David Spier from the Newton Taxpayers Association responded today in the Newton Patch to Geoff Epstein’s recent Newton Tab guest column about technology spending in the schools.
Newton Taxpayers Association weighs in on school tech spending
by Chuck Tanowitz | Jul 1, 2013 | Newton | 8 comments
One issue I’d take with David Spear’s column is he says –
Today, parents do already contribute financially in a big way to technology for the schools. At my daughter’s school (Countryside), the PTO raised $75,000 this year for a technology fund, mostly from parent contributions. I believe the Newton School Foundation also raises money for technology from non-tax funding.
For a public school system, this seems to me to be a much more appropriate way of parents contributing than what David Spear’s is suggesting. In a public school, the educational facilities should be provided for all citizens. I find the prospect of insisting that families self-identify as the “haves” vs the “have nots” in order to get access to educational facilities repulsive.
I totally agree with Jerry’s comment. But I also agree with David’s position on naming rights. This city can’t afford to turn its back on such a significant revenue source. The failure to advance naming rights, was brought about by a lack of leadership on that issue.
Jerry, I think David Spier was thinking along the lines of a Bring-Your-Own-Device Program as well as using technology to contain the growth rate of pro forma spending. Perhaps the school system could partner with electronic device makers and retailers to offer a special price for parents of school children who are buying technology products and services for educational purposes.
I’d also like to see Greg Reibman weigh in on this conversation.
Jerry, I agree with your perspective. The public schools should provide the “facilities.” However it is a fact that Newton Public Schools does not; hence your PTO contributions. My wife and I raised PTO funds for years. However the Schools budget expands far beyond the obvious cost driver that is enrollment, yet still leaves your charity through the PTO to fund much of their technology. If the parents own the technology (excepting items like servers and intelligent white boards), we still contribute money (but not through the PTO) and afterwards our children have technology to show for it. Any plan that includes constantly increasing taxes to fund the Schools budget, but not adequate to provide needed technology, then counts on PTO contributions is essentially double taxing. The same would be true if we make PTO contributions and buy our children the same technology, which I have not advocated. Your PTO contributions are (kindly) filling the gap for the undisciplined spending of Newton Public Schools.
As far as subsidizing purchases, Newton already provides subsidies and abatements to those in need for utilities and property taxes. There is nothing new here. While it may feel unfair that some would raise their hands for help, that is the nature of a progressive society. Life is not always fair, particularly economically. Those you worry for already are being especially battered by a prolonged terrible economy and constantly increasing Newton taxes. However we all need to help one another and no one should feel badly about being at the giving or the receiving end.
The worst outcome, however, is to pay the taxes and not, as you properly advocate, receive the “facilities.” That is where we stand today.
David Spier, or others — Can you pls give examples of the types of technology that you are suggesting that a parent supply? Is it the same items (laptops, scientific calculators…) that private schools require a parent to buy? What happens if a kid breaks the item supplied by the school?
Mike, I agree with you and David concerning the naming rights.
David, your quote “The worst outcome, however, is to pay the taxes and not, as you properly advocate, receive the “facilities.” That is where we stand today.” is an excellent evaluation of Newton’s digital education program.
Hoss, with regards to your post, I’d like to see Geoff Epstein address those questions you posed since he wrote the original opinion piece concerning Newton’s digital education program.
I don’t want to pull this conversation too far afield, but in any conversation about where the $$$ might come from, I’d be remiss to not mention that there are additional alternative [to property tax] revenue sources beyond naming rights. Municipal distribution of electricity would deliver far more $$$ for Newton than naming rights. And until there is a major technological breakthrough not yet on the horizon, municipal distribution of electricity would be a perpetual revenue source. Also, as I have advocated for years, air-rights development over the Mass Pike would be a tremendous boon to Newton.
I would never suggest that Setti Warren, has been anything less than a competent mayor, but I don’t think many would call him a bold mayor. I believe, as I have believed for years, Newton needs bold leadership capable of cultivating alternative sources of revenue. Until that happens, we will continuously struggle to meet our city’s needs, and argue about where the $$$ is going to come from.
Mike, as far as the air rights development over the Mass Pike are concerned, I don’t think that anyone in the Newton Taxpayers Association would stand in the way of those. In fact, I was pondering that very same idea as I went to Star Market in order to take advantage of that rewards card redemption program today, especially since Star is now owned by a private equity consortium instead of SUPERVALU.
As for municipal distribution of energy, I am aware that Ken Parker proposed one in his 2009 Mayoral Blueprint and that Hingham has a municipal operated electric utility. However, Hingham got into that game ~120 years ago. If Newton wanted to replicate that, they would have to spend a lot more than the $12,000 Hingham spent in 1894.
http://www.kenparker.org/municipal-power/
I also agree with Mike’s assessment of Mayor Warren’s 1st term of office.
And on that note, back to digital education…