Lesley Stedman Weidenbener has an article discussing the Senate debate over how to allocate education dollars. Senate Democrats offered an amendment that would have allocated more money to the poorer and more troubled schools. Senate Republicans thought this unfair and promoted a formula that was more equal in terms of dollars-per-student. The real negotiations will probably take place at the conference committee stage.
This is one of those situations where I’m glad others are making the hard decisions. On the one hand, I can see where students who start further behind might need more resources to get them on an equal footing with their peers elsewhere in Indiana. And, fixed costs play a factor in making “per student” funding approaches less than ideal. On the other hand, I’m leery of sending piles of money to ineffective money-pits.
This is one of those situations where I’m glad others are making the hard decisions.
Even if it’s the World’s Third-Worst State Legislatureâ„¢? You haven’t been drinking this early, have you, Doug?
I’m leery of sending piles of money to ineffective money-pits.
Yeah, you and the Colin and Alma Powell Foundation for Trying To Get A Cabinet Appointment.
Tell ya what: we’d love to have you drop by when you’re in Indy sometime, but before anybody’s driving gets impaired we’ll take a ten minute tour, past the old elementary school, now styled an “academy” and doing well, by all reports, if you’re lucky enough to get your child in. Up the block to Broad Ripple High, Proudly Air-Conditioned Since 2006. Four miles up the road–we’ve crossed into Washington Township–we’ll pass the North Central campus, where they just finished filling the pool in their new natatorium. Olympic-sized, of course, so they can compete for meets with Carmel and Fishers High. Pass the J. Everett Light Career Center, with its functioning dental office, simulated hospital rooms, auto-body shop, radio and television stations. The Center serves eleven school districts, including Lebanon and all of Hamilton county, but don’t bother applying if you’re one of its poor cousins from IPS (which, until the mid-1950s, educated everybody who lived in Washington Township tax free.) Up the road a couple miles there’s Carmel, where I’ll be sure to remind you as we pass the football stadium that we aren’t at Ball State. Except I won’t, because they’re desperately trying to finish turning Keystone Avenue into the state’s largest Toll Road slush fund swindle, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.
So, y’know, by all means; let’s stop shoveling money down the endless pit of necessity, lest it lead to fairness. Shut up and eat your reduced-price ketchup, class.
Doghouse, now quit “beatin’ around the bush” and tell us how you really feel! Don’t hold back, now! ha!
I suspect Doghouse was holding back quite a bit, at least a couple thousand words or so! Too bad…
Fear this issue along with some others could be debated forever without resolution. While need for good education situation for all–there is a limit of funds available and simply shifting priorities from roads or sewers or police or whatever to schools won’t make everything right. Again, come to the problem of how much should the “rich” do to aid the “poor”. Indianapolis is a disaster in so many respects that hard to count all of them. No matter how much special legislation (remember are not supposed to handle special areas legislation) is passed to assist Indy there is never enough done either by the partisans of Indy or to effectively get something done. Just a thought besides just a thought of giving LOS to the Colts and Conseco to the Pacers how about giving Indy separate statehood. Let them go it alone and make them face the problems all by themselves.
Then lets tackle the circus called the Legislature where all the little people play follow the leader to the political bosses–very sad display of democracy. Yesterday watching the House and then the sudden adjournment to avoid a parliamentary procedure point is about as child like as taking your basketball and going home. And we wonder why people avoid involvement in governmental activities—really a sad examples of civics.