Marty Chavez pulls the plug on city funding of after school programs.

APS is set to receive stimulus funding that can be used to
bolster after school programs for kids.

If my experience as an educator for a quarter of a century
entitles me to an opinion, it is this, I cannot think of a better
place to spend money on kids, than on offering them something
to do outside of school. "Idle hands are the devils workshop."

For years, I opened my shop, to students who wanted a place
to hang out after school. Whatever they did or did not achieve
as a result, I am sure that no kid in my program starting using
drugs, joined a gang, or spray painted on a wall, while they
were in my classroom.

Mayor Marty Chavez has found
a way to take the stimulus funds
away from the APS, to spend instead
on his priorities; like buying the votes
of city workers.

Chavez reasons that if the federal
government is going to give the APS
funds for after school programs, then
the city can reduce its support by an
equivalent amount.

APS ends up with no gain or loss, and the city pockets the
stimulus funding intended for students. KKOB TV link

"APS' after-school programs are in limbo as the mayor tries to pull the plug on city funding. But the district's superintendent is trying to work out a deal that would give students a bonus in return.

Dealing with a massive budget crisis, Mayor Martin Chavez wants to make a one time cut, slashing $500,000 out of the money the city normally gives APS to pay for after-school programs. And he's asking APS to use federal stimulus money to keep the programs going."

In contrast, Mayoral Candidate
Richard Romero, plans to find
even more ways that the city and
the APS to work together for the
benefit of the 90,000 of our sons
and daughters in the APS.

This whole story was missed by the
Journal and its coverage of Romero's
press conference on education.


The Journal offered only that Romero's plan "differs little
from that of opponent Mayor Martin Chavez."


Yeah, about $500,000 little.




photos Mark Bralley