Money Makes the World Go ‘Round!
California Schools in Budget Crunch
Today’s Los Angeles Times leads with another story about problems in California schools. Titled “California public schools seek private money just to cover the basics”, the story reports that
“potential layoff notices have been issued to 20,000 teachers, librarians, nurses and others”
A judge in California recently passed a ruling that only a parent with a teaching certificate could homeschool. There was quite a furor over this, as many parents who homeschool are doing so because of the recent passage of SB-777 that basically kicked any reference to Mom or Dad out of schools. The law forbidding any reference that might reflect poorly on “alternative” lifestyles was the last straw for many evangelicals in California.
Now parents across the state are being asked to donate to keep teachers jobs and schools open secondary to budget shortfalls. And foundations and students are conducting fundraisers.
Students Washing Cars to Pay Teacher Salaries?
Educators must finalize their budgets for the next school year before Sacramento votes on the state’s spending plan. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget would cut about $4.8 billion in education funding this year and next. As a result, potential layoff notices have been issued to 20,000 teachers, librarians, nurses and others.
In addition to increasing class sizes, school districts across the state are considering closing schools, eliminating International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement courses and doing away with sports.
School districts have long trotted out worst-case scenarios in an effort to sway lawmakers before they vote on the budget; this year, however, educators and politicians say lean times are ahead.
Where Do All the Education Dollars GO?
Brennan
Filed under: Education News
2 Responses to “Money Makes the World Go ‘Round!”
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Is our current government just not interested in the future?
If you continue to cut education then you are just shooting yourself in the foot later. The result will be higher crime, more outsourcing of jobs to other countries, etc.
Of course the national debt is being pushed off to the future to handle, social security too.
Most of the politicians with power are past middle age. Maybe they just don’t care what will happen as they won’t be around when things collapse.
Dear Mission Renaissance,
You make very valid points. In fact, I’ve written several posts about those very issues, like higher crime rates, etc., that you mention.
One thing I want to point out though, is that we DO spend a lot of money on education. It just goes into the wrong places. And it’s not just the current government that has been handling this issue poorly. There has been a systematic degradation of our educational system going on for years.
I wrote a post back in December about a news story written by a gentleman named Tom DeWeese. Here is the link to the original story.
American Education Fails Because it Isn’t Education
Thank you for your very astute comment,
Brennan