Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett has preached a formula that warms the hearts of the far-right base of his party: Tax cuts for the big corporations, budget cuts for public schools and social services. Some districts in Pennsylvania are planning to eliminate kindergarten, and some are teetering into bankruptcy.
The only positive outcome is that Corbett’s poll numbers have dropped to 36% approval, and there is a chance that his party will lose its control of the Legislature.
Are voters in Pennsylvania beginning to understand the harm done to their children and communities by the policies of politicians like Corbett?
Our society cannot continue to fatten the fat calves while starving the herd.
We can’t continue to promulgate policies that benefit the wealthiest while impoverishing our essential public services or giving them away to profiteers.
Diane
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Socialist!!!-HA HA!!!
Short answer social studies standardized test question:
The fact is that the economy grew the most and benefited the most people from the end of WW2 to the end of the 70’s when we had a more progressive tax rate, up to 90% under Eisenhower. In WW2 Roosevelt put in place a 99% tax rate on the war industries because he believed it was immoral to make a profit off of the war. O were we to do so today!! The manufacturers of death and destruction are making a killing in more ways than one and if you don’t think that doesn’t effect our public schools you need to get your head out of _______________.
LikeLike
I understand the pressure that big businesses put on governing officials. Their contributions are what pay for their elections and politicians constantly feel the pressure to keep these constituents pleased. At the same time, this obligation should not have an effect on issues like education and other important decisions that effect American citizens. What good does Governor Corbitt think will come from cutting Kindergarten. This is a time for kids to practice basic skills and work on socializing with others. America is in a constant race with other countries to have the best education and this will only put us farther behind. I am proud to see that Pennsylvanians are not backing this decision and showing this disapproval. When will big business and politicians see that a better education equals a stronger economy. Unemployment in people who did not pass high school is 7.1% while unemployment in graduate students is only 2.2%. When people are educated and able to get a job, unemployment goes down, people are working, they pay more taxes and our economy is stimulated. If our government wants to stop our economic crisis, they need to look at these poor decisions like cutting Kindergarten and understand what implications these choices will have on our future economy.
LikeLike
My kids have been in Catholic schools their entire life. When I look at the WASTE in public education, I can’t muster up sympathy for budget cuts. When I see our teachers cutting the grass and doing things public school teachers wouldn’t dream of doing, I can’t muster up sympathy for budget cuts.
I see public school Administrators making 6 figure salaries who can’t figure out how to handle a bully. I see Curriculum Coordinators making 6 figure salaries and choosing fuzzy math books which continually fail students.
I see Superintendents adopt every failed fad like Constructivism, real world learning, group learning aka…lessons in collectivism, it’s hard for me to muster up sympathy for budget cuts.
When I see my tax dollars used on books that are pure garbage or that push radical political propaganda on students, budget cuts really do not bother me.
Sorry, but I would hope Diane, that you would focus on what needs to be fixed (materials/textbooks and teacher training) instead of beating the drums of MORE MONEY FOR schools which has done nothing to improve the quality of education for the last several years.
When I look at the quality in the staff and the quality in the materials in parochial schools, it’s obvious that a quality education can be offered at a reasonable price.
LikeLike
Three weeks ago the teachers and parents at my Title I school met on a Saturday morning and spent the day weeding, mulching, planting, and cleaning up the ground. We’ve done so for that last 5 years because there is no money in the budget for groundskeeping anymore.
My district has seen approximately 43% of its operating budget cut by the state in the last 6 years. Unlike parochial schools we have fixed costs mandated by the federal and state governments that we must pay no matter what our budget it, including maintaining full services for ELL and ESE students and teachers/staff that are specially trained and licensed in those areas.
We must pay for transportation for every student including bus repairs, insurance, and gasoline. We must pay for electricity, water, insurance and building maintenance to state and federal approved contractors at pre negotiated fixed prices. We must provide breakfast and lunch for every student and pay personnel to maintain the cafeteria. We must, by state law, purchase new textbooks and materials on a yearly schedule that have been pre-approved by the conservative Republican state dept. of education and legislature regardless of cost and with no additional funding. We must maintain and submit to the state and federal government detailed data and reports on every students that qualifies for Title I funding, soon to be RTTT in addition to the ESOL and ESE student data and we must pay qualified personnel to maintain and submit these records. We must pay to transport students to their school of choice and send the per pupil allocation with them. We must offer after school tutoring through groups we have no input with or control over yet we pay the utility and personnel costs to keep the buildings open and safe.
After all of these other expenses are met then teachers get paid. I have not had a raise in 7 years. I now pay 300% more for insurance than I paid when I was hired 11 years ago by this district. With 15 years of credited experience I now have a grand total of $2,750 my state pension fund, half of which I have paid myself. I have taken an actual pay cut for the last 3 years at the same time that the state and federal government have ramped up the requirements for me to meet in my job. I have paid thousands of dollars to further my education and receive National Board Certification but I receive not one cent of extra compensation for any of this. Each school year I spend about $2,500 of my own money to provide school supplies, classroom library books, writing paper, and lunches for my kids whose families can’t afford it.
During all of this time I have seen my tax dollars spent for waging illegal and immoral wars in 3 different places around the world, bailing out Wall Street bankers from their gambling debts as they crashed the world’s economy, given to religious institutions that are unable to acknowledge that people to don’t subscribe to their particular beliefs deserve equal and fair treatment under the law that is in no way tied to religious beliefs, and otherwise spent in ways that I personally object to.
