Interesting piece in the Times about a failing PA school district:
he Chester Upland School District is more than $20 million in debt, its bank account is almost empty and it cannot afford to pay teachers past the end of this month.
To make matters worse, the local charter school, with which the district must divide its financing, is suing the district over unpaid bills.
The district’s fiscal woes are the product of a toxic brew of budget cuts, mismanagement and the area’s poverty. Its problems are compounded by the Chester Community Charter School, a nonprofit institution that is managed by a for-profit company and that now educates nearly half of the district’s students.
The district sees the charter as a vampire, sucking up more than its fair share of scarce resources. The state, it says, is giving the charter priority over the district.
“It’s not competition, it’s just draining resources from the district,” said Catherine Smith, a principal at Columbus Elementary, a district school. “It’s a charter school on steroids.”
The charter says that it is also part of the public school system and that the district, its primary source of financing, has not paid it anything since last spring. The state has taken over payments, but even those are late, it says.
Chester may be a harbinger of fiscal decline. At least six other Pennsylvania school districts are bordering on insolvency, according to State Representative Joseph F. Markosek, the Democratic chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
Chester’s troubles also show just how deeply budget cuts bite in poor districts. With a median household income of $26,000, just half of the state median, Chester has one of the state’s most meager tax bases. State financing makes up about 70 percent of its budget. For comparison, nearby Radnor Township, with a median household income of $85,000, draws just 10 percent of its school budget from state money, according to a town spokesman. The largest share is real estate taxes, at 83 percent.
“Poor schools in this state are underfunded,” said Thomas Persing, acting deputy superintendent for the Chester Upland district. “Poor kids aren’t going to get the same shot as wealthy kids. That’s the society we are in now.”
But the district has been troubled for years. The state took over its finances in 1994 but has since handed control back to the community. Five state administrations, including the current one of Gov. Tom Corbett, a Republican, have been unable to fix the district. Budget cuts may be painful, the state argues, but they are not the root of the district’s problems.
Of course budget cuts aren’t the “root of the problem.” The root of the problem is the asinine way we fund schools with property taxes, so that poor communities with low real estate values are constantly struggling to find funding. Then recognize that additional funding for schools comes in the form of levy’s, leaving school districts constantly wondering about the whims of voters and whether or not they will be able to count on that money. Add on some charter schools run by for profit organizations, and you have a disaster. That’s the root of the problem.
For a society that loves to claim it supports education, we have some really stupid ways of showing it.
JPL
Property taxes are a dumb way to support schools.
Samara Morgan
Charter schools and private schools are just the 21st century version of segregation academies. They segregate on SES.
Ten years ago, America was 3rd in science and 4th in math in global rank.
Today America is 25th in science and 30th in math.
The problem with NCLB is that the rest of the world wont take americas tests.
Having failed to make all America’s children above average, conservatives are now intent on making all America’s teachers above average.
That is just as impossible, but that is what that Epic Assclown Kain advocated continuously.
Right Levenson?
Cassidy
“But, but, but…you can’t take my money and give it to them poor, colored people! That’s not fair.”
JPL
Before Perot ran for office, he did try to change the way schools were funded in TX.
The President is on.
RossInDetroit
When the economy dips, a school millage hasn’t got a chance. Empty-nesters and retirees feel like they’re paying for nothing and they vote against any tax in large numbers. Parents of school age kids are too busy to organize effectively. Even for desperately needed funds there’s a built in contrary bias in any election.
GregB
The other cynical and monstrous aspect of the whole charter school issue is the fact that wingnuts have no problem whatsoever forking over money to pay for charter schools yet they shriek that money going to public schools is socialism.
kdaug
Privatized schools, privatized roads, privatized military, privatized healthcare, privatized prisons.
Are there no commons? Nothing that we have that somebody can’t aim to make money off of?
Mino
I’m afraid that we won’t be able to put the genie back in the bottle. Public schools are dinos. Brick and mortar schools are too expensive for us to keeep funding, I guess.
JPL
States should develop a climate of excellence. I was raised in no. central MA in a factory town. The one thing everyone agreed on is educating their children. You don’t see that attitude as much in GA especially in the rural communities.
