Why Slashing School Budgets is Bad News

I could be just talking out my ass here, but I think the American education system is pretty broken.

I attend classes at Columbus State.  I'm surrounded by people who graduated high school with 3.5+ GPAs...who are completely unable to handle a simple English 101 essay, or comprehend both sides of an equation must balance.  I hear stories regularly from friends who are teaching college courses as instructors and graduate assistants...and am amazed their students have high school diplomas.

For whatever reason, high school has become a little safe bubble where nothing bad ever happens, not even a failing grade.  I think it boils down to a "survival mode" mentality in schools.  Too many teachers are worried about being the target of the next layoff and don't want to stand out.  Too many administrators are worrying about their budgets instead of education.  Too many politicians sticking their ill-informed noses into the education system and making changes to something they don't understand.

We need to figure out a way to improve education, to graduate people who are prepared with the knowledge--but more importantly the thought-processes--to move on, into business or high education or public service.  This is not going to happen in the current environment.  Too many people who would make excellent teachers, who want to teach, go into other fields because people like John Kasich make life too difficult.

School districts aren't hiring teachers.  So what's the point in getting an education degree?  An ENTIRE GENERATION of teachers are either passing up the chance to pursue their calling, or aren't being allowed to do more than substitute teach a couple times a week.  The new blood, the innovation, the passion that could save our country from mediocrity is being rejected.

But don't worry.  John Kasich is gonna save us.  He's going to break the teachers union.  He's going to cut so much funding all school districts will have no choice but to go bare-bones, stick to basics, not risk any changes.  And rest assured he's NEVER going to attempt education reform...that would be EXPENSIVE, right?  And besides, he'll use the old GOP cop out; "That's a local issue."

Too bad the local authorities don't have the money to solve the problems.

Ohio, nice work back in November.  Unless something drastic happens, you've helped usher in the fall of American supremacy within the next generation.

Kasich Hates Children, the Future

I just read the Dispatch's report on the effect Kasich's budget will have on school districts state wide.

All I can say is, if any of you people who voted for him last November were expecting enlightened leadership, this is proof that you were wrong.  And we'll be paying the price for generations.

The man claims the budget increases spending for education.  While this is TRUE, there is a slight increase in spending over the 2 year budget, it's NOT the full story.

But tangible property tax reimbursement?  A key part of many district budgets?  He's speeding up the elimination of that revenue.  Sucking away a HUGE source of income from many districts, especially those districts getting 2% of their income from that source (that money is being eliminated right away).

There's also this pesky problem with Federal money.  Stimulus money was being used by a lot of districts to plug gaps in budgets...that money is gone.  And with the attitude in Washington, I don't think any more aid is forthcoming (nor should Congress send more money...this is a state and local issue, not a Federal one).  But the Federal money is gone, and it was keeping a lot of districts from collapse.  Kasich's answer to that?  "It's not a good idea to operate on one-time money."

By now, it should be clear why Kasich is pushing SB 5 so hard.  The only way schools will be able to lay off enough expensive teachers is by breaking the union.

Well!  I feel good about raising children in this state, don't you?

SB 5, Death of the Unions?

So.  The Ohio Senate passed the anti-union bill, by a single vote.  It's now going on to the House, where the action is expected to be quicker and less painfully in favor of the law.

Apparently the Senate lived up to it's expectations of being a brake on poorly-conceived notions, with GOP leadership needing to play games just to get the damn thing to the floor for a vote.  All Democrats and 10 Republicans were against the bill.

The fact leadership had to replace committee members who are known for being anti-labor in order to get a vote to happen should say something about this bill...namely, that it's just not a good idea, at least in large part.

Essentially, the bill eliminates the purpose of a union.  The union can be there...they just aren't allowed to bargain as a group.  It puts all the power into the hands of the government employers, and even makes it illegal for a union member to discuss issues pertaining to labor disputes.

Let me reiterate that: A union member, who lives in and works for Franklin County (as a clerk, or maintenance, or whatever), will not be allowed to speak to the county commissioner they voted for on an issue that involves the union employee.

Not sure that's Constitutional, which many lawmakers cited.  By working for the government in Ohio, you're expected to give up part of your right to representation.  Yep, those are good old-fashioned American values!

There's another element the State Troopers brought up...they've been trying to use their bargaining weight to get the state to upgrade bulletproof vests and fire suppression systems in their cruisers.  Under Senate Bill 5, the troopers' union can push for better gear...if the state wants to discuss it.

Defeats the whole point of protecting workers.

Now, in general unions don't make me happy.  I think many of them do bargain too hard, and refuse to look
at the facts of running a business (unions managed to destroy American automaking, if you'll remember).  I work for a company where the employees have a very good union...and their work habits and personal interactions reflect the fact in a very negative way.  And there's the bad taste still in my mouth from not getting a job when I was in high school, where a manager really wanted to bring me on, but the union was unwilling to work with my schedule (it would have meant bumping a senior guy out of his first choice shift for part of the month).

But I'd say that means the system needs to be reformed and tightened.  Reform does not mean giving the other side of the equation all the power.  Think back to algebra...both sides gotta equal.

Senate Bill 5 does NOT balance the equation.  It's just a tool Kasich and other GOP leaders are using to limit the checks and balances on their power.  You average citizens will not like the results of this, many of which we will not be able to see until we're knee-deep in the muck (see the law of unintended consequences).

I borrow from The Godfather: "That's your small government!  That's your job growth!"

Read On:

Columbus Dispatch

The Problem with Being a Left-Leaning Centrist...

...is that I don't count.

It's not just that interesting rabble, the Tea Party, claiming to be speaking for me and dismissing my opinions as "socialist ravings" when I dissent.  Tho that's the most troublesome, because their "Take no prisoners and poison the wells" approach to politics has EVERYONE terrified.

It's also the fact that I'm too right-wing for the liberal side of the coin.  I'm in favor of slimming down the government, and balancing the budget, and not regulating EVERYTHING.

So.  That leaves me totally unimportant when it comes to the polls that decide things in our 2 party system.

It's sort of sad that one of the few people I know, who actually keeps up on issues and news, has no real voice in today's government.  What to do about this?

Not sure yet.  But something.