Kruse Kronicle

Myth: Schools Need More Money

—

by

mwkruse
in ,

Myth: Schools Need More Money is an article by John Stossel that reflects many of my attitudes towards education alternatives. Government monopolies are a necessity for some services but not education. I live in the Kansas City, MO, school district he mentions, and I have seen upfront how government continually fails our children, especially the urban poor. I liked his closing story:

"Everyone has been conned — you can give public schools all the money in America, and it will not be enough," says Ben Chavis, a former public school principal who now runs the American Indian Charter School in Oakland, Calif. His school spends thousands less per student than Oakland's government-run schools spend.

Chavis saves money by having students help clean the grounds and set up for lunch. "We don't have a full-time janitor," he told me. "We don't have security guards. We don't have computers. We don't have a cafeteria staff." Since Chavis took over four years ago, his school has gone from being among the worst middle schools in Oakland to the one where the kids get the best test scores. "I see my school as a business," he said. "And my students are the shareholders. And the families are the shareholders. I have to provide them with something."

It is about results, not money spent.

Comments

6 responses to “Myth: Schools Need More Money”

  1. Steph Avatar
    Steph

    How much of the success of the mentioned school comes from the students viewing themselves not as consumers of education but as particants in the entire educational process? I think anything you work for, you appreciate more; that definitely supports this theory that more money will not necessarily solve the problem. I was thinking about this last night and it sure seems like we are raising a generation that will expect handouts, both in money and opportunity, rather than promoting the idea that we should all work together, students, families, teachers, administrators, to build healthy, productive schools.

    Reply
  2. Michael Kruse Avatar
    Michael Kruse

    “…we should all work together, students, families, teachers, administrators, to build healthy, productive schools.”
    I had an discussion of line about this with someone and we were coming to the same conclusions. Charter schools may be a piece of the solution but I don’t think that alone can cut it. Poverty is a multifacited issue that can’t by just saying “here is more money” or “live a moral life.” I am getting ready to write a series that will touch on some of this. I hope you and others will give me some feedback.

    Reply
  3. Steph Avatar
    Steph

    Well, I have a big mouth, so count on me chiming in! I graduated from a perpetually failing school district; I lived most of my life in poverty, both rurally and in an urban setting. Still I graduated from not only high school but college as well, so I know it can be done. I too had an offline discussion about this last night, and am more motivated than ever to be part of the solution for some of the families in the Rosedale area. I say families because I believe kids are only part of the solution; families committed to education and to their students succeeding is also part of the key. Even talking with parents about what they can do to help at home, and what part they can have in the educational system, these are things we overlook in throwing money at schools. If parents don’t know how to judge their student’s reading level or how to constructively be part of the learning process, then what point more money? Poverty is not necessarily damning to the individual, even though it seems that way from the outside looking in. So much more than money is needed to give people a hand up instead of a hand out! Looking forward to reading more on this issue, Mike –

    Reply
  4. whitney lynn Avatar
    whitney lynn

    I think that it would be cool to go to a middle school like this. I go to a very very small school!

    Reply
  5. whitney Avatar
    whitney

    Hi my school is kind of like this. We arn’t the richest but then again we’re not the poorest school.

    Reply
  6. Michael Kruse Avatar
    Michael Kruse

    Hi Whitney. Thanks for chiming in.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to StephCancel reply

Discover more from Kruse Kronicle

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading