'Rithmetic 'bout Readin' and Writin'

I'm going to start you with a quote:

Across California, children are bringing home notes warning of dire consequences if Gov. Schwarzenegger’s scorched earth budget is approved – a budget that slashes Proposition 98 public school spending from $42.2 billion this year all the way down to $44.7 billion next year. That should be proof enough that our math programs are suffering.

That's the beginning of an article penned by Senator McClintock, who represents the 19th district in the California Legislature (his website here). In this article, he goes on to itemize funding for a hypothetical school of 180 students with a budget of $1.2 million to get through the year.

I have nitpicks with some of his numbers, but overall I think he's on target. Among his hypothetical suggestions:

• lease commercial office space for classrooms (which includes "washrooms, around-the-clock janitorial service, wall-to-wall carpeting, utilities and music in the elevators")
• hiring 5 teachers ("but not just any teachers. I propose hiring only associate professors from the California State University at their level of pay")
• replacing in-school PE classes with fully-funded annual memberships to a local gym ("This would provide our children with a trained and courteous staff of nutrition and fitness counselors, aerobics classes and the latest in cardiovascular training technology")

There's so much more worth reading. This guy isn't anti-education or anti-teacher, he's anti-teacher's union, and he makes his points with common sense.

He starts his conclusion with this:

The school I have just described is the school we’re paying for. Maybe it’s time to ask why it’s not the school we’re getting.

Mucho thanks to Jay at Sophont for pointing this one out. In fact, he's been very very good lately, and you should just start at the top and scroll on down to see everything.

Posted by Ted at June 9, 2005 11:41 AM
Category: Links