Business Lobby Shafts Public Education?
Now, hold on to your hats. This is going to come as a surprise, but...American legislators do not like funding education. I know, I know, you're thinking, "WHAT? But why? It's our most important renewable resource, our competitive edge, our future!"
My theory is that politicians get away with paying lip service to education and educators, and so never have to actually do...anything. It's not like they will actually have to follow through with campaign promises to build more schools, or hire more teachers. If pressed, they could simply say that whatever bill is proposed for such a thing is "not refined enough".
This is in contrast to, say, New Mexico business, who will finnangle their way into Santa Fe, lobby congress people dawn until dusk, and still have money left over to take said congressmen out for a martini afterwards.
My rant has a purpose. Here's the story, and this whole thing has me pissed off:
FYI: Press Release from Friday, February 6th:
_Education employees grade business lobby, give 'F' for failing to
support public education funding_
Feb. 6, 2009, ABQ --Dr. Ellen Bernstein, spokesperson for the ABQ
Teachers Federation, Educational Assistants Association, and AFT New
Mexico said, "Education employees have graded the ABQ Chamber of
Commerce, Association of Commerce & Industry, Hispano Chamber of
Commerce and Restaurant Owners Association. Today, we're declaring that
business gets an 'F' when it comes to funding education."
Bernstein continued, "Lobbyists representing business stood in front of
the House Taxation and Revenue Committee on Feb 4. These lobbyists
testified against HB 346. HB 346 will help New Mexico fix the problem of
our under-funded schools. Currently, New Mexico is insufficiently
funding its public schools by more than $350 million a year."
Bernstein stated, "The business lobby has no business opposing House
Bill 346."
Bernstein said, "The business lobby constantly criticizes public
education, and says it wants to help improve our schools. Yet, when it's
time to support what school children need, business is only interested
in corporate welfare and government subsidies."
Bernstein stated, "The business lobby says it needs an educated
workforce. However, on Feb. 4, business opposed HB 346 which would
provide the additional money necessary to sufficiently fund our schools."
Bernstein continued, "The business lobby has no problem asking for
public money. It receives public funds provided by tax cuts for the
rich, corporate income tax cuts, capital gains tax cuts, tax giveaways
and abatements for private interests. But, when it comes to the
interests of school children, the lobby begrudges our schools the money
needed to function."
Bernstein said, "Now is the time to invest more in school children.
Sufficiently funding public education is mandated in the New Mexico
Constitution. On behalf of education employees, I invite those who
really support public education to work with us, not against us."
Bernstein continued, "Poll after poll says the public is willing to pay
more taxes as long as that money is dedicated to our public schools."
Dr. Bernstein concluded, "We call on legislators and the Governor to
say NO to allowing business to hold education hostage. Lawmakers need to
recognize that the constitutional mandate of operating under a balanced
budget is just as pressing as the constitutional mandate to provide
sufficient funding for schools. We want lawmakers to recognize that the
business lobby, as seen in their wild display before the Tax and Revenue
Committee Feb. 4, does not have the best interests of school children at
heart."
Here is what the chamber is telling their members---in other words-here
is their spin:
/The Chamber is opposing both bills and would oppose any other
funding mechanism for the education funding formula bill because we
believe the core bill itself lacks specific accountability measures
that we believe are important. We also believe that we should not
pass either piece of legislation without knowing how school
districts are currently expending their funds. At this time, there
are twenty three school districts that have failed to submit their
financial audits which were due in November of 2008. While some have
said that the delayed audits are a result of the charter schools, we
know this simply is not true. Frankly, the situation begs the
question: why would we want to support a tax increase on our
citizens to provide another $350 million to schools when we don't
know in many cases how they spent the money we already gave them? /
/During last week's House Tax and Revenue meeting, the funding bill
HB346 was temporarily tabled. Chairman Ed Sandoval asked Terri Cole,
President & CEO of the Chamber to meet with the legislation's
primary sponsors Representative Stewart and with Representative Rick
Miera, Chair of the House Education Committee to seek some common
ground on these two bills and see if a compromise position could be
reached. That meeting is scheduled for tomorrow./
Of course, when there are bills which are supported strongly by
some groups and opposed by others, emotions can flare. However, last
week, Ellen Bernstein, President of the Albuquerque Teachers
Federation held a press conference and attacked the business
community rather viciously and inappropriately by saying "...we had
no business in the education business" and that business "either
needs to support the kind of funding education needs...or they need
to be quiet." Pretty strong words from someone who apparently has
forgotten that the Chamber fought for the teachers' funding bill in
2003 and made the difference in a very tight contest that got the
teachers' their significant salary increases. Let's hope the
teachers themselves remember that the Chamber and their business
members were there for them when they needed us.
