Tulsa Public Schools Spending

[Townsend]

I'm assuming this means a cut in public education funding:

Lawmakers Will Have Less to Spend in Oklahoma; That Means Budget Cuts Ahead

http://kwgs.com/post/lawmakers-will-have-less-spend-oklahoma-means-budget-cuts-ahead

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A state board led by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin is expected to certify less money for the Legislature to spend on state programs next year.

The Board of Equalization is scheduled to meet Thursday to certify an estimate of how much revenue will be available to spend on the fiscal year that begins July 1. Initial projections are that the Legislature will have about $273 million, or 3.8 percent, less than it spent on the current fiscal year.

But due to Tuesday's decision by the Oklahoma Supreme Court to toss out a bill to cut the state's income tax rate, Fallin is expected to make a motion to add about $103 million back into next year's budget.

The board meets again in February for a final certification.

[Hoss]

I'm assuming this means a cut in public education funding:

Lawmakers Will Have Less to Spend in Oklahoma; That Means Budget Cuts Ahead

http://kwgs.com/post/lawmakers-will-have-less-spend-oklahoma-means-budget-cuts-ahead

But...but...I thought reducing taxes would INCREASE revenue!

[AquaMan]

I bet you also thought that the Lottery and Casino gambling was going to increase school funding as well. So many illusions, so many illusionists at the state capitol.

[heironymouspasparagus]

But...but...I thought reducing taxes would INCREASE revenue!

It's the delusional fantasy being passed around by the RWRE - like a Cheech and Chong event without the good feeling!!

[patric]

So glad we arent going down the Zero Tolerance road:

Picture this. School-age children with rumbling tummies move their styrofoam trays in an orderly lunch line. It's Tuesday, and at Uintah Elementary School in Salt Lake City that means one thing for excited youngsters: pizza day. Students fill their trays with deep-dish pepperoni slices and napa salad and head to the lunch lady for checkout.

That's when tragedy struck for about 40 of Utah's smallest residents, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. If a student's lunch money account wasn't paid up, the cafeteria workers were instructed to confiscate the child's lunch. Because of sanitary issues the lunch couldn't be given to another student, so it was thrown away instead, while a hungry child watched.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/30/the-schools-that-starve-students-to-punish-deadbeat-parents.html

[Townsend]

Teachers, Parents Rally at State Capitol

http://kwgs.com/post/teachers-parents-rally-state-capitol

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Public school teachers are  at the Oklahoma Capitol to rally for more state funding for public schools and higher teacher salaries.

The Oklahoma Education Coalition helped organize Monday's rally and says as many as 25,000 educators, parents and school administrators are expected to attend.

The coalition says there are about 40,000 more students in the state this year than in 2008 — but that public schools are operating with $200 million less and 1,500 fewer educators. The coalition says state funding for public education has faced greater per pupil cuts than any other state.

Gov. Mary Fallin says she supports more funding for public education. Last year she signed a budget bill that included $120 million in new education money. She's proposed another $50 million funding increase.

Think it'll do any good?

[swake]

Teachers, Parents Rally at State Capitol

http://kwgs.com/post/teachers-parents-rally-state-capitol



Think it'll do any good?

No. The people in charge at the capital are all very anti-government and anti-education. Until that crowd turns into enough votes to change an election it won't matter.

[Townsend]

No. The people in charge at the capital are all very anti-government and anti-education. Until that crowd turns into enough votes to change an election it won't matter.

You thinking those in charge are afraid well educated masses will vote them out?

[RecycleMichael]

I think it matters.

Rallies are mostly exercises in futility, but this attracted a lot of republicans who had a chance to go see their legislator. Yes many of the elected officials don't care about education, but they do care when their friends show up.

Every thing helps. Thousands of people outside your office will have some impact.

[swake]

You thinking those in charge are afraid well educated masses will vote them out?

No, I think they are pretty confident that they will not be voted out by well educated masses so they feel free to ignore and deride this protest. Which they are doing, led by the Daily Oklahoman. This is being portrayed as just whining by Tulsa area teachers and superintendents. And you know how much Tulsa's complaining counts at the capital.

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-students-pay-the-price-for-educators-stunt/article/3948043

http://newsok.com/planned-education-rally-angers-lawmakers/article/3931282

http://newsok.com/state-rep.-jason-murphey-simply-calling-for-more-education-funding-is-easy-way-out/article/3948033

The only way the legislature is going to pay attention is people are voted out office on this issue. Starting with Janet Barresi.

