Field Trips on the Installment Plan?

Our blog on Central School field trips has brought in quite a bit of feedback. This is from one reader:

I've read someone’s post where they say the article isn’t 100% factual because the person left out that there is a “payment” plan offered & that makes it fair for all students. The 1st payment of $30 per person is due Feb 13. The rest is due by April. That’s $250 due in 2 months. In my opinion that can still cause a hardship on many and still be unaffordable! I personally know people that have had to borrow money to go on these trips. Anyway, you can add that so your post will be 100% factual.

As a 112 year old writer who can remember only two field trips during our entire pre-college school days (both taken on a blue Joiner bus), we're going with $250.00 excursions for a third grader as ridiculous. Our field trip at that age? About three miles to the 3-C Grill for an end of school treat.

Times change...

On a related note (and it is related), Alabama remains last in almost every area of education. Remember that math achievement survey from two years ago that included the District of Columbia? We came in 52nd. Anyone proud of that? Our schools need money in order to catch up, but instead our legislators give priority to unconstitutional laws, and our educators place football first.

Our lawmakers rail against illegal immigrants and huff and puff about illegal voting in California and Texas where illegals are everywhere, yet the test scores in those states are higher than Alabama's. If that isn't a sad commentary on our state's commitment to education, we don't what is.

Some things don't change...