A study released yesterday reveals that while California increased spending public schools in a five-year period, it spent less on classrooms.
“More of the funding increase went to administrators, clerks and technical staff and less to teachers, textbooks, materials and teacher aides,” according to this Associated Press article.
This is a slap in the face to teachers, students and taxpayers. But it’s not surprising.
Anyone who has dealt with public schools (which is most of us) knows that classrooms have been given the short shrift for years. School districts reward administrators with raises and job security while handing out pink slips to teachers. Furthermore, teachers must regularly dig into their own wallets to fund classroom supplies.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again: California’s public education system isn’t under-appropriated; it’s misappropriated.