Defining Insanity
To recap, South Carolina’s public schools received a billion dollars in new state money over the previous four years, less than half of which went to the classrooms and $700 million of which was squirreled away in reserve funds horded by district leaders.
Meanwhile, the number of high-priced bureaucrats at the State Ministry of Failure and Non-Competition has tripled, while local educrats and school board members are purchasing putting greens for their private Country Clubs with taxpayer dollars.
And of course, the whole time our state’s graduation rate has remained the nation’s worst and our test scores have continued to fall further behind the rest of the country while our black children have continued to fall further behind our already falling-behind white children.
Yeah … quite a pretty picture, isn’t it?
But relax … it’s nothing that giving another billion dollars to the same people who’ve produced these ridiculously sh*tty results won’t fix …
From the Greenville News:
South Carolina’s education system could be in line for nearly $1 billion from the economic stimulus plan approved by the U.S. House of Representatives this week, including $627 million for K-12 school construction, programs for needy students and special education, according to estimates from Congressional Research Office.
Greenville County Schools, the state’s largest district, could get an estimated $54.9 million over two years, if the legislation goes through as written, House documents show.
You gotta just shake your head, people, particularly seeing as Greenville County Schools had a $52.5 million surplus, the last time we checked.
It’s amazing, isn’t it?
That a “stimulus package” has come to be defined as bailing out bureaucracies that have been secretly pocketing millions while failing to do the job we paid them to do.
Welcome to your “economic rescue,” America, where “change we can believe” in apparently means more of the same insanity that’s kept our kids failing at a record, increasingly expensive clip for decades now.
Comments
By Clair on January 31st, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Amen Brother! Keep preaching.
Will, you are a treasure… thanks for all you do. I know the arrows must sometimes be painful…so please keep at this and don’t let them stop you.
By James the Foot Soldier on January 31st, 2009 at 2:14 pm
What’s amazing is the State Superintendent is pushing legislation to allow school districs to furlough its employees all the while districts refuse to tap into the slush funds that if not for THIS rainy day then what rainier day would they EVER be used?
Furloughs are just the lazy educrats and bureacrats way to balance a budget on the backs of its workers rather than actually making a tough decision to get rid of some of the dead weight that is inherent in ANY and ALL bureaucracies. Yes, even in a precious school.
By Nope on January 31st, 2009 at 2:54 pm
You always say that less than half of education funding reaches the classroom as if it were perfectly true, when you know perfectly well it isn’t.
Since you said it again, I’ll correct it again. In the first place, WAY more than half of education funding is used directly for teacher salaries. Several percent more is for classroom materials. And the GREAT majority of the rest supports students just as directly, but in other ways — libraries, guidance counselors, computers, athletic programs, cafeterias, food and transportation.
Sure, districts have reserves. If they didn’t, and the budget crisis hit, you’d be criticizing them for not anticipating the sales tax decrease and saving for a rainy day.
The golf course — well, that’s a bad decision.
When I read rants like this, I always wonder how much of the rest of what you write is just as blithely untrue. I guess I should just assume it is.
By BIN News Editorial Staff on January 31st, 2009 at 2:57 pm
sic(k) willie,
If you took up golf would you be a slicer or a hooker? It is hard to tell.
Sometimes you start left and go right. Sometimes you start right and go left. Clearly, like a f@rt, you go the way the wind is blowing.
And money from SCRG and Howie’s other carpet-buggers adds to your stink.
You claim only half of education money goes to classrooms. Everyone knows that is a lie. Only the unwashed still believe that f@rt in the wind.
School districts that can afford it have maintained reserves allowed by the law. They are legal. They demonstrate fiscal responsibility.
Only a carpet-bugger or a “hooker” paid by SCRG and Howie the money-monger would attack schools for being responsible with their money.
willie, you know the real issues facing public education include poverty, latent racism and the host of social ills that come with them. Add to that the shameful “minimally adequate” standard. You know Howie’s voucher scam would only leave those who need help the most even further behind.
sic(k) willie, you need a hobby. We would suggest golf, but you probably are not able to afford the green fee. Try putt-putt. It’s your speed.
