Percentage of students of color in US public schools: 35 Percentage of teachers of color in US public schools: 15 Percentage of male teachers in US public schools: 16 Economic benefit, per student's lifetime earnings, of a good teacher: $20,000 Economic benefit, per class, of a good teacher: $400,000 Avg. starting, and ending, salary for US teachers: $37,000; $57,000 Percentage of teachers in US who leave the profession within 5 years: 45 Cost of teacher turnover, in dollars per year, to the US economy: $7,340,000,000 Percentage of teachers in S. Korea, Singapore, and Finland, respectively, who leave the profession each year: 1, 2, 3 Rank of student achievement in S. Korea, Singapore, and Finland, respectively: 1, 2, 3
I saw a great movie last month, American Teacher, produced by author-educator-filmmaker Dave Eggers, and his partner at 826 Valencia, Ninive Calegari, that was simultaneously maddening and uplifting. The documentary spotlights five teachers, and was the latest in the education-as-movie genre to stir teachers, parents, and policy wonks in the debate over how to fix our public schools. The film was different, however, in its direct call-to-action: we need to recruit, develop, and pay our teachers more. More than any other factor - more than class size, more than technology, more than charter school autonomy - a quality teacher at the front of the classroom is the single most important factor that improves student achievement.
The movie is screening again November 21st at The Roxie in San Francisco, and I encourage all who care deeply about our students, our education system, and our future, to watch it. You may just want to join the conversation, and become a teacher yourself.
California schools comprise a large and diverse system. According to Ed Source, CA currently has more than 6.2 million students learning in about 9,800 schools across 977 districts. Our school districts range from the tiny (less than 10 students) to the unwieldy (LAUSD has 700,000 students), and charter schools are increasing rapidly (there are more than 700 CA charter schools, and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's Race to the Top initiative hopes to continue that growth). We have a million more students than Florida and New York combined (1/8 of all US students are in CA), yet the highest proportion of children with a parent without a high school diploma. Almost half of our students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, and 1/4 of our students are English Language Learners.
In California, 1/3 of our education budget comes from local revenues, while 2/3 comes from the state (in most states this is reversed). Education makes up 40% of our state budget, so when our budget is squeezed, our schools are one of the first to feel its effects. State leaders decide annually how much money should be allocated to education. Districts then decide how to spend the funds. Proposition 98 (1988) set a minimum guarantee for K-14 funding (at least 39% of state budget, which adjust for inflation and growth in normal years, and suffer along with the rest of the budget in bad years).
So how does California compare to other states in terms of resources?
CA spent $614 less per pupil than the national average in 2005-06
CA teacher salaries are high, even after adjusting for cost of living
CA has 48 teachers (national average is 64) and 2.2 principals/assistants (national average is 3.5) in a school of 1,000 students
CA has put more than $70 billion into facilities since 1988 from passing local bonds
California's education budget was about $70 billion in 2008-09. How is that carved up?
the state controls more than 80% of these funds (mostly from state General Fund and local property taxes)
the federal government contributes about 10% (primarily to low-income and special education)
the lottery provides less than 2%
the remaining 8% comes from "local miscellaneous" sources (a combination of bonds, private donations, and parcel taxes)
How did we get here? Prior to 1970, school district funds came primarily from local property taxes. In a landmark court decision, Serrano v. Priest (1971-1976) used "equal protection" to challenge the inequities caused by differences in property wealth and set revenue limits for districts. Then came Proposition 13 (1978), which set a statewide property tax rate of 1% and capped increases at 2%. This cut local property taxes in half, took control of property tax distribution and school funding, and essentially took revenue-raising ability away from local schools.
So how do we increase funding and support to our public schools? I believe through a stronger local option. This would provide:
More direct connection between taxpayers and their schools (and therefore greater willingness to support schools)
More revenues for schools without affecting other state programs
Less dependence on volatile state revenues
Greater accountability between local districts and the communities they serve
Schools are the largest single item in the state budget, and with our current fiscal crisis there appears to be no capacity or political will for providing more funds statewide. Local communities have shown a willingness to commit more resources to their schools, and local revenue options should at least be a topic - if not the central topic - in the budget reform debate.
This week I decided to test the prior Spanish knowledge of my seventh grade students by asking them to interview a partner in the language and then write a newspaper article about their subject. I didn't expect them to know how to conjugate every verb or even form complete sentences in Spanish. What I was looking for was creativity and their ability to use the book or ask questions when they needed help. Thankfully, many of them did and I enjoyed walking around the room and seeing the learning process in action.
The experience of having a foreign language class is invaluable. However, a recent article in the New York Times suggests that as schools face budget cuts, foreign language classes are among the first to go.
From the article:
"And in New Jersey, the Ridgewood district is replacing its three elementary school Spanish teachers with Rosetta Stone, an interactive computer program that cost $70,000, less than half their combined salaries."
I believe that a teacher who inspires students to learn not just the basics of Spanish but also its utility in the real world is far more beneficial than any software program. I try my hardest to tell my students that Spanish will benefit them beyond their wildest dreams in the future. I explain that in California it is vital to at least have conversational knowledge of Spanish because it will help them communicate with the growing Hispanic population. Knowing a foreign language will also give them a leg up on the competition in the global economy.
I am fortunate to teach at a school that includes foreign language in its curriculum. The unfortunate part of my job is that I do not see all of my students every day because of a rotating schedule. This makes it difficult to gauge the progress of my students. However, I make the most of it by inspiring creativity and interest in the language. I believe an assignment that tests their knowledge is a solid foundation on which to build their Spanish skills.
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