ELECTION ISSUES

PROP 5: Public education - no better investment

Analysis and commentary by Katie Luscombe

As the auto industry sheds jobs in Michigan, the state hopes to transform itself into a mecca for high-tech industries that demand a highly educated workforce. Proposal 5 seeks to stabilize funding for public education.

This state has a crisis.

Along with so many other things in Michigan, public education is crumbling.  It is a serious problem and many people do not understand the magnitude. 

This year, Proposal 5 gives Michigan a chance to give our schools something that is desperately needed: a steady flow of state funding.  While this particular plan is far from a cure-all, we need all help we can get. Proposal 5 just may serve as a little breath of fresh air for our schools, who are currently suffocating under the drastic loss of funds. 

So what is it? Officially:

Proposal 5 is an education ballot initiative that requires the State of Michigan to provide annual funding increases at the rate of inflation (based on the previous year’s Consumer Price Index) to local public K-12 schools, intermediate school districts, community colleges and higher education institutions. 

It also requires the state to fund any deficiencies in the School Aid Fund from the General Fund, allow base funding for school districts with declining enrollment to use a three-year average; cap Retirement Fund contribution for public schools, community college and universities and require the State to pay remaining portion.  

Proposal 5 reduces funding gap between school districts receiving basic per-pupil foundation allowance and those receiving maximum foundation allowance. 

This proposal establishes a formula that guarantees schools will receive annual funding increases at a fair and steady rate.

Education is the ultimate investment.  Our schools serve as the foundation of our state's future and funding ultimately determines what these schools can do.  
 
While our teachers and schools are wasting valuable time, money and resources trying to live up to standards put in place by No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the students suffer. MEAP testing is expensive and requires hours and hours of preparation. Teachers often end up teaching “to the test” and not to their students’ individual needs. NCLB puts pressure on schools to have more “highly qualified” teachers. Training teachers is very expensive. When the standards say that only “highly qualified” teachers are allowed to teach a subject area, highly experienced teachers suddenly don’t count. And this means more adjustments and more money spent.    

Under-funded schools often cannot meet NCLB standards and they don’t receive additional funding they obviously need, further widening the gap between rich and poor schools. Proposal 5 is an opportunity to begin fixing this accelerating problem. 

In Michigan, election talk is all about jobs, jobs, jobs.  We’re losing jobs in Michigan to foreign countries and losing our graduates to other states.  What does this have to do with public education?

If we want to keep our jobs, we have to have workers who can compete in today’s work force and that means “highly qualified” employees.  If we want people to stay and raise their families in Michigan, we have to increase our school’s funding to provide quality free education.

Proposal 5 will also benefit universities.  With the federal government cutting back on college loans, Proposal 5 offers another opportunity to fight the rising tuition costs, a major deterrent for many would-be students. 

Opponents say that Proposal 5 is a money-grab for teachers.  However, the Michigan Education Association says that any changes in teacher pensions and benefits are completely independent of whether or not Proposal 5 passes.  Just because the specifics about where the additional money would go is not spelled out does not mean that teachers will suddenly be rolling into school in new Jaguars.  

Detroit recently sent layoff notices to 430 teachers due to dropping enrollment.  Where did all the students go, you say? To the suburbs, where school districts have more money. Looks like autoworkers aren’t the only ones suffering these days. 

It’s true that the money going to the schools has to come from somewhere. But the schools are a wise choice for long-term investment. Our students are important. In fact, they are the most important resource we have.  We simply cannot be leaders in technology or the sciences when schools are stuck with biology books that were printed when their readers were still in diapers. 

Proposal 5 is not perfect.  It is not the magic education-funding-wand. But it will help.  It is a big step in a positive direction and one that we certainly need if we want to stay in the race. 

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