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Saving the Tuba Player
Saving the Tuba Player By Michael Boyajian The proposed Obama Administration education reforms make for a good start but do not go far enough at least in New York State. The simplest way to level the education playing field and equalize the system is to revamp the school financing formula. And that begins with the abolition of local school taxes and the implementation of schools financed through a portion of the state income tax. This is the only way to avoid poor minority districts like Long Island’s Roosevelt not having the same opportunities found on North Shore Long Island’s Gold Coast districts. Why should some students have less of an education just because of where they live? We are after all Americans one and all and entitled to equal opportunity under the Constitution. Recently friends and family of one student launched a Facebook campaign in order to provide the child with a tuba so he could perform in the school band. It is ridiculous to think that some school music programs around the state cannot afford to provide a student with a tuba so the kid can play in the school band. This is especially chilling when one considers that those with musical abilities do well in science. One education proponent has stated that the problem is this, hundreds of dads will shout if you threaten midnight basketball but only one will fuss over the closing of a school music program. So not only do you have to change financing formulas but also the mindset of today’s parents who are oriented more towards extra extra curricula activities as opposed to mainstream education. Turning towards teachers it is shameful that politicians holding their hat out for votes would make these professionals the scapegoat for the education debacle in this country. Teachers statewide must maintain their individual union representation yet bargain collectively as one so as to ensure equal pay, benefits and accountability in every region of New York. Education reform cannot rely on mere band aid reforms but must dig deep into the source of the affliction which today is the formula for school financing, local school taxes. Equality lies with an income tax source of financing.
The proposed Obama Administration education reforms is certainly an oversight of the practical side i.e. revamping the school financing formula to match the move. It is prudent to abolish local school taxes. As stated, place or location should not be a hindrance in ensuring equal educational opportunities to every child. Kudos to the those who have launched the Facebook to campaign for a basic as tuba to their child. It is really heartening to note that music is like tonic for science. Spare teachers for the debacle of education system, own the responsibility - request the politicians. Thanks for the post for just cause.how to merge excel
Education reform is a vital decision to take because improper reform of education can spoil the complete education system of a state & it should be done but special care is needed for it.So Obama administration is taking steps & lets see what would be the result of it in future. naphyrone
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The teacher's union would never allow it, because it would shift the focus from who can spend the most to who can use the same amount of money more effectively. And New Yorkers, already number one in school spending despite historically low spending in NYC, cannot afford to have everyone financed at Gold Coast levels, which are ridiculous.
If you want to know the facts about NY school spending, read this and download and print out the tables in the spreadsheet. It's Census Bureau data, not my opinion.
How about this one: eliminate local school taxes, and replace it with a countywide property tax set by the county government (plus state aid), and distributed per child to the districts? That would provide equality at least within the county.
As for the Tuba player, he's going to be cut to pay for all those unfunded pension enhancements. Pension costs are going to soar, gutting the schools, and that's the unfortunate truth. The problem isn't the teachers, it's the early retired former teachers, and the 70,000-plus additional public school employees who have been added since 1990 in the part of New York State outside New York City.