I had the pleasure of meeting with FHS teacher extraordinaire Scott Slechta yesterday to discuss the possibility of his students blogging for Fairfield Voice. It was a great meeting, with a positive outcome. At the end of the meeting however, Scott got serious and asked me if this would cost the school anything. When I assured him that it would not, he was relieved, for as we all know, our district has to cut millions from its budget to accommodate larger budget cuts at the State level. Which reminded me…
Education Cuts Hurt
Reminded me that I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while, but life got in the way. So here goes…
A few weeks ago, the Iowa Independent reported “Education to endure 58% of budget cuts from the State budget. 58%! At the time I thought, “are you shi***ng me?” I mean, one of the reasons my family and I moved to Iowa was due to the quality of the education system. We are the home to the standardized Iowa test after all…
58% indeed. Which led to millions (my apologies, I can’t find the exact figure right now. ..) of dollars being cut from Fairfield’s education budget, which will likely end up as cuts in the arts (among other things of course) because they seem to always get cut before anything else. (But that’s fodder for another post…)
I just can’t help but to be angry about this. Angry at the State, angry at Washington. I still support what the White House is doing, however, both the President and the First Lady (as most Presidents and First Ladies have done for every administration I’ve followed) have spoken out about the importance of education in America. Yet, here’s where slogans such as “No Child Left Behind” really get us - “The United States now ranks eighteenth in Education among the World’s industrial nations” – The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development November 19th, 2008
Eighteenth? Really? The world leader that is these United States?
I have always believed that there is nothing more important to the future of our country than education. And I know that many of you do too, particularly the group of wonderful, giving people who teach our children. My gosh, I received an email from a teacher at FHS that had a timestamp of 4:15 AM on it a couple of weeks ago. This underpaid, over-extended group has got our future in their hands. Yet, our government, who continues to talk a good game about education, continues to take these amazing public servants’ budgets away. Leaving them with wonderful choices such as “do we buy math books or a couple of trumpets” to make instead of being able to put that time into our children or, perhaps, into getting some sleep.
I am appalled that Iowa Governor Culver has cut so deeply into our future. Surely, governing is not easy. Governing is about making tough choices. There are major trade-offs that have to be made. I understand, I really do. But if education is his “centerpiece” as indicated on his campaign website, “Issues” Nov 7, 2006 – “Drawing on his experience as a teacher, Culver has focused on education as a centerpiece of his gubernatorial campaign. As Governor, Culver will expand Iowa’s accredited early education programs, raise teacher salaries, create innovative programs to keep new graduates in Iowa to teach, and make college more affordable and accessible for Iowa students” then I am really confused.
It’s time for this madness to stop. This country is in trouble. It has been for years. And it’s not just due to what we read about in the headlines. I’d suggest that a big dose of what is wrong is that we (the government) have NOT prioritized education. For if we did, we wouldn’t be staring down the barrel of huge budget cuts year in and year out. We wouldn’t be making the already hard job of teaching our children ever harder.
Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is, not a preparation for life; education is life itself. – John Dewey
I couldn’t agree more with Mr. Dewey and I couldn’t believe more in education – and I know that I’m not the only citizen who feels this way. Our government? I’m just not so sure anymore…
What’s your take?
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=27f6ec7d-965a-457d-8db9-d3fee358a7a8)
Thanks for a totally depressing start to my day Mark!
This makes me sick to my stomach honestly. As I was reading this I felt two things:
a) That I have failed as a citizen and father in not know about this issue and getting involved to stop it.
b) Disgusted at the current transfer of wealth (aka the stimulus plan) to rich bankers and CEOs, while our failing education system is going down the toilet.
I'm extremely disappointing and frustrated with this news. How does this happen under an Obama administration?
Report of a $1 million shortfall for the Centerville school district. http://www.ottumwa.com/local/local_story_31623315...
Privatize education above the middle school level, then provide scholarships to disadvantaged families while providing greater tools for home schooling.
This is a statewide revenues issue caused by the economic downturn.
As the Iowa Independent reports: "Chris Bern, president of the Iowa State Education Association, a union that represents more than 34,000 education employees, said he supports the idea that school districts should use the estimated $400 million in cash reserves to avoid drastic cuts and layoffs."
