In policy debates across the state, elected officials are wrestling with education funding issues. And Leandro, the ten-year-old North Carolina school funding case, continues to tie up the courts. Wherever I go, I hear the pressing question, “How much money is enough for a sound basic education?”
My activities this past week offer a snapshot of this ongoing debate. One day while in a courtroom, I listened to testimonies from Mecklenburg County school officials about issues in their local high schools. Another day, I spoke to faculty and parents at a small high school charter in Mount Holly with 100 students. In both settings, the need for “more money” was voiced. Interestingly, Mecklenburg school officials looked only to policy makers to resolve their funding problems, while the charter school (a more entrepreneurial group at heart) was willing to look at how they personally might adopt a more proactive approach.
Such developments offer resounding proof that the educational GOMs (Gatekeepers of Mediocrity) have found a way to override the traditional mechanisms of competing for school funds. Their answer? Go through the courts. Unfortunately, activist judges are all too willing to take on the role of mandating “how much money is enough.” The last order from Judge Manning, the judge hearing the Leandro case has not yet been written. However, even the specter of a court decision has been sufficient to cause Governor Easley to drop millions more into education coffers.
There is no question that public education is in a crisis, both locally and nationally. But how do we solve it? Fortunately, public figures and researchers are now affirming what many of us already know to be true: that fundamental change, not more money, is the only way to create lasting and beneficial reform. Last week, Bill Gates gave a compelling speech, lamenting the state of American high schools, and their outdated, ineffective policies, policies that leave the average high school student ill-prepared for college and the workforce. According to Gates, this lack of preparedness “isn’t an accident or flaw in the system; it is the system.” And a recently released report currently posted on the Alliance’s website asserts that the way money is spent is what matters most. Rather than simply increasing funds, we ought to make better spending choices. Put simply, more money does not equal better student achievement.
This attention to education reform is long overdue. While I welcome the debate, I have to wonder how long it will be before free-market principles are applied to the education system. For anyone interested in learning more about our desperate need for market-based reform, I recommend this brief, well-written view of America’s system of schooling, With Clear Eyes, Sincere Hearts and Open Minds. Author Andrew Coulson advocates the reintroduction of market incentives in education, stating that “the system we have grown accustomed to has failed us.” I agree. Let’s get to work.
To learn more about school funding, as well as the latest education news, visit the Alliance online at www.nceduationalliance.org. Check out the “Headlines” section of our home page, updated daily with articles from every major newspaper in the state. At the Alliance, we are committed to keeping you informed and empowered as we join together to improve education for the children of North Carolina.