[Conan71]

No, I think they are pretty confident that they will not be voted out by well educated masses so they feel free to ignore and deride this protest. Which they are doing, led by the Daily Oklahoman. This is being portrayed as just whining by Tulsa area teachers and superintendents. And you know how much Tulsa's complaining counts at the capital.

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-students-pay-the-price-for-educators-stunt/article/3948043

http://newsok.com/planned-education-rally-angers-lawmakers/article/3931282

http://newsok.com/state-rep.-jason-murphey-simply-calling-for-more-education-funding-is-easy-way-out/article/3948033

The only way the legislature is going to pay attention is people are voted out office on this issue. Starting with Janet Barresi.

What specifically do you disagree with in Murphey's editorial piece?

Oklahoma does have very high per capita administration costs.

Oklahoma has many school districts which could be combined.

This piece was brought to my attention the other day:

Amid the ongoing discussion of the need for more funding of Oklahoma's public education system, an important point is often overlooked: According to data that the state of Oklahoma reports to the U.S. Department of Education, Oklahoma school district administration has been growing dramatically.

According to a new analysis by economist Benjamin Scafidi, "Using the time period available, FY 1998 to FY 2011, Oklahoma public schools increased employment in school district administration by 49 percent, while the number of students in Oklahoma public schools increased by only 6 percent. In other words, in Oklahoma public schools, school district administration employment increased over eight times faster than its student population from FY 1998 to FY 2011."

We've now reached the point that "only half of Oklahoma's public education employees are teachers," as Greg Forster pointed out in these pages in January 2011 ("The Blob That Ate the Schools"). "The bureaucracy is now so big, it takes up half the system."

There's absolutely no reason for any sector of government to directly employ bus drivers, cafeteria workers, janitors, or any of the rest of this category. The whole enchilada needs to be privatized posthaste. You wouldn't just eliminate unnecessary positions that are there due to featherbedding, although that's considerable. More important, though, you'd be able to pay the market rate for the positions you kept, instead of hyperinflated civil-service salaries and benefits. And you'd be able to fire people if they didn't deliver good services.

When only half of Oklahoma's public education employees are teachers—and the administrative growth shows no sign of letting up—policymakers should ask themselves if more money is really the answer.

- See more at: http://www.ocpathink.org/articles/2660#sthash.81HckY5i.dpuf

I don't know that I necessarily agree with the notion that food service and janitorial should be out-sourced due to security concerns, but it's at least worth looking at to see if someone like Sodexo could drive down costs to be able to hire more teachers.  The solution seems to drift away from conserving resources or better managing them in favor of simply throwing more money at the problem.  We've faced this issue for decades in Oklahoma and increases have apparently never been enough.

[heironymouspasparagus]

We've faced this issue for decades in Oklahoma and increases have apparently never been enough.

Especially when someone like Murphey brags about adding $90 million to schools - not too many years after cutting $200 million from schools....

[AquaMan]

Percentages are easy to manipulate aren't they? A 49% increase in a staff of 10 moves you up to 15 employees. And that's a whole number, not a $ budget number. So, you could include the students in high school being used on a workstudy program, student aides, and employees on grants who, if paid, make $7.25 an hour and make it look like administrative costs have soared as related to student growth. A corresponding 6% increase in students doesn't seem even comparable unless you know the ratio needed for student to administrative cost. They probably aren't linear.

I don't know the correct figures right off hand but if you really want to spin, percentages are the way to do it.

[Red Arrow]

I don't know the correct figures right off hand but if you really want to spin, percentages are the way to do it.

That spin can work in both directions.

[AquaMan]

That spin can work in both directions.

You always say that but it carries little weight. Its like reminding us that humans are in fact dishonest, self serving and willing to ignore truth for our own purposes. In this case the spin is against education and they hold the purse strings.

I'll give him some slack in that he may not understand that what he is saying is politically motivated and not representative of the truth of the situation. IOW, he's kinda stupid but a good party guy. But, I believe that to quote anyone who is misusing stats makes one culpable in the mangling of truth. That's why I seldom link to just any thing I read on the net unless it seems to be factually logical and defensible.