What Should the State Fund For Education?
So elsewhere a reader said this:
I understand the state pushed the responsibility of purchasing books onto the District. Hopefully, we could get a line item for books while trying to get the government to assume responsibility for basic educational needs.
(As an aside, I'm looking into this whole textbook replacement issue. It seems that some information told to me was wrong, namely that the state funds textbooks but only every 18 years.)
The district is embarking on early discussions about next year's budget so now is a good time to talk.
What struck me about the comment above was the term "basic educational needs." First, how do we define those? Off the top of my head:
Second, if the state allots each district X amount of dollars (non-specified), should it be the district's duty to make sure those basic educational needs are satisfied first?
Third, should the state allot for each of the above items to districts or allow districts leeway to get the items as they see fit? So should it be the state's duty to keep up on what each district needs for textbooks or should the money just flow to the districts AND they decide when to replace books?
Lastly, how do you balance trying to create district-wide academic advancements via creating new initiatives versus making sure that that every classroom's basic educational needs are met?
I understand the state pushed the responsibility of purchasing books onto the District. Hopefully, we could get a line item for books while trying to get the government to assume responsibility for basic educational needs.
(As an aside, I'm looking into this whole textbook replacement issue. It seems that some information told to me was wrong, namely that the state funds textbooks but only every 18 years.)
The district is embarking on early discussions about next year's budget so now is a good time to talk.
What struck me about the comment above was the term "basic educational needs." First, how do we define those? Off the top of my head:
- a clean, safe building
- qualified teachers/principal
- textbooks no older than 10 years old (especially for science and/or history/social studies)
- instructional materials (I don't even know if this still gets funded but paper, pencil, ruler, glue, crayons, stapler, etc)
- other instructional materials (workbooks, etc.)
- at least one computer in the classroom
- reading library in the room (for elementaries)
- available reading/research materials (library with computers, books and research docs available)
Second, if the state allots each district X amount of dollars (non-specified), should it be the district's duty to make sure those basic educational needs are satisfied first?
Third, should the state allot for each of the above items to districts or allow districts leeway to get the items as they see fit? So should it be the state's duty to keep up on what each district needs for textbooks or should the money just flow to the districts AND they decide when to replace books?
Lastly, how do you balance trying to create district-wide academic advancements via creating new initiatives versus making sure that that every classroom's basic educational needs are met?
Comments
One computer in a room is just the teacher's computer. Two includes a "presentation station" computer, set up to run a document camera and projector. Four or five more allow a group of students to rotate through usage. One student computer is not really worth a lot, though in a pinch a group could work at it.
Off to the next court I suspect.
=================
On the Computer issue:
I think that depends on State Education Standards as a curriculum and is a computer needed to provide an effective learning situation? If so how many?
I am sure TI would love to see a TI-84+ in every kid's hands for school years k-12.
But this does bring up the issue: If the state is supplying money or goods, and if there are powerful industry lobbies looking for a piece of the pie, might we see more packaged curriculum and technology, even if it's not appropriate?
For instance, that company that sells the electric shock device to zap teachers who aren't being "quality" enough at any given moment, as measured by real-time assessment digitally gathered...
And & they don't the city/state, takes over the management of the district.
Those who collect the taxes that pay for the services have a duty to insure it is going toward what it was intended to cover.
IMO.
Take a look at the likely coming strong suggestions about STEM coming from Feds..... big inquiry coupled with big discovery and huge spending on Tech hardware and products.
The White House STEM plan.
Dan
It also probably means that even if the state did a better job of funding, until SPS corrects some serious structural problems embedded in the very way it creates budgets, SPS schools will continue to be under-funded. Fixing this is actually very simple. Set school budgets first, and give the highest budget priority to the most important function in the district - educating SPS students.
I've written at least one director to suggest that a simple reversal of the budgeting process would be sensible. I encourage all of you to do so, as well.
I would be happy to write to the directors. However, I feel I know only enough about budget processes to appear slightly foolish.
To just say "budget at the school level first" then do the rest of the budget.
Is that right? Is that how I should put it in my correspondence to the directors?
If I were magically transformed into the CEO of the District I think the first thing I would do would be to gather the principals from each cluster and ask them what are their needs and what are their priorities.
Then I'd work with the finance folks to see what we can do to deliver the goods that the principals identified.
Finally, I'd structure my central staff in a way the supports the principals (who, in turn, should be supporting the teachers).
I think your budgeting process would mirror this operational/leadership approach.
Right?
Now, can I have the 250k a year with the 700 per month car allowance and all the power points I want job?
if i had kids on laptops in my class (like many in surrounding districts), oh the coolness we could have! ARC GIS, the writing and publishing potential, and more that i cannot even give thought to because i'm relegated to McGuyver innovation.
Dear Director X:
I am writing to urge you to change the budget development process in order to ensure a more durable funding model for schools and students. I believe that a simple start to this process could be to change the budget development calendar. Most organizations develop the budgets of critical operations first, even in an interative budgeting process. Seattle Public Schools, however, develops central budgets first, and then school budgets. While I understand that tweaks are likely made to central budget after initial budgets are made, the result of this budgeting model appears to be that schools get what’s left over. I know that it is a priority of every director to help create a durable, functional funding structure for schools, and I believe that a simple change in the budget development process would be a significant first step in making that happen.
Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely/Later/Whatever,
X
I do think that changing the process could help schools. However, any system can be gamed. If I was protecting my central budget, I'd game this one by thrusting costs that haven't been part of school budgets back onto schools, whether they are essential direct student services (which includes district-wide stuff like transportation and nutrition) or not.
It would then look as if schools have more money, even if their budgets are the same size or smaller.
Unless the board is willing to watch budget development like hawks, and insist on line by line analysis (and comparison to previous years), I would expect that to be the likely result. So... yes, it could be a promising way to get schools funded well, but there has to be serious political will (and even better would be total determination on the part of district management) on the board to make sure it's happening.
Could you translate that into something practical on which items are budgeted for first and second?
At last night's budget meeting- Directors are wanting School Budget Development before Central Budget Proposals.
Before computers in the classroom/ or even classroom libraries, I would prefer to reduce class sizes - I think that has the largest impact on childrens education.