LESKY WEIGHS IN ON THE PA BUDGET

The Morning Call has an article featuring short opinions by various Lehigh Valley leaders whose institutions are impacted by the state budget (read the article here).


Among the leaders is Nazareth Schools’ superintendent Vic Lesky.


He notes:


Unfortunately under Pennsylvania's current educational funding system, where a student resides determines his or her access to a quality education. There are school districts in Pennsylvania with the ability to spend $12,000-$14,000 per student per year, while other school districts are limited to $6,000-8,000. Yet these students are expected to meet the same educational standards with fewer resources.


Quality requires a level of adequate funding, but to think more funding will guarantee better results is a misnomer. Yes, funding levels are important, but more important is how these funds are being spent. Is the spending classroom based, or going to other areas? If we are hiring more teachers and have less students, one has to wonder if we are utilizing our staff efficiently. If we offer block scheduling at the high school and a teacher is in the classroom 3 of 4 blocks, are they only teaching 75% of the day, and is this enough given a 7.5 hour work day? If benefits are rising and impacting our expenses, should the district be paying for the entire family medical plan, when many companies do not even provide full coverage for the employee, let alone the family? Pension costs are beginning to cripple districts, isn’t this similar to what we saw happen to nearly all the traditional union strongholds – such as the steel, automakers, etc.? What are we doing to change that inevitable course?


Debt service, NASD currently pays millions in debt service. Why do public institutions have to hire private carriers, who make millions off taxpayers, when the state could provide these loans at no to low interest and save taxpayers statewide millions of dollars.


Schools are evaluated within a vacuum, not in comparison to what is happening in the private sector all around them, which leads right into the final point Lesky makes: “I do believe it is time educators and politicians together, in the best interest of our students, take a serious look at how we conduct the business of education in Pennsylvania.”


Personally, I think one of the greatest flaws of education is that it is not treated as a business. Educators and politicians together will not fix these problems, in fact they’ve gotten us to the point we are at today.


Education is a closed system. Teachers become administrators. On the way to that point they are trained by fellow educators through in-service programming or advanced degrees. Even on the Board we find former educators, spouses of educators, etc.


The reality is that our schools need to behave and be treated more like private businesses, and this will result in hard decisions. At the same time, I don’t expect this to happen because it will be in the hands of politicians and educators and both rely on the taxpayer to support them, it is what they know and it impacts their decisions and behavior. A broader perspective is needed and that can only come from those outside these institutions.

Source: Ross Nunamaker