A third major problem in increasing costs is the funding of the illegal populations.
Each child in our school system is pulling in about $4,750 in county, state and federal dollars.
With about 22 in the standard classroom that's $104,500 per classroom with the teacher getting about $35,000.
That other $69,500 is going somewhere but it sure ain't on their education.
The article mentions how suburban high school principals brag about the Advanced Placement courses they offer, even though most of the AP students either don't take or don't pass the AP exam.
Things have gotten so bad in the last year or two that the College Board, which creates the AP curricula and exams, has had to start auditing high schools to ensure that the schools are indeed teaching AP-level material. Apparently, many schools were labeling courses "Advanced Placement" when they were nothing of the sort.
I remember back in the early 80s, we went through a very rough time. I had all I could do to come up with 25 cents for lunch for each kid and I got upset when the 4th grade teacher asked everyone to bring in posterboard for a project that he did every year. I complained to the principal and he said if the teacher did the same project every year, he should put it in his budget request.
By the time my twin daughters were in high school, things changed somewhat. My husband and I went to the Open House and visited their French teacher's classroom. He said he couldn't understand why my twins hadn't signed up for the trip to Paris. I looked at him like he was insane. I told him we couldn't afford it. He said, "Well, why don't you send one this year and one next year?" I wanted to bop him.
It is the parents who are paying the taxes that are making the decisions. I don't mind this. The PTA is made of active parents. This is fine. Maybe if those who are upset with this get off the couch and attend some meetings, they can have a voice.