dhyatt
07-26-2005, 11:37 AM
Stan had a well written editorial in yesterday's (7/24) N&O.
<hr>
The Gathering Storm over Public Education
By Stan Norwalk
Two weeks ago in Kansas, their supreme court warned they might shut off all funding of public schools, effectively shutting them down. After the legislature found an additional $148 million for the schools, the court allowed the schools to open. Three cheers for the Kansas Supreme Court!
The situation in Kansas is much the same as in NC. Here, Superior Court Judge Manning has ruled in the Leandro case that the state legislature is violating the constitution in failing to provide a sound, basic education for all students. Judge Manning has required the state legislature to sharply increase funding. Here, as in Kansas, the legislature has responded with an inadequate, token response - $25 million here. As noted recently in the N&O (6/23) “State education policy adrift”, the Governor and legislative leaders cannot agree on funding for disadvantaged students and other critical educational issues.
It may take similar action in NC to jolt the General Assembly out of the destructive course they have been on regarding support for K-12 since 2001. Since 2001 expenditures for K-12 have fallen from almost 43% of the general fund to 38% this year.
A good example of the trend is the NC Senate’s proposed budget this year. It cuts $57 million (15%) from the teaching assistant budget. At the same time it gives in tax cuts to a wide range of corporate interests. The House proposes to increase K-12 spending by 1.2%. The Senate proposes a cut of 1.4%. Whatever the outcome, state spending will barely cover the growth in student enrollment without allowing for inflation.
The NC Public School Forum ranks the state only 38th in the nation in spending per student and a dismal 43rd adjusted for personal income. The difference from the national average amounts to about $15K-$20K per classroom per year. NC spends less per student than such southern states as South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia.
The state provides 58% of Wake County Public School System’s (WCPSS) operating budget – essentially the day-to-day funds for instruction. The current Board of County Commissioners has also been penny-pinching in its support. Despite Wake’s being in the top 1%-2% of all counties in wealth, it ranks 74th in school support after adjusting for ability to pay. This year the County Commissioners gave the schools roughly 50% of their request for the operations supplement. Like the state, the increase was less than that of the combined effects of growth and inflation. And it undercut WCPSS’s effort to raise the bar of academic excellence.
Under the double burden of miserly state and local support, how long can Wake’s public schools continue their high-wire act of providing above average education at far below average funding? It is only a matter of time before the effects will be seen as WCPSS starts shutting down programs and teachers’ morale has been blunted.
The root cause of the trend of declining support for public schools is clear. At both the state and local level the predominant theme from politicians of all stripes is: “I will not raise your taxes.” (Except when they want to build a sports arena or a convention center or some other corporate subsidy in disguise.) Essential needs get pushed aside.
If WCPSS cannot maintain its drive for increasing academic excellence, long-term damage to Wake’s economy can be expected. Wake depends on attracting and retaining “knowledge workers” for its high-tech industries. Knowledge workers are highly educated. They want a high level of education for their children. Their employers need a highly trained, globally competitive work force. The ability to compete is based on highly trained brainpower and creativity.
Tensions between politicians and parents (plus teachers) are growing. Increasingly, the combined impact of declining support and increasing global competition are sinking-in. The 48,000 member Wake PTA has formed an advocacy group. 450 people packed the budget hearings mostly to speak out for supporting education. But this mandate was ignored. Wake is not alone. The next step will be for local groups to network and apply similar pressure to the legislature.
Politicians across the state are counting on this years protest to be a flash-in-the-pan. They may well be surprised in next year’s election. Prior to 2001 NC had a governor and legislature that supported K-12 education and Wake had a County Commission that did likewise. Based on the storm I see gathering, we may well get there again.
<hr>
The Gathering Storm over Public Education
By Stan Norwalk
Two weeks ago in Kansas, their supreme court warned they might shut off all funding of public schools, effectively shutting them down. After the legislature found an additional $148 million for the schools, the court allowed the schools to open. Three cheers for the Kansas Supreme Court!
The situation in Kansas is much the same as in NC. Here, Superior Court Judge Manning has ruled in the Leandro case that the state legislature is violating the constitution in failing to provide a sound, basic education for all students. Judge Manning has required the state legislature to sharply increase funding. Here, as in Kansas, the legislature has responded with an inadequate, token response - $25 million here. As noted recently in the N&O (6/23) “State education policy adrift”, the Governor and legislative leaders cannot agree on funding for disadvantaged students and other critical educational issues.
It may take similar action in NC to jolt the General Assembly out of the destructive course they have been on regarding support for K-12 since 2001. Since 2001 expenditures for K-12 have fallen from almost 43% of the general fund to 38% this year.
A good example of the trend is the NC Senate’s proposed budget this year. It cuts $57 million (15%) from the teaching assistant budget. At the same time it gives in tax cuts to a wide range of corporate interests. The House proposes to increase K-12 spending by 1.2%. The Senate proposes a cut of 1.4%. Whatever the outcome, state spending will barely cover the growth in student enrollment without allowing for inflation.
The NC Public School Forum ranks the state only 38th in the nation in spending per student and a dismal 43rd adjusted for personal income. The difference from the national average amounts to about $15K-$20K per classroom per year. NC spends less per student than such southern states as South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia.
The state provides 58% of Wake County Public School System’s (WCPSS) operating budget – essentially the day-to-day funds for instruction. The current Board of County Commissioners has also been penny-pinching in its support. Despite Wake’s being in the top 1%-2% of all counties in wealth, it ranks 74th in school support after adjusting for ability to pay. This year the County Commissioners gave the schools roughly 50% of their request for the operations supplement. Like the state, the increase was less than that of the combined effects of growth and inflation. And it undercut WCPSS’s effort to raise the bar of academic excellence.
Under the double burden of miserly state and local support, how long can Wake’s public schools continue their high-wire act of providing above average education at far below average funding? It is only a matter of time before the effects will be seen as WCPSS starts shutting down programs and teachers’ morale has been blunted.
The root cause of the trend of declining support for public schools is clear. At both the state and local level the predominant theme from politicians of all stripes is: “I will not raise your taxes.” (Except when they want to build a sports arena or a convention center or some other corporate subsidy in disguise.) Essential needs get pushed aside.
If WCPSS cannot maintain its drive for increasing academic excellence, long-term damage to Wake’s economy can be expected. Wake depends on attracting and retaining “knowledge workers” for its high-tech industries. Knowledge workers are highly educated. They want a high level of education for their children. Their employers need a highly trained, globally competitive work force. The ability to compete is based on highly trained brainpower and creativity.
Tensions between politicians and parents (plus teachers) are growing. Increasingly, the combined impact of declining support and increasing global competition are sinking-in. The 48,000 member Wake PTA has formed an advocacy group. 450 people packed the budget hearings mostly to speak out for supporting education. But this mandate was ignored. Wake is not alone. The next step will be for local groups to network and apply similar pressure to the legislature.
Politicians across the state are counting on this years protest to be a flash-in-the-pan. They may well be surprised in next year’s election. Prior to 2001 NC had a governor and legislature that supported K-12 education and Wake had a County Commission that did likewise. Based on the storm I see gathering, we may well get there again.