Being a rational, inquisitive individual, I decided to investigate the last part of the Business Lobby' release. Here's what I found out about the "teacher's funding bill from 2003" - which is actually just the funding formula - something that gets hashed out every year.
Section 1. Section 21-2-5.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1988, Chapter 164, Section 1, as amended) is amended to read:
"21-2-5.1. FUNDING FORMULA.--
B. (4) consider faculty salaries and benefits adjustment to a competitive level with similar institutions in similar states, when such compensation adjustments are supported by detailed analyses of faculty workloads and educational outcomes assessments, and nonteaching staff salaries and benefits at a competitive level with other similar public or private sector employment in the community in which the institution is situated;"
...I also found a report from 2003 discussing the possibility of giving a grant of $300 to teachers attempting National Board Certification, a lengthy and grueling process, worth more than $300!...but I guess you take what you can get.
I found this at the AFT's website, showing that in 2003, teachers did in fact receive a 2% raise, making an average of $600 dollar more a year - a number which does not jive with cost-of-living increase in 2003, as this document from the New Mexico State Statistics explains. According to this, there was a 2.1% increase in cost-of-living.
Still, I thought there must surely be some basis for the Business Lobby's claims that they had come to our defense during an hour of need...but instead I found this rather damning study from 2005 documenting the decline in teacher salary since 2000.
http://www.aft.org/salary/2004/download/2004AFTSalarySurvey.pdf
So a crude but rather apt analogy for the help bestowed upon New Mexico educators by the business lobbiests in 2003 is that we were kicked in the nuts, but at least they didn't also kick us in the face.
Our district, one of the largest in the nation, is 350 million dollars short of meeting it's basic operating costs. This is completely ignoring funding needed to meet the needs of Title I schools, growing schools requiring more staff, No Child Left Behind and RTI requiring more materials and more one-on-one time with qualified staff.
At the Union website, Legislative Flyer #2 has some good info on how to get in touch with people in Santa Fe, and share your thoughts with them. I would really appreciate it if my NM friends would give them a call or email, and let them know that it's not okay to not fund education.
http://www.atfunion.org/index.cfm?objectid=66C67E68-A946-D361-75DE35956E0FDC62
My theory is that politicians get away with paying lip service to education and educators, and so never have to actually do...anything. It's not like they will actually have to follow through with campaign promises to build more schools, or hire more teachers. If pressed, they could simply say that whatever bill is proposed for such a thing is "not refined enough".
This is in contrast to, say, New Mexico business, who will finnangle their way into Santa Fe, lobby congress people dawn until dusk, and still have money left over to take said congressmen out for a martini afterwards.
My rant has a purpose. Here's the story, and this whole thing has me pissed off:
FYI: Press Release from Friday, February 6th:
_Education employees grade business lobby, give 'F' for failing to
support public education funding_
Feb. 6, 2009, ABQ --Dr. Ellen Bernstein, spokesperson for the ABQ
Teachers Federation, Educational Assistants Association, and AFT New
Mexico said, "Education employees have graded the ABQ Chamber of
Commerce, Association of Commerce & Industry, Hispano Chamber of
Commerce and Restaurant Owners Association. Today, we're declaring that
business gets an 'F' when it comes to funding education."
Bernstein continued, "Lobbyists representing business stood in front of
the House Taxation and Revenue Committee on Feb 4. These lobbyists
testified against HB 346. HB 346 will help New Mexico fix the problem of
our under-funded schools. Currently, New Mexico is insufficiently
funding its public schools by more than $350 million a year."
Bernstein stated, "The business lobby has no business opposing House
Bill 346."
Bernstein said, "The business lobby constantly criticizes public
education, and says it wants to help improve our schools. Yet, when it's
time to support what school children need, business is only interested
in corporate welfare and government subsidies."
Bernstein stated, "The business lobby says it needs an educated
workforce. However, on Feb. 4, business opposed HB 346 which would
provide the additional money necessary to sufficiently fund our schools."
Bernstein continued, "The business lobby has no problem asking for
public money. It receives public funds provided by tax cuts for the
rich, corporate income tax cuts, capital gains tax cuts, tax giveaways
and abatements for private interests. But, when it comes to the
interests of school children, the lobby begrudges our schools the money
needed to function."
Bernstein said, "Now is the time to invest more in school children.
