Blogs
Worry about the effect of the economic downturn coupled with changes in information technology is generating a lot of consterned discussion among those concerned with the history and future of libraries. Worries start with concern about reducing public access to books and book culture, as well as to the eroding relationship of public and research libraries to the educational system.
But libraries - the municipal buildings themselves and the staff therein - also see challenging changes in their community functions when times get hard.
It is nice to be in a town that has a mayor who is willing to speak to the
zeitgeist. Feeling it also, a couple of months ago I created these
designs ...
The
last one has been printed on t-shirts if anyone is interested in
partaking in some t-shirt activism ... now to show your support for our mayor's courage.
Changing our town's name by October 24
could turn an April Fools joke into a symbolic gesture to be heard
throughout the world in a time when action on climate change is dangerously
overdue. Can the joke go to symbol and then to action?
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education meets tonight at 5:30 (closed session at the Chapel Hill Town Hall) to discuss, among other things, areas for budget reduction.
Though I dislike making judgements on topics with which I'm not
familiar, I must admit that my first glance through the list of
reductions leaves me with mixed feelings. I believe them off-base with
certain items, such as reductions in professional development,
curriculum development stipends, and new-teacher signing bonuses.
(see PDF below-pages 5 and 8) However, I believe them on-target in other
reduction avenues, including looking at the K12 Insight online surveys
and reducing the Superintendent's meeting refreshments.
I have been thinking more and more lately about how inappropriate the name 'Carrboro' is for a town that is so focused on alternatives to the single occupant motor vehicle. I mean, I realize the town is named after Julian Shakespeare Carr, rather than the ubiquitous vehicle of the 20th century, but still . . . having our town's name begin with that object that we are working so hard against just makes no sense to me.
Also, it is important to remember who old Jule Carr was. Mr. Carr was an officer in the Confederate Army, and later he was a captain of industry. He owned many, many businesses including several mills in Durham. And for most of his life he lived in Durham. He even called his mill in our downtown "Durham Hosiery Mills." In fact, we might just note that although he was a supporter of UNC, Jule Carr was also closely related to the Duke family. In sum, Mr. Carr was not actually all that much of a Carrboro kind of guy.
According to the latest available figures from the CHCCS budget ...
If Carrboro High School was funded at the
same level PER STUDENT as the other two district high schools, Carrboro High would
receive $2 million more a year.
Carrboro High students are budgeted 52% less PER
STUDENT than the larger high schools.
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