Can I just ask....

it won't matter a bit. Just bad money after worse.

http://gumballs.blogtownhall.com/2009/01/17/save_the_childr en!__kill_the_government_schools!.thtml was just posted after reading yours. It's part of my take.

They were considering doing away with art and music at my son's old school; non-essential as you said. I was really upset about it. He is in a bigger district now, with a larger budget. My oldest daughter is a bilingual teacher in TX and she gets paid a stipend on top of her salary for being bilingual. She works almost 10 months as well, but she opts into having her paycheck spread over the 12 months.

Both of my daughters took music all the way through high school, in the elite choir. They both auditioned and sang solos, my youngest is even a recording artist now. She went to college on a music scholarship, but decided that she didn't want to teach music. She's very artistic as well and before she signed her CD contract, she was a floral designer. Education needs reform and each state is different.

I grew up in OK, one of the lowest paying states for teachers in the nation. I see problems on both sides. My daughter teaching in TX is happy that it is a non-tenured state. As a parent in KS, I wish that we were as well, because there are teachers who become complacent and don't care. It takes away the competition. I think without tenure, it keeps the teachers on their toes.

Teachers do have it rough..I would never do it!
My Mom was a teacher and took early retirement because of SOLs.

it is tough...you gotta love it to do it

Sols missed the boat...And she Knew it would.

Sorry last message was for you...I can't read.