If the public doesn’t speak, don’t complain
From today’s Daily Progress:
A public hearing on Charlottesville Superintendent Rosa Atkins’ proposed $58.1 million budget for fiscal 2008-09 was as over as soon as it started at Thursday’s School Board meeting.
Though no one spoke Thursday, the public will have another chance to comment on the budget on Feb. 21.
It’s a shame to see citizens abdicating their responsibility to themselves, their fellow citizens and the children. Better public schools are one of the absolute best ways to increase property value. Where were the homeowners?
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Collaborating in real time
Remember when you worked on a document or presentation with somebody and you would email it back and forth with the changes? That is so last month. In working on this presentation on blogging for the past week or ten days, we used Google’s Presentation (Powerpoint for the unenlightened) to work together. Chatting within the presentation making changes was mighty efficient.
I’ve said before, and this is a clear example, effecting change needs to be at least a two-pronged approach. Working from outside the aging gorilla’s reach is effective, but working within the behemoth’s reach in tandem with those outside efforts should prove much more effective. For better or worse, those to whom we are talking this afternoon make decisions that affect tens of thousands of Virginia Realtors. Influencing their conversation is but one way to get things done.
In an example of the Web 2.0 world, I’ve spoken to Ben Martin dozens of times, (only a couple of times on the phone, the rest on IM or Skype) worked on this presentation for a couple of hours, and have yet to meet him, but have full confidence that today’s talk will go smoothly. I’m looking forward to the question and answer part.
Update 1 October 2007:
Sites referenced today:
Cindy Jones’ blog
Merv Forney’s blog
Bloodhound Blog
Rain City Guide
Inman Blog
Robert Scoble
Blip TV (RSS explained)
Pewinternet
Rembex (real estate blog search)
Cluetrain Manifesto
Creative Commons (copyrighting)
Update 05 January 2008: Google just released embedd-ability, so I re-posted with the embedded presentation.
Technorati Tags: blogging, real estate, realtor, var
Image is not “everything”
I may have the opportunity to contribute to a discussion (a Virginia Association of Realtors “workgroup”) regarding how to improve Realtors’ image. I try to enter everything with an open mind; that said, my first thought is a simple one - improve the product. I have yet to hear a successful Realtor say that either the entrance standards or continuing education standards were remotely sufficient. Let’s work on raising the standards of practice and then work on image. So long as people enter this profession because they don’t have anything better to do and because it’s perceived as “easy,” our profession’s image will suffer.
Technorati Tags: realtor
School closings?
Our area is expecting a little bit of snow today and this evening. For the most up to date info, I have found that NBC29 tends to have the most accurate info. Albemarle’s school closing link is a dead link to NBC29.
We tend to have an inordinate amount of school closings, in my opinion. The primary reason for this is that our counties still are quite rural. My understanding is that if one rural road is dangerous, the entirety of the school division shuts down. That we still have so much rural areas is gratifying in a way, and one of the reasons Central VA is so desirable.
Surprisingly, 29 does not yet have their red jackets on yet.
Where is Albemarle Growing?
All over.
From Brian Wheeler’s SchoolMatters: Where is Albemarle Growing?:
I recently updated my analysis of the Albemarle County building reports from the past two years which document each quarter where new building permits are being issued in the County. These do not reflect newly approved developments (e.g. Old Trail Village), but rather homes in developments previously approved where a building permit has now been issued.
The report includes all types of housing, but my analysis is limited to single family detached homes, as those are a leading indicator of future enrollment growth for Albemarle County Schools.
From one of Brian’s previous posts:
If you look at the list of proposed and current housing developments used by the Redistricting Committee and Dr. Castner in isolation, you can easily conclude about 50% of the development is coming up Route 29 North. However, this report does not include Old Trail Village or Wickham Pond (two developments in Crozet submitted after the committee started its work). It also does not include the proposed development at the Breeden Farm (south of I-64 near Mill Creek and 5th Street). The Breeden Farm alone could be larger than all of the growth projected for Crozet (i.e. there could be housing for more than 12,000 people, the number projected for Crozet).
Growth is going to happen. Maintaining relatively small class sizes and efficient feeder patterns should be priorities. Using accurate, up to date data should be too. It is irresponsible not to use the best data possible. Nobody can see into the future and determine where the kids are going to be. One can get a pretty good idea, though.
One question I have (because I am ignorant for now) - what is the multiplier that the County uses to determine how many kids will be added to the district per new house?
Redistricting in Albemarle County
Last night the Albemarle County School Board (finally!) voted to redistrict the County’s schools. WINA and the DP have their roundups, but I think the best commentary is that provided by Brian Wheeler, the only member of the Board who blogs about his governmental experience.
I did a search on Google that was for the following words:
lessons in humility, school redistricting
Would you believe of the over 9,200 hits the number one item was a story about redistricting in Albemarle County schools in 1993. It was written by a mediator who used the Sutherland middle school redistricting as a case study in conflict resolution.
What got me searching for insights on humility was a bible verse:
Matthew 23:12 - Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
I want to talk about humility, not humility we might possess before a God, but rather humility before an immense community challenge like redistricting.
Brian feels, and logically argues, that the best interests of the entire community were not represented. Agree with him or not, that he has the conviction and intestinal fortitude to stand for what he believes is the right path for the County is commendable. Read his remarks; they are very worthwhile and about as transparent as government can get.
Important decisions and processes like this are why I continue to get involved and why I encourage everybody to get involved. As we grow, so must our world-views.
If we have to redistrict again in the Western Albemarle area in two years, I hope the uproar will be significant and that people remember the one dissenting vote.
Technorati Tags: albemarle, growth
Redistricting in Albemarle
The redistricting saga continues. WINA notes last night’s decision here. The DP weighs in here. Most importantly, Brian Wheeler, At-Large member of the School Board,clarifies a few items on his blog.
Of note -
At last night’s meeting we also learned the following about enrollment as of 9/6/05 :
Total students = 12,433 (60 above projection for this year)
Agnor-Hurt is 37 students above projection
Brownsville is 19 students above projection
Crozet is 30 students above projection
Henley is 29 students above projection
If you are wondering where the bulk of the growth is - look at the numbers above. Three of the four schools above the projected numbers are in the Western Albemarle District. A wise man said to me recently that if you cannot hit the school with a rock, don’t be assured that your kids will go there …
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