How much is enough?

Posted by DarthDilbert at 7/01/2007 01:24:00 PM

In the 27 June 2007 issue of Dayton City Paper, Eli Hurwitz, faults the Ohio Department of Education for not "creating an equitable method of funding public schools." Hurwitz, a teacher with Dayton Government Schools, is upset over the EduChoice Scholarship Program when he should be upset with how Dayton Government Schools waste the taxpayers money.

What a few examples? On 29 July 2006 the "City of Dayton Community Rally for Education 'S.T.A.Y. IN SCHOOL'" was held at the Dayton Convention Center to "promote the importance of attendance in achieving academic success." At the rally, 2,200 school supply kits were distributed to explain to the young skulls full of much they should attend school. Along with the "school supply kits," the City of Dayton charged the cost of printing reproduction, advertising, facility rental, decoration and security to DPS at a total of $30,000 (purchase order 104740). Thirty-thousand dollars taken from taxpayers was spent to tell kids to go to school. Jimmy C. Chandler & Associates were given $10,800 for "Consultant services for school boundaries, neighborhood transportation, community relations and constituent identification." (purchase order 104671). Shouldn't the school district already know the boundaries of their schools and who their constituents are? Finally, Miami Valley Music Therapy was given $65,000 for "Music therapy services" (purchase order 11142520). In addition, I'm sure that Hurwitz wouldn't consider his role as "Building Technology Integration Coordinator" a waste of $657.20 per year. These examples don't matter to teachers like Hurwitz who maintains that Dayton Government Schools are "already underfunded." Perhaps if money wasn't wasted hand over fist they would have the resources to teach.

Hurwitz states that "public education is the cornerstone of our democracy. Our nation depends on the decisions of it's educated, well-informed citizenry." If this is the case, it won't come from graduates of Wilbur Wright Middle School or Meadowdale High School - two schools where he has worked at. His claim that the Dayton government schools are "doing something right" is in stark contrast to the latest reports from each school. Wilbur Wright Middle School is in "Academic Emergency"; met none of the five state indicators; scored 61.6 out of 120 points on the Performance Index Score (or 51.33% which is failing); and has "Not Met" their "Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)" standard. At Meadowdale High School they are in "Academic Watch"; also met none of the five state indicators; scored 73.2 out of 120 points on the Performance Index Score (61%); and too have "Not Met" their "Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)" standard.

A report three years ago by the City of Dayton Strategic Financial Plan Study Committee stated that Dayton Public Schools receive 70.85% of property taxes. That apparently isn't enough for Hurwitz who wants to "get rid of property tax as a means of funding education" and "create a 5 to 10 percent flat income tax across the board." His reasoning? Poverty of course. Billions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted on the so-called "War on Poverty" with no end in sight, and he wants even more to be spent.

Here is an idea: why not have those parents who choose to have their children indoctrinated in government schools pick up the cost? Or better yet, encourage homeschooling and have the $14,062.50 spent on average for each student go to parents who actually provide the "quality education" that Hurwitz espouses.

Reason number # to homeschool.

Home School Dayton
Dayton City Paper

4 comments

# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 7/01/2007 03:42:00 PM
The Dayton School Board has their collective heads up their collective arses. The system is top heavy with administrators making big change for doing practically nothing. They just came to the voters for more tax money to build new schools promising to use local labor. But when they couldn't find enough "minority" run contractors, they went looking outside the city for builders.

So this spring when they again came to the voters with their hats in their hands, the voters told them to go pound salt. If passed the levy would have raised the taxes on a $100,000 home $400 per year in addition to what they currently are paying. That was too much. So much so that people who don't even pay property taxes in the city (renters - like myself) voted against it because the price tag was just too high.

Seems to me, they bit off too much trying to build all these new schools at the same time. They should have built them in cycles in order to keep the taxes on properties lower.

This is the heart of their financial troubles. This is why teachers are being cut. It has nothing to do with the state not giving them enough money. It is a matter of wasteful spending at the administrative level of the system.

As for the teacher... screw him. If he wanted to enter a profession in which to live a comfortable life, he should have gone into something other than education. This guy is the perfect example of the mentality which prevails in those who make their living off of tax money.

/rant

Apologies for bloviating.
 
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 7/01/2007 03:47:00 PM
I am all for home schooling. Money in the hands of government is a waste.
 
# posted by Blogger King : 7/01/2007 05:01:00 PM
You need to request a performance audit be done on the district.

The State of Ohio Auditor's office will conduct one at the request of the school board. You can bet they will not want to request one.

If they refuse an initiative can be placed on the ballot and voters can demand a performance audit be done. The cost for a performance audit is approx. $75 -$100K.

The savings from implementing the audit findiings would be more than enough to cover this one time cost.

A performance audit will go through every aspect of the school and determine if they are being run efficient or wasting taxpayer dollars.

Go to the State Auditor's website and do a search on "school performance audit", you will fall down with the amount of money being wasted by the bloated school administrations raping us taxpayers.

This is why I wonder how Rev. Ted could fix the funding without knowing where the waste is!
 
# posted by Blogger Rosemary Welch : 7/01/2007 09:20:00 PM
This is why we should go back to the way it used be. When I was in school (not soooo long ago, lol), the principal was the top authority. What he said was the law. We didn't need any administer to tell us what we were doing or going to do.

[Notice that the word 'administer' includes the word 'minister'? Hmm. Maybe we could use a Lefty trick, and cry that the Church is trying to take over? LOL (only j/k)]

Nice post. Now, where is digg thingy? Oh, btw, I am moving my site over to Rosemary's Thoughts so that everything I write can be found in one place. It's getting too difficult and confusing to juggle 8 or 9 sites! Wheh. Have a great day.
 

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