The generals in Evita sing of �Politics, the art of the possible.� My stint on the local school board convinces me that they are wrong. Politics often involves the impossible.

I am in a district with a revenue cap based upon enrollment, a dropping enrollment, and teachers who, understandably, want to make significantly more money than they did last year. I am in a district that, before the revenue caps, truly was willing to invest a lot of money in their kids. Until now, we did not have to say no if the answer to the question, �Is it good for kids?� was yes.

This year we�ll have to make cuts that hurt�and it�s just the beginning. In a budget that is approximately 75% salaries and benefits, we cannot leave programming untouched forever and still make the numbers work.

The general populace still believes that we can cut taxes and strengthen the programs. (Or, better yet, cut someone else�s kid�s program.) Even those that have some grasp of the numbers believe that if we just �think outside the box,� everything will be fine. They have no idea what that thinking looks like, of course, but they are sure that someone can do it.

Some members of the board believe that if we just educate everyone about what is going on, they will understand. I suspect that they underestimate the human tendency to refuse to hear what one doesn�t want to hear.

Me, I think it�s going to get ugly. I think I�m about to be blamed for things that I was not given the power to control. But that�s okay�I guess. I�m accustomed to it. I�m a Mom.

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