Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Only one possible problem, only one possible solution

According to Kulongoski we have a problem.

The Problem
The recent recession illustrated the dangers of relying on an unpredictable revenue system to fund our children’s education.

The Solution
Education Enterprise will make education funding a priority, protecting it against future economic downturns. It will immediately establish a stable funding source by committing 61 percent of the state’s general fund to education. In every following budget cycle, each sector of the public education system will receive an increase of at least 10 percent over the previous budget to address new educational needs and expand successful programs.

Nothing on Kulongoski's website talks about current failures of the public education system. Like how come only 42% of 4th graders meet the standard when tested for writing? (that means 58% are failing for you public school kids) "The kids" get a brief mention in his proposal but it's mostly about money, and the part about the kids, only money can gurantee their success.

So why the myopic insistence that the only possible problem is a "lack of funding?" Why the promise of specific increases in money?

Oregon Education Association, American Federation of Teachers-Oregon and Oregon School Employees Association Unite Behind Ted Kulongoski for Governor
The groups also praised the Governor's Education Enterprise plan, which will: guarantee early education, K-12 and post-secondary institutions a minimum 10 percent funding increase each biennium

Hey, if you promise me money I'll endorse you too! Does anyone else feel a little sick because we have an "I'll give you stuff if you vote for me" system?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wait a minute. Supposedly, our schools are having problems because of "unstable funding." That is, average incomes fluctuate with the strength of the economy, meaning income tax receipts fluctuate with the strength of the economy. Since our schools are paid, essentially, by income taxes, our school budget ALSO fluctuates with the strength of the economy.

This, as I understand it, is the whole argument about "unstable funding," no? In that case, isn't Kulo's plan more of the same? 61% of a "wildly fluctuating" funding source is still "wildly fluctuating" and therefore just as "unstable."

Am I missing something? Yeah, I didn't think so...

Anonymous said...

Take away PERS and the teacher's union, and you have fixed the budget problem. Teachers make too much money. You can put kids in front of your fat paychecks all you want, you're still making too much. Besides, pay should be based on merit, not on tenure. Too many teachers are worried more about their pay than they are the kids.

Putting more money into the problem doesn't fix it. The problem is fixed in HOW YOU SPEND THE MONEY you already have.

Bobkatt said...

I believe that guaranteeing something you can't deliver (see PERS system) is what got us in trouble in the first place. Until the state and local government get behind us on this illegal problem and stop giving our money away on programs that aid and abet these invaders I won't vote for any tax increases.
Note to Ted: Why stop with guaranteeing the schools funding? Why not guaranty DHS 50% of the budget? And maybe the state police 25% of the budget, and business developement 25% of the budget, etc.
Please excuse my math, I attended Oregon public schools.

MAX Redline said...

It's not lack of money. It's how the money is spent.

Teachers aren't the problem; administration is.

Anonymous said...

I'm waiting for the video about the incident at Centro. Can you tell me when you are going to put it on. I'm wondering if you have considered sending a copy of the video to the City of Cornelius and to all the City counslors for the City. If the officer is acting in a manner that is not profesional I'm sure he must answer to someone.
Anonymous

Anonymous said...

They're all a part of the problem. The teachers seem to go on strike every year. It's never about actual classroom money. It's always about their paychecks.

BEAR said...

Having read the idiot Castillo's "ode to her own incompetency," we are left with the following: 1. The lefties KNOW what kids need to learn in order to be considered literate. (The concepts surrounding the 3 r's have been well documented and practiced by numerous cultures for THOUSANDS of years.) 2. While congratulating the perpetrators for their failure to educate most of the kids in Oregon, she proceeds to make lame excuses for what we would have thought (from her top paragraph) were non-existent problems. 3. She then announces her wish to alter the testing formula in order to hide their failure, or, at least, push the realization of the state's continuing failure into a later year. 4. It costs my family less than $200/yr. to homeschool our child. He just turned 11, and is well into the 7th grade. We have him tested EVERY year, and he ALWAYS scores in the top 1%! This is NOT unusual for homeschoolers. Why is the same level of achievement only a drug-induced pipe dream for self-described "professional educators?"

My point? The lefties are more interested in inculcating propaganda than they are in educating the children of Oregon. As usual, money is more important to them than a value-based, actual education. That President Bush has to force this state to be publicly accountable for failing to educate Oregon's public school children should bring shame on every so-called teacher in this state. Never has there been such an impetus or justification for home and/or private schooling. If you love your kids, save them from the unmitigated ideologues and political hacks inhabiting the public schools.

If you ignore this threat to your children's abillity to function in, and compete successfully in the world, you doom them to jobs even illegal aliens won't do....sheesh.

Scottiebill said...

"According to Kulongoski, we have a problem"

That is true. What Teddy the Napper doesn't understand is that he is the problem.