Stan Geiger

Time for Some Truth in Education

Americans for Progress has some interesting things to say about education funding and the teachers' union's push for a massive funding increase for common schools. Mike McCarville was kind enough to share.

Thanks, Mikey! You're alright---for an old white man. Ha.

“We believe that public school funding is either ‘too high’ or ‘about right’ just like the 64 percent of Oklahomans that responded to a recent Friedman Foundation survey,” said AFP Oklahoma Director Stuart Jolly. “Oklahoma schools have enough money. It’s just not being spent wisely.”

Ain't that somethin'? Two-thirds of Oklahomans think schools have at least enough money. How many stories about that have you seen on the local evening news? None?

There's a good example of the unholy alliance that exists between the media and educators.

According to a recent AFP analysis, just 12 years ago Oklahoma’s entire state budget was $3.4 billion. Today, the education budget alone is $3.8 billion, meaning the state spends more today on Oklahoma’s education system than it did on all state programs just 12 years ago. “And what do Oklahoma students have to show for it?” Jolly asked. “The same grade they did 12 years ago – F.”

Exactly. More and more money for educators, less and less in the way of results.

Meanwhile, education administrative costs in Oklahoma are three times the average amount for the region. In 2006, Oklahoma spent $753 per student while the average for the region was $242 per student. Oklahoma spends three times more on school administration than Arkansas ($215), Kansas ($258), or Texas ($252). Just 59.7 percent of education dollars are actually spent in the classroom. Putting $500 more per student back in the classroom – or $10,000 per classroom – is a first step toward addressing the state’s failing education system, AFP contends.

So, according to the educators, every state that surrounds us spends more per pupil than we do, and yet we spend 3 times what they spend on butt-scratching chair jockeys.

How many times have you turned on the local evening news and seen a teacher complaining about having to pull money out of her own pocket to supply the classroom?

Personally, I think that's bullshit propaganda. But if there is even a little truth to the story, why? And why does the media love to do such reports without mentioning the overwhelming excesses in administrative costs?

The PEC at its best.

Since 1985, Oklahoma’s student population has grown by 7.1 percent, but the administration to take care of those students has grown by 46 percent! And the education budget during this same period has grown from $1.4 billion to $3.8 billion. And where does Oklahoma rank today nationally? The same place it did in 1985 – near the bottom.

Let's see, state funding for education is up $2.4 billion since '85. In percentage terms, that's up about 170 percent in 23 years. Over that same time span, the highway department's funding sat flat at about $200 million per year. In inflation-adjusted terms, ODOT's funding was cut year after year after year.

Why is Oklahoma saturated with crumbling bridges and crappy roads? Thank your local educator. And the media. And the educators' loyal lackeys in politics.

And now, the hogs at the trough cry out for more---a lot more.

Just say no. It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it.

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