Let There Be No Doubt

Wisconsin Governor Walker and the state legislature have cut the state's education budget by $1.6 billion over the next two years. That's right!!! That amounts to over $600 less funding per child per year.

So why the draconian cuts? The state does have a debt problem for certain. But cutting education by that total is simply hard to fathom. There has to be more to it. Well, there is!

Look at it another way. If you are having a debt problem and you can fund charter schools for less money than the traditional public school why not marry the two together. The debt crisis makes it easier, for those who propose such a venture, to justify funding schools at a lesser amount of money while creating charters. How convenient.

Let's not kid ourselves, you are going to find more local and state governments following this lead. In an age of cost cutting, education is going to be one of the first to be on the chopping block.

How foolish!! The very people who say we need to be more competitive in the new global economy are willing to sacrifice the very means, education, of how we become more adept in such a world. Pretty short sighted.

Here are some other issues to think about. If more charters are created and teachers are paid less (which is typically the case) then when those charter teachers retire, state retirement systems will pay them less of a pension than the traditional public school teacher. How very sneaky and sinister.

If charters need more funds for such things as expansion, while not getting additional public funds, they will have to obtain the funds on their own. Just another example of how government agencies can turn a blind eye toward public education. Let there be no doubt that many local and state governments are willing to make major cuts to the education of our children.

The above is happening all around us and we need to not only be aware of the situation but we need to voice our disapproval.

Thanks,
Dick