Blogging Forgottonia

I just wanted to congratulate the Monmouth-Roseville High School soccer program on a fantastic season.  Unfortunately the team lost their sectional match against Warrensburg-Latham, but there can’t be any doubt that they fought hard.  The score was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation, putting the game into sudden death overtime.  The Review Atlas doesn’t have anything up about the game yet, but here is the article from the Decatur Herald & Review.

Again, congratulations to the Titans soccer program!

Local blogger & Review Atlas columnist Stephanie Sikorski asked for positive media coverage of the Monmouth-Roseville Titans soccer program as they advance to sectional championship on Saturday.   Sikorski’s husband Aaron coaches the team.  The Titans soccer program was in the local media spotlight earlier this year, but unfortunately that was due to the IHSA suspension of star player “Chino” Ayala & the resulting forfeiture of a tie game with Peoria Manual.  Sikorski’s blog post highlights how the team has struggled through multiple adversities with little fan & community support to achieve a very successful season.

Well Stephanie, ask and ye shall receive!  I’ll add my voice, too … best of luck to the Titans on Saturday!

Michelle Nutting @ the Warren County Newswire has posted a good piece on the new Roseville Christian School.

I was rather critical of the idea of a private school opening up in Roseville when the idea first floated.  The anger underlying the criticism in that post stems from my belief that private schools take away from public education.  The passion in that anger stems from my belief that quality public education is essential to the success and well-being of our country.

My anger has cooled with time and the knowledge that there have not been major shifts in local school enrollment.  I was correct in my assumption that the initial interest in the new school was largely fueled by the anger over District 238 closing Roseville Elementary.  While over a hundred residents showed up for the initial informational meetings, only three students were enrolled when the school first opened (per the WCN post linked above, enrollment is now up to four).  I’m sure that the reality of paying thousands of dollars in tuition annually made a lot of Roseville residents realize that the 14 mile bus ride to Monmouth isn’t so bad.  Some students at United & other nearby rural school districts spend 2-3 hours on the bus every school day!

I also know that for one Roseville Christian student, the small class size & personalized educational environment has been a true blessing.  For that student’s sake, I hope this educational experiment succeeds.  However, I wonder how it can possibly be sustainable with so few students.  We’ll just have to see what the future brings for Roseville Christian School.

If some Roseville residents want to contribute to the degradation of public education in Warren County and spit in the faces of their fellow villagers who can’t afford a private education for their children … by all means, start a new private Christian school.  However, in doing so they should know & accept that they’re part of the problem, not the solution.

I’m sure this movement to open a Christian school spawns from anger over the impending closure of Roseville Elementary School and not a fervent desire for religious education.  I understand that anger, but the M-R 238 administration & school board had to deal with the cold hard facts and do what’s best for the greatest number of students.  The two deficit-reduction scenarios that had R.E.S. staying open would have resulted in 250-350 more Monmouth students being bussed to Roseville than vice versa.  The accepted scenario results in 17 more Roseville kids bussed to Monmouth than vice versa.  Given those numbers, if someone can explain how keeping R.E.S. open would be fair, I’ll buy the Brooklyn Bridge from them.

The M-R 238 school board met last night and approved 88 layoffs, including 15 full-time teachers, 9 assistant coaches, & 1 principal.

Residents in Roseville met yesterday to discuss opening a private Christian school there.

And finally, the State House passed a measure that would allow districts to change to a four-day school week.

(SIGH)

When are Americans, the politicians and those who elect them, going to wake up & realize that education needs to be a top priority in this country?

Willits Primary and Roseville Elementary will close for the 2010-2011 school year.  Many programs, including the enrichment program that my daughters participate in, will be cut.  The United CUSD #304 also had to make some painful financial decisions recently.

The decision to close two schools was a painful one for everyone involved, and I know that Roseville residents are particularly angered by the closure of R.E.S.  The anger over these school closings & program cuts should not be directed at Superintendent Paul Woehlke or the M-R CUSD #238 school board.  I think they made the best play that they could with the cards they were dealt.  If folks want to be angry, be angry at the politicians in Springfield that couldn’t pay the state’s bills even before the current economic crisis struck.  Be angry at the Wall Street investment bankers and their wildly speculative financial schemes that precipitated the financial meltdown in 2008.  There lies the root cause of these school closings.