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Indiana teachers' union lawsuit

The NEA-affiliated Indiana State Teachers Association will be filing a lawsuit today against the state to demand higher funding:

The Indiana State Teachers Association will file on April 20 a lawsuit against the State of Indiana for failing to fund the standards and accountability mandates required for Indiana’s public schools. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that Indiana’s school funding formula does not provide the resources necessary for all Hoosier school children to have a fair chance to learn.

Filed in Marion County on behalf of students and their families from different school corporations across the state, the class action lawsuit represents all Indiana students who are being denied essential learning opportunities, including students living in poverty, minority students, students just beginning to learn English and students with disabilities.

“This action is about Indiana’s future,” said Judy Briganti, ISTA President. “It’s clear that the current funding formula denies many of our students a fair chance to learn. The action we’re taking  is about giving all students the opportunities they need to be successful.”

With current funding, Indiana denies students preschool opportunities, supplemental reading instruction, English-language learning instruction and remediation and summer school opportunities.

Just for added effect, go check out the full press release.  The union has assembled an impressive point-by-point list of alleged grievances. 

Now hold on to your hat as we examine just how much those pennypinchers in Indianapolis skimp on schools:

Currently, the state spends about $4 billion annually —about one-third of its general fund budget — on elementary and secondary schools, an amount that includes the administration of the Department of Education.

But when federal funds and local property-tax revenues were added, schools spent about $10.2 billion in calendar year 2004, said Dave Reynolds, deputy director of the State Budget Agency.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hoosier schools spent nearly the national average per student — about $8,280, compared to about $8,287 nationally — in fiscal year 2004. That ranked the state 22nd.

But (union deputy executive director Dan) Clark said it’s not enough.

When the Indiana Department of Education begins categorizing schools this summer based on their standardized test scores, graduation rates and attendance, he said the public will see that many students are not achieving at adequate levels.

"There will be this outcry that public schools are failing again," Clark said. "What’s particularly troublesome for us is that some will use those alleged failures as a reason to support public school vouchers. That, quite frankly, is the end of the line for us."

So, to review: one-third of Indiana state funds are being spent on education.  Combined with federal and local funds, more than $10 billion dollars were spent on K-12, placing the state right in line with national averages.  And yet, the union wants more. 

Listen.  Let’s set aside the swipes at school choice, along with the list of areas where you say the state is failing.  (For the benefit of the union, we’ll also disregard the Kansas City episode for the time being.)  Instead, let’s step back and ask a sane, common-sense question: how on earth can anybody, from an individual to an organization, be asked to spend more than one-third of their income on anything?  Irrespective of the good or service–health care, law enforcement, transportation–at what point is it fair for the individual writing the check to decide that, even though the good or service in question is a worthy (even critical) endeavor, at some point enough is enough?

UPDATE: Hoosiers indeed: of the top ten high school basketball gymnasiums in the nation, nine–count ’em–nine are in Indiana.  (Hat tip: Indiana Education Review.)