Do other people wonder about these things as I do? Here are 7 fundamental questions for boards of education to ask those who recommend routine personnel, curriculum, and budget changes for their schools:
1. How much does it cost for a student to learn /a/ - substitute whatever subject matter you want for /a/, such as reciting an alphabet to completing a syllogism of a biochemical process?
2. Is this cost the same for all teachers in your school(s)? And for all lessons any teacher may offer?
3. How do your costs compare with costs for the same academic performance results in the adjacent school district? Across the state/province? Around the globe?
4. If costs are different, why? (And don’t tell me the tried and blue excuses of differences in human demographics and sociographics among students and households. These appear to contribute to costs in an unnecessary way that maximizes distribution of funding in favor of the political flavor of the day).
5. Does your school report these costs to parents and media?
6. What can educators do so that political candidates can discuss these costs and ways to increase and decrease them?
7. Why don't educators brag about their efforts to increase instructional and learning efficiency when asking for budget approvals, especially during today’s economic conditions?
I wonder if anyone else also worries about why boards of education don’t demand answers to such questions before approving recommendations for personnel, curriculum and budget changes?