Rural School Plight - Part 4

Add up all the reasons why rural school funding is in peril and it's not difficult to see that the options to stem the tide of losing dollars is a difficult proposition. So what can be done? How do these small communities keep that one vital and vibrant element flourishing.

One possibility for local communities is to have their respective school districts look to bonds or levies to earn extra funds. But in communities of poverty or growing blight where the budgets of residents are already stretched this simply, and often, leads to rancor and divisiveness. In short this is a poor option.

One of the other options, from my vantage point, is one involving group action. Citizens of rural communities will have to put pressure on state legislators to change funding formulas. This is no short term or easy solution. Governing is often slow and sluggish and results seem to take forever to occur. But this is an imperative.

One case in point. In March of this year (2017), as the NEA Today reports, 'the Kansas Supreme Court also found that the state was failing to meet these constitutional requirements [on funding] and ordered lawmakers to devise a new funding formula to increase government spending on the state's public education system.'

It may be difficult to achieve but rural school residents, and public schools alike, will have to engage in such activism.

Dick

Rural School Plight - Part 3

Not only will the federal monies dry up to the tune of a whopping 13.6% less money in the overall budget but those funds will surely appear elsewhere. TheSecretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, want to earmark $20 billion, yes $20 BILLION, into PRIVATE school vouchers. Repeat, PRIVATE school vouchers...not public schools.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against private schools if that's what parents want for their children. Private schools exist as an alternative for those opting not to go to public schools for any number of reasons. The problem is this - the loss of funds from the feds will leave rural public schools further behind.

Given all of the fiscal problems faced by rural districts it's no wonder it's difficult for these schools to stay afloat. How can these schools move forward? To what extent will curricular programs be limited or scrapped altogether? How many teachers will be let go? These are but a few of the issues confronting rural schools in the months and years to come.

Sadly, it seeems as though this crunch will continue unabated.

Dick

Rural School Plight - Part 2

As far as rural schools are concerned, not only are they suffering due to local funds drying up they are also starving because many state provide a disproportionate number of dollars to non rural areas. As reported by NEA Today a paltry 17% of state education funding goes to rural school districts. This seems completely out of whack considering that 28.5% of America's schools are rural.

So local dollars and state funding has gone begging in recent years. That's clearly not the end of the growing blight hitting our rural schools. There's more...

The Trump Administration has a proposal that will slash federal investment in public education programs by an astonishing 13.6%. No doubt rural schools will take a hit.

Congress, in my view, has its hands dirtied in terms of funding of rural schools. The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (which support 4,000 schools in 41 states) expired in 2016 and Congress has not reauthorized the act. Bottom line...dollars are not making their way to local rural school districts.

The suffering goes on!!

Dick

Rural School Plight - Part 1

Make no mistake about it, for the most part rural schools are in the midst of a deep crisis. And in some ways, as you will see, there are striking and alarming similarities to the plight of urban schools. But more on this comarison in the days to come. For now let's take a look at the crisis in rural school districts.

In many parts of America the rural classroom has undergone some significant changes. It's always been the case that instructional expenditures, per pupil, have been lower than the national average. That gap is widening with each passing year. Add to this scenario is the fact that many local manufacturing businesses are no longer in operation and one can see why there are fewer dollars to spending on education.

As business enterprises have disappeared from these small towns there has been an attendant economic crisis in rural American. The magazine, NEA Today reports that 48% of rural students are from low income families. Too few dollars for schools and too few dollars for families to live on.

In the coming days I'll take a closer look at the growing crisis in America's rural classrooms.

Dick

New Teachers & the NEA

For years teachers have paid their dues to local, state and federal professional associations. Among those agencies is the NEA (the National Education Assn.). Their commitment to education is critical and their voice is needed relative to promoting 'best' practices and keeping teachers abreast of various programs and ideas that impact the classroom.

I can think of no better way for the NEA to impact the classroom than to invest funds directly into high school programs that initiate classes to train the next generation of teachers. There are a scant number of these in the country and they are not only beneficial in terms of getting kids interested in a career of teaching but many of them have been successful in terms of seeing those students go on to classroom teaching after college.

The NEA owes it to the profession of teaching to do all it can to engage today's high school students to be the next generation of teachers.

Dick

Needed...Teachers!

Like any occupation (notice I didn't say job) talented people are to be prized and sought out. When it comes to the teaching profession, as many more retire, the call to join the ranks couldn't be more urgent.

Of course, just how does our nation/society make sure we have the right people and the quantity needed to make a difference in the nation's classrooms?

Those who toil day in and day out, who model what it means to be an effective and caring teacher, are surely one of the answers to the dilemma of this current and growing teacher shortage. Beyond this critical factor it is obvious that more needs to be done. High schools should and must offer a course(s) in teacher preparation. Where these programs currently exist there are a great number of students who go on to major in education in college and join the teacher ranks.

To all the high school staff and administrators out there...add an Introduction to Teaching course to the curriculum. Time is of the essence.

Dick

Keep it Simple...

You've heard the expression, 'Keep it Simple Stupid.' Well, that applies to a good deal that ought to apply to education!!! Essentially putting, for the lack of a better term, analytics into education makes no sense at all. Many schools are now using so called formula's or analytics for evaluating everyone from teachers to administrators.

Look, teachers are hired to teach and assess students. They don't need some concocted means of assessment by an outside agency.    There are plenty of good professionals within the school building to meet the requirements of student assessment.   The same goes for bringing in a group or business with a model for assessing teachers and administrators.    Again, the building has enough top professionals who can best determine how to evaluate staff.

Like I said, keep it simple...

Dick

Schools Count Appreciation Dinner

You need not be a volunteer or donor to be a part of our 'Appreciation Dinner' which is coming up in just one week! To learn more about the work of our charity with respect to helping schools please feel free to join us. This is a wonderful meal (free of course), time to meet generous donors/volunteers and an opportunity to meet many of the people we work with in the Chicago area.

Just shoot me an email (rich219@comcast.net) with the name(s) of those attending and I'll be sure to make a reservation for you.

The 'Appreciation Dinner' will be held at the Hinsdale Community House (corner of Madison and 8th Streets in Hinsdale) on Monday, November 20th commencing at 6:30 pm. You are bound to enjoy the food, people and the music played by member of the Medgar Evers Band, a band which we largely supported this past year.

Looking forward to hearing from you and seeing you!

Thanks,
Dick