We can’t starve public education and expect to get the 90 percent graduation rate Gov. Parnell says he wants. There have been no increases in the Base Student Allocation (BSA) for three years. Inflation has taken a toll: Juneau will be in its second year of layoffs. Legislation has been introduced to reverse these funding cuts and to open schools of Law and Medicine at the University of Alaska. For long term economic growth we need a highly skilled workforce. While the legislation comes from Democrats, I hope all our legislators will be bi-partisan and move legislation to support educational opportunities for our children and grandchildren.
Margo Waring
Juneau
Comments (3)
Add commentWhy continue to increase funding
for a system that isn't working? Why doesn't the teacher's union spend some time coming up with a system that is worth funding? And yes, inflation is making costs rise. Everyone in the private sector can appreciate that comment. Here's the difference between what you beg for and the private sector deals with. If the private sector produces a bad product; no one buys it and they are forced to improve their product to make a buck. If the teacher's union produces a bad product they still get funded and they still collect their fat pensions. Do the work! Instead of whining - put your energy into improving your product! Earn the darn BSA increase.... novel idea I know.
Teachers alone
do not get to make many changes in schools. Some wish to make everything the teachers responsibility when teachers are but part of those who determine what is taught. School Boards and state regulations have more control over schools than do teachers.
NCLB (No Child Left Behind) a great example of bureaucracy mandates without teachers input; create standardized test in Washington DC then expected students to magically score high on those test without any review at individual schools regarding that schools curriculum and the mandatory test. State legislators keep introducing content based instructional items into the mix and make no provision for implementing those requirements. At any given time a group of parents can appear before a school board and have course content changed or have text books removed. Fundamental groups make demands schools teach based on their interpretations of science.
In all these items the teachers are the ones with minimal input but are the ones held responsible for the result of those decisions.
Good Points Made by Cougararp
I know, it is "for the children!" HA!