Is it True that Funding for Edu per Student has Quadrupled During Last Few Decades?

[snot]

One of the neocon "experts" made this statement on the Diane Rehm Show this morning, and although there were at least one non-neocon expert also on the show, the statement went unchallenged. The fellow specified that this was on an inflation-adjusted basis (i.e., the increase was NOT due to inflation).

I'd be interested to know if this is true, preferably with a source. And if so, what the heck is the money being spent on? Because I do NOT get the impression it's teachers' salaries.

[wtbymark]

1. Superintendents saleries, check into it

lots of cronyism

[theophilus]

3. I wager that is the case or a similar scenario. Also, I have stopped

listening to Diane because of this very thing. Either she doesn't know much about most of these subjects or she "sits on her tongue" to get along. I have heard some very erroneous statements made on her show and she doesn't contradict a thing. I got so mad that I put her on "notice". You might disagree, but if you listen frequently see if you don't see what I mean.

[SharonAnn]

2. More than half the increase has gone to Special Education, children who wouldn't

have been in school previously.

It's a great thing, but we should be aware of the costs.

[ArcticFox]

4. I doubt it.

In California, they're building several-hundred-million-dollar schools that aren't needed (based on population growth projections from years ago), some of which are located on toxic land and will never be opened. At the same time, we keep hearing about teacher layoffs, or at least threats of layoffs.

So, to answer your question: the money is being spend on waste.

[msongs]

5. so have many things gone up in "the last few decades" but not sure about schools nt

[Hannah Bell]

6. I saw a response to that. More or less true but about half of the gain has come

from special ed. which pretty much didn't exist before the period under scrutiny.

The other half wasn't discussed, but I'd bet 1) esl due to rising proportions of legal immigration since the 70s & 2) administration are big players.

[denverbill]

7. I wonder if he's counting spending a for-profit colleges.

Although at the rate we keep privatizing public schools, I'm not surprised the costs are going up so quickly.

[jody]

8. Good question. Interesting that TX student scores are higher than WI when adjusted for ethnicity.

Isn't TX per student cost lower than WI?

[FBaggins]

9. Federal funding probably has.

I doubt that overall funding is anywhere close to that on an inflation-adjusted basis.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. No it's just doubled

When properly adjusted for inflation, K-12 per pupil spending has about doubled over the last four decades, but less than half of this new money has gone to regular education (including compensatory education for disadvantaged children, programs for English-language learners, integration programs like magnet schools, and special schools for dropout recovery and prevention). The biggest single recipient of new money has been special education for children with disabilities. Four decades ago, special education consumed less than 4% of all K-12 spending. It now consumes 21%.<‡>

Detailed tables documenting these trends are available here: http://epi.3cdn.net/1726cc68ca1a71563a_o3m6bhrub.pdf

American public education can boast of remarkable accomplishments in special education over this period. Many young people can now function in society whereas, in the past, children with similar disabilities were institutionalized and discarded. But it is not reasonable to complain about the increase in spending on such children by insisting that it should have produced greater improvement in the achievement of regular children.

http://education.nationaljournal.com/2011/03/focusing-on-teacher-effectiven.php#1903160

[exboyfil]

15. Not that I am questioning it

but we have a junior high of around 550 students with about 30 full time teachers, 11 paraeducators (at 1/2 time or more), 8 special education teachers, and 3 support staff of varying commitment levels(speech, psychologist, and consultant). Of course we also have a nurse, office staff, three administrators, and two counselors.

We have several students that are in a one to one relationship with the paraeducator (the paraeducator is with them full time). When they are in a class they have refused to assist other students even when it would not be an issue for the student they were assigned to (my wife helps in Home Ec and has seen this and the teacher has commented on it).

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. And your point is?

[exboyfil]

17. Trying to show where the dollars are spent in our particular

school district. I thought it would be informative to the discussion since mainstreaming special needs children is a goal in our country. Such special needs is expensive and individuals should be aware of what is involved. Paying a paraeducator full time during the day for one student is expensive, and, at least anecdotally, a particular paraeducator feels that he is only committed to assisting the student which he is assigned to. I thought that attitude might also be usefully explored by a paraeducator who might also be on the board. I frankly do not understand it. My wife devotes 2-3 periods a day for about 1/3 of a school year of her own time helping any child who needs it without any compensation.

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. A personal para's job is to be with that one student. That's it.

You are criticizing this para for not working with other students when that would be above and beyond his/her job requirements. It would be like expecting a teacher to step across the hall and teach that class as well as her own.

The few personal paras I have worked with have been assigned to students who need constant supervision and asking them to work with other students would be unreasonable. It is also a violation of the student's IEP.

[MichiganVote]

11. Top administration salaries are ridiculously high

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. Golden parachutes are common also

Last supt we fired was paid his full salary for several years after being fired. It was in his contract.

[MichiganVote]

13. Its absolutely nuts what these people are paid

[snot]

14. Thanks, everyone. These need to be developed as talking points, so we're ready with the comeback.