By Dave Stocker
Contributing writer

Many things trouble me about the possible layoffs of teachers and support staff in Powhatan County. For starters, reducing the number of teachers means increasing class sizes, which will inevitably lead to more discipline problems. More discipline problems mean more paperwork. If office staff is also reduced, then that means fewer professionals chasing more paper, and that will result in students being less well served. It has been demonstrated time and again that along with skilled and well-trained instructors, small class sizes are among the most effective remedies for classroom management challenges. Better managed classes are less prone to disruption and will lead to higher test scores and better performance in general. It may look good on paper to save dollars by cutting positions, but doing so will be very costly in the long-run, especially in terms of our success at meeting the expectations of our students and parents.

Second, we have to consider that not all of our excellent students will attend college immediately after graduation. Many of them will join the work force shortly after finishing high school. This means that a high school diploma (at least for now) will be the highest level of formal education that they will attain. This under-appreciated class of laborers is vital to prospective business ventures that will make their way into our county. In Powhatan, where the economy is growing, we under-serve this class of students at our peril. When businesses are looking for places to open up shop, they need to know that their chosen locale has a significant pool of competent workers ready to fill available positions. When the economy turns around (and it eventually will), new businesses will need to rely on local, talented and competent workers. When new and existing businesses succeed—in part due to a well-prepared labor force—Powhatan’s tax revenues will grow, ensuring the long-term health and prosperity of our local economy. It is imperative to our future that Powhatan be able to attract and retain new ventures with this valuable human resource and that begins with excellent public education.

Lastly, I think it’s up to all of us to make sacrifices where possible. It has been proposed that teachers accept a nominal pay cut in order to preserve instructional positions. I would be in favor of such a move (I’m the spouse of a Powhatan Co. teacher, so this would affect me directly). I would add that administrators, office staff, support staff, school board members and the superintendent and her assistants should be prepared to accept reduced compensation as well. Citizens should be aware that current budget proposals actually include a pay increase for school board members. The rationale behind this is that the board members in surrounding districts make higher salaries. While I respect the desire on the part of school board members to make salaries on par with those of neighboring counties, I feel that a salary increase would be inappropriate in a time when our schools may be forced to make painful staffing cuts because of budget shortfalls. Additionally, we need to take a hard look at extra-curricular sports and arts programs and trim where possible. As a person who has made his career in music, I understand as well as anyone the importance of strong arts programs in public education. But perhaps we can lean on our parents and fund-raising organizations a little more to ensure the health of programs like football, softball, marching band and chorus. It may hurt a little, but if it means preserving the best free education for our students, I think we can all make some small sacrifices to ensure the continued excellence that Powhatan County parents, residents and business leaders have come to expect from our county schools.

Powhatan resident Dave Stocker is a former teacher who now works in the music industry.