Education success in Idaho should be about the children, not funding for the adults
It’s an exciting time of year for children across the region and the country. But as they head back to school this fall, a new survey from the Gallup organization shows most Americans are dissatisfied with the K-12 school system.
In fact, 55% of Americans are now either somewhat or completely dissatisfied with K-12 public education.
When asked about their own child’s experience, 80% of Americans express at least some satisfaction — but this question included parents of those in private schools, charter schools and homeschooling parents, as well. It is reasonable to assume that those parents would be more likely to be satisfied.
The internals of the poll are fascinating. More than 65% say the curriculum is the issue, while 28% say a lack of resources and 17% say political concerns.
You can always find reports that schools are not being funded enough. But no one ever answers the question about how much is enough.
As the research shows, the amount spent per student does not necessarily lead to better outcomes. The Reason Foundation recently published a comprehensive study on K-12 education. It shows the amount Americans are spending per student, per year, has continually increased. In some states, the increases are staggering.
The research shows we spend an average of more than $15,000 per student, per year. For a classroom of 25 students, that is $375,000. How much of that money is getting to the classroom? And what kind of outcomes should we expect?
The founder of Reclaim Idaho — which pushed a ballot measure to dramatically increase taxes in the state to put more money into K-12 - posted a controversial tweet on Labor Day claiming student outcomes are not what’s most important.
“A much better and simpler standard of success is whether our schools are competing for qualified teachers and staff,” Luke Mayville wrote.
The translation here: It’s not about the children, it’s about the adults.
Parents want to know that their children are achieving success in the classroom. There are various ways this can be accomplished, but certainly it is necessary to look at the results.
When taxpayers put money into K-12, they do so to pay to educate the child.
In the end, the money belongs to the student. It does not belong to any district, building or educator. Fortunately, a new poll by the American Federation for Children shows 72% of Americans agree.
Let’s return to a standard of putting the interests of children first.
This story was originally published September 29, 2022 at 3:19 PM.