FUNDING EDUCATION
By Hilbert Morales, El Observador                    
In general we all support education. However, we need to understand the dynamics of funding education. There are those parents whose income permits the purchase of private school education for their kids. Then there are the rest of us who send our kids to public schools funded by a variety of parcel taxes, sales taxes, fees, and income taxes. The aggregate of these funds purchase the education, which our kids get in public schools.
We do not often think about the several professional unions and their contracts, which need to be evaluated because they quite often are 'fixed rate' labor contracts. When tax revenues are insufficient to meet those labor contract payment terms, the school district has a severe budget problem because of inadequate tax revenues. The payment of professionally trained licensed educators cannot be sustained at the levels contracted when revenues do not meet those costs, which can be projected and known without delving into personnel privacy issues. Certain flexible rates are needed.
One issue is the schoolbook publisher's and their lobbyists who are not likely to favor the introduction of 'ebooks' into the classroom because that will cut down the need to purchase approved textbooks. About a year ago Adelante charter school (Alum Rock Union Elementary School District) was provided with a gift from an anonymous donor for the purchase of ebooks. Just Monday, May 3, the 78 ebooks were delivered and programmed by volunteers. Isn't this great? YES and NO. Mind you, the teaching staff and students were thrilled to see these ebooks. But the funding was made available last year with the expectations that purchase, delivery and installment of those computers could be made during January 2010. Frustrating delays were experienced in 'accepting' this gift; in having the ARUSD purchasing department issue the purchase order; and in basic administration of this gift, which was intended to upgrade computer literacy at that Adelante charter school. Why did it take so long?
It is alleged by several individuals directly involved, who are non-staff, that the current education code does not facilitate the introduction of new technology into the classroom. The current education codes favor the use of school textbooks, many of which are first checked out in Texas. Why? Who benefits? Who influences? What goes on here?
Allegedly, textbook publishers have influenced the State Assembly to put into the education codes some very inflexible requirements that favor only the use of textbooks.
Directly stated, the purchase of textbooks leads to bottom line profits of those schoolbook publishers. Of course publishers do not want their 'market' altered by the introduction of ebooks (or modern technology), which permits updating by simply replacement of the memory chip which can present up to six textbooks in their entirety. To get our kids educated the controlling interests of current textbook publishers must receive full exposure. You will be outraged when you learn about it all because the devil is in the details, which must be exposed. This is happening in Silicon Valley, where information technology is created, used, and understood. It was an incredible experience for those persevering volunteers who were able to program those ebooks. A sad outcome was that the '09-'10 Adelante students will receive instruction using these recently delivered ebooks for one month rather than four.
Another issue is the coming election, which has Parcel Tax measures for several school districts including ARUSD. Here is an opportunity for registered voters to approve parcel taxes ($98/year) to purchase the education levels needed by our kids. The allocation level per student by the State Department of Education is about $6,800 and that of Palo Alto Unified School District is about $12,000. This disparity is based on parcel taxes where higher property values lead to higher school revenues. The PAUSD does have a parcel tax ($96/year) before its constituents on its May 4th Special Election).
Finally, each school district would be well advised to exercise due diligence in the use of non-profit foundations to fund local education. The objectives would be to facilitate local donations and to place our 'education dollars' into funds, which cannot be recalled to Sacramento by our Governor and the State Assembly. Today it seems wise to have total local control of what funding is generated to support education. There is work to be done.