Reply #28: Some schools are not so bad, there is more variability now that 50 years ago

[Sancho]

Schools weren't perfect in the 50's and 60's. There was a shortage of teachers that was made better by the GI Bill, more women going to college, Sputnik dollars dumped into science and math, and the LBJ reforms (Headstart, Special Ed, Right to Read, etc.). We had a large influx of teachers in the 60's and 70's. School districts built a lot of buildings when suburbs and the property taxes made dollars available. Accreditation standards became more uniform between the 50's and 70's.

In the last 20 years, there has been steady decline in funding for schools by states along with an increasing proportion to military budgets (federal). Property taxes have been slowed by voters, and the teacher pools have dried up because of low salaries. As the baby boomer teachers retire, the schools have a very large population (most babies born since the boomers), fewer qualified teachers crammed into too few buildings, and a MUCH more international population.

The schools with good teachers and solid property funding are better today than ever before: technology is excellent, teachers know their stuff pretty well, and there are plenty of extra-curriculars like music, art, sports, magnets, AP courses, IB programs, etc. The less supported schools and districts are getting killed. They can't get or keep good teachers, have poor facilities, and very difficult populations to teach.

Since there is little state money to equalize the support, and lots of dollars are siphoned off to charter schools and other GOP plans to take public money and put it in private pockets, the worst schools are caught in a catch-22.

The end result are some really good schools; the best in the world, but also some schools that are pretty desperate. There is little equalization in the US in many states. Florida is a typical example.