Tuesday, August 13, 2013

The Cost of Lower Education


Today I heard 2 moms I work with complaining about all the stuff they have to buy for back to school. The biggest topic of this tirade is why they have to buy tissues and other stuff for the class room. Probably because most schools are grossly underfunded.

One local school has started charging for kids to be on sports teams. The biggest complaint there is that not all families have the money for that and a scholarship is their kid’s best chance at college. Did anyone think maybe the school doesn’t have the budget for proper equipment? Would you rather your kid have to play with second rate equipment? In contact sports like football that could result in a life altering injury. They could always skimp on new books for the library so the field hockey team can have new sticks. It’s not like the entire school could use those books.

Most art programs are cut to the bare minimum. Some counties are looking to toss the arts entirely. Theater sets are expensive. Instruments can be astronomical. I absolutely agree that arts are vital to learning but would you rather your kid have text books or a theater program? Schools shouldn’t have to choose.

Most teachers are vastly underpaid but they put hundreds of their own dollars into their classrooms because they never get everything they need. There are teacher shortages and classroom overcrowding because it’s not a job most people want. It’s thankless, the pay is crap, and they’re expected to fork over my hard earned money to properly educate the child of someone who doesn’t think they should have to spend an extra $10 on classroom supplies.

They put classroom materials as well as individual materials on the list because schools don’t have the money they need. If you think you shouldn’t have to keep paying for stuff out of pocket, find ways to get your schools properly funded. Look into the legislation and where the money is going.

If children are the future, why aren’t we investing more in their education? It’s like driving a cab and ignoring the check engine light.

OK, this woman has been just upgraded from oblivious to stupid. She went to a PTA meeting last year and the school had run out of paper. In May. The school ran out of copy paper and you still don’t understand why you’re expected to buy communal supplies? Do you hear yourself when you talk? I really should have expected this from a woman who complains about watching CNN in the break room. “The news just doesn’t interest me.” I weep for our species.

Music: Say by John Mayer

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