We STILL are at the bottom on education spending (sales, how much)

[AZgarden]

We were 48th when I got here, 11 years ago. We are still 48th today in what we spend per student in this state. With all the population explosion in AZ, wouldn't you think we could scrape up the money from these people moving here, to give kids a decent education? What does it take? For such a big state with so many residents, I think its a disgrace. JMHO

[robabeatle]

Snow birds and retirees. Do you think they care about AZ's future?

[AksarbeN]

Originally Posted by PhxBarb

We were 48th when I got here, 11 years ago. We are still 48th today in what we spend per student in this state. With all the population explosion in AZ, wouldn't you think we could scrape up the money from these people moving here, to give kids a decent education? What does it take? For such a big state with so many residents, I think its a disgrace. JMHO

It says a lot about leaders of our state government and how much they care. Potential businesses and residents don’t want to move here with such a low rating of public education.

[Searcher521]

How much is spent says nothing about the quality of an education. I believe too much in fact is being spent on trying to fuel a failed system. Something drastic needs to happen and yes a lot of children need to be left behind, not everyone should be college bound. The quality of instruction should not be reduced to the lowest common denominator and ESL students should not be indulged.

All these people coming to this state are coming for a reason. Not a few of them are escaping places where people have a large appetite for government services and do not mind the tax burden while it falls most heavily on others.

[Valley Native]

Here we go again ... the cries about not spending enough on education. First of all, Arizonans voted twice in the last 12 years in favor of raising sales taxes to fund the school systems. Both of those tax increases were among the largest in state history. In most districts, anywhere between 60% & 70% of property taxes are spent on schools. The state budget allocates approximately 50% of its funding for public education, which is the largest expenditure of all. Please, please, please tell me how we're not spending enough ... BESIDES being ranked 48th in the nation.

In my opinion, we are spending too much on education ... way too much! The public system is like a black hole: it keeps sucking in, but puts out very little in terms of quality. Education should be fully privatized and managed like any other business because it IS a business when you think about it. Having children is not a right, nor a mandate. It is a choice like anything else you decide to do in life. Therefore, if you are unable to afford the children's upbringing on your own (including, but not limited to education), then you have no business having children ... and you have no business expecting handouts like free education (which ISN'T free because everybody else is paying for it). Also, those who are concerned about not enough money being spent on education can easily make a generous charitable contribution to a school of their choice & help out a little.

[Burning Madolf]

Originally Posted by PhxBarb

We were 48th when I got here, 11 years ago. We are still 48th today in what we spend per student in this state. With all the population explosion in AZ, wouldn't you think we could scrape up the money from these people moving here, to give kids a decent education? What does it take? For such a big state with so many residents, I think its a disgrace. JMHO

Do you have proof that spending more (paying more taxes) leads to better educated kids? Probably not. Education begins at home and no amount of money can overcome that.

I lived in CT and there were districts there that spent over $20k per year student and they were graduating illiterates. The state avg was about $13k per kid per year and the education bureaucracy grew no matter how bad the economy was. People are running here from states like NJ, NY and CA because of out of control spending, especially on "education."

The US as a whole is a world leader in educational spending and relative to the amount spent, we get the least bang for the buck. The whole system needs to be reborn not fed dollars.

Most importantly, PARENTS need to take responsibility first and foremost.

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by Burning Madolf

Do you have proof that spending more (paying more taxes) leads to better educated kids? Probably not. Education begins at home and no amount of money can overcome that.

I lived in CT and there were districts there that spent over $20k per year student and they were graduating illiterates. The state avg was about $13k per kid per year and the education bureaucracy grew no matter how bad the economy was. People are running here from states like NJ, NY and CA because of out of control spending, especially on "education."

The US as a whole is a world leader in educational spending and relative to the amount spent, we get the least bang for the buck. The whole system needs to be reborn not fed dollars.

Most importantly, PARENTS need to take responsibility first and foremost.

You make a lot of good points, but this last line hits the nail on the head. As a former teacher I know all too well how teachers and schools are expected to raise the students with very little help from the parents. It's a tough situation, the American educational system, but it can be fixed. I also agree that throwing more money at it is not the solution (although, if allocated in the right places it certainly helps!).

The schools are a reflection of our society. Period. The system is struggling because our nation is struggling. Lots of broken, fragmented homes and relationships out there. However, there are some bright spots. We can always change course. Forget the easy route, let's just get it done!

[Bondurant]

The education system in the United States has been crumbling since the Department of Education was created. Spending more money won't solve anything. We don't need fancy new schools. Go back to the basics: reading, writing, mathematics and history and don't let political correctness stand in front of holding kids back that should not be pushed onward.

[robabeatle]

Unfortunately, the money spent does not seem to make it to teachers. I inquired about a teaching job in TUSD. I have 8 years experience and a masters degree in a hard science. They would pay me $30,000. I nearly dropped the phone laughing.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by robabeatle

Unfortunately, the money spent does not seem to make it to teachers. I inquired about a teaching job in TUSD. I have 8 years experience and a masters degree in a hard science. They would pay me $30,000. I nearly dropped the phone laughing.

This is the main reason education spending is so low here. Labor costs (teachers) are low. If we pay teachers more, do we get better education?

On the other hand, anyone who goes into an AZ school can see the effects of penny pinching. There are no computers in the classroom or the ones there look like discards from the 1990s. Books are held together with duct tape and are several revisions behind. There are often not enough textbooks to go around. There are no study and work materials unless parents donated them. Teachers have to buy things like paper and glue for their students out of their pockets. And, this is in the affluent schools. One can only imagine what it is like in the poor districts.

Arizona's business leaders have been screaming for improvements to education for decades. They correctly argue that the sorry state of education in Arizona is an impediment to growth and attracting top talent. The message is ignored and the schools sink lower and lower in performance standards.

I blame most of it on baby boomers - the most selfish generation in the history of humanity. In contrast to today's kids, they had every advantage in the best schools of their time. But now, it's all about cutting their taxes. Their motto seems to be "I got mine, Moderator cut: inappropriate." Sadly, we have way too many boomers coming to AZ because of the sunny weather.

Petitions were submitted to put a permanent sales tax to fund education on the ballot. I haven't seen the measure, but if it is the same thing that Brewer did to us on the temporary tax (promised it would go to education, but then gave it away in tax cuts to businesses), I will vote against it.