Last week, I asked a small consortium of middle school students, with which I discuss a variety of world issues on a weekly basis, to list five current news stories that they believed were worth debating. “The issues that you choose must be debatable. We have to be able to choose sides.” A long list of issues was produced, including presidential approval, the length of the school day, gas prices, and immigration (particularly the DREAM Act). Curious, I asked if anybody was interested in debating the looming education cuts. The response was encouraging, and leads me to my purpose here.
I cannot seem to find one person who thinks that it is a good idea to cut education spending in Dallas (or anywhere else in Texas
Perhaps you’re skeptical of my research, so I will entertain you with a bit of verification. In previous debates, this sampling of students has always split into two groups (for and against a particular argument). Twenty five percent supported teacher pay raises, with a majority voting against them. When asked about lengthening the school day, they were split 50/50. This is a bipartisan group, and yet they all agree that our schools need money to continue functioning and any cuts to current funding levels are, simply put, a really bad idea.
Argue for a cut in government spending if you feel that it is important. Argue for reductions in defense spending, funding of public radio, administrative positions, government subsidization and tax breaks for companies that are turning billions in tax-free profits (ahem…General Electric…ahem). Argue if you must about those things, but understand, dear leaders, that there is no room for pros or cons when we’re talking about the needs of the classroom. Teachers, supplies, and technology are absolute necessities, and we need more of all of them. You gave us a pipedream with No Child Left Behind, and even then, you failed to provide what you had promised. When the bill came, you stiffed us and hid behind an unnecessary war, for which there seemed to be no shortage of extra cash.
RW
4 comments:
Raymond, I agree our government should not be "cutting" our countries education funds. What strikes interest in me is that your students, I'm guessing, all agree that trimming down educational funds is a bad idea. After the No Child Left behind act was implemented as you stated, one would think that the solution our government has decided to make would never happen. Indeed our leaders should keep there "carving knives out of public schools" for lack of education and resources will only hurt future generations.
Raymond. I must agree with you. There is plenty of fat to cut out of budgets without taking any funding away from education. Education is one of the most important expenditures our local, state and federal governments provides. It is a shame that this is even a discussion point. It should be untouchable and always under scrutiny for ways to provide to and improve upon. I hold a degree in education (Secondary 8th through 12th grade). Unfortunately no child left behind has been rewarded through a tax dollars system an the only thing that has become important in many schools is full seats when attendance is taken. After that children are being pushed through the system to get a diploma and the majority (specially in low income districts)have no chance at gaining any for of secondary education outside of a trade school. We are literally creating a dumber generation just so the kids can progress through the tax based schools created by No child left behind. It's ironic that such a named system has such a big whole in it that that is exactly what it is doing.
Raymond. I must agree with you. There is plenty of fat to cut out of budgets without taking any funding away from education. Education is one of the most important expenditures our local, state and federal governments provides. It is a shame that this is even a discussion point. It should be untouchable and always under scrutiny for ways to provide to and improve upon. I hold a degree in education (Secondary 8th through 12th grade). Unfortunately no child left behind has been rewarded through a tax dollars system an the only thing that has become important in many schools is full seats when attendance is taken. After that children are being pushed through the system to get a diploma and the majority (specially in low income districts)have no chance at gaining any for of secondary education outside of a trade school. We are literally creating a dumber generation just so the kids can progress through the tax based schools created by No child left behind. It's ironic that such a named system has such a big whole in it that that is exactly what it is doing.
After reading a recent blog by my colleague Raymond W regarding education cuts, I began to give the matter great thought. I found my colleague's introduction quite interesting. He began by polling a group of middle schoolers about their opinion of school budget cuts. Even at this young age, the children already had a distinct understanding of the importance of adequate budgets and the damage lack of funds can have on a school. Too many children today feel the ravages of under budgeted schools as classes lack in technology and advanced teachers.
As a school student myself (in a more advanced stage of course), I too have a very strong opinion of the need for school funding. At UT, many of the budget cuts have affected the ability to continue classes in the order that most benefit us. It was always difficult to get into language courses, and now as those classes have diminished in numbers, it is almost impossible. These effects are minimal compared to the effects I see in our public schools. I am a mentor at several elementary schools in East Austin, working with different age groups. We often go to play in the library that can hardly be called such or playgrounds with only swing sets. Teachers restrict my 30 minutes with them because I take them away from the ever-present TAKS test and the holy grail it is. It is a shame that schools exist in such dismal shape, but it makes me ever more sad to see the education system continually focused on a test that does little to teach our children what we truly need.
My colleague also touches on this. He was disappointed that the government "stiffed us and hid behind an unnecessary war, for which there seemed to be no shortage of extra cash." While I agree that the government did stiff us, I don't blame the war. As mentioned in a previous post, the war following 9/11 was necessary at the time, but should not have been at the sake of our children either. Raymond mentioned several areas that "fat" needs to be trimmed, and all of those are true especially his fact that education is already bare boned enough. However, I don't believe the blame lies solely in the path of the war. The battle of budget is not between two enemies but many contenders, and it is a matter of who can scream the loudest, and sadly, school children just can't pull that weight.
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