BE OUR GUEST

Jack H. Knowlan Jr. is an administrative law judge for workers compensation, and is president of the Jackson Board of Education.

"LOCAL SCHOOL ~DIST~RICT BANKRUPT"

This type of headline may soon be appearing in some local newspapers. How can this be happening? Who's responsible for the red ink? Have all of our school boards and administrators ~been guilty of poor financial management? Why can't our schools pay their o~~wn way without tax increases?

Voters throughout Missouri and surrounding states are demanding answers to these questions b~~~y voting "no" on state-wide plans such as Proposition B and, more recently~, on local tax levy increases. The answer to these questions is really very simple, but for a variety of reasons this simple answer has been overlooked.

As in many cases, key questions a~bout important issues can best be answered by asking additional questions.

1. How much responsibility~ do our school districts have for "raising" our kids?

If you feel the word "raising" is an ex~aggeration, you're right~ but the era of ~just teaching "reading, writing and arithmetic" is long gone. With most children coming from either single parent homes or homes where both parents work, our society has placed more and more responsibility on our schools. The following list is just the tip of the iceberg:

A. How much responsibility do our schools have for special education and related areas for handicapped children~? All schools are now required to service the needs of physically ~and mentally handicapped children. A partial list includes learning disabilities; behavior disorders; speech, hearing and visual handicaps; and emotionally mentally~~ handicapped children. This responsibility ~has been expanded~ to i~nclude children from birth to age 21.

B. Who's been ~given the responsibility of teaching our children to drive~?~~ What about health, sex~, education, personal h~~ygiene, art, cooking, sewing, farming, auto mechanics, welding, etc.?

C. What institution has been given the job of ~keeping our children ph~ysically fit through physical education classes and athletics?

D. Where do most of our children get~ the opportunit~~~y to participate in drama clubs, debate, journalism and other related activities.

E. Who do parents depend on to advise their children on vocational schools, colleges, scholarships and other career opportunities?

The li~st of areas in whi~ch~~ ~scho~ols have been given more ~~responsibility for "raising" our kids is much longer, but all of them have one common thread - they all cost money!

2. What kind of people do y~~ou ~want to be teaching your children and grandchildren?

Other than parents~ there is no other person that will spend more time and have a greater impact on children's lives than their teachers. Our "future teachers" ~both men and women) have many more career choices than they did 20 years ago. In Missouri, many financially troubled districts start their teachers at the minimum salary of $18,000 per year. More significant, however, is the fact that teachers with many years of experience who have obtained their Masters Degree are often paid far less than recent graduates with engineering, business or other degrees. If your child is bright and plans to go to college, which career will you recommend they choose? Do you think our schools should be trying to attract the "best and brightest", or should we be satisfied with "leftovers"? Who do you want to be teaching your children?

3. How many children ~do you think should be in each classroom?

Many experts feel the ideal classroom si~ze for elementary ~grade levels would be 20 students. Most districts cannot afford the i~deal size and are forced to put around 30 children in each class. Most parents will admit they have problems with 10 kids at a birthday or bunking party, much less 30 for ~7 hours per day, 5 days a week! How much time do you think that teacher has to spend with the children who fall behind? For the more gifted children how much time will that teacher have to challenge those children to re~ach their full potential? Many districts may soon have 35 to 40 children in each class. How much do you think your children will learn in that type of environment?

4. How much is the future worth~ ?

The ability of our children to compete in the job market and make a good living, the success of our economy and the future of America are all d~ependent on the continued viability of our public education system. The wealthy will always have access to a ~good education. But what about the son or daughter of a sma~ll town blue collar worker who wants to be a doctor? How much is their f~uture worth? Most parents will spend anywhere from $~5 to $150 a year for their kids to play baseball, soccer or to take piano lessons, but very few have taken the time to vote to pay a similar amount to support our local school districts. How much is the future worth?

The list of "questions" could go on and on, but the simple answer to the voters questions is an old cliche that we have all used many times: "You get what you pay for." School boards throughout Missouri and surrounding states will now begin to respond to voters who have failed to support their schools. Drastic cuts in spending are being made which will severely effect the quality of education in many school districts. School boards are responding to their voters "questions" by saying "you get what you pay for." School boards should also keep repeating the question "How much is the future worth?."