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Politics : Socialized Education - Is there abetter way? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tejek who wrote (83)	1/15/2007 10:48:44 AM
From: TimF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1513

Every generation the inflation adjusted per capita money going to education doubles or more. Perhaps avalanche isn't the perfect terms (its not a sudden and huge but over quick, its strong growth over time), but its a lot of money, and we don't seem to have gotten a lot of results for that money. What do you think, Tim, that teachers are throwing money in the street so your tax bills will go up? Do you think its a conspiracy? No, and No. But it does seem to be a sign that the system doesn't work that well, and that continuing to just throw more and more money at it isn't the solution. Even if a real solution does require more money, it should be as part of some sort of major change, not just more and more money without changes, or with only minor and/or cosmetic changes. Read my lips, Tim. They are not managing. Every school I have been to except those in wealthy school districts [which are in the minority] are short of just about every thing. Fine they are not management, but they are still in many cases getting a ton of money (and that isn't limited to rich suburban school districts). If they don't have enough it is (for the most part) exactly because they aren't managing (are mismanaging the money) or perhaps because they are over managing (too many school or more likely district officials taking up money that should be spent in ways more directly related to educating students). The population of the country is approaching 300 million nearly double when the boomers went to school. Naturally there are more kids. Class sizes are smaller than when the boomers went to school, not larger. And real per student spending keeps going up. The fact that there are more students isn't a good reason for any long term growth in students per class. (Short term it takes time to add schools and classrooms no matter how many resources are devoted to the effort). Currently its possible that we are going through an increase in class size. I couldn't find data one way or the other. But over decades our class sizes have been decreasing, and American class sizes are not large compared to other countries. Barely over the weighted average at age 9, and below the weighted average at 13. nationmaster.com nationmaster.com