Anyone who has ever had a puppy, should understand this, When you first bring one home, you have to pay attention to them and show them the ways of the home. To sit, where to go and not to go, what to leave alone, how to act (socialize) and most importantly, potty train, so they get to understand when it is time to do some business, they let you know and they go to the door, and many other things in their young formative years. So, could it be that much different with a young child. Watching my nephew with his little girl, getting her to walk, eating, talking (eventually) what is okay and what is not and all those things needed to function later, such as in school. So, when the youngsters get to school in the early years, first, second and third grade, from my old memory, that is where I learned letters, how to use them to make words, sentences and then read them and then basic math, all the things I would need later on, once I understood the basics, I could do stuff on my own (with a little, shall I say assistance from dad) so thinking along those lines, why would first grade teachers be the first thing you cut when trying to make budget dollars work? Why not look to later grades such as grades 11 or 12 teacher (s) why not cut vice principals before first grade teachers? My instinct tells me you cut the stuff for the little ones to play the ole tear drop, heart breaker routine to get what you want, that is to keep the whole pie, without sharing. See, that is my opinion and if you agree, fine, if you do not, that is okay too. I have my list and you can have yours.