READER’S EDITORIAL: RE-THINKING THE EDUCATION PARADIGM

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By Vince Wallgren

November 17, 2011 (La Mesa)--As the public education establishment’s quandary over shortfalls in funding reaches critical mass, the time may be ripe for introducing sweeping changes to the entire system. 

During a recent broadcast of the Ladona Harvey Show, a education establishment insider asserted (paraphrasing) that among the more important elements in revamping the education system is a higher degree of parent - teacher communication; and that parents must be more involved in the overall education experience.

The dichotomy explicit in that assertion is dripping with irony. Signed into law by Gov. Brown, one sentence of AB 499 states: “A minor who is 12 years of age or older may consent to medical care related to the prevention of a sexually transmitted disease.” Thus, as the education establishment—on the one hand—clamors for parental involvement, the other hand, via AB 499, negates parental consent when a determination is made that a 12 year-old “needs” to be vaccinated with Gardasil. Incredible!

Considering that the USA ranks—as compared to other industrialized nations—but average in reading and science and is below average in math, the impetus for a long needed drastic remodeling of the entire public education paradigm is long overdue. When the specter of comparatively mediocre grade level performance is further exacerbated by significant shortfalls in funding, the naturally ensuing suggestions as to the what, when, where, why and how to face this crisis are sure to reveal exactly where the education establishment stands.

San Diego Unified fired the first salvos; initially suggesting teacher layoffs, then rescinding that idea only to further suggest entire school closures, but then to be faced with a near parent-teacher revolt and, at least for the time being, backing away from that idea also. So what might be the alternatives?

With the recent downgrade of San Diego Unified’s credit rating and the worrisome state of California’s economy, it should be abundantly clear that further funding will not be forthcoming. But Unified gave clear signs of their intentions: offer up students, teachers and entire schools as the current economy’s sacrificial lambs. Incredible! 

Within San Diego County there are forty-two (42) distinct and separate school districts; all of which are subordinate to and receive direction and leadership from the San Diego County Office of Eductation (SDCOE). Not only is this arrangement a model of bureaucratic inefficiency, but it should also be viewed as a major overhead cost in the delivery of public education services to San Diego County’s students, residents and taxpayers.

For example, SDCOE has commissioned a Strategic Plan that calls for building district level capacity to train school staff on how to engage parents in their child’s education. Really? What this strategy implies is that school-level administrators and teachers are currently incapable of encouraging parents to be more involved in their children’s education. What does this strategy accomplish? Nothing that has not been said and done before at every K-12 school in America. Yet this “reinvent-the-wheel” initiative is a perfect example of the waste that is pervasive within a multi-level bureaucratic system that drains resources and accomplishes little-to-nothing that can’t be achieved at the school level.

According to Ed-Data (The Education Data Partnership), the funds allocated to California’s K-12 education programs (not to include food services or facilities costs) is a whopping $47.2 Billion -- an overall average of $8,452 per student for school year 2009-2010. But uncertainty lends to the prospect of a dire future; and as long as current economic trends continue, austerity will, by necessity, become the byword of public education. Thus, the first step in making decisions proportionate with future budget cost saving measures is to better define exactly who has responsibility for the education of San Diego County’s students; with special emphasis in evaluating the degree to which SDCOE and school district(s) participation is further justified.

SDCOE’s projected budget for school year 2011-2012 is $286,431,090. There are 496,995 students in the 747 public schools of San Diego County. Cost per student per year for SDCOE’s services is $576.32. According to Ed-Data, the forty-two school districts of San Diego County spent in 2009-2010 a grand total of $3,914,417,109 ÷ 496,995 = $7876.17 per year per student. Below list applies. 

 

 

1.  Alpine Union Elementary $16,427,568     
2.  Bonsall Union Elementary $13,210,769
3.  Borrego Springs Unified $6,181,111                         
4.  Cajon Valley Union $123,745,410
5.  Cardiff Elementary $6,940,768                  
6.  Carlsbad Unified $83,371,514
7.  Chula Vista Elementary $192,113,073     
8.  Coronado Unified $26,039,820
9.  Dehesa Elementary $2,382,862                 
10. Del Mar Union Elementary $39,600,564
11. Encinitas Union Elementary $47,919,341               
12. Escondido Union $142,553,978
13. Escondido Union High $69,127,947                        
14. Fallbrook Elementary $45,515,734
15. Fallbrook Union High $28,178,981                           
16. Grossmont Union High $185,596,616
17. Jamul-Dulzura Union Elem. $7,332,974 
18. Julian Union Elementary $5,491,709
19. Julian Union High $2,964,968                   
20. La Mesa - Spring Valley $100,054,084
21. Lakeside Union Elementary $34,778,800               
22. Lemon Grove $30,267,404
23. Mountain Empire Unified $15,916,322    
24. National Elementary $46,913,440
25. Oceanside Unified $166,890,106                             
26. Poway Unified $242,884,462
27. Ramona City Unified $50,333,349                           
28. Rancho Santa Fe Elementary $9,810,800
29. San Diego Unified $1,125,629,883                          
30. San Dieguito Union High $99,753,940
31. San Marcos Unified $134,644,446                           
32. San Pasqual Union Elementary $4,448,790
33. San Ysidro Elementary $40,424,710                        
34. Santee Elementary $45,630,333
35. Solana Beach Elementary $30,578,734  
36. South Bay Union Elementary $71,566,684
37. Spencer Valley Elementary $1,526,071  
38. Sweetwater Union High $348,867,340
39. Vallecitos Elementary $1,986,279                            
40. Valley Center - Pauma Unified $37,059,912
41. Vista Unified $193,701,024                                        
42. Warner Unified $2,973,161

 
It should be apparent to all that public education is big business. With a budget exceeding $4 Billion per year the parents of San Diego County’s children have every right to expect a first rate education. But measured performance tells us otherwise. Mere passing to poor test scores and excessive drop-out rates are strong indicators that bloated budgets and bureaucratic controls are not the answer.
 
The obvious conclusion is that what little public education resources are actually needed should be classroom centered; with particular emphasis on core curricula and teacher training.designed to empower students in order that they may reach their full potential. School level administrators and teachers would do well to emulate success -- such as the extraordinary achievement of Erin Gruwell of The Freedom Writers Foundation. To ignore such successes and cling to the status quo could likely lead to—as San Diego Unified has already threatened—school closures and teachers losing their jobs.
 

Vince Wallgren resides in La Mesa, is seventy-two, a retired USN CPO, has been married for forty-six years, and is the father of four and grandfather of eight. He's a student of history, loves to write, and describes himself as “a devoted in-your-face critic of government institutions that fail to achieve stated goals.”The opinions in this editorial reflect the views of its author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine.  To submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org
 
 

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