|
Ways to reform the education system: Transparency in Education Budgeting Special Needs and Low Income Scholarhsip Tax Credits Alternate Routes for Teacher Certification
|
 |
Parental School ChoiceQ: What Does Parental Choice Mean? A: The term “parental choice” means giving parents the power and opportunity to choose the school their child will attend. Traditionally, children are assigned to a public school according to where they live. People of means already have school choice, because they can afford to move to an area with a better school district or choose a private school. Parents without such means, until recently, generally had no choice of school, and had to send their child to the school assigned to them by the district, regardless of the school’s quality or appropriateness for their child.
Q: What Kinds of Parental Choice Exist Today? A: Private scholarship programs provide opportunities for quality education where none existed before by making the excellence of the private sector available to families of lower socioeconomic status. Charter schools provide unique services, or deliver services in ways that the traditional public schools do not offer. They provide an alternative to the cookie-cutter district school model. They survive–and succeed–because they operate on the principles of choice, accountability and autonomy not readily found in traditional public schools. Full parental choice programs grant parents with a portion of the public educational funding allotted for their child to attend school, allowing them to use those funds to attend the school of their choice.
Q: Does Parental Choice Drain Money from Public Schools? A: No. According to the recent state audit of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, “During the period in which the Choice program has been funded Milwaukee Public Schools experienced a net increase in both equalization aid and total state aids.” Further, since the start of the program public school enrollment in Milwaukee rose 8%, spending rose 29% and state aid to Milwaukee public schools increased 55%. In Cleveland, public schools still receive per-pupil funds for students enrolled in the city’s scholarship program.
Q: Is parental choice Popular? A: Yes. The polling results are uncontestable. Parents, particularly public school parents, support choice in educating their children. Far from being a white, conservative issue, parental choice is supported by a broad spectrum of people and groups, including Democrats, Republicans, teachers, minority activists, business leaders, and school board members. According to the annual Gallup/Phi Delta Kappa Poll:
According to the 1999 National Opinion Poll conducted for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies:
Perhaps the best indicators of popular support for parental choice come from polls in Wisconsin and Ohio, and from teachers in Milwaukee and Cleveland.
Q: Don’t Choice Programs Just “Cream” the Best Students? A: No. By measurement of student academic progress, parental involvement, constituent satisfaction and public school reaction to competition, studies show that choice programs do succeed, not by “creaming,” but by providing quality education to all students. Consider:
Q: Don’t These Programs Just Help Rich People, as Tuition Subsidies, and Leave the Poor Behind? A: Parental choice programs are aimed at serving those least served now. The two modern programs in Milwaukee and Cleveland help poor and needy children. In Cleveland, students from low-income families received larger scholarships.
Q: Are Choice Scholarships Programs Constitutional? A: Yes. The strongest critics of choice scholarship programs claim that if dollars are used for religiously affiliated schools then they violate the First Amendment (establishment of religion). Choice scholarship programs let parents choose where to direct their children’s education funds. The state is not imposing religion upon its citizens (which was a concern of the Founding Fathers), nor does the choice of religious education substantiate federal funding or religious institutions.
Q: Wouldn’t it Be Better To Put More Money Into the Existing School System Instead? A: The “money” issue is politically charged and requires careful consideration. In the last few decades, spending on K-12 public education has grown substantially without improving academic accomplishment. While money is important, America’s educational course over the last few decades shows that “more money” is not the solution to our educational problems.
Charter SchoolsQ: What is a charter school? A: According to the Missouri Charter Public School Association, a charter school is a public school that is organized differently than traditional district public schools. A charter public school is governed by an independent school board whose only focus and responsibility is that particular school. This allows charter schools to be hyper-responsive to the needs of students and families enrolled in them. In exchange for this independence and freedom, charter schools operate under contracts (or “charters”) that allow them to be closed or replaced for failing to reach specific academic and non-academic goals, or for failing to operate in a responsible manner. Charter schools are public schools, are free and open to all students in the districts where they operate, and are accountable for specific results.
Q: What is the difference between a regular public school and a charter school? A: Students choose to attend charter schools rather than being assigned to a school by a school district. Administrators, teachers and students have more decision making power within the school because they operate outside of the regulations that are placed on many traditional public schools. These schools are held accountable by their charter for academic results rather than being held accountable to rules and regulations set forth by the school district.
A: No. Charter schools add competition to the current district school system. Many administrators and teachers in traditional public schools are beginning to turn to charter schools for examples of “best-practices” regarding curriculum, staffing and teacher retention. The best practices are found through the necessity to survive, as a charter school will be closed if it is failing the attending students.
A: As a public school, charter schools should receive the same type and amount of funding as any other public school in their district. Unfortunately, this is not usually the case. In many cases school districts shortchange charter schools when passing on federal and state funding, by deducting administrative fees or controlling special education and other federal program dollars. According to The Center for Education Reform, charter schools across the United States are funded at 61 percent of their district counterparts, averaging $6,585 per pupil compared to $10,771 per pupil at conventional district public schools.
Performance Pay for TeachersQ: What is Performance Pay? A: Performance pay is paying teachers based on their effectiveness as teachers, not based on the number of years worked or the degrees that have earned. The interest is such a system stems from the fact some teachers are simply more effective in raising student achievement. Allowing Missouri teachers to be paid based on merit or performance will encourage all teachers to either increase their teaching skills or exit the field. It will also encourage people to enter the teaching career knowing they have a chance to be paid based on their ability, not other factors. Some versions encourage schools to work together to see bonuses while others are focused more on individual teachers.
A: There are several versions of merit pay being implementing across the country. Currently, 30 out of the 50 states have passed legislation requiring some form of performance pay for teachers. There are four common forms of performance pay:
Transparency in Education BudgetingQ: Why is transparency in the state’s education budget important? A:Missouri currently spends more than the nation’s average on per K-12 pupil spending. However, we have not seen student achievement or graduation rates increase. It is important to know where our tax dollars are being spent and why they are not being spent effectively.
Special Needs and Low Income Scholarship Tax CreditsQ: How can education reform help special needs children? A: Special needs children can face harder obstacles in education than other children. Unfortunately, not every school is equipped to handle the needs of a special needs child. Many states have passed legislation that try to alleviate or fix some of the problems with educating special needs children.
A: Many low income families are trapped in sub-standard school districts that are unaccredited or are in danger of losing accreditation. The scholarships allow students in these schools to transfer to schools that are successfully teaching children, which will change the child’s family tree through education.
A: Scholarship tax credits are ways children can attend other schools without the money coming directly out of the state budget. Individuals or corporations donate money into a scholarship granting organization (SGOs) and then receive a tax credit. The SGOs will then award these scholarships to students based on the specific requirements. There are variety types of scholarship tax credits.
Q: What types of scholarship tax credits are there? A: There are a variety of ways tax credits can be used to grant scholarships for students: Scholarships for low-income students, scholarships for special needs students, scholarships for any student, corporate tax credits, individual tax credits, etc. “Debunking a Special Education Myth”
A: Several states including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Ohio and Utah have recognized the need for specialized education options for special needs children. These options benefit not only special needs children, but those who are in regular classes as well due to increased attention to their education.
Alternative Routes for Teacher CertificationQ: Why are alternate routes for teacher certification important? A: Previously to the 2008 legislative session, the system to receiving teacher certification was quite strict. Missouri has been facing a teacher shortage across the state. This new law, SB 1066 will help offset this shortage and bring effective teachers into the classrooms. A teacher will now be able to receive certification through the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE), a non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. There are several restrictions in place, but it will allow working professionals the opportunity to teach without having to leave their current jobs to get certified. |
