Important to Me

The most important issue to me in the educational field is money. Many schools are losing funding and are also having to cut programs and teachers. Some say education is at a crisis because of the quality of the teachers and the curriculum. To make schools fully functional and give all students an opportunity to learn and grow the financial stream has to be consistent. For example, here in Pennsylvania the state government has cut funding to education. Who does that hurt the most? Poor schools in some urban and rural area that are struggling to stay afloat from funnelling money to needed resources. Teachers from these schools get cut and they normally are the new teachers who essentially become disposable resources themselves. Schools that are well off cut programs like art and music. I went to a high school that prides itself on its band and art programs. Our high school without the band would be shocking to a community who's motto is Pride, Tradition, and Excellence. Some schools have not upgraded technologically and the needed funds can help schools upgrade to a more technologically-oriented classrooms. Many schools are moving to the latest laptops, ipods, and ipads and incorporating them into the classrooms. When the funds are cut these things are seen as unessential as money will be directed elsewhere in the budget. Another big issue concerning funding is the proposed voucher program in Pennsylvania. This enables a student to leave a failing school to attend a school that is better off. As a result the failing school has to pay for the leaving students cost to attend the new school as well as transportation to that new school. As a result the system will prevent failing schools from improving as funds will be spent on leaving students rather in needed areas in a school district's budget. We can't except a failing school to be punished and not given the opportunity to improve its quality of learning and growth in its community.