Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/137150
4A Daily News – Saturday, June 15, 2013 Opinion DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Are they serious? Editor: Now the senate's immigration plan has really gone over the top. Are they really serious. Even the Republicans' plan is ridiculous. Does anybody really think immigrants will come out of the shadows, pay a fine, learn English and then go to the back of the line. Then wait 13 years before becoming a citizen. Oh, and pay back taxes. How do they know what those taxes will be. They probably worked under the table. Even dumber, the senate's plan is to legalize immigrants to work in the United States, but they won't be eligible for any benefits or welfare and then our United States companies can hire them and not be required to pay any fine or provide them with healthcare. Our companies can hire them before they hire our citizens which will save them money. They won't be eligible for Obamacare so where do they go when they're sick or injured. The emergency room. That's where they go now, we'll have the same stupid problem and expense, what are these accredited dumbells thinking? Maybe if the rules set in place years ago to deal with this problem were enforced, we'd not have this problem. This goes on and on, rules set in place, not enforced, new rules made, won't be enforced either. They just don't get it. I'm so disgusted with this stupidity, I can hardly find the words anymore. Our governor has raised taxes, now 65,000 SEIU union people will get rais- about it. College costs a fortune es, no furloughs, more unions because professors and adminiswill use this to do the same, trators are overpaid year after while many are losing jobs and year. When tuition is raised, it's salaries being cut, and he thinks probably because the adminishe's balancing the budget. trators need more. More, more, Another joke on all of us. The more. They live like royalty and want more. These are liberals only know pathetic people gethow to grow, spend, Your ting away by robbing manipulate, run all students who have no over those without a say. My son went to a say. Sooner or later trade school and has this state will crash and never been sorry. burn and I hope people The minute we can move will come to their senses and out of this dumb state, that clean house. Our college administrators will be the best thing we ever make so much money, they take do. This state is hopeless. Just more and more, students pay wait until people have to sign more and more, nothing up for Obamacare. They're in changes. Why do they get such for a rude awakening and if ridiculous salaries, which many they voted for Obama, they times include housing and so deserve it. Bernice Cressy, many perks, how does this go Cottonwood on and on. Nobody does a thing Turn Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 1550 Humboldt Road, Ste. 4, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 5583160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-2253076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 3930710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submitted will be considered for publication. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong community newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehicles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its communities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the residents and businesses of Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 Commentary Paying for schools We've just gone through the graduation season, listening to the speakers try both to congratulate and to challenge the graduates and express their hope those graduates can make the world a better place than the world we have presented to them. It is also the political education season where our state leaders preach educational reform and school finance reform. Part of their preaching is obligatory. Those state legislators need to have street "cred" by supporting education; they certainly do not want any voters to think they are against learning---except us learning about them. When I was in public education I thought school finance was exciting. Plotting my way through the state's plans for us, building a budget, and setting priorities was fun; when I was teaching graduate students about school finance I tried to make it exciting for them as well. Today, I hope to make it somewhat interesting, if not exciting for you. There has been a goodly amount of debate and discussion about how to finance public schools this year; budget surpluses make this easier. The passage of Proposition 30 and a gradually improving economy have given our state leaders more money to pontificate about and pretend to use for a new focus on state priorities. At this point it appears the California public schools will have over $3 billion more in their coffers next school year. Let's take a look at why the schools could use more money. According to an NEA study in 2008-2009 California spent $2,131 less per pupil than the national average. By 2010, after the credit bubble burst, California was spending $3,342 less than the national average. It dropped to 49th in state rankings. School staffing ratios in California do not compare well either. Based on a study by the Stanford School of Law in the 2007-08 school year the ratio of students to teacher ranks 49th among the states; students per counselor also ranks 49th; students per librarian ranks 50th; students per school administrator ranks 47th. What are the staffing numbers you may ask? In California the student teacher ratio was 20.8 versus a national average of 15.1; for students per counselor it was 809 versus a national average of 440; for students per librarian it was 5,039 versus 782; for school administrators it was 433 versus 312. That same Stanford Law School study revealed some discouraging facts about achievement in California's public schools as well. The average California 8th grade student scored at the 38.1 percentile in math nationally; this places California 45th of all the states. If the average California eighth grade student were in Massachusetts, he/she would have scored at the 21.3 percentile in that state. In other words, about 79 percent of students in Massachusetts scored higher than the average student in California. Only Mississippi, Alabama, New Mexico, Hawaii, and West Virginia scored lower than California. Of course, Massachusetts was spending about $6,000 more per pupil than California at the time. In fourth grade reading only the District of Columbia, Louisiana, and Mississippi scored below our state. The data above demonstrate a clear need for more resources to support California public education. However, there is not necessarily a direct relationship between more dollars and improved achievement; therefore concerns about how additional dollars will be spent usually float up to the top when extra money is available. Some call this concern a desire for accountability; usually whenev- expenses. As a result of the er "accountability" is Serrano decision and the topic, it has a comsubsequent decisions panion in the discusand legislation, the sion: local control verstate's role in funding sus state control. education expanded The State Constitudrastically over the tion makes it clear that ensuing 40 years. public education is a Even though there state responsibility, but have been efforts to at last count there were equalize the money about 1000 local pubbehind each student lic school districts in within the state, there California, each with Joe are still disparities. For its own board of educaexample, in the 2011tion, elected by local 12 school year the avervoters. age elementary school In the famous 1971 district received $8,234 Serrano case, the California Supreme Court basically per pupil; Red Bluff Union Eledeclared that education is essen- mentary received $7,647 per tial for the "preservation of other pupil. (It should be noted that in basic civil and political rights", spite of less revenue the pupil and that education "forms the teacher ratio was better in Red basis of self-government and Bluff than statewide, and our constitutes the very cornerstone local district spent a couple of of republic institutions." dollars more per pupil than the Because "education is a major statewide average.) Not only are there concerns determinant of an individual's chances for economic and social about equal funding, there are success in our competitive soci- also some are concerns that stuety" and "is a unique influence dents with greater needs can be on a child's development as a better served with more citizen and his participation in resources. Some districts have a political and community life," higher concentration of those education is a fundamental right students than others, and some have proposed that those disof each child in California. In those days the local prop- tricts receive more money. Both erty tax was the major funding the state and the federal governsource for schools. (When I first ments have earmarked special came to Red Bluff a major deci- funds for such high need stusion the school board had to dents. This categorical money make was setting the property has strings attached and has to tax rate.) The court had be spent according to various reviewed evidence that funding sets of rules and regulations. for schools placed an undue bur- Sometimes the money is held den on relatively poor school together with red tape; other districts. The most famous times the local schools are "free" example of this unequal burden to use it for its intended purposinvolved two school districts in es and demonstrate results. How that will work next year Los Angeles County, Beverly Hills and Baldwin Park. is still waiting on our leaders in Because Beverly Hills was a rel- Sacramento. More next week atively wealthy school district it after they have passed a budget. could impose a property tax rate Joe Harrop is a retired of $2.38 to support an expense level of $1,232 per pupil (in educator with more than 30 1969). Baldwin Park had to years of service to the North impose a tax rate of $5.48 to State. He can be reached at support $577 per pupil in DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net. Harrop