Slammin’Sammy Snead
Contributing Editor
BIN News Editorial Staff
Flair and Balanced
By Good Bye Minimally Adequate on January 31st, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Districts that can afford reserve funds are using them responsibly to educate children. They are not wasting taxpayer money.
They are using those funds to keep essential programs operating, to keep teachers teaching and to keep kids learning.
sic(k) willie’s allegations to the contrary betray the fact that he is bought and paid for by SCRG and Howie’s other carpet-buggers.
By baker on January 31st, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Nope is right on target with that sketchy claim about how much money does or does not reach the classroom. But I guess people who make their living propaganda figure that if you say something over and over and over, whether it’s truthful or not, it seems to stick.
By ethel krabitz on January 31st, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Don’t you see, as long as the students underachieve and continue to fail, the educrats maintain the status quo, and thus keep all of their made-up, ludicrously overpaid jobs. The state and district level bureaucrats are not the least bit interested in student achievment, if they were they might pick one or two acdemic ideas/programs and STICK WITH THEM long enough for results to show improvement. No, they are interested only in keeping their jobs, and making teachers look shitty to divert attention from themselves.
By BIN News Editorial Staff on January 31st, 2009 at 3:23 pm
sic(k) willie,
You are avoiding the real issue. When are you going to give us details and facts about your claim of a SLED “beat down squad”? We are waiting.
BIN News Editorial Staff
By fitsnews on January 31st, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Baker-
“Saying things over and over and over, whether it’s truthful or not …”
Hmmmm … you mean like saying more money’s going to fix the problem?
-FITS
By Chris on January 31st, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Reading the story (which I mostly agree with) and then reading the comments I have to wonder how people that left comments have actually ever stepped foot in a district office or the Rutledge Building. I have said it before and will say it again – most of you truely are clueless as the realities of our educational system – and that state is entirely intentional on behalf of those that keep you there.
By baker on February 1st, 2009 at 1:10 am
Will — I would agree that saying simply more money is simply going to fix things is not realistic. So….I would say we need a rational discussion of how we spend money, where more (or less) money could make a difference, what works and doesn’t work, what real choice — taking into account admission policies, transportation, total costs, etc. — would look like, and so forth. But this business of suggesting that librarians and counselors required by law don’t count as legitimate spending is just bogus. I think you know that.
By Nope on February 1st, 2009 at 10:32 am
Chris: You count up the hours YOU have spent in the Rutledge building, district offices, and schools. I don’t care what it comes out to, mine would outnumber yours 10,000 to one. I’m not clueless, I’m just not blinded by ideology like the author of this post.
By Workin' Tommy C on February 2nd, 2009 at 8:46 am
More money for the education pit?
It’s strange that some teachers think that they need, for some reason, a “ladder” to climb with plenty of non-productive, wasteful, bureaucratic positions to aspire to.
If we could cut out the non-productive, non-teaching positions in this state, we’d we awash in money that would have nowhere else to go but into the classrooms. We could actually pay teachers what they’re worth for a change. Admittedly there is a need for a few secretaries and principals here and there but not nearly to the degree we have in this state.
By StupidShouldHurtMore (SSHM) on February 2nd, 2009 at 10:02 am
It’s time to look at the “why” of the funds – an issue for which Will, et al, have chosen to gloss over. Honestly, for as much as you opt to hold the General Assembly to the fire over anything and everything, where is the outrage over Act 388?
Simply put, Act 388 realigned how schools receive funding. In the past, schools would receive their funding, roughly 70% of it, from PROPERTY TAX REVENUE. Post Act 388, that 70% or so came from SALES TAX REVENUE.
Good job lawmakers. Take the easy way out. With the economic downturn compounded by a decline in consumer spending and confidence, it’s no wonder schools are screaming for $$$.
If you go back and do some more homework Willy, you’ll see where many schools are or have used their “hoarded reserve funds” to combat the general stupidity of the General Assembly.
Those schools that have provided more than a “minimally adequate” education are the ones that are the hardest hit. They are the schools asking for more money. They are also the school districts that churn out the best and brightest in the state.
Go figure. A direct correlation exists between investing in students/classrooms and performance.
- SSHM