Sunday, May 17, 2009

Education budgets

It was all over the news yesterday as I was working out at the gym. It is what gave me motivation to work hard, to get angry so that the adrenaline was pumping through my system. California was going to be taking the ax even more to the already drained education budgets. Why? Why can't the rich lawmakers take some pay cuts? Why can't they cut some other unnecessary spending? Is that what they consider the education budget to be? Unnecessary spending?

We have a program in our nation called No Child Left Behind. I am not going to get on my soapbox about THAT today because we would be here all day. I might win the record for world's longest blog post. (But do keep in mind that I think it needs to be overthrown. It is completely unrealistic.) But the issue here is that teachers are told to teach to these expectations. Schools are being required to meet AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) or they will be taken over by the government and the teachers of those schools will lose their jobs. Students are required to get 100% on tests that is IMPOSSIBLE to get 100% on ( yes, impossible...don't get me started...) and they are being required to do it 100% of the time. Now, Mr. Schwarzenegger and all of the other governors taking money away from education, tell me HOW that is supposed to happen when teachers are losing their jobs, when school districts can afford new supplies (or ANY supplies), when the school week is being cut to 4 days, and the school day is being cut in half??? Tell me HOW that is supposed to happen when districts can't afford to send teachers to conferences to keep them up to date on new technologies in the field, when schools can't afford to keep teachers in the classrooms? Schools are cutting teachers and overloading classrooms. No, Mr. Schwarzenegger and all of the other goverenors taking money away from an alread depleted educatino budget... this is NOT the answer! You can not expect perfection from a broken machine, and that is what our education system is today. A broken machine. All because of NCLB and education budgets, or rather the lack there of.

And that is why I had a great workout yesterday and the adrenaline to rip out my entire front garden, as well as take the dogs on a longggg walk. At least some good comes out of cutting education budgets...

4 comments:

ThoughtsON said...

I have several friends who are teachers. They recently cut budgets here in my county in Alabama which led to a lot of teachers being let go. Luckily, my friends still have their jobs, but many of their coworkers are now out of jobs. It's ridculous, like you said- set these unrealistic expectations then take away any tools needed to even come close to meeting them. Glad you at least got a good workout from all your frustration!

ThoughtsON said...

P.S. You have something Lovely over on my blog :)

Heather said...

They'll be cutting 14,000 teaching jobs near me. Luckily, I work at a private school, so my job is secure. Crazy times! On a happier note, I think you are a Superstar, and I have an award to prove it! :)

Brooke said...

I am a teacher and my job was cut. I loved your post.....it is all so true and unfair at the same time.