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Show Page A14 Thursday, August 16, 1990 Park Record v State hearing labeled fiasco by J.P. Max Though we applaud efforts to counter a proposal that would take $1.2 million away from our school district each year (out of a $12 million budget), public hearings on the subject of equalization need to be just that public hearings. But what happened Aug. 8, at a so-called public hearing at the State School Board office in Salt Lake City was a fiasco not a public hearing. When several Park City School District patrons attempted to gain entry to the public hearing, they were turned away at the door and told to go to another site at least a half-hour drive from where they were, because the main characters were being televised over the educational television televi-sion network and only a chosen few (seven) could watch them up-close and in-person. When our fellow Parkites, after a lengthy discussion, followed the orders of the guard, raced to another location in the city, they arrived at the tail-end of the presentation cn the new proposals that seek to help districts reach required per-pupil dollar levels. But that information was what they needed to hear at the first location before they had to give their public input through a microphone to some people they watched on a television screen. And they wanted to do it up-close and in-person. It is ironic that the very television network which was set up to facilitate communication, has stifled it. By only allowing a certain few into the face-to-face public hearing room, and sending patrons off to add additional mileage to their odometers while they miss pertinent information intended for public ears, the whole reason for public hearings is lost. According to the State Office of Education, a memo was sent to the Park City School District Office, stating that there would be limited space at the main facility and suggested that patrons be directed to the alternate locations. But our district office never received that memo. And a school board candidate who asked for a copy of that memo, along with other information on the proposals, pro-posals, received the proposals without a copy of the mystery memo. Editorial For the most part the public hearing, as one Park City School Board member put it, "was a flop." In addition to sending the public on its way, there were technical difficulties, too. There was no one to do the switching at one location. Most of the public hearing time was not involved in hearing hear-ing the public it involved hearing about the new proposals from two superintendents who helped to create them. The new proposal involves revamping a "critical needs fund." It now stands at $6 million and would be increased to $21 million over a three to four-year phase in. School Districts unable to raise the required per-pupil monies could draw from this fund to bring them up to necessary levels. We support this proposal and its promoters deserve a pat on the back. Unfortunately, Parkites won't easily be able to voice their support of it, since the next two public hearings on equalization will be held in Southern Utah. Hopefully, these future meetings will not also be hindered by the mid-week 10 a.m. "public hearing" time frame. Just another impediment to hearing the public some of them have jobs and aren't able to break away at 10 a.m. on a Wednesday. Wednes-day. Parkites, like the rest of the free world, go to public hearings to be heard. Granted, we are noisy, policial activists. Perhaps some of us like to hear ourselves talk and others are weary of hearing hear-ing us speak. But a public hearing is a public hearing. hear-ing. We challenge the Utah School Finance Task Force to invite us to another of their public hearings hear-ings in Salt Lake City. This time, however, we do not wish to be redirected or delayed. We want to be heard at a public hearing. Perhaps you've heard that old miner's saying, "hell hath no fury as a Parkite unheard." Cooperation is the key word By KAREN JONES WARREN There is a familiar learning concept presented on a popular children's program where a group of muppets are arguing about something. One of the muppets stands back and says, "Hey guys. I know what we can do! Let's cooperate!" This is an everyday idea that we as teachers (daycare providers) pro-viders) try to instill in children. Isn't is amazing that we can not practice what we teach? Cooperation! Coopera-tion! In Park City we all admit that we need quality quali-ty daycare and especially quality infant care. Has any positive action been taken recently to fill this need? One way that I would like to help the daycare community is to try to inform daycare providers and parents alike of the existing regulations. There are four different types of daycare available. First, there are family daycare providers pro-viders who care for up to six children in their home. A family daycare provider must be state As I See It licensed if they care for more than three children for more than four hours a day. Secondly, there are group home providers who care for up to 12 children in their home. The same state regulations exist for them as for the family daycare provider except that they must have an additional staff member on site and increased space for the additional addi-tional children. Thirdly, there are daycare centers which operate in a building which is not nec-cessarily nec-cessarily the owner's home. Daycare centers are licensed for large groups of children and the staffing staff-ing is varied according to age. In all of the above types of care, when infants are present, the adult to infant ratio cannot be more than three to one. An infant is considered to be a child under the age of two. The fourth type of daycare is a preschool. EVEH SOD CANT Hit , 0 ISSN ia'i mil n vX2 P, ...... . jpL A preschool does not need to be state licensed as long as it does not have more than three children staying longer than four hours.In other words if a preschool has a morning session and an afternoon session and less than four children attend both sessions ses-sions and stay for lunch it does not need to be state licensed. At the present time all of the above types of care within the city limits of Park City need a conditional use permit if they care for more than two children. If there are any providers in Park City working without a state license or anyone that is interested in becoming a state licensed provider, pro-vider, please let me encourage you to do so. Becoming state licensed is not a burden. A represantative from the state department of ociaTservices wilcome out and inspect your home. Basically they will help you provide a standard stan-dard of care assuring a minimum level of health, safety, welfare and education for the children. Most people are trying to help you succeed. No one wants to see you fail. It is a misconception that if you become state licensed you have to get liability insurance which is very expensive. This is not true. Insurance is recommended but not mandatory. man-datory. A requirement that is new this year is that all daycare personnel must submit their fingerprints finger-prints to the state for a background check. Also the state licensing department has nothing to do with the IRS. A state licensed daycare provider can receive payment from the government for providing snacks and meals for the children. All in all becoming state licensed is fairly simple. Get ting a city business license and conditional use permit, at this time, is a different story. Please remember that the conditional use permits that have been recently requested and turned down were all for more than six children. Hopefully the newly formed task force will make recommendations recommenda-tions to the city which willl encourage and promote pro-mote quality family daycare. In conclusion I want to ask that the daycare community cooperate and encourage one another and especially anyone thinking of becoming a provider. pro-vider. Being a daycare provider is both a rewarding rewar-ding and challenging profession. There are resources for support and information. You can call the Department of. Social, Services in Park City Ci-ty at 649-6018 to get started on your state license. In Salt Lake City there are many agencies that are government food sponsors, one of which is Chilren First. In addition to being a food sponsor, they also have training classes on everything from nutrition to child development. They can be reached toll-free toll-free at 1-800-658-8492. The National Association of Family Daycare not only provides support through direct information and a bi-monthly newsletter, but also has an accreditation program. pro-gram. The NAFDC can be reached at 1-800-359-3817. Finally if I can be of any help to anyone please call me at 649-9678. Karen Jones Warren is state licensed and city business licensed (with a conditional use permit) and has been a family daycare provider for the past five years. nfop rilrp QtorrtRQ "' """ !MMMllMMMMMIMaMliill. I .1 i rmmmi. " mr imiMIIIM I I III III II II I I I jPi""l ,11.111 What are you looking foward to most about this school year? j ' w Y f i ' '' , i i 111 i ' it . v y- yy- t t $ I ) ; I . I H t v J -Is". -, . , - , . v. . kj w mm Tony Hanaford sixth grade I'm looking foward to seeing see-ing all my friends and I've been wondering a lot what teacher I've got. Nick Devunzio fourth grade Adam Moffat fourth grade I'm looking foward to my Vm looking foward to go-teacher go-teacher Miss Bacon. She's ing into harder math. It is my nice and she makes us work st subject. (Nick says he's hard. the best in the class.) Molliy Coleman third grade Lunch. It's good. Rebecca Larsen fourth grade . Going to the middle school. I'll get to meet new people and make friends with them. Jose Armendariz seventh grade Teachers I guess and making mak-ing new friends. My best subject sub-ject is math. 11 ..- -i. |