Possible way to offset the $265 million in cuts, no? I bet some states don't have this level of rainy day cash reserves to work with as a buffer. I'll bring this up with State Senator Becky Schmitz next time I interview her on KRUU-LP 100.1 FM.
I see Iowa Public Television is losing $1 million in taxpayer money as well.
I read an article in the NY Times a couple weeks ago about schools trying to support kids that are newly homeless due to severe economic challenges. On their already limited budgets, schools are trying to provide transportation, meals, counseling and beds for these kids! It's outrageous that an institution so fundamental to a child's foundation and support system should have it's funding cut. I am so saddened to read this, I just don't understand what kind of logic can lead to these decisions.
Didn't mean to depress you man, but yeah, it IS depressing. I too, wonder how it can happen on Obama's watch but let's face it, he is prioritizing healthcare, the environment, wrangling with Wall Street and big business, job creation, and somehow addressing the wars that he was handed over education. Sucks for him, sucks for us all.
I think we have to start with our own backyard, honestly, which is why I pointed out our own Governor's new-found – or was his centerpiece simply rhetoric- stance on education. Indeed, it sucks for the State to receive less money, but I don't believe that our State representatives had to cut education that deeply. They had other tradeoffs and if we as citizens fell short – and I being one who is just sitting here ranting about it – I believe it was by not challenging Des Moines on this, not Washington.
I'd love to hear anyone's advice on how we can best speak up about this and let Culver know this is not the representation we voted for.
Sad indeed. The situation gets worse and worse. I believe that we were blindsided by this, particularly due to the Governor's "centerpiece" strategy. So although one may fault a district like Centreville for being in the red in the first place, it is, unfortunately, commonplace for many districts and how were they to know that they'd be cut another $650+ grand?
Interesting idea for sure. But I've always had my doubts about home schooling. Not about the ability of the parent or guardian to teach per se, but about the social aspects. Any ideas there?
It's hard for me to see whether this is a shortfall due primarily to loss in tax revenue, OR a shortfall due primarily to transfer of tax dollars from public domains to private (i.e., bank and corporate bailouts). Do you have any clarity on this James?
Understood and the cash reserves idea is a good one. However, that's still a short-term fix. The mindset in this country is that when the going gets tough, cut education. I can hear the pundits now, "well that's because there is so much waste in the public education system, and they can learn to make do with less, get innovative, yadda, yadda, yadda" Yeah, well, I'm sure that there is waste just as there is in EVERY institution – public and private – but that's not the point.
The point is that we have this mentality that it is OK to cut back on education. Perhaps it's because they education lobby doesn't take enough Senators to Pebble Beach?
Enough of my own rhetoric. I think that the education system is not in the best of shape when kids have to share books (not in Fairfield – I don't think – but for SURE in Denver.) And yes, it can probably use some help as it relates to managing, budgeting, etc. The bottom line for me though is that I just can't even see the justification for cutting into education AT ALL. WHAT is more important? Can you ask Senator Schmitz that Jimmy?
I was thinking about this some more today and I believe that the budget shortages will only put more pressure on schools to bring in corporate sponsorship in the form of food services and advertising.
My biggest concern over putting my daughter through the public school system is the lack of education and practice (in the lunch room) around nutrition and healthy foods.
Wow, I hadn't heard about that one. Yes, what the schools are charged with, and what they take on is pretty incredible. As you so eloquently put it, education is foundational and as such, it would sure be nice for there to be REAL recognition of this as it relates to budget priorities.
I think you're right Will for what else can they do? In Denver they did a lot of fund raising with families – which really got old considering that we pay taxes for that. And worse yet, the schools that were in the most well heeled neighborhoods got more money thus increasing the gap between the haves and have-nots. As I mentioned to you offline, but I think it bears repeating to a wider audience, I still believe in public schools and regardless of where you are, if you (the parent) are actively involved that you can get your child the education they deserve.
As it relates to the nutrition piece, my wife and I noticed that the soda machine in the lunchroom at the high school has healthy drinks. SO, barring corporate sponsors *shudder*…