are the future investors in alternative education. They are the network that will grow the community, the district and the economy; if the rug is not pulled out from underneath them now.
In conclusion, please keep the three cornerstones in mind (strong academics, a strong district and a strong community). Alternative school choice is essential to a sustainable district. To show stability for school choice, existing Charters must be strengthened. Academics first and athletics dead last.
Thank you.
Mark David Miller
There are three cornerstones I believe the School Board and School District need to balance the future on: strong academics, a strong district and a strong community.
The first step to developing strong academics is to establish learning as the priority for the district. This means placing any items that are extra to the curriculum (extra-curricular activities) on the outside of the budget looking in. I am not privy to the total cost of 5 swimming pools (1 for each middle and high school), 5 athletic directors (again 1 for each middle and high school) and multiple athletic facilities, but I can imagine the savings created by eliminating items that are extra to the curriculum would be substantial. I would direct your attention to Birmingham Southern University; a school that reduced its emphasis on extra-curricular activities and grew as a result (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/frank_deford/01/10/birmingham.southern/index.html). Once we begin with a solid foundation of academics, the community will invest and grow to provide the luxury items we now protect. When you look at possible options for cuts for the Eau Claire School District, be brave. Weaken luxuries and strengthen academics.
To balance a budget there are two sides to the equation, revenue and spending. Most, if not all the discussion has been on cuts in spending. I would like to emphasis growth in revenue. The Eau Claire School District is not growing, but this trend can change. As you were presented recently in Milwaukee at the 86th WASB-WASDA-WASBO State Education Convention, school choice is a necessity to grow a school district. A strong school district should have ties to the business community, each marketing the strengths of the other to foster growth for the city, district and financial sector. As an example, my family chose to move here from the Cities to have a stronger sense of community. I was working for 3M and had my choice of communities to transfer to. The number one factor we considered in our move was education. The presence of the Chippewa Valley Montessori Charter School made the choice clear. Since moving here, I have met others who made the same decision and an educational choice is what made these professionals chose Eau Claire. Strengthen the school district, provide alternative educational choice.
When I was a resident of Minnesota, I was on the Early Childhood Family Education Board. Every year we fought for state funding for the effective birth-K education that was unique to the state. In the process I became aware of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis study on education and financial return to the community (https://minneapolisfed.org/publications/fedgazette/early-childhood-development-economic-development-with-a-high-public-return). I would like to highlight a section of this report- “Research has shown that investment in education brings a real (that is, inflation-adjusted) public return of 12 percent and a real total return, public and private, of 16 percent.” To strengthen the community, investment in education is the only solution. Any other investment is a zero sum return at best. Developing new options in the school district needs to occur; but until the current Charter schools are secure, established, fully funded and promoted by the school board and the school district progress cannot be made. The current group of parents and teachers at the existing Charter schools are the future investors in alternative education. They are the network that will grow the community, the district and the economy; if the rug is not pulled out from underneath them now.
In conclusion, please keep the three cornerstones in mind (strong academics, a strong district and a strong community). Alternative school choice is essential to a sustainable district. To show stability for school choice, existing Charters must be strengthened. Academics first and athletics dead last.
Thank you.
Mark David Miller
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