Center for Education Reform responds to Virginia teacher walkout
School funding, not teacher pay, is the most important education issue
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 29th, 2018
Statement from Jeanne Allen, Founder & CEO of the Center for Education Reform (CER):
(Washington, D.C.) – “Today’s teacher walkout in Virginia is another well-intentioned but flawed effort to address a problem that such tactics will not ultimately solve.
“The problem of pay isn’t a teacher issue — it’s an education issue. Public education is mis-funded, not underfunded. States and districts allocate funds based on programs, not students. Whether and how schools spend those funds isn’t up for discussion — it’s mandated by rules and laws that remove any authority for the allocation of dollars to the people closest to our kids.
“U.S. education spending has soared as enrollment has declined. It has increased, even as student achievement has stagnated and decreased. The teachers need to be asking themselves, their leadership, unions and policymakers where the money is in order to truly understand what must change.
“If you want to solve the problem of teacher pay, reimagine education. Every student should have the same amount of money, and those funds should flow to the schools they attend based on the people and the programs at the school level — funds should not be mandated from miles away, siphoned off and misdirected.
“Districts are obsolete. That’s why teacher pay is an issue. Teacher quality and pay can be tied when funds are focused on the students. Teachers need to stop listening to their union-led associations and start looking into the reality of how their schools are funded. Only when money follows the kids will students have the best chance at a quality education and to make sure the best schools and teachers get the funding they deserve.”
About the Center for Education Reform
Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that the conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.
As a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to great opportunities for all children, students and families, CER does not endorse candidates or take political positions but will always recognize and applaud those who advance sound education policies, no matter what their affiliation.