Alternative Funding?
With Colorado ranking among the bottom nationally in school funding, how are our schools going to manage to survive? Is it time to start thinking of funding alternatives? And if so, what? Some have mentioned the use of advertising on busses or in the classrooms. Others have suggested increasing student fees or requiring tuition for all schools. Are these options feasible and will they ultimately help our students or hinder them?
posted by eringrantham at 9:59 AM
7 Comments:
I think that due to the relatively conservative political climate of Colorado, looking for alternative ways to fund public education makes sense, yet I don’t know of a fair substitute. Why Colorado schools are so poorly funded has much to do with the fact that decisions are too often given over to the voters. Conflicting legislation approved by voters rather than knowledgeable, duly-elected officials, hampers policy makers in being able to allocate adequate funding to K-12 schools and higher education. Probably the best answer to address this issue involves a rewrite of the state’s constitution, but this is unlikely to take place (at least not any time soon). The problem, however, with almost any alternative funding idea is that each method permits the rich school districts to get richer without creating financial support opportunities for poorer districts. The poorest districts in our state are also the most rural and least populated. Increasing student fees or charging tuition for students living in these districts is like trying to get blood from the proverbial turnip – it is not going to happen. Allowing advertising will offer a way of acquiring some money even in the smaller districts of the Eastern Plains or Western Slope, but again, the large Front Range districts will benefit the most (and some of those more than others). But don’t our kids see enough advertising already without having to face it in school, too? I’ve heard it said that the quality of your education shouldn’t be determined by your zip code and this is a concept I believe in. To provide equitable education to all students in Colorado, the voters and elected officials must come to terms with finding fair ways of generating and distributing public funds.
The way schools are funded in Colorado are like many other states. We base it on property taxes. Back in Illinois this was a problem because many of the best schools were found in the rich neighborhoods of Chicago suburbs, while the poor schools were found downstate. There needs to be revenue sharing among communities. This will allow all students to have equal opportunity to succeed. We must also find other ways to pay for schools, besides for property taxes. I know in Illinois the new lottery that we got in the middle of the 80’s were suppose to help pay for schooling. However, every dollar that was given to the state school fund by the lottery was then removed from the original source. So, we really didn’t get more money, it was just being laundered. I don’t know if there is a good solution for funding schools but it should be definitely be researched.
I'm not sure of what the answer is, but something needs to be done. I often think about leaving education due to the lack of pay. Colorado has a fairly high cost of living and pays the same or less than downstate Illinois schools. Its hard for teachers to want to stay in the game of education in the long run.
What is said to me is that I moved from Arizona that has an even worse ranking as far as funding goes. I am happier now as far as pay goes, but by all means not satisfied because we as teachers are probably always going to be underpaid. Have I considered changing professions? Yes, many times especially when we have to politic as much as anyone to keep our jobs and sometimes even more. I wish there was a way to get more support for funding for education, but it seems that the values of our society have change. Until we get more support I don't think it will happen.
I see advertising or increasing fees as possibilities to improving school funding. I don’t like the idea of integrating tuition for public schools. In my opinion an increase in funding within education needs to happen around the nation. Obviously there’re states such as our own that need more help than others but the importance that our nation has put on education, or should I say the funding that our nation puts toward education because that’s a good basis to judge what we view as important, is a total joke. It is a true shame that the most important institute in our country is funded so poorly. Education is the foundation of everything. Our country has come to the point in which it is expected that the finest teachers will make up the finest schools in the world and do it all for next to nothing. I don’t pretend to have the answers to what needs to be done, but it would be nice for education to be funded/compensated in terms of how important it truly is to our society.
I find it fairly ironic that schools are under such scrutiny to perform well on things like standardized tests and pubic education is usually the target of ridicule (public and politicians), yet those who criticize are not willing to provide the necessary funding that will make schools successful. I’m not sure what the answer is, but it is time for school districts to begin looking for alternative ways to fund our schools. One idea I heard about being used in Jefferson County Schools (granted, this won’t solve our funding problem, but it could help in some areas) is to charge each student a “technology fee,” which can be put towards buying paper, toner, etc. and the maintaining and repairing computers, printers, projectors, etc. This is a very interesting question and something that must be addressed in the near future. In reference to teacher’s pay, last week I chaperoned a trip to the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, and we learned that starting pay for teachers in Wyoming is $42,500, some districts provide housing for teachers, and they are giving signing bonuses in some areas of the state. Just thought that was kind of interesting, for I see Colorado as a fairly affluent state, but the funding just doesn’t seem to be there.
Funding...teachers paychecks...we need to find more money frim somewhere to funds schools because in the end, doesn't everything come back to education? An education leads to good citizens, people in the work force on all levels and got the people in politics where they are today. Education is the root of our society. So why is it not funded like one? Maybe for the same reason that the poor get poorer and the rich get richer. Few things are fair in life. Or maybe it is to root out bad teachers. If teaching paid $100,000 how can we assure people are chosing this profession for the right reason? Not sure really how to solve the funding problem. BUT, my friend works at a Charter school that is privately funded. Money coming from investors to run the school and they are finding that the states' laws make it hard for charter schools to exist. They actually had their school shut down for a week because the state failed to approve their building for learning mid year. Maybe if the public funds worked together with private funds it would make better schools for everyone...
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