MattF
Well, property taxes are the main source of money for all local services– schools, libraries, police, fire, infrastructure, housing subsidies, and what-have-you. This leads in turn to all sorts of local policy preferences– economists often blame suburban sprawl on quick-buck developers and cheap land, but it’s also a moneymaker for local governments.
existential fish
Thurgood Marshall pawned this problem way back in 1973
Scroll down here to Marshall’s dissent. Just really, really good.
Villago Delenda Est
Educated masses are masses that ask questions about wealth disparities and taxpayer subsidies for bankster thieves.
Therefore, we should not have educated masses.
Comrade Mary
@JPL: The President is on what? About what? Streaming where (if anyone knows)?
Phil Perspective
@kdaug: Sadly, no!! Just look at a lot of supposed Democrats(like Rahmbo .. and his predecessor as Mayor of Chicago) .. The GOP aren’t the only ones that want to privatize everything in sight
Phil Perspective
@MattF: Don’t forget that the developers also grease the palms of said local officials as well.
kdaug
@Villago Delenda Est:
Ah, but there’s the rub. Educated != smart.
And there’s a rumbling from below.
“Romney? No fucking way!”
existential fish
@efgoldman:
The big federal case is San Antonio ISD v. Rodriguez from 1973. That said that using property taxes does not violate the Equal Protection clause (Marshalls dissent there is all kinds of awesome though).
What you are thinking of is a state case – a lot of state constitutions have a higher bar for school funding that merely equal protection. You can read more about that here.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@JPL: He also introduced the testing requirements for graduation and “no pass, no play.” Where do you think GWB got his idea for NCLB.
Not that I think all of his ideas were bad, especially ending promoting kids who don’t understand what they’re supposed to.
MariedeGournay
@RossInDetroit: Exactly the way things were in my home town. The large senior population refused to pass any referendum for building or even refurbishing 50-year-old school buildings. “My kids don’t go there, why should I pay” was the common mantra. Got so bad that young families are leaving in droves and the mill rate is going up anyway. They couldn’t get it through their thick, selfish heads that having good schools actually increases the tax base over time.
The Snarxist Formerly Known As Kryptik
Ahhh, Charter Schools, the greatest example of what passes for modern business innovation these days. It’s little wonder how, we haven’t simply privatized everything with how brilliant Charter Schools are going.
Hungry Joe
There’s so much money in public education that it was only a matter of time before corporations tried to get their snouts into it, and damned if we haven’t let them. Madness. And in a civilized country, every school would get equal funding; there’s no good reason why it should be otherwise, and yet, and yet …
My pills. Hurry.
JPL
@Comrade Mary: Sorry, I didn’t refresh the comments. He was on the pregame show. Most of the discussion was on Iran and the economy. Lauer did ask if the girls thought Brady was cute though. Lauer was going to continue interviewing the President and show it tomorrow on the Today show.
JPL
@Belafon (formerly anonevent): One reason it didn’t work was the wealthy districts just accessed an extra $100.00 from each homeowner. In fairness though when I lived in Dallas in the early eighties, there were pockets of really good schools.
Exurban Mom
I live in a relatively wealthy community.
The tea party puts up signs stating “Give Me Liberty, Not Taxes” whenever there’s a levy on the ballot.
We haven’t had new operating money in 8 years. We’ve cut everything to the bone. Pretty soon, the really tough choices will need to be made (get rid of gym at the elementary level? And art and music).
We need a new solution. And we need a new commitment to educating our youth.
JPL
@Exurban Mom: Awhile back I read an article about life in Mexico with all the violence. The wealthy hire their own security and don’t feel like they need to pay additional taxes to fund a better police force. How long will it be before we head down that path?
Democracy means for the common good and I so wish someone would run on that theme.
ornery_curmudgeon
Ok, we spend and have been spending billions of dollars a month on military wars.
Meanwhile we can’t afford schools. Boston’s subways got to be cut cut cut … no space program and soon, huge cuts to the Post Office. It’s almost enough to–
oh, sorry, there’s a game on.
Roger Moore
@Cassidy:
This. The real root of the problem is that too many rich and middle class white people are willing to write off the poor minorities who live in those districts. Everything, from the crazy way we fund schools to the creation of charters is a symptom of that fundamental lack of caring.
JGabriel
John Cole:
Even when I was a kid, and continuing into college age, our support, as a society, for education sucked. And, in my lifetime, our support has only gotten worse — like our incomes in relation to our productivity — year after year.
