School Funding
I feel schools are currently under funded in the United States. Technology is expensive, buildings need repair, many textbooks are out dated, and educators are drastically underpaid.
Students are expected to graduate from high school possessing the skills necessary to be successful in society. As we all know, being able to successfully use technology is important for this to happen. Unfortunately, many schools are teaching kids using outdated technology. Schools are far behind the business world. It is important for schools to have the necessary funds to keep their technology current.
Just as we try to keep our homes in repair, schools also need to be maintained. With energy costs being what they are, we need to have schools that are energy sufficient in order to keep energy costs down. Replacing windows, doors, and heating systems is costly, but pay off in the long run. In many districts, these repairs are put on the back burner due to more urgent needs. Schools need more funds to address this issue. We need an environment that conducive to learning, not rooms that are drafty in the winter and excessively hot in the summer. Many teachers and children come from homes that are air conditioned, yet not too many schools have this luxury.
In addition, numerous textbooks are not up to date. Knowledge is growing like never before. Yet, far too often students are not exposed to this due to the textbooks being simply too old. Teacher education programs do an excellent of preparing future teachers with current and up to date strategies for teaching. However, once in the classroom reality sets in, and he/she is forced to teach with materials that may have been published decades ago. The president needs to take the initiative to assure schools they will have the money needed to keep up to date materials in the hands of our young people.
Lastly, teachers are drastically under paid. Attending college to become a teacher takes a minimum of four years. Many college graduates leave school with student loans in excess of $30,000, not to mention car loans and other living expenses. It is sad that a beginning teacher in my local community unit school district only starts at a salary of $28,000. This does not even include any health insurance, which is astronomical. Teachers are expected to be professionals, yet are not paid to reflect this.
Bottom line, we need additional funding with no strings attached so that local school districts can address the many needs in our schools. It is my belief that school board members attempt to live with in their means when it comes to school budgets. Mr. Obama, you are in a position to make a positive difference for our children. You need to push through Congress funding so that students get the best education possible and are ready to meet the real world when they leave the school doors.
This post was submitted by Lynn Neisen.
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