Monday, February 22, 2010

District Cuts... Because the Big Guys Would Pay for Themselves Before The Future

The following is a rant on how I feel about life at this moment in time. I may be out of line, I may be politically incorrect, and I may make someone angry (you never know). But deal with it. You don't have to read. (And don't worry, I'm taking great care to make sure I censor myself.)

I just found out from a friend that Copper Hills have started their plans on what to cut. And guess what's on the chopping block? Summer marching band. The season of marching band that I look forward to the most. Of every season of marching band and color guard, I have loved summer the most. Ever since the Days of '47 parade, I have been looking forward to summer coming around again. Sure, I had fun in fall, and I'm having fun now. But summer is the best: it's fun, it's not competitive, it's by far the cheapest season, and it keeps me from sleeping in until one every morning in summer. If you know people in marching band, then you know: marching band is a way of life. It's not just a hobby. It's not just a sport. It's not something you just do. Through all of the "Yes sir" "Yes ma'am"s you become connected to the sport, and all of the people in it.

To think that just earlier today I was worried, because I didn't want to have to have a new color guard coach. I didn't want to have new color guard captains. I didn't want to have new drum majors. But now they've almost taken all of my fears away. And I wish I had things to fear for anymore.

At this moment, I feel pretty bad for us, sure. But you know who I feel freaking terrible for? Bingham. I'm told that everything has been cut for them. Did you hear me? Everything. I don't know how true it is, but imagine it: no band, no choir, no drama, no clubs...

You know why I feel bad? They work hard for it. You can tell. I was told that being cocky (for lack of a better word) is their type of pride, just like CHHS has a really loud pride. They win at things, and they're proud. But what happens when you don't have anything to be good at anymore? What happens when the government decides to take away everything you work for? What happens when the government decides to take away your life? Some people may think, hey, we don't need all of those activities. But we do. Yeah, sure, I don't care about football. But I know that there are people out there who are good at it, and like it, and look forward to a scholarship from it. I know people who look to their extra curricular activities to help them through life. I know people who think that school is worthless if it's only the same thing for each student. I know people who know that each person needs to find what they like, because everyone is different. I know people who know that activities are a way to advance yourself in life, and when all else fails, you can have one thing to look forward to to help you get where you want to go. I know, because some of these people include me.

Apparently JSD is $30,000,000 in the hole, according to one article. I think I remember reading in my school's newsletter how much WE were in the hole... but I don't want to bring how PO'ed I am to my school... I'll try to keep it at the government, for the sake of my own sanity.

So, government. Are you happy? Are you happy that all of your stupidity over all of these years has piled up? Are you happy that now you are piling it on to kids who can't even vote yet because of the way you have voted for us? Are you happy with this big hole you've dug, and are you happy that you've thrown all of the education into it and are tossing in the dung? Are you happy that the adults throughout the history of this country are screwing with the with the future of the country? Are you happy that you are setting up the future of this country for failure?

So it hasn't really hit me yet. That the stupid Jordan School District is screwing us over. That our stupid individual schools are screwing us over. That Utah is screwing us over. That the stupid US government is screwing us over. And if THIS is not hitting me, I don't even want to be around when it finally hits me.

There's a meeting tomorrow at 7 to decide about marching band, and maybe some other cuts, at the District Office in Jordan Landing. Here's hoping for a better solution.

So, here's me pulling on my boots. Because this country has thrown a lot of crap our way, and it doesn't look like it's going to be cleaned up any time soon.

3 comments:

  1. I knew that Bingham was going to have some money issues since I heard they're trying to incorperate the prestigious (and thus expensive) IB program into their curriculum, but I didn't quite realize that they'd have to cut a bunch of things. It's strange that I live in Jordan, but I go to Canyons, and thus I don't actually know anything about either, which probably shouldn't be the case... I did know that they were having money issues, though. (Because my mom is getting a pay cut...)

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  2. I was actually thinking of doing the IB program... but didn't. Kinda wishing now that I did, because then I wouldn't be going to the same high school...

    Everyone's getting pay cuts. And having benefits taken away. And taking furlough days. And being laid off. And it all stinks like crap, because, as said, since Utah is stupid and we haven't had enough money going into education in the first place, and now that they're cutting it down more, all of their crap is piling up on the students and the teachers. Watch Utah go blow itself up... why alter the course of doom we're headed on?...

    Well, at least the meeting was a good turnout... I wish I could have gone...
    http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700011481/Jordan-School-District-teachers-prepared-to-strike.html
    Even if the teachers won't go on strike... I have already heard multiple plans for students to. They're going to have to face it all with a better plan at some point.

    Your district is probably not worrying too much. An article I read said that before the split, each student would get $16,000... and now, Jordan gets $12,000 per student... guess where the rest is?

    Of course, it can't be just the split causing issues... there's of course the idiocity of the fact that Utah already puts less tax money to education than anywhere else in America... stupid, stupid, stupid...

    Everyone's looking for solutions. Higher taxes, ads on school buses, equalization of money going to each district...

    Eew... what stinks? Oh yeah, that's just Utah...

    Whew... maybe you should just ignore me. But wait... I already warned at the top of the post about my ranting rampage... never mind. THIS is what happens when I get into something really important to me... And now I'm just going to hold my tongue, before I say anything that I really regret...

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  3. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700010401/Senator-equalization-plan-not-equal.html
    http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_14392225
    http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_14429681
    http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14457941
    http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_14434522
    http://www.jordandistrict.org/board/budget/DanJonesresults.pdf
    http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14440993

    http://ipfsquared.wordpress.com/2009/08/05/jordan-school-district-stinks/ I doubt I could say it better myself.

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