SB 857

Don't know MABE's or the BOE's position on this bill but have a request in to verify.
-------------------
SB 857
Sponsored By: Senators Pugh and McFadden
Entitled:
Education - Public High Schools and Public High School Students - Revisions and Requirements

Synopsis:
Requiring the State Department of Education to develop a data collection system for students who graduate from high school in 3 years, 4 years, or 5 years; requiring the State Board of Education to report the reasons students opt to take the GED; requiring county boards of education to partner with community colleges in order to offer a 50% discount on tuition to students who take college courses while still in high school; etc.

--------------------
The below comments are from an email I received. NG = Nancy Grasmick

IF there is a 50% reduction in tuition on college credits for hs kids that are dual enrolled, where is the $$ going to come from to pay the college professors for educating high school kids? NG is only behind this because she will have to educate fewer kids but gets to keep the full amount of $$ from the September 30 head count. As I see it (and I admit it was quickly read on my part) this bill is quite craftily worded to suit NG's never ending thirst for black hole money.

Why is she doing this? Because she is now seeing the financial gain as more and more parents have caught on to the AP bull shit games school systems play. Now, more parents are choosing to dual enrolling their kids rather than play roulette with AP classes and exams.

In other words, a kid sits in homeroom on September 30. Because he is enrolled in public school (no matter what % of the day) NG gets to charge the state's taxpayers what..... $6K and gets to charge the feds.... $2K (?) to educate just one kid. But the kid spends 50% of his time being educated by the college. NG keeps $8K but theoretically only has to shell out $4K. She makes the colleges do the work she should be doing and then has the nerve to tell them they need to do it for 50% less than the going rate. Now, mulitply that $4k net gain by hundreds or thousands of kids all over the state as parents slowly catch on to the AP scam. That's a tidy little sum NG can rack up.

While, as a parent, I love the idea of a 50% tuition reduction, this accounting system is BS. Now, if NG wants to prorate the amount of $$ she keeps and forwards the rest on to the corresponding colleges, then I say have at it. Better yet, only collect a prorated amount from the taxpayers to begin with. We all know that won't happen. Do you see that worded anywhere in the bill? (I did read it rather quickly.)

Tracking why people take GED's or why some graduate in 3 or 4 or 5 years - I have no problem with that. BUT...... what other information will Ms. G (as in KGB) be tracking? Sounds good, but the devil is in the details. And, I can guarantee you, even the state board members will not have a clue as to what NG is really tracking.

IF it sounds too good to be true and it involves NG, there's always a catch. She just thinks we're too dumb to figure it out. I'd bet $$ that this wasn't the sponsoring senators' ideas. None of them know about or give a rat's ass about education. This came from (or was seriously tweaked by) NG and the teachers unions. (more money available for raises and smaller class size)