This weblog entry is part of a continuing paragraph by paragraph critique of Jay Greene’s essay about myths in education.
The introduction is here.
Jay Greene’s “Education Myths,” paragraph 2
The money myth
If people know anything about public schools today, it’s that they are strapped for cash. Bestselling books, popular movies, and countless lobbying groups portray urban schools as desperately underfunded, and editors of the New York Times write without fear of contradiction that “providing quality education for all America’s children will take…a great deal of money.” Bumper stickers declare, “It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber.” No matter what aspect of education is being debated, activists generally find the solution in more school spending.
No quarrel here. Lets move on.
Jay Greene’s “Education Myths,” paragraph 3
The money myth (continued)This is the most widely held myth about education in America–and the one most directly at odds with the available evidence. Few people are aware that our education spending per pupil has been growing steadily for 50 years. At the end of World War II, public schools in the United States spent a total of $1,214 per student in inflation-adjusted 2002 dollars. By the middle of the 1950s that figure had roughly doubled to $2,345. By 1972 it had almost doubled again, reaching $4,479. And since then, it has doubled a third time, climbing to $8,745 in 2002.
One problem with Greene’s article as a whole is his lack of references. When framing an argument using statistics and studies, one should always note the source of that information. Although he makes a few casual references, you have to wonder where some of his numbers originated. I’m not saying all of his data are in error, but he certainly presents some numbers that are suspect. I don’t expect a footnote for every statement, but when numbers such as cost per student are presented the source should be noted. continue reading…
Schools have to endure criticism from all walks of life, so much so that “public school” seems synonymous with failure. We need to stop holding schools responsible for problems caused by the greater society and our focus must turn to positive solutions to problems which plague our entire community. Only then will students cease to fail.
