Illinois School Funding Redux: Lies, Damn Lies, and Al Sharpton

Urquhart Media, LLC ^ | August 12, 2008 | Dan Proft

[JulianaJohnson]

In case anyone thought that we were on the cusp of a thoughtful discussion about education in Illinois, enter Al Sharpton.

Thanks to a confused Chicago press corps that has mistaken him for a "civil rights leader", Sharpton is now enjoying local airplay for piggy-backing onto State Senator James Meeks' Chicago Public Schools (CPS) student boycott scheduled for day one of the school year.

By allowing himself to be cast with Sharpton and other professional liars, Meeks is frittering away his breakthrough opportunity for low income families whose children are unfairly locked into failing schools.

While I disagree with some of Meeks' means and methods, I am tempted to believe he understands the need for system change in CPS and that his advocacy to that end is real.

That is not the case for Sharpton and the other vanguards of ineptitude like CPS Superintendent Arne Duncan.

Duncan, who exercises about as much independence of action from Mayor Richard Daley as does a monkey from its organ grinder, jumps up and down screeching that the problem with the Chicago Public Schools is that Illinois is 49th in the country in school funding.

Duncan's premise is a joke and his reference is misleading.

The state's percentage of the overall dollars spent on education does put Illinois at 49th in the nation. However, when one includes mainly local property taxes, Illinois ranks 18th in the country in total dollars spent on education (source: American Legislative Exchange Council, 2007 Report Card on American Education). Further, in the past 20 years, per pupil expenditures in Illinois have increased 42% in real terms and yet student performance has been virtually static.

There is a reason Duncan and his brethren never quite get around to explaining how school performance would improve if we tinkered with the composition of the individual funding sources that make up the entirety of the dollars spent. It is because school performance would not improve.

Duncan's monkeying around with statistics is a purposeful misdirection play. He wants to argue about system inputs because there is no defense to what the Chicago Public Schools output--namely, children who were not even given an opportunity to acquire the skills they need to find success in our global, digital economy.

Like Duncan, I too can have fun with numbers.

I submit that Illinois ranks last in the nation in political courage. There has not been a serious debate about the needed K-12 reforms in Illinois for decades. Those who suggest system change are greeted either by the chirping of crickets or the disingenuous talking points of obstructionists like Duncan.

The General Assembly is back in session this week. The kids in CPS start school next month. One wonders which group is destined to accomplish the least.

[caseinpoint]

“The state’s percentage of the overall dollars spent on education does put Illinois at 49th in the nation.”

Every state in the union claims to be forty-ninth in funding, don’tcha know? (Paging Garrison Keilor.) I remember a smoke and mirrors claim in another state where the teachers whined they were the lowest paid in the union. That was true unless they included benefits and a certain “bonus” in the amount of thousands of dollars they received if they showed up for one Saturday training session. And politicians and unions wonder why the regular Joes don’t trust them.

[RC2]

Since only 30% of the kids graduate High School, they should save the state money and put the other 70% to work. If they won’t work, oh well.

[toddlintown]

Let them stew in their own filth.