Yet I look forward to starting my 16th year teaching children how to read and write, add and subtract, wonder at a spider or a toad, and how to get along with others and accomplish good things together. I receive hatred and approbation from members of the public who spout rightwing talking points that have no basis in fact or reality but come straight from the corporate/political movement that seeks to unemployed me, scapegoat me, revile and shame me, and destroy my very profession. I played by the rules, rules made my others, always, and now those others are attempting to change the rules mid game and yet I adapt and keep focusing on the children. I am one of millions of America’s public school teachers and I am proud, unashamed, and no longer willing to be silent.
LikeLike
I know many people who have their children or grandchildren in Catholic schools. As parents part of their responsibility and contract to their child’s education is to put so many volunteer hours in per student at their school. Public schools do not have that option. I have often wished they did. It might help parents understand what a teacher’s role is and what is needed to operate a school .
About textbooks, what religious “propaganda” is in the books your schools use?
I hope you do have quality staff at your school. Every school should have top notch teachers. How much are you willing to pay them and what benefits do you provide other than students whose parents are willing to give lot of money to the church.
You seem to have disdain for public education in general. I’ve read you comments before. That’s sad!
?
LikeLike
Disdain?? No, I’d LOVE to see parents have options. I’d LOVE to see children have the same opportunities that other kids have whose parents can afford a quality education for their children. If that’s the public school, bravo and I’m fully supportive. However if the public schools do not offer that, then parents should have a choice. It’s THEIR money, and it’s THEIR children. I can’t figure out why parents cannot spend THEIR tax dollars on THEIR children the way they see fit.
We have school choice. It’s not perfect, but I’m fully grateful that we can afford school choice for our kids. It’s pathetic that the Education Establishment/Mafia works against that for other parents/ children.
LikeLike
Well the Govt. who has the power can dictate and mandate how you are to operate. That’s what happens when you give them the power.
I can’t figure out why everyone complains about budget cuts and the mandates when these are the people who control public ed.
IF you don’t like it, work to get the State/Feds out of the classroom and return control to the local community.
Any propaganda in a private school would be something a parent CHOOSES. It’s not forced upon them.
LikeLike
The other great thing about private schools is you can keep your children away from the poor kids, the minorities, and the disabled.
LikeLike
Clearly you’ve never been to a Catholic school where there is a goal of accepting students how cannot afford the tuition, students who are refugees and those they can serve who are disabled.
I will say this, sometimes they do not have the resources to serve the disabled children and it’s the parents who normally choose to pull their children out of Catholic schools. It’s not because they do not want to educate them.
I happen to live in the richest district in our state. However I send my children to the city Catholic school with far more diversity then they’d get in our suburban public school.
I appreciate that there are Hatian refugees attending school with them. I appreciate the disabled children that they’ve gone to school with where their Christian upbringing came in handy when they, instead of bullying them, reached out to them as a Christian brother/sister.
I appreciate that I have “choice” for my children in education and can’t figure out why this is not available to families who cannot afford it.
My preference would be that all children were afforded the best education available. If that’s the public schools, that would be great. If not, open that option up to those who can’t afford it.
Your assumptions are completely off base.
LikeLike
In western Ny, Catholic school teachers make about 18,000 thousand dollars per year. They work hard, and the kids do well on the invalid and unreliable tests that are used by politicians to make points for their next election.
That salary is also what cashiers make in the local supermarkets around here.
I think it is appalling, unjust, and immoral to take advantage of certified teachers by paying them a wage that is barely above the poverty line.
Pe haps you parents should be cutting the teacher’s lawns, and paying more tuition so your children’s teachers will be paid “…a fair days’s pay for a fair day’s work” as per Pius the XIII.
LikeLike
Invalid tests? My kids take the Terra Nova which is a far better measurement of proficiency than our so called state standardized test where kids can use calculators!!
Our teachers are not subjected to the crap they get in public schools. In fact our teachers love working in the Catholic schools because they get…drumroll….AUTONOMY!! They get to TEACH. (the aren’t forced to be facilitators/babysitters) They get to have input on the textbooks and aren’t forced to use fuzzy math books.
This is why Catholic schools can attract some of the best teachers out there. The public schools have driven them out.
Sometimes happiness is more important than a paycheck. Sometimes enjoying their time at work is more important?
Sadly, this is what I wish was happening in public education. I wish that the teachers’ opinions and expertise were valued.
But you put a price tag on value, where I think their value is expressed in other ways.
Ways like looking to teachers for input. Allowing THEM to decide if the text book is lousy. Allowing them to decide if they should TEACH instead of facilitate. Allowing THEM to decide if “communication” is a skill to focus on or not.
All I hear from this blog is about $$$$$$ $$$$$ $$$$$
I joined the blog about a week ago and the focus is on $$$$$ This is why so many parents have turned off to the teachers unions. The focus is no longer on quality education and analyzing why we can’t seem to get that in public education. The focus is on $$$$.
Until the unions start focusing on what works and what doesn’t work for the CHILDREN, may parents will turn a deaf ear.
Education is FOR the CHILDREN. Until that becomes the focus, you will be wasting your time.
LikeLike
“18 thousand” not 18,000 thousand.
sorry 😦
Peg
LikeLike