For better or worse, representative democracies depend on the compromises that are supported by a majority of elected officials. It is supposed that by selecting "representatives" to make these decisions, we are afforded some balance between what is wanted by the majority and what is most needed by a minority.
The problem with education is that while there is broad consensus that education is important and needs to be funded, it is difficult to quantify how much. What is the practical difference between a school district with $1 million more or less to spend? When the local high school builds a new football stadium, people can see a new football stadium. But when they put that money into the school system, what do they see as a benefit. I AM NOT SAYING THAT MORE FUNDING DOES NOT MEAN BETTER OUTCOMES, I AM SAYING THOSE OUTCOMES ARE NOT EVIDENT. As advocates for education funding we need to do a better job of making the differences between x, x+$1 million and x-1 million more apparent to elected officials and the people that vote for them. That said, the problem at the State Level is that legislators from outside Saint Paul don't feel enough investment in the education of students inside Saint Paul. I'm not sure what the solution to that is, but again, I think the primary issue is not in communicating that there is some value but quantifying what that value is so that legislators from the exurbs can start to see that screwing over inner city school districts is actually detrimental to their own local interests. On a different note and for what it's worth, I believe that Education Minnesota has advocated for a state teacher's insurance pool in previous years and it's possible that teachers might be covered by the Governor's new consumer purchasing alliance (can someone help me on this one?). Of course, to quote Dennis Miller: It's just my opinion, I could be wrong. Matt Flory Mac Groveland --- Pam Ellison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I agree to a large extent with what Brian is saying > here, the only > philosophical difference I have here is that I > believe that the STATE should > fully fund education, and yes, we will need to raise > taxes somewhere, but I > fail to see how we can afford much more money being > raised through > referendums and more taxation taken from the > property tax rolls. I believe > that there are different, but just as expensive > struggles for people in > Greater Minnesota. The school districts may be > smaller and less diverse, > but to raise local taxes in these smaller districts > does not make sense > unless there is a way to increase a state tax that > would consider all > districts and give them the funding they need. I > have traveled the state > with the former Lieutenant Governor to many school > districts and have seen > the infrastructure and sparsity issues that plague > Greater Minnesota, > failing family farms and the takeover by large > corporate entities have > forced many small family farms to shut down and be > sold off to the highest > bidder. As people move from the rural areas, those > that remain cannot levy > taxation dollars because there are fewer people to > share the load. Many of > the rural schools have severe infrastructure issues, > and if they close > schools and consolidate with other school districts, > it sometimes means a > 15-30 minute jaunt on the bus ( more expense) to get > the students there. > > I favor seeing more property tax relief and if we > see that Education is > passed to the State. The State can fully fund > education and figure out what > the funding formula would be. Perhaps all that > should be on the property > tax levy is infrastructure issues, such as road > repair and services and fire > and police protection and plowing and tree trimming. > We are soon getting to > the place in Saint Paul where more people will be > taxed off of their > property, and that is not something we want to see. > Yes, regardless, > everyone will pay for it, but even though Saint Paul > states they haven't > raised property taxes, we all know that when they > raise the value of your > home, (You've got it!) your taxes increase. > > We do need to get organized. The other issues that > all feed into the cost > of Education that I believe Education Minnesota > should be working on, is > creating a pool of all Educational Employees > statewide that would lower the > cost of health care, instead of each Local trying to > get a good rate, it > simply won't happen. In addition, another route to > go would be to see if > the State would enfold all public education > employees into the state workers > pool for health care. The bigger the pool the less > that health care should > cost the district and other districts statewide. If > we could get that one > issue on the table for discussion and get to work on > lobbying for this, we > may be able to get somewhere. > > One parting comment. I have worked for Saint Paul > Schools now for about > four years. In that four years I have served as a > member of the Arlington > High School site Council and have recently been > asked to take the Chair for > the Council temporarily. I have also served on > numerous boards outside of > the district and have worked for many major > corporations in Minnesota as > well. One thing I have learned in my travels is > that sometimes it isn't > just dollars, it is how an entity is structured that > can cause there to be > more expense and less efficiency. Sometimes we need > to simply look at the > practicality of what we do. For instance, > decentralizing some services or > processes, may be more efficient than not doing so. > Centralizing other > services may make more sense when you need greater > numbers to give you a > lower bottom line. In any case, although we are > running lean, I DO believe > that sometimes we can find ways that may be more > effective and more > efficient by streamlining or changing the way we do > many of the things we > do. Allowing each school site to take on more > responsibility and some > middle management intervention at the district level > may not only improve > efficiency, but it would make the school sites even > more responsible for how > they spend their budgeted dollars. I have a few > examples, but I will not > belabor this post. > > In any case, as educated parents and community > members, WE DO have to get > organized and speak with every elected official we > know, to affect a change. > > The time is now. > > Pamela Ellison > Como Park > Saint Paul > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "BRIAN JOYCE" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "St. Paul Issues Forum" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2004 9:24 PM > Subject: [StPaul] St. Paul Buget Cuts > > > 24 million dollars! This is the latest bad news for > the children of Saint > Paul. It is however nothing new; revenue for St. > Paul Schools and all > schools in this state have been short for more then > five years. Saint Paul > has made over $40 million in cuts in the last few > years. The central office > has made many cuts and reorganized to be more > efficient with the dollars > available and every single school has made difficult > and painful choices. > This district has cut staff and programs. There has > not been any waste in a > number of years now. > The solution to this problem is so simple it > escapes many. We need to pay > for what society demands of public education. Our > schools in this city now > service the most diverse community any where in this > country. In the time my > children have been in school we have added computer > labs, more challenging > courses to meet the needs of an ever changing and > challenging world. In this > same time the price of electricity, heating oil, and > health care have sky > rocketed. Over the past 5 years the inflation rate > has gone up about 3 > percent a year and the real dollar increase to > education in this same time > has been 1 percent per year. If we do not pay the > bill we will continue to > see deficits and cut programs. > The Saint Paul School system is very efficient and > does a great job > controlling costs. It is the largest district in the > state but its > administrative costs are in the bottom half of all > districts. This is not a > problem of bad choices or management. This is a > priority issue. Children are > our future and we either give them the tools to > succeed or they will fail us > and we will continue to fail them. The diversity of > our community means we > must offer very diverse educational choices. Instead > because of the no new > tax pledge made by those who seem only to care about > the wealthy and > business we are destroying what has always been the > back bone of our > democracy and our economy. That back bone is a > highly educated citizenry. > Are there real issues that must be dealt with in the > area of student > achievement and the achievement gap; of course. > Spending millions more on > new test alone will not fix this but this is our > current course of action in > this country. > If you feel as I do that Public Education is the > job of this state to > properly and fully fund then start writing and > organizing. Join NEAT and the > Parents United Network make it clear the future > cannot be built on the > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! 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