It’s been a long time since I had a child in public school since my daughter’s now 32.
I substitute teach occasionally
But I started in mid-fall substitute teaching in two area school districts. I only do this about once a week and generally in middle and high school.
Strong belief in public education
I do it for a bit of extra pocket money and because I like kids. I also do it because I know the local schools are short of substitutes. And this gives me a way to help out a bit. I also get to know the community a little better. But I also believe strongly in public education. I “covered” school districts a good deal while I was a newspaper reporter. And I appreciate the daily challenges teachers and staff deal with in service to their communities.
Public schools are a pillar
Public education is a pillar of the community. Strong schools yield students ready for the job market or higher education. Strong schools instill a love of education in young people that lasts a lifetime. Almost everyone can name a favorite teacher or two that they stayed in touch with. Strong schools help attract industry and jobs.
Enter Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the daughter of a former Arkansas governor (who now pitches a sleep aid on TV) and former Donald Trump press secretary, campaigned on her plan to reform education. But Sanders didn’t campaign much because she didn’t have to. Her campaign, heavily financed from outside the state, was a bit light on substance.
But it didn’t take long
Within a month of entering office, though, her 144-page LEARNS bill was introduced in the state Legislature. The bill was introduced on Monday, heard and voted on in Senate committee on Wednesday and passed by the Senate on Thursday. It’s headed to the House for a committee hearing Tuesday. It may pass quickly unless legislators get the message that the bill is badly flawed.
Too bad
It’s a shame there hasn’t been more time to extract and perhaps amend details. But that’s not really necessary, is it, in a state that is so dominated by one party? Will we regret it? I think so.
One big package
The key problem, as I see it, is that the reform package is one BIG bill. It ties a school voucher program to teacher pay raises. Those raises make the starting minimum for Arkansas teachers $50,000 a year, one of the top five pay minimums in the nation. But it doesn’t include raises for classified staff as a Democratic RAISE bill did. And it ties teacher raises to vouchers.
What’s wrong with vouchers?
Shouldn’t parents get to send their children to the school of their choice? Shouldn’t they be able to opt for home schooling if they wish? Of course they should. But should taxpayers fund that at the expense of public education? I don’t think so.
Schools lose money
While proponents of the measure say public schools will benefit by receiving more state funds, they aren’t seeing the whole picture. And this will be particularly troubling for rural schools. If a rural school loses 10 students, they lose roughly $75,000 per year in state aid. That’s enough to impact some programs.
Funding flawed
At a meeting Friday evening, a panel of experts noted the bill only funds those teacher raises for two years. After that, who knows how the package will be paid for? Will local districts seek large property tax increases to continue carrying the load? Or will massive cuts be needed? Will schools be forced to consolidate with massive busing to nearby towns required? That discussion was sponsored by the Arkansas Rural Caucus, a part of the Arkansas Democratic Party, and a group I belong to.
Rural schools
The schools I substitute in would be considered rural. Rural schools are often key employers in their areas. Their sports teams are followed by the whole community. The schools are key fixtures. Loss of support for them is critical to the future of the town.
Jess Piper
One of the Friday evening speakers was Jess Piper, a former teacher and graduate of a rural Arkansas school district. She is concerned rural schools will lose funding and close under the governor’s proposed voucher program. “Rural schools will fold, communities will suffer,” Piper said. Her experience with the voucher plan in Missouri was that teachers didn’t get the raise they were promised. And students now go to school 4 days a week due to staffing shortages.
Private schools will gain
It’s not struggling parents who are getting new and better education options with vouchers, she said. Private and parochial schools are the ones who stand to gain, and they get to choose their clientele, marking disabled or discipline-challenged students off the rolls. And in the LEARNS bill, 5 percent of the voucher money off the top goes to the bank administering the voucher fund.
School choice still out of reach
Private school tuition will likely remain beyond reach for most, even with the voucher discount, she said. And even if a parent chooses to send children to a private school, no bus transportation will be available. So someone will have to drive to the new location. There’s also no evidence that using vouchers to send children to private schools instead of public ones improves academic performance.
Vouchers for home schooling
The new voucher program also could be used for home schooling. But that means someone would have to be at home to handle the home schooling. And there are no provisions for ensuring that either private or home schooling are held to the same educational standards as public education.
Please slow down
I hope rural legislators especially get the message that support of this measure can hurt the communities they represent. The measure simply needs more time, more amendments and a division that pulls the teacher pay raise out of the voucher plan legislation. Public education needs bolstering, not dismantling, please.