Posted on 08/29/2006 12:44:10 PM PDT by Reagan Man
In state after state, all across the county, we hear the same, tired refrain from apologists for the government-run education bureaucracy: "Mo' money, mo' money, mo' money!"
Indeed in Nevada, where education already eats up more than half of the state's annual $3 billion budget, the State Board of Education recently asked the Legislature for an extra $1 billion for next year. At about the same time, a liberal Denver consulting firm, with a history of "discovering" that states aren't spending enough on education, has also concluded that Nevada taxpayers need to cough up an additional billion to reach their self-determined level of "adequate" spending on education.
Naturally the conservative reaction to such outrageously brazen "mo' money" demands from education bureaucracies often begins with a bunch of four-letter words normally reserved for public school playgrounds and ends with the words, "When pigs fly."
However, on further reflection maybe the Right shouldn't respond in such knee-jerk fashion. Maybe conservatives should be open to significant funding increases for education. After all, a solid education - not like the ones way too many kids in our government schools get today - is the ticket to a better, more productive life and an improved community. In return, however, conservatives should demand significant education repairs.
Not band-aids. Not tinkering around the edges. Massive overhaul.
For example, system-wide local implementation of teacher proficiency testing and merit pay would be an excellent start. It's time to stop paying crappy teachers the same amount of money as excellent teachers - no matter what the teachers unions say.
Then there's school choice. And by that I mean voucher programs for EVERY parent and child - not just the poor and those currently condemned to the worst-of-the-worst government schools. The freedom to choose which school your child attends should be available to every parent. That means private schools, religious schools, distance-learning schools, Internet schools, co-ops and yes, home-schools. Public education and public schools are not mutually exclusive. Public education does not and should not mean a monopoly of expensive, mediocre, poorly-run government education centers - no matter what the teachers unions say.
More money for education should also mean significant changes in state laws and funding programs which make it easier and less expensive to open innovative charter schools - no matter what the teachers unions say.
Additionally, states should begin opting-out of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) program. Education is and should be a local issue...period. States can and should take care of their own education needs without jumping through Uncle Sam's hoops. If state taxpayers are going to cough up significantly more money for education, there should be no need for federal dough and all the strings and red-tape that come attached to it.
And speaking of NCLB, states should seek to exceed those federal standards, not meet them. State and local school districts should be pursuing superiority and excellence, not just "adequacy" - no matter what the teachers unions say.
Finally, in exchange for significant increases in education spending, the teachers unions should be banned for a minimum of twenty years. Absent that, there should be a new requirement that all collective bargaining sessions with public employee unions be conducted in public and webcast on the Internet. In addition, there should be a requirement that all such agreements in the future be ratified by a vote of the people - no matter what the teachers unions say.
Most importantly, though, significant increases in education spending need to be substantially offset by significant spending cuts in less-important areas elsewhere. Citizens, especially parents, are not a bottomless pit of tax dollars. It's time for government to do what every family does: Set spending priorities. You can't always get what you want - but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need. (Hmm, where have I heard that before?)
Yes, the "mo' money" mantra from the education bureaucrats and their enablers on the Left has grown old. But if significantly higher education spending comes with spending offsets in other departments, combined with serious education repairs which break the government-school monopoly on education, it might be worth considering.
The only thing apparently standing in the way is: the teachers unions. Go figure.
YES!
In Maryland, gubernatorial candidate Martin O'Malley announce that if elected he will implement a plan paying $200K signing bouses for principals who sign on at designated schools. Man!
As the head of the NEA said, as soon as students start paying union dues, I'll start looking after their interests.
Where's Hillary? She'll fix this. (she said sarcastically)
No question that the schools started going downhill at about the same time that the NEA took charge.
No, they shouldn't. They already have given huge funding increases, and what do we have to show for it?
MORE MONEY DOES NOT EQUAL A BETTER EDUCATION STOP BETTER TEACHERS EQUAL A BETTER EDUCATION STOP
The (wishful thinking) Solution
What have you been smoking? This will never happen, and that is a shame too. I do not mind spending money on education, but I'm tired of seeing the absolute waste going on, millions and millions of dollars spent on "studies" as to why our kids are failing, etc. Hell, they're failing because the schools aren't teaching, the teachers aren't teaching, and the taxpayer just keeps reaching into his wallet to fund this 3rd rate school system we have now. Just look at the school system in our nation's capitol! Talk about a cesspool, then look at NYC's schools or L.A.'s. They all suck.
Beaverton, Orygun's budget is about $12,500 per kid.
The Detroit Federation of Teachers went on strike yesterday. And last year, they gave up some of their pay only to find out that some of the administrators got raises. Now the city's paranoid because they are wondering how many more kids and parents aren't going to choose to attend DPS schools. But in the end, they want more money at a time when most people in the area have lost their jobs or are afraid of losing their jobs. It's just a bad situation all around.
Education ping list
Let Republicanprofessor, McVey, JamesP81, or eleni121 know if you wish to be placed on this ping list or taken off of it.
NEA took charge
Jimmy Carter? again
I have no problem with holding teachers accountable, but what I'd like to see is that PARENTS be held responsible and accountable for their children's education.
The parents of the problem children (i'm not talking about the disabled or the mentally retarded) that are violent and disrespectful need to be FINED and/or JAILED. These children and parents take up more resources just to keep order, then the parents need to foot the bill. If they can't pay cash, then it's community service or jailtime.
Maybe this is a little extreme, but I'm getting way sick and tired of throwing money away to these dumps we call public schools.
Hummmm. Who was President in '79?
We need to tie the money to the student. The parent/student selects which school they want their child to attend. The lesser schools will start shaping up fast or they'll cease to exists...as it should be.
Unions are a scourge upon free societies.
Make teaching a 12 month job. Students not meeting requirements go to summer school and the teachers should be there to teach them.
Vacation days, sick days are not carried over. Use them or lose them.
You pay a part of your benefits, which includes medical, insurance and pension.
Teach. That is what you are being paid to do. You want to be political, quit your job and go into politics.
One more thing. My kid gets out of line, feel free to smack his knuckles with a ruler, put him in the corner, call him a stupid moron for not getting 4 + 4 and if he chews gum, make him stick it to his nose.
This is the only solution that's needed. Putting this in place would quickly solve all of the other problems.
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