Texas Teacher: State's Education System Wasteful, Poorly Run
by Jim Brown
August 25, 2004
(AgapePress) - Testimony continues in the third week of a trial challenging Texas' "Robin Hood" system of funding public schools, which has rich districts pay for poor ones.Hundreds of school districts have been arguing that some schools are under-funded and unequally supported. On the other hand, attorneys for the state have countered by saying Texas has met and exceeded the basic minimum requirements for each district.
Donna Garner, who was a Texas classroom teacher for more than 27 years, says the crux of the problem is frequent waste and mishandling of tax dollars. "Based on much information and years of experience," she says, "I feel that we're not spending our money wisely is the problem. It's not that we don't have enough money per pupil in Texas, particularly when you add in the federal funding. And that's been my concern."
As an example of typical mismanagement, the Texas teacher points to the huge salaries of the state's education superintendents, some of whom are involved in private consultancies and whose side-line dealings should probably be flagged as conflicts of interest.
"Some of these consultancies that they have, they've not even told their school boards about," Garner says. "Then these superintendents come back and sell these products to their school boards and reap a commission on the side. It's very unethical, if not illegal."
The concerned educator says when state officials figured out the "Robin Hood" formula in 1993, they did not even bother to figure in the money coming from the federal government. And if President George W. Bush's 2005 budget proposal goes through, Texas will receive $3.1 billion for secondary and elementary schools next year.
Garner says she can see no real justification for raising taxes in the state since she feels Texas schools are already receiving more than enough funding to give their students an adequate education.
