Entry #15: Proposed budget cuts reflect
educators' low status & shaky credibility
This week I visited the Governor's Mansion because our Interdisciplinary
Studies teacher, Katina Buster, is the Kentucky Middle School Teacher of
the Year. It was a beautiful spring day, and the flowers were blooming in
front of the mansion. At the reception, kudos were passed out to the teachers
of the year at each level. A sense of pride filled the room, and it was
one of those days that everyone in the room felt grand about education in
Kentucky and about being a part of it.
The next day, the Kentucky Senate laid out their budget proposal. And there
were cuts for education.
A little history lesson shows that this is the first time in Kentucky history
that the Republicans have controlled either side of our legislature, and
they are paying back the Democrats. They are taking a "No new taxes"
position. With no new taxes must come $180M in budget cuts across the board.
Another history lesson tells us that in 1990, when our legislature passed
the Kentucky Education Reform Act, the Republicans were not included in
much of that dialogue; there weren't many of them around Frankfort then.
Now there are, and the old scenario of people respond a lot better when
they are "done with" than when they are "done to" plays
out again.
The budget is still in limbo across the two houses, but it's not looking
great for education. The cuts are not immense; they are just enough to sting.
In our district, they would mean three to four teachers' salaries. In my
first year of the principalship, I was taught that it is also my responsibility
to keep up with legislation and contact legislators during the each legislative
session. That year, there was a frenzy at the Capitol, and Kentucky almost
lost key components of our assessment piece. This year, I had been relieved
to hear little conversation about controversial education legislation coming
from Frankfort. Then budgeting time came. The verdict is still out. Let's
hope we'll find out that it is still grand to be an educator in Kentucky!
If I really think about it, I'm frustrated that many people across our nation
look down on education because we are a "spending" organization.
My family is in small business, and I do agree that we should have to produce,
and we should be held accountable, just like in business. I also agree that
there was a time in education when those who couldn't find their niche in
the business world were allowed to teach "because there was nothing
else for them to do." This created a lack of confidence in the profession
that we are still trying to get over.
It is frustrating to have to understand that legislators who know very little
about education as it takes place at the classroom level can take the wind
out of our sails very quickly, almost immediately, if they want to. It's
also frustrating that uneducated people can contact their Representative
or Senator and have influence on what occurs with education. With these
frustrations, though, comes the realization that we must make ourselves
very accountable to the people. Like everything else these days, education
costs money, and we must continue to restore the people's faith in our country's
education system so they will support our need for funds to really make
a difference in our schools.
Continuing to restore the people's faith means being good stewards with
our money and showing education "profit" through better test scores
and students who are better prepared for the 21st Century. Barren County
Middle School accepts this challenge, and it is our job to participate in
a public relations campaign so that people continue to feel good about what's
happening in education for the children. Maybe Kentucky's Senate will hear
the message too!
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