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Q: What’s your take on how Maine uses its K–12 tax dollars?
Sean Faircloth
Mainers voted by a strong margin in 2004 to increase state education spending. Initiatives should really explain how—specifically—proposed increased spending will be paid for. Pay for it with cuts, you say? Education IS the biggest chunk of state spending. When Governor Baldacci proposed cuts to the only other big area—social initiatives such as aid to the mentally disabled—many (e.g., me) objected. So Governor Baldacci proposed consolidating school administration. You’ve heard how that went.
People are consistent: “Cut everything generally! (but nothing specifically).” The school consolidation law was no example of perfect government—but Maine does have too many school superintendents and bloated administrative costs. My guess? The consolidation law gets moderated further—but can we agree to eliminate any excess bureaucracy?
Here’s a broader proposal: Let’s spend tax money on education more wisely. Like a business, government must emphasize return on investment. The 2004 referendum set a percentage target—without much quality direction.
Let’s listen to the business community when it comes to strategic education investment. The Business Roundtable is an association of CEOs of major corporations advocating for public policies fostering vigorous economic growth. The Business Roundtable supports major investments in early childhood education—because of return on investment.
James Heckman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist at the famously conservative University of Chicago, concludes investment in early childhood is the smartest investment we can make. Heckman fears a continuing decline in skill level in the coming decades, with a disastrous loss of U.S. productivity. He concludes quality pre-kindergarten programs “generate substantial savings to society and . . . promote higher economic growth by improving the skills of the workforce.”
Art Rolnick, senior VP of research at the Federal Reserve Bank, says a good preschool can offer a 12% annual return, after inflation. Rolnick published a paper in 2003 on the topic. Concluding investment in early childhood is “better than the stock market,” Rolnick wrote: “Most of the numerous projects and initiatives that state and local governments fund in the name of creating new private businesses and new jobs result in few public benefits. In contrast, studies find that well-focused investments in early childhood development yield high public, as well as private, returns.” These business leaders are right.
The High/Scope Research Foundation’s Perry Preschool Project found that individuals who were enrolled in a quality preschool program ultimately earned up to $2,000 more per month than those who weren’t. Young people who were in preschool programs are less likely to repeat grades, need special education, or get into trouble with the law, and are more likely to graduate from high school, and, as adults, to own homes.
A commission on childhood issues will meet this fall and offer proposals to the legislature in December. I’m committed to the most businesslike approach to this issue.
The decision by Maine voters to increase state spending on education may have been a good idea, but isn’t it ironic that the state neglects the one area that economists say offers the highest yield?
Rep. Sean Faircloth is a lawyer and author of many successful bills that improved the quality of life for Maine children as well as bills focused on economic development.
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Scott K Fish
Maine spends $2 billion per year on 200,000 K–12 students. Our cost per K–12 public school student is $10,000–$12,000 per year, $2,182 more per student than the national average.
Is that enough money? That depends. Two worlds orbit Maine’s public education system. World 1 includes school administrators, teachers, unions, and certain parents/legislators. There’s never enough money to satisfy them.
World 2 includes retired people, people without K–12 children, certain parents/legislators. They see Maine’s declining K–12 enrollment, increasing K–12 spending, low Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, and are sick of throwing good money after bad.
What happens when the two worlds collide? The majority (World 1) is driving public education—into the ground.
Last year, Maine’s 11th-grader SAT average scores in math, critical reading, and science were below the national average. Education commissioner Susan Gendron said, “The good news is . . . scores didn’t go down as much as expected.” (Associated Press 12/28/06) “Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself,” Sherlock Holmes said. Can you imagine any Maine high school coach getting away with Commissioner Gendron’s attitude, i.e., “The good news is our football team lost the season by less than expected!”?
World 1’s top priority is keeping tax dollars flowing to public education. It has no regard, compassion, or interest in its World 2 neighbors. For example, local school budget meetings are pointless, maddening. Dreary school administrators, defensive school committee members drone on about the necessity of every jot-and-tittle in their proposed school budgets.
All legit school budget questions by World 2 are answered by administrators with boring, monotonic b.s. until World 2 concedes all points just to get away from droning bureaucrats.
Is Governor Baldacci’s school administrative consolidation a remedy? Maybe in theory, but Baldacci’s track record on major policies (property tax relief, health insurance) gives no reason to trust him. My fear? Good people will hear from the administration what they want to hear, not what is, in fact, said. For example, a WLOB radio interviewer (2/6/07) asks the governor about consolidation and closing local schools. When Baldacci stops speaking, the interviewer believes the governor said consolidation means no school closings.
That’s NOT what the governor said! I have the tape. He said he would close no school buildings because government can use them for Head Start, community centers, child care, and other support services.
Self-serving, double-talking people are driving good people out of Maine’s education debate. That may be okay for World 1 short-term—but it’s rotten for Maine’s overall future.
I don’t know how long World 1 can bite the World 2 hand that feeds. World 2 is getting squeezed out of Maine by high property taxes driven, in large part, by rising education costs, is turning to private education/home schooling, or is leaving Maine altogether. Why would World 2 keep suffering at the hands of a bloated, failing public education system that’s rude to boot?
Maine deserves and needs much better if we’re to get public education on track.
Scott K Fish is a political analyst, writer, and owner/editor of www.asmainegoes.com, a conservative political forum that has been keeping Mainers talking since 1998.
