Kids can be cruel. Not only will they proudly point out your flaws with ease, but their three-second attention span makes them forget what they said before you have the chance to make a desperate comeback. And while you may have a little extra arm fat than the average individual, talking sense into children requires continual effort and determination.
Students who have tutored in K-12 schools know the struggles that come with teaching more than anyone. I believe I speak for the majority of volunteers when I say additional resources, assistants and teachers are needed to adequately target the individual learning requirements of all students. Federal and state deficits have grown to a level worthy of absorbing funds that should be allocated toward education. According to a recent Badger Herald article by Ryan Rainey, state aid was cut by 8 percent for education this year, a decrease from the 15 percent that was cut the year before. The lack of money for public school districts is a problem, but viable solutions have yet to help overworked teachers and under-taught students.
Wisconsin School Superintendent Tony Evers released a plan that may save teachers some hair pulling Monday. The new Department of Public Instruction plan suggests reallocating $900 million in tax credits—primarily from property taxes. Although the 2 percent budget increase ups the education budget by $25 million, taxpayers will not feel the burden of additional education expenses. Instead, the money comes from preexisting resources, granting $3,000 per student across Wisconsin.
While the financial aspect of Evers' strategy deserves praise, the fact that it targets districts based in communities dealing with poverty deserves the real recognition. Schools in Milwaukee, Racine and many other communities constantly struggle with students living in low-to no-income families. And kids who deal with outside stress are less likely to be motivated—making it difficult for teachers with limited resources to reach out to troubled students.
According to a study conducted by Rutgers University and the Education Law Center, Wisconsin was given a C grade for providing school districts comprised of poorer students with materials needed for quality education. Evers understands this problem. While all school districts across Wisconsin will receive funding from his plan, areas like Milwaukee and Racine are expected to qualify for increased funds of about 20 percent due to their many underprivileged students. Teachers will receive additional aid to combat specific problems in the classroom, helping them meet the needs of individual students. The plan finances special and high-cost education as well as bilingual and student achievement programs designed to promote going above and beyond.
This win-win nature of the new DPI plan contrasts with Governor-elect Scott Walker's views on educational reform. Throughout his campaign, Walker's suggestions to improve education relied heavily on ""turnaround contracts,"" agreements that rate administrative officials and classroom teachers based on student achievement levels, and putting the government into risky territory.
Formulating evaluations based on student performance is a completely backwards method. If students are failing to meet learning requirements it is because the government is failing to provide school districts with proper aid to hire additional staff and buy necessary classroom materials. Walker continues to suggest that if schools repeatedly fail to meet education levels, then shutting down parts of the district and enrolling students elsewhere is the next possible solution.
But this idea only seeks to cram more students into packed classrooms that already lack the resources needed to patrol it. If the state is serious about doing away with poor education practices, then it needs to start by disassociating school districts with poor monetary standards. The only way students and teachers can be expected to excel is if they are provided with the tools necessary to do so.
The cliché is true; students are the future. Building a system in which Wisconsin's K-12 school districts can prosper is going to take extra money. If Evers' plan covers proper budget maneuvering that results in additional state funding without burdening Wisconsin taxpayers, then Walker needs to take the strategy seriously. He needs to focus his attention on supporting its passage rather than remaining silent on the matter. But judging by his history as Governor-elect, it's more likely he'll just attempt to transfer the stimulus money set aside for high-speed rail toward education and then we'll really see what the word ""boondoggle"" means.
Sam Witthuhn is a junior majoring in journalism and political science. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
