Legislature

What the President’s Budget Says about American Education

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Barack Obama

The Presidential Budget for 2015 says a great deal about President Obama’s priorities for the future of our country. As a part of a broader theme on Middle Class Economics, he devoted a significant portion of the budget to Education reform. For the full text on the President’s requests for education funding, click HERE.

Here are the bullet points:

  • $750 Million for Preschool Development Grants and a $1.5 Billion increase for Head Start Funding-both initiatives would dramatically increase funding to provide quality education to all American children as young as 3 years old.
  • $1.1 Billion increase to Title 1 Funding for low-income schools that use the money for evidence-based improvements to student outcomes.
  • $11.7 Billion for Special Education Services
  • $773 Million to provide services for English Language Learners
  • $8 Billion in funds to help recruit, train, and retain high-quality teachers.
  • $556 Million in School Improvement Grants and $125 Million in funding to develop New School Models that enact evidence-based reforms and reimagine American High Schools.
  • $375 Million in Charter School Funding
  • $300 Million in funding for research on innovation and effective practices in education.
  • And, of course, free Community College for all Americans.

This whopping sum of money might seem astronomical, but is actually a relatively small portion of the federal budget. Of course, very little of this funding will ever see the light of day. But that was never the point, was it?

I was re-watching an old episode of The West Wing the other night in which Alan Alda, who plays a Republican candidate for president, is speaking to a democratic White House staffer. He talks about the fact that the framers of the Constitution never intended for members of the United States government to trust one another. This is why they invented the system of checks and balances. The branches of government are designed to keep us from getting along and agreeing on everything. He argues that this piece of history has been the bedrock of our Nation’s strength, and I tend to agree.

If I had my way, every dime of this funding would get minted tomorrow. Of course, if I had my way, the federal government would go broke. Even if the wealthiest Americans and our Corporate partners footed their fair share of the bill (which they should), there will never be enough money to help everyone Democrats want to help. And even if there was, a Republican congress would never let us spend it all. And that’s OK. We need to have a push and pull on government spending. It’s good that no single person gets to say where we spend our money, and what our national priorities are. A legislative body that marches lockstep with one another will likely fall, like lemmings, off a cliff. The process allows room for productive debate. This Budget puts education at the forefront of that debate.

President Obama has spent much of his presidency fighting for broader access to opportunity. How that is enacted is anybody’s guess, but I think it’s a noble pursuit nonetheless. His 2015 Budget isn’t a line-item report, but rather a list of priorities to put America to work for Americans. What I see when I read his funding requests for education is a prescient point.

In the State of the Union, President Obama pointed out that, for the first time in a century (at least), a generation of Americans will not receive more education than their parents. Coupled with consistent rhetoric from employers that the incoming workforce lacks the skills and ethic they need to be productive in 21st century jobs, we see a crucial priority for our country. The way we educate our Nation’s youth isn’t working, We need to do more.

Schools will likely not see much of the money President Obama requested for education. American’s will likely not receive a free and compulsory education that extends far beyond their 18th birthday anytime soon. But we can look at ways to change the system. We can find opportunities to innovate instruction, broaden access, and deepen knowledge right now. This is how we will show state and national legislators that schools are worth the investment. Clearly, Americans are primed for a conversation on getting schools to work again. As educators, our first priority should be to get to work on schools that actually do work. The money will follow!

We’re in the money?

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Money for Kids

The opening bell rang on the 84th Texas State Legislature today. Amid some leadership elections, oath swearing, and box unpacking, the State Comptroller made a report on the Biennial Revenue estimate. That number, and it’s a big one, is the amount the Legislature uses to guide the direction of our State for the next two years.

And there’s good news!

For 2014-2015, the state can expect to have $101.4 billion in funds available for general-purpose spending. This represents a 12.4% increase from the corresponding amount of funds available for 2012-2013. * (italics added)

You heard it, Texas. 12.4% more money!!!! I’m not going to ask where the money came from, since I don’t really see much economic growth in the part of Texas where I spend my days. I’m just glad it came from somewhere.

But wait…there’s more.

In addition to the General Revenue-related funds, the state stands to collect $112 billion in federal receipts and other revenues dedicated for specific purposes…Revenue collections from all sources and for all purposes should total $208.2 billion.*

*Excerpted from the Transmittal Letter of the Texas Comptroller’s Office

Here’s the question I want answered: How are we going to spend it?

It is OUR money after all. We entrusted it with the good people in Austin when we elected them (either by voting or by not voting) into office this past year. They have from today until May to spend it. Many members of the legislature want to put it into savings. Seeing as how that money isn’t going into my savings account, I’d rather they use it to write some checks.

And here’s the first one I want you to sign…

Start Paying for Texas Schools 

Here are some more numbers for you.

According to the Texas Comptroller’s Office and The National Education Agency:

  • Enrollment in Texas Public Schools is up 9% since 2009.
  • Enrollment gains in Texas are the greatest percentage gain in the Nation
  • Texas schools educate 750,000 more students than we did in 2003

The most notable fact about these enrollment statistics is that the increase seems to be entirely made up of economically disadvantaged kids.

The number of economically disadvantaged students in Texas public schools is up 776,840 since 2003. That means that, of all the new students Texas Schools have been charged with teaching in the last decade, 105% of them live in low-income households. All of the increased enrollment our state has seen represents a population of children who’s families have the fewest resources to provide for their futures.

And what have those good people we put into office done to support Texas’ future?

The Texas State legislature has decreased district expenditures every year since 2009. Over the last 5 years, the State has cut education funding by nearly 5%. In fact, Texas ranks 45th in the Nation in per student expenditures. As a result, Texas schools find themselves teaching more kids, and more disadvantaged kids, with less money than ever.

Texas ranks 45th in the Nation in per student expenditures

So get out your checkbook, Texas. It’s time for us to put our money where our mouth is. In the recent election, our State’s children were at the forefront of the debate. In order for Texas to continue to succeed, we need a workforce of well-educated Texans. We need better schools and better access to technology. We need fewer students in each class, which means we need more teachers. We need to encourage our Nation’s best and brightest to enter the noblest profession by paying teachers a wage deserving of their hard work. The average teacher in Texas earned $38,091 last year. That’s $13,613 less than the average worker in Texas and $14,159 less than the national average. If we want kids to know that we value their future, we need to put the most outstanding Americans in charge of their education and we have to pay them a salary that shows how much we value them. We need to hold these people accountable for success while we provide them with the resources and support they need to succeed. We need to explore new ways to provide access to excellence for our State’s most valuable resource. In order to innovate, we need investment.

So it’s time to ask your representative, whether you voted for them or not, what they will do to ensure that our kids have the best teachers, the most access to quality instruction, and the greatest chance at success.

Since Texas seems to be doing better than ever, perhaps its time our State’s children get their fair share of the wealth.

To find out how to contact your State Representative, click here. And then call them, e-mail them, write them, and pay them a visit. Make your voice heard about this important issue!