Education might help foot the bill that government has been racking up for years now.
A domino effect has led to states nationwide whittling away at their budgets for education with newly implemented federal cuts. Summer programs, education in the arts and music, physical education classes and the general length of school days and years will feel the effects of a tighter fiscal leash on the nation.In 2009 President Barack Obama officially endorsed longer school days and shorter summer vacations. Although this might be unpopular with our younger siblings in grade school, it is a viewpoint ubiquitously shared.
“For some students, the traditional school year is not enough to meet their learning needs,” said Lewis Ferebee, chief of staff of Durham Public Schools. “Some would also argue that our nation is behind when it comes to time in school, which has implications for our global competitiveness.”
Justin Hamilton, a spokesperson for the United States Department for Education, said in a New York Times article that, rather than having the opportunity to pass legislation or even endorse extending the school year, this branch of the government has had its hands full trying to maintain the current length of the school year.
Los Angeles has cut its budget for summer classes to $3 million from its original $18 million allotment. Several districts in North Carolina have followed suits, either reducing or cutting available summer programs altogether.
Some more extreme measures that may spread given current trends were taken in some districts in New Mexico, Idaho and other states that have resorted to cramming their school curricula into four-day academic weeks.
North Carolina, however, is attempting to resist these pressures.
“As a result of recent budget reductions, some school districts are shortening the school year to save money,” Ferebee said. “However, in N.C., students were required to have 180 days of school which was just increased to 185 by our state legislators…for the upcoming school year.”
The education department has not given any additional money to implement these new regulations, which may add stress to school administrators and teachers, Ferebee said.
He emphasized that measures have been taken in some individual schools to lengthen the school day and that the state strongly supports enhancing their children’s educational experience in any way possible.
“We have also tried to beef up our summer and intercession offerings to enrich and re-teach, to give our students an advantage,” Ferebee noted. “Bottom-line: we have to do whatever it takes to educate our young people—our futures is in their hands."
Theoretically, our priorities are in order. Our end-of-the-month state and national credit statements should reflect these priorities as well.
As of now, the numbers don’t seem to add up.
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