Prioritizing spending on our schools
San Diego public schools once again face an economic crisis. Is public education woefully underfunded, or are we spending our money the wrong way? Both are true. California ranks a shameful 47th in per-pupil spending, but increasing the funding would not automatically raise achievement. We need to get our fair share of tax dollars, but we also need to spend them wisely.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently singled out San Diego Unified to get its act together after years of missteps. As a newly elected trustee on the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education, I take this challenge very seriously.
As one of the nation’s largest districts, our first challenge has been to make sure that our voice is heard in Sacramento and Washington. Our advocacy efforts regarding the rules for distributing stimulus dollars have resulted in millions more than we would have otherwise received.
Every part of our society is dealing with the economic downturn. In education, we must also tighten our belts. Understanding a $1.2 billion budget means asking lots of questions. A recently leaked administrative memo encouraged district staff to come to the new board’s meetings prepared to answer questions. “They do not like vague responses.”
We must not stop asking questions: Can we eliminate most outside consultants? Do we need so many supervisors? How do we end ineffective programs? Do we need to support the textbook industry by purchasing new books so often?
Taking on an entrenched bureaucracy is no small challenge, but that is exactly what the school board must do. Last minute state cuts forced us to rapidly propose a Draconian preliminary budget in March. Now is the time to deliberate and decide on spending priorities.
A very simplistic solution to the budget shortfall of $147 million would have been to issue layoff notices to about 2,000 teachers. That would be one out of four teachers. It would balance the budget, but kids would lose teachers from every academic program. Would we break down walls in high school to accommodate huge classes? With fewer teachers would we rotate elementary kids through a half-day recess?
Cutting school staff is not the way to balance our budget. There are better ways. Increasing daily attendance by just one-half-of-one percent would raise revenues by $3 million and raise student achievement. Consolidating district purchasing contracts would save millions more. We have asked, and we must continually ask, “What do we absolutely need in central administration to keep our schools open and what can we do without?”
Proposition S gives us the chance to enhance learning in the classroom with 21st-century technology. Proper technology would also lower our administrative costs. Besides completing Proposition S projects on time and on budget, we need to make sure that we hire local workers and create future job opportunities for our students. As a responsible employer in the community, we must also insist on basic standards, such as health insurance for all workers.
Finally, for a successful district, we need to return control to our local communities. With a centrally controlled district and students riding buses in every direction, we have lost the connection between neighborhood and school.