The article discusses the effects of the recession on K- 12 education. It looks at the issue state by state. Budget analyst Bill Oliff says that every state was effected, just to different degrees. However, some states like natural resource-rich Montana and agrarian driven Nebraska have seen increases in education spending. Also Alaska and Arkansas ended the 2010 year with a budget surplus. Michigan on the other hand is facing a $3 billion shortfall with a yearly budget of only 6.4 billion. These situations are not the same. It is my guess that all states will be screaming for government assistance, if any is available with the federal stimulus is drying up, and surplus or shortfall will not stop them from asking. I hear people tell me to ask for twice as much as you need so that hopefully they will give you half. I wonder if this is the mind set of the budget analysts. I know very little about economics, which is why I tend to feel a little cynical.
The new government initiative race to the top has 11 states and the district of Columbia making proposals for education reform that others criticize as, in the case of Florida, not very well thought out. But states are scrambling to either acquire new funds or protect the ones they have.
No comments:
Post a Comment