It’s a nearly constant refrain — one you can’t avoid. The newspaper sings it. The teacher’s unions trill its melodic strains. Its theme is used to frighten parents into voting for costly overrides when schools refuse to live within their budgets.
Arizonans are so used to hearing the one-note mantra that we don’t spend enough on education, it has become accepted lore. But there is another side to the issue that sheds light on this narrative.
Here are the facts, as presented in black and white by the non-partisan Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC). The updated fiscal policy analysis for the legislature is available here. Under the heading Education Spending, it is instructive to review K – 12 Funding (M&O) (2/ 2/09).
The facts are clearly presented and show that in 2001 the state total spent on K-12 M&O was $2.52 billion, with that number jumping to $5.08 for 2009 — an increase of more than 100 %. Those figures represent billions — with a capital “B.”
Now take a gander at the total tax revenues – $5.8 billion collected by the state of Arizona in 2001. These taxes include income and individual, corporate, property, luxury, insurance premiums, motor vehicle licensing, estate, and licenses, fees and permits among others. The total tax revenues increased to only $6.6 billion in 2009.
The K – 12 Maintenance and Operation budget claimed 43% of the total tax revenues in 2001, while consuming 76% of all tax revenues in 2009. Bottom line: Continued spending at this rate will leave only $.9 billion in the state general fund for everything else.
To put this fiscal mess in another perspective, this year’s total state government expenditures have soared to $900 million per month. Without reductions to this out-of-control spending, the state will spend $10.8 billion this fiscal year. This number is irresponsible and unmanageable based on JLBC projections of only $6.1 billion in tax revenues for the same time period. K-12 will consume 85% of the available tax revenues.
This is not rocket science. The facts are clear. Arizona wage earners have to conform to their own budgets. The state can do no less. If education funding remains untouchable, it represents certain bankruptcy for the state.
We’ve responded to the education establishment for decades. It’s time to face reality.
Seeing Red AZ 
Here’s a quote that illustrates what the AEA and union affiliates think about so much spending:
“Because what these school districts and unions and otherwise have said: ‘We aren’t special interests we’re extra special. We’re supposed to get all the money and everybody else can just divide up the crumbs.’…It’s clear to me they don’t care about anybody but themselves.” – New York Gov. David Paterson. (December 16 New York Daily News)
Interesting quote North Valley Rep. Why is it not surprising? The schools have “rainy day funds” that they consider sacrosanct and therefore act as though they don’t exist. This post really explains in the clearest of terms and with excellent links what’s actually going on in the education arena these days. As a retired teacher, I’m ashamed.
My niece goes to Alhambra Elementary. My sister looked up some figures on teacher pay and their AVERAGE teacher pay is over $58K PLUS the taxpayers have to pay another $20K in benefits and employer taxes. Their “poor me” marketing reaches criminal proportions.
Enron management were charged criminally for misrepresenting their finances in a way to fleece investors. Our school management personnel don’t have to take a back seat to Ken Lay, Bernie Madoff or Michael Milkin when evaluating the lack of integrity.
I was just reminded that these people are on duty for 180 days per year – by contract! That is only 36 weeks, minus twelve days in discretionary leave. That means the taxpayers are paying nearly $3,000 per week for these spoiled ingrates.
Workers across Arizona are losing their jobs or taking pay cuts, our seniors and disabled are losing their critical support programs, state parks are being closed, while the AEA and their educrat conspirators are screaming for more money for them.
The teachers, superintendents and district office administrators are just like the Muslim terrorists who hide in a mosque or behind women and children when they sing “It’s for the children,” when it is really for themselves.
The union does a lot of grousing about salaries, but tenure and benefits are items few other workers enjoy. Meanwhile, the big secret as Janelle points out, is that they are paid for approximately 8 months of work. Factor in the summer vacations, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring breaks and all of the full and half days off for “training.”
Meanwhile Johnny and Suzy are learning about recycling and Al Gore’s bogus global warming but can’t read at grade level. Obama is now an integral part of the classroom and students are being taught they might marry a man OR a woman when they grow up. This after the teacher gives them a dose of “Heather Has Two Mommies.” With all of the liberalism and social engineering, it’s no wonder various parochial and charter schools along with home schooling are flourishing.
Again, I’ll quote-not verbatim- our fine blogger, sherriaz,”Pull your kids outta’ government run/controlled public schools.” I’ll be biting the bullet financially next year, but my Son won’t be enrolled in public school.
“Heather has two mommies”…the fact that the safe school freek czar sicko has espoused this kind of emesis, & our fed level legislators have done zip, zero, nada, nuthin’, speaks VOLUMES, doesn’t it? Are we givin’ THAT guy amnesty, too?
Good for you, Doc! I know that it is a financial hardship to utilize private schools and some families simply aren’t interested in homeschooling, but there are alternatives. Mesa ran an excellent program called Eagleridge when we were homeschooling our kids and it may still be in existence. They offer the program to homeschooled kids throughout the East Valley.
Basically, kids are homeschooled, but parents send them for chosen courses on topics ranging from computers to poetry, P.E. to geography. Parents can use any and all books free. It worked well for us for several years. Today, my children have strong opinions, can debate their points of view, make pretty good choices and are hardworking young adults.
Oh, and they understand what’s wrong with the idea of teaching young children about Two Mommies and same sex dating penguins!
Wow! How enlightening! Click on the words “teacher’s unions” in the second sentence of this post. It’s a short but very telling video of what the NEA union agenda is about — in the extremely foul words of their former head guy.
I’ve never seen this before. The guy is bragging about the scam they’ve pulled on the public and parents and their students. It’s nauseating.
Where is the input from the education bureaucrats to assist in reforming their system? If they are really interested in the “children” instead of their own largesse, where are their contributions to cutting the fat out of the process?
I am tired of being held up by thugs who hold “the children” up as hostages. This is a new form of kidnapping and should be fought.
The DVUSD Superintendent is now taking over $300,000 annually from the taxpayers. That is nearly fifteen times the wages of the average Arizonan. Scandalous!
Then they have the audacity to cry poverty and threaten property owners with dire predictions in order to pass bond overrides! What a scuzzy bunch!
Thanks, sherriaz! I already donate time to my Son’s public school, in the form of reading with the kids. I was only thinking of homeschooling…you brought to light a whole other Idea! I’ve heard there are a couple of charter schools that are conservative in nature, ie; teaching actual history, NOT gubmint spoken history; requiring some form of “civics” classes for the older ones, etc. So, from what I’ve heard, I’ll be looking into THAT avenue as well.
The head muslim’s NOT gonna’ be teachin’ my Son LIES! And his safe school freek can go pound sand.
[…] sacred cow is tainted and needs to be recalled Yesterday we detailed Arizona’s educational funding excesses for K-12. It may seem hard to believe but today we […]
[…] sacred cow is tainted Yesterday we detailed Arizona’s educational funding excesses for K-12. It may seem hard to believe but today we […]