Selective Outrage Regarding School Spending

In her recent letter to the editor, Melyssa Ferro claimed that schools are on the brink of collapse because Idaho lawmakers aren’t giving out more money to public education. What else is new?  That is the constant complaint from the Idaho Education Association (Teacher’s Union). Ferro speculates that there will be fewer course offerings, bigger classes and assorted other problems for students because of the failure of the Legislature to throw more money into the public school system. If that does happen, it’s not because of the Legislature’s failure to dish out more money, but failure to focus resources in the classroom.  
 


If Ferro and IEA members were really concerned about kids or about programs for kids, she and union members would have been up in arms about the $22 million that was passed out to teachers and administrators in the form of salary increases for the 2009/2010 school year instead of protecting functions and positions that impact kids. But they were silent, weren’t they? They’d also be up in arms that classes are being cut while employee benefits — sometimes offered at 100 percent taxpayer expense — are left untouched. They’d be outraged that schools are top heavy with administrative staff at the expense of classroom staff. Alas, the outrage is highly selective and disproportionately in support of the education establishment — the union, and not in the best interests of parents and students. 

No wonder the public has lost confidence in their schools.