Sean Faircloth
Mainers voted by a strong margin in 2004 to increase state education spending. Initiatives should really explain how—specifically—proposed increased spending will be paid for. Pay for it with cuts, you say? Education IS the biggest chunk of state spending. When Governor Baldacci proposed cuts to the only other big area—social initiatives such as aid to the mentally disabled—many (e.g., me) objected. So Governor Baldacci proposed consolidating school administration. You’ve heard how that went.People are consistent: “Cut everything generally! (but nothing specifically).” The school consolidation law was no example of perfect government—but Maine does have too many school superintendents and bloated administrative costs. My guess? The consolidation law gets moderated further—but can we agree to eliminate any excess bureaucracy?
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Here’s a broader proposal: Let’s spend tax money on education more wisely. Like a business, government must emphasize return on investment. The 2004 referendum set a percentage target—without much quality direction.
Let’s listen to the business community when it comes to strategic education investment. The Business Roundtable is an association of CEOs of major corporations advocating for public policies fostering vigorous economic growth. The Business Roundtable supports major investments in early childhood education—because of return on investment.
James Heckman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist at the famously conservative University of Chicago, concludes investment in early childhood is the smartest investment we can make. Heckman fears a continuing decline in skill level in the coming decades, with a disastrous loss of U.S. productivity. He concludes quality pre-kindergarten programs “generate substantial savings to society and . . . promote higher economic growth by improving the skills of the workforce.”
Art Rolnick, senior VP of research at the Federal Reserve Bank, says a good preschool can offer a 12% annual return, after inflation. Rolnick published a paper in 2003 on the topic. Concluding investment in early childhood is “better than the stock market,” Rolnick wrote: “Most of the numerous projects and initiatives that state and local governments fund in the name of creating new private businesses and new jobs result in few public benefits. In contrast, studies find that well-focused investments in early childhood development yield high public, as well as private, returns.” These business leaders are right.
The High/Scope Research Foundation’s Perry Preschool Project found that individuals who were enrolled in a quality preschool program ultimately earned up to $2,000 more per month than those who weren’t. Young people who were in preschool programs are less likely to repeat grades, need special education, or get into trouble with the law, and are more likely to graduate from high school, and, as adults, to own homes.
A commission on childhood issues will meet this fall and offer proposals to the legislature in December. I’m committed to the most businesslike approach to this issue.
The decision by Maine voters to increase state spending on education may have been a good idea, but isn’t it ironic that the state neglects the one area that economists say offers the highest yield?
Rep. Sean Faircloth is a lawyer and author of many successful bills that improved the quality of life for Maine children as well as bills focused on economic development.
-----
Scott K Fish
Maine spends $2 billion per year on 200,000 K–12 students. Our cost per K–12 public school student is $10,000–$12,000 per year, $2,182 more per student than the national average.Is that enough money? That depends. Two worlds orbit Maine’s public education system. World 1 includes school administrators, teachers, unions, and certain parents/legislators. There’s never enough money to satisfy them.
World 2 includes retired people, people without K–12 children, certain parents/legislators. They see Maine’s declining K–12 enrollment, increasing K–12 spending, low Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, and are sick of throwing good money after bad.
What happens when the two worlds collide? The majority (World 1) is driving public education—into the ground.
Last year, Maine’s 11th-grader SAT average scores in math, critical reading, and science were below the national average. Education commissioner Susan Gendron said, “The good news is . . . scores didn’t go down as much as expected.” (Associated Press 12/28/06) “Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself,” Sherlock Holmes said. Can you imagine any Maine high school coach getting away with Commissioner Gendron’s attitude, i.e., “The good news is our football team lost the season by less than expected!”?
World 1’s top priority is keeping tax dollars flowing to public education. It has no regard, compassion, or interest in its World 2 neighbors. For example, local school budget meetings are pointless, maddening. Dreary school administrators, defensive school committee members drone on about the necessity of every jot-and-tittle in their proposed school budgets.
All legit school budget questions by World 2 are answered by administrators with boring, monotonic b.s. until World 2 concedes all points just to get away from droning bureaucrats.
Is Governor Baldacci’s school administrative consolidation a remedy? Maybe in theory, but Baldacci’s track record on major policies (property tax relief, health insurance) gives no reason to trust him. My fear? Good people will hear from the administration what they want to hear, not what is, in fact, said. For example, a WLOB radio interviewer (2/6/07) asks the governor about consolidation and closing local schools. When Baldacci stops speaking, the interviewer believes the governor said consolidation means no school closings.
That’s NOT what the governor said! I have the tape. He said he would close no school buildings because government can use them for Head Start, community centers, child care, and other support services.
Self-serving, double-talking people are driving good people out of Maine’s education debate. That may be okay for World 1 short-term—but it’s rotten for Maine’s overall future.
I don’t know how long World 1 can bite the World 2 hand that feeds. World 2 is getting squeezed out of Maine by high property taxes driven, in large part, by rising education costs, is turning to private education/home schooling, or is leaving Maine altogether. Why would World 2 keep suffering at the hands of a bloated, failing public education system that’s rude to boot?
Maine deserves and needs much better if we’re to get public education on track.
Scott K Fish is a political analyst, writer, and owner/editor of www.asmainegoes.com, a conservative political forum that has been keeping Mainers talking since 1998.
