David
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On the article Vinings Insurance Company on SCOTUS Health Care Decision: Not Much Will Change
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On the article Vinings Insurance Company on SCOTUS Health Care Decision: Not Much Will Change
David
8:04 am on Saturday, June 30, 2012
ReplyFortune 200 companies that choose to pay the penalty bc it's cheaper will lose their best people. It's as simple as that. Health care is a huge deal to everyone. TAke it away, and anyone who can leave (the most talented and desireable) will. Frankly it sounds like excuse making by the company (if true at all). Costs have been exploding for over a decade
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On the article Smyrna Academy of Excellence Reacts to Recommendation to Deny Charter
David
2:18 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
ReplyCorrect me if I'm wrong, but I don't think SAE wants to start at K-12. THey want to start at K-6 (maybe k-8? but I think k-6) and build up, one grade per year, until they are K-12. Perhaps a minor detail, but it makes me wonder what other details the Superintendent is glossing over.
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On the article Drive In, Order Up: Food Truck Park Coming to Smyrna
David
8:48 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012
ReplyBring the food trucks, and King of Pops will follow (I hope!)
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On the article Letter to the Editor: Parent Supports Smyrna Academy of Excellence
David
3:38 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
I didn't say that it WON'T dilute funding. I said that even if it did dilute funding, that alone is not, in my opinion, a justifiable reason for opposing SAE.
But here's how it won't particularly dilute funding of other schools. Funding is based on number of students. The school your kids are zoned for will not lose a dime, unless enrollment goes down. So the question is, how much will enrollment change if SAE is approved or not approved? Consider also - if it isn't approved, how many families that are currently interested in SAE will look to IAS, or private school, or home school, or moving somewhere else? Each of those "dilutes" funding on a per child basis just as much as SAE.
From your other comments to this article, it appears your primary reasons for opposing this school is that you are concerned it might take some dollars, and some of the other bright students, away from your kid's school. Given the number of people in Smyrna who are not satisfied with their local school choice, and the massive flight to private schools and East Cobb that has resulted, those are not good reasons to deny other people's kids the opportunity for a better public education in Smyrna. With the wide attendance zone and per-student basis for funding, any negative impact to your kids' school is likely to be negligible or non-existent.
I also do not think you are correct about the school being located in Austell.
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On the article Letter to the Editor: Parent Supports Smyrna Academy of Excellence
David
8:33 am on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
I agree that the new elementary school should be given the community's full support...but not everyone is zoned for the new elementary school. I would wager that the vast majority of would-be attendees for SAE are not zoned for the new school, nor Teasley or King Springs. But if they are, so be it. That's their decision, just as it's their decision to send their kids to private school or, like so many of our former neighbors have, move to East Cobb so they can find a better public school.
As parents, we should not assume that a test average tells us everything we need to know about a school. We owe it to ourselves and our kids to investigate and determine what some of the lower-ranked schools are doing to attract, challenge, and keep the best students. But there is quite possibly more than just perception that is holding those schools back, and it's not fair to assume that is the reason driving many families to look elsewhere.
I particularly disagree with the notion that "diluting funding" from other schools is a justifiable reason for opposing SAE. I hope the Cobb County BOE is able to base their decisions on broader considerations than how it effects their budget for the next fiscal year.
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On the article Four New Restaurants Coming to Smyrna
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On the article No Apartments for Jonquil Village
David
9:27 am on Sunday, February 19, 2012
ReplyThe city center is only half-full. Where's the logic in another retail only development there?
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On the article Letter to the Editor: Some citizens see big benefits to having apartments at Jonquil Plaza
David
10:44 am on Thursday, February 16, 2012
ReplyThanks SJM for taking the time to share your thoughts. That was one of the better opinion pieces I've read on this site. It was well thought-out, thorough and informative (certainly a lot more than can be said for the "snipers"). I, and I'm sure most of the other readers on this board, appreciate your input.
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On the article Formal offers on table for Jonquil Village
David
8:52 am on Thursday, September 8, 2011
ReplyWith the new gigantic Kroger set to open only 2-3 miles away at S Cobb and Concord, and several nearby Publix (East-West Connector, Paces Ferry, Windy Hill...) we don't need another regular grocery store. What we need is a Whole Foods. The closest one is over a half hour away, and it seems like there would be a big market (pardon the pun) for that kind of place in Smyrna. It would also make our area more attractive to potential new residents compared to yet another standard grocery store. Though at this point I'd be happy to see anything going on at that site
David
8:59 am on Saturday, June 30, 2012
Also why on earth would the company announce now that everyone (in effect) gets a huge pay cut in 2014? They get zero benefit, risk loss of good people now, and they won't know for sure what they're doing until they see what the quotes look like in 2014. I am extremely skeptical that what observer is saying is 100% truth