Once we are done fixing iraq can we fix our schools?

[Revanche21]

saw a bumper sticker that said this

Revanche21 Reviewed by Revanche21 on 11-01-2008. Once we are done fixing iraq can we fix our schools? saw a bumper sticker that said this :) Rating: 5

[maladroit]

the us reconstruction effort has worked on over 1000 schools in iraq...on a per capita basis, that would be the equivalent of over 10,000 schools in america...if barack obama builds 200 schools in *every* state (for americans) during his administration, he would be nailed to the wall of fox news as a socialist

[thcbongman]

The US spends the 2nd most for education per capita other than Switzerland. Funding isn't the problem, it's the school systems excessive waste.

[maladroit]

US spending on education (total and per capita) is skewed upwards because salaries are comparitively higher for teachers, administrators, engineers, support staff, and janitors:
Teacher Average Salary Income - International Comparison


a better measure of comparitive spending on education is % of GDP, putting usa #45 in global ranking:
NationMaster - Public spending on education, total > % of GDP (most recent) by country

[Storm Crow]

All I can say is that last year (and for, at least, the last 8 years) there were 2 aides in my section of special ed, now there is one- me! I spent part of Thursday unstapling packets, so we could reuse the paper as scratch paper or reprint on the blank side. We are expecting to run out of paper, pencils and other supplies before the year is up. Class size is up and the number of aides is down. Parent volunteers are a thing of the past- it takes 2 incomes to survive here. We are seeing an upswing in the number of kids with special educational needs.

I don't know where all the money is going! My MONTHLY take-home pay (Oct 31) was exactly $1,104.40. My teacher makes about $3,000 a month, works her tail off (10 hour days are usual- she gets paid for 8), and then spends part on "our" kids. WE aren't getting rich by any means! About half of the last staff meeting was on the budget cuts we are facing. They are trying not to lay off any more staff. (My teacher says she'll quit if I get laid off.)

My rural northern California school is NOT rolling in the dough!


Granny :hippy:

[maladroit]

i see the same thing at my kids school...the schoolbooks are 25 years old and look like they have passed through the digestive track of an elephant, twice...the old school building has never renovated nor is it earthquake resistant...despite declining enrollment, teachers have up to 30 kids per class, usually with no assistant teacher to assist with class prep or grading...a significant number of children do not speak english and there are ZERO translators...children with developmental problems are mainstreamed...the school can't afford a bus for children who live far away or field trips (what field trips?)...camp has been reduced to every second year...the teachers are buying basic school supplies with their own money...i secretly slip paper, pencils, erasers, notebooks, and geometry kits to my daughter's teacher (he got in trouble because he's not allowed to accept supplies from individual parents because it gives his class an unfair advantage)...how are paper and pencils an unfair advantage???

meanwhile, our local and provincial and federal government instantly found $5 billion to fund the 2010 olympic games, and jumped at the international olympic committee's demand to build an underground subway from the airport to downtown, and widen the 100km two lane highway to the ski hill

makes me wanna puke!


reminds me of a funny joke i saw on tv a few weeks ago...a guy is standing at a map of the world, and waving a pointer around...he asks, "where in the world does a school teacher make less than a baseball player who plays one inning per week six months a year?"

i bet you can guess where he whacked that map!