Sufficiently funding public education is mandated in the New Mexico
Constitution. On behalf of education employees, I invite those who
really support public education to work with us, not against us."
Bernstein continued, "Poll after poll says the public is willing to pay
more taxes as long as that money is dedicated to our public schools."
Dr. Bernstein concluded, "We call on legislators and the Governor to
say NO to allowing business to hold education hostage. Lawmakers need to
recognize that the constitutional mandate of operating under a balanced
budget is just as pressing as the constitutional mandate to provide
sufficient funding for schools. We want lawmakers to recognize that the
business lobby, as seen in their wild display before the Tax and Revenue
Committee Feb. 4, does not have the best interests of school children at
heart."
Here is what the chamber is telling their members---in other words-here
is their spin:
/The Chamber is opposing both bills and would oppose any other
funding mechanism for the education funding formula bill because we
believe the core bill itself lacks specific accountability measures
that we believe are important. We also believe that we should not
pass either piece of legislation without knowing how school
districts are currently expending their funds. At this time, there
are twenty three school districts that have failed to submit their
financial audits which were due in November of 2008. While some have
said that the delayed audits are a result of the charter schools, we
know this simply is not true. Frankly, the situation begs the
question: why would we want to support a tax increase on our
citizens to provide another $350 million to schools when we don't
know in many cases how they spent the money we already gave them? /
/During last week's House Tax and Revenue meeting, the funding bill
HB346 was temporarily tabled. Chairman Ed Sandoval asked Terri Cole,
President & CEO of the Chamber to meet with the legislation's
primary sponsors Representative Stewart and with Representative Rick
Miera, Chair of the House Education Committee to seek some common
ground on these two bills and see if a compromise position could be
reached. That meeting is scheduled for tomorrow./
Of course, when there are bills which are supported strongly by
some groups and opposed by others, emotions can flare. However, last
week, Ellen Bernstein, President of the Albuquerque Teachers
Federation held a press conference and attacked the business
community rather viciously and inappropriately by saying "...we had
no business in the education business" and that business "either
needs to support the kind of funding education needs...or they need
to be quiet." Pretty strong words from someone who apparently has
forgotten that the Chamber fought for the teachers' funding bill in
2003 and made the difference in a very tight contest that got the
teachers' their significant salary increases. Let's hope the
teachers themselves remember that the Chamber and their business
members were there for them when they needed us.
Being a rational, inquisitive individual, I decided to investigate the last part of the Business Lobby' release. Here's what I found out about the "teacher's funding bill from 2003" - which is actually just the funding formula - something that gets hashed out every year.
Section 1. Section 21-2-5.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1988, Chapter 164, Section 1, as amended) is amended to read:
"21-2-5.1. FUNDING FORMULA.--
B. (4) consider faculty salaries and benefits adjustment to a competitive level with similar institutions in similar states, when such compensation adjustments are supported by detailed analyses of faculty workloads and educational outcomes assessments, and nonteaching staff salaries and benefits at a competitive level with other similar public or private sector employment in the community in which the institution is situated;"
...I also found a report from 2003 discussing the possibility of giving a grant of $300 to teachers attempting National Board Certification, a lengthy and grueling process, worth more than $300!...but I guess you take what you can get.
I found this at the AFT's website, showing that in 2003, teachers did in fact receive a 2% raise, making an average of $600 dollar more a year - a number which does not jive with cost-of-living increase in 2003, as this document from the New Mexico State Statistics explains. According to this, there was a 2.1% increase in cost-of-living.
Still, I thought there must surely be some basis for the Business Lobby's claims that they had come to our defense during an hour of need...but instead I found this rather damning study from 2005 documenting the decline in teacher salary since 2000.
http://www.aft.org/salary/2004/download/2004AFTSalarySurvey.pdf
So a crude but rather apt analogy for the help bestowed upon New Mexico educators by the business lobbiests in 2003 is that we were kicked in the nuts, but at least they didn't also kick us in the face.
Our district, one of the largest in the nation, is 350 million dollars short of meeting it's basic operating costs. This is completely ignoring funding needed to meet the needs of Title I schools, growing schools requiring more staff, No Child Left Behind and RTI requiring more materials and more one-on-one time with qualified staff.
At the Union website, Legislative Flyer #2 has some good info on how to get in touch with people in Santa Fe, and share your thoughts with them. I would really appreciate it if my NM friends would give them a call or email, and let them know that it's not okay to not fund education.
http://www.atfunion.org/index.cfm?objectid=66C67E68-A946-D361-75DE35956E0FDC62