Trading Local School Control for More Federal Money
According to this CNN Poll, Americans would cede some control of their school systems for more Federal funds:
A new national poll indicates that most Americans would be willing to give up some control of their public schools to the federal government in return for more money from Washington for those schools.
Fifty-six percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday say they would like to see more federal money spent on the public schools in their communities, even if it meant increased influence by the federal government over the education policies those schools follow, with 43 percent opposed.
There’s more at the link (but none of the poll’s crosstabs), but this poll really surprised me. Alot. It doesn’t exactly sync up with the common wisdom that people want less Federal involvement in their schools. This would argue to me that people also know that their school systems are not adequately funded for what we ask of them. But that they are willing to take more “free” Federal money to resolve that, rather than make sure that schools are better funded (and better managed financially) at the local level. I also wonder if this isn’t a pointer to an argument for those who want to consolidate school districts (ala Ed Rendell’s proposal).
Tags: Education
This is a big bete noir in Wingnutia.
The “feds” might try to indoctrinate the good people of southwestern Ohio and then where would we be?
it doesn’t add up because people are incredibly fucking stupid when it comes to understanding government.
Perhaps what we need are more people with common sense on local boards of education. Delaware has rather costly ‘education’ but are the results cost effective?
Who is buying the ludicrous ‘packages’ that are used to ‘dumb down’ students? A friend with a daughter in the Capitol District was told that the ‘Math Trendsetters’ program was being imposed. This trendy package uses the ‘forgiveness’ method of division and saves the kids the need to memorize multiplication tables. There are also cutsie-poo ‘science experiments’.
Perhaps we could improve the quality of education by putting every ‘methodologist’ with a Doctorate in Education in some custodial post (when the opening occurs) and return to some basics.
How much time and money is wasted teaching to tests that slick vendors foist on boards of education that are running gold-plated bureaucratic ratholes.
Micromismanagement from Washington might be even worse than the current set-up.
This one doesn’t have or deserve an easy answer. The Brandywine School District is losing by all accounts a superb superintendent in Dr. James Scanlon. He cites as his sole reason for accepting a job in Pa. the amount of state-imposed control on the district. ‘One Size Fits All’ stifles innovation. It just doesn’t work in education.
A minor correction. It was Math Trailblazers.
This program is being used in some Chicago schools and has been the topic of controversy.
Note that ‘consensual math’ was considered trendy in some of the same circles that once showed enthusiasm for ‘Ebonics’. Some would still allow the latter to be treated as a second language at the college level.
I think some national standards would be a good thing. I hope it would help with some school boards trying to teach creationism as science.
I’m really not surprised there is some support for it. Schools in poor districts are chronically underfunded. I wonder if the support for federal control changes across income levels.
UI makes a good point, but allow me to broaden it a bit by adding that underfunded schools in wealthy districts are a concern as well. Look at Red Clay. You have North Star and Brandywine Springs on one end with Warner and Shortlidge on the other. All Red Clay Elementary Schools, but the last two are seriously underfunded.
Maybe people are becoming frustrated over the lack of educational consistency among public schools and the fact that some school boards act like fiefdoms. Forget government meetings, if you’re looking for fireworks attend a Red Clay board meeting.
Many of our best students are self-segregated in private schools or CSW. This makes the job for the Public Schools more difficult.
Moreover, our per pupil cost is extraordinarily high, one reason being that we have a multitude of individual school districts, therefore do not practice economy of scale.
I compare DE to the Fairfax Public School System in Fairfax County VA, where the population size is comparable but with only one school district broken down into three area systems. Because the public school system does so well, there are many fewer privates and charters than we have here. Also the cost per student is about $3k less than ours.
We can learn from this model to improve our schools, though it will take a long time if we ever decide to change. I fear that privates are ingrained in the DE culture, so the chances for any significant changes any time soon are probably remote.
However, there is no reason why we cannot improve on public school cost per pupil and education quality by consolidating school districts. We could start by having each county have one school district, each reporting to one DE Superintendent of Schools. Each county district would then have one Assistant Superintendent.
Pandora, I was writing when you posted. I think some of my comments address your concern.
I should have mentioned that Fairfax County Public Schools has only one school board covering the entire system. Therefore the fiefdom issue is lessened.
They’re self-segregated in certain public/private schools as well. And, yes Perry, we’re on the same page!
It is also worth noting that cassandra linked to Gov Rendell and PA’s addressing the same issue – a good read. In my view, it is time we did the same in DE. Now, with our State economy being in the pits, it would be a good time to address this issue of school consolidation.
There is so much fervor in Delaware over local control in school districts, especially in Sussex county where people tend to identify with their school district more strongly then we do in New Castle County. The place to start is in consolidating services to districts and schools. If we can make that work we are one step closer to making county school districts politically feasible.
Delaware is fortunate enough by size to hopefully resist the sound of the Sirens, aka more federal funding. As far as I’m concerned we are already at a crossroads to decide if taking federal funds is really worth the headache, entanglements and mandates that become attached. Why do you think NCLB is here vis a vi DSTP? You holler about 200 million spent on that test. Well, that’s a federal loophole, a state assessment the feds mandate and sign off on state by state, or else withhold funding. Our district receives about 3% in our budget from federal funds, and MUST do ALL this work to keep that 3% there. Imagine the trade off at the state level. I wish to high heavens, someone in this state would run the cost/benefit analysis of accepting the money. I bet that would be a real eye opener. But no, everyone keeps walking around letting the fed money be the spokesman, when in reality, in some districts their contribution is minimal, but the reign of terror established. In districts where Title 1 and federal money is more needed, the local and state monies could be realigned there, and away from the cumbersome accounting, reporting, and qualifying of some of these sheccles of federal funds that are dangled in front of lil’ ol’ Delaware’s eyes. Vermont and Utah, I believe were smart enough to say “Keep it-we can’t afford you (feds)”. Oh I wonder…..
Sure, get rid of your local share…and you have just furthered justification for a community NOT to care, commit, or clean-up a local school district. Now, you are gonna get me going, and I have much more to write…
U.I.- There are National Standards already established in content areas. Embedded questions for students align to those areas in testing, to see just how Delaware is doing (NAEP).