It is a national embarrassment, a national shame, and a national tragedy.
.
MikeJ
@JPL: Fire fighters in King County, WA are not taking their agreed upon cost of living increase for the second straight year, out of fear that if they were paid the way they’re supposed to be there wouldn’t be enough money to pay an adequate number of fire fighters.
WereBear (itouch)
This lack of money is because the very rich don’t want to pay their share. Remind people.
cathyx
I used to live on that side of the state. It definitely is a very poor, mostly black, district.
JGabriel
Roger Moore:
Frankly, most suburban and rural schools with poor and lower middle class to middle class whites are just as badly, or nearly so, written off.
Out national ability to financially support education has eroded with our stagnating wages and lowered taxes. As WereBear (itouch) points out, the lack of money is because the very rich don’t pay their fair share — of taxes, of salaries, etc. Minorities get hit harder, or more frequently, but it’s not just minorities getting hit.
.
Comrade Mary
@JPL: Ah, thanks. Nothing I was going to watch anyway :-)
JPL
@MikeJ: Libertarians suck!
rikyrah
Video- Romney: I Won’t Bribe Voters With Handouts Like Obama Does
livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/romney-i-wont-bribe-voters-with-handouts-like
RossInDetroit
@rikyrah:
Well, he’s 99% correct. Rmoney will only offer bigger checks and more benefits to the 1%. For the rest it’ll be less of everything.
MikeJ
@JPL: Yes they do.
Maude
@RossInDetroit:
Helping people who need it is no good according to Romney. It should go to corporate entities and Wall Street. Wonder if he’ll start on privatize Social Security for the betterment of all.
Cassidy
@Exurban Mom: Sounds like Colorado Springs.
Mister Papercut
You know what would fix this? Vouchers. Don’t ask me how, they just will.
slag
@rikyrah: Romney 2012: He’ll do nothing to help you!
pat
Cain
@kdaug:
Nope, everything is for sale. That’s why all this copyright crap is so much bullshit. The media companies want us to pay for everything. There will be no common culture at all. No songs you can freely sing along to. Nothing. In 200 years, you won’t be able to even look at the culture as it was today.
Triassic Sands
@GregB:
Advocates of charter schools want them to succeed at any cost — including destruction of the public school system. In fact, for many advocates, I suspect the charter school is the Trojan Horse for killing the public school system. I wouldn’t be surprised if charter schools turn out to be merely a stepping stone to privatization of our schools. That’s a horrible thought.
kwallio
Ever since desegregation there has been a push for govt funding of non-public schools that can be selective about who they let in. First it was govt funding of parochial schools, which didn’t work on separation of church and state grounds, then vouchers, which no one wanted. Now its charter schools, but its the same old song and dance in a fancy new dress.
Conservatives have been after public schools for AGES, its only now beginning to bear fruit.
Nancy Irving
“a nonprofit institution that is managed by a for-profit company” –
Every institution in America is dying at the hands of professional “managers.” The public school folks are right to characterize them as vampires.
jcgrim
Bush’s No Child Left Behind and Obama’s Race to the Top are from the same neoliberal playbook. The money came with tight strings attached to double the number charter schools,enact invalid teacher evaluations,allow privately managed school systems by abolishing school boards, and decoupling teacher education from universities (TFA and Online teacher ‘training”)
Our taxes are enriching tech, publishing and, testing corporations by privatizing and outsourcing public schools, particularly poor inner city schools, to Jeb Bush, Michelle Rhee, Rupert Murdoch, Michael Miliken, and astroturf cronies:
education-radio.blogspot.com/2011/11/educational-technology-tool-for.html
education-radio.blogspot.com/2011/12/stand-for-children-or-stand-for-profit_16.html?mid=558
Duncan’s DOE is staffed to the gills with Gates Foundation vampires (btw, Gates Foundation gave a half a million dollars to ALEC to fund more corporate friendly education legislation)
dissentmagazine.org/article/?article=3933
We are selling off the public schools to the same vampires who stole our national wealth under the guise of saving poor kids.
jcgrim
Here’s another corrupt contract and a gamed grant our gaultian overlords claim will close the manufactured “achievement gap”.
Check out what these profiteers promise in their PR and what they actually do with students:
nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/