Funding Mismanagement
October 28, 2008In reading the article Audits Obtained by Parents Show More Misspent Funds at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/22/AR2008102201729.html?nav=rss_education, I’ve found evidence supporting another big problem with our public education system. In this article, parents fought to have the budget made public for Montgomery County Schools. When their wishes were finally met, they found that there was some major mismanagement of funds going on. Money that was supposed to be used for students was being put towards teachers. In other cases, money that was supposed to be applied towards school costs is being used as profit while the school still has a budget deficit.
I’ve examined similar circumstances in other areas, namely, the local Detroit Public School system. There have been many accounts of fund embezzlement and/or mismanagement. This is creating a severe disadvantage in the public school systems of the country. There is a total lack of accountability on the part of the school boards we entrust with the power to help our children. This problem, I feel, is because citizens and parents are not applying enough pressure and attention as to what is going on in their districts.
While people bicker back and forth whether there is unequal funding of education from district to district, these people we entrust with our children’s educations are not holding up their end of the bargain. I do agree there is inequality in the funding of schools, but I think the way the money is being used is an even bigger problem. The area I’m from is not exactly a hot spot for the wealthy, but they just recently revamped the entire district. They purchased all new equipment. The schools have all been redone, including the construction of an enormous high school that slightly resembles a small hospital. On the other end of the spectrum, I look at certain schools that receive more federal funding, and their schools are outdated, there are not enough books, and technology is scarce. Part of the difference is, that when things stagnated in my local district, there was an enormous uproar from the parents, which eventually seen the resignation of the school board. Changes were immediate.
I agree with the parents wanting to find ot about the budgets and spending of local school districts. It seems that when pressed for answers, only newspaper reporters with the ability to dig into the information can get to the truth.
How are teachers and students suppose to perform at their best when school administrators cannot keep solid records of expendatures. How many times do we hear about schools reporting no record of lost or spent money.
From the experience I have had the semester in observing the classroom, parental involvement in education is a must. The minute the parents take a backseat and put all the blame on the teachers and administration, the situation turns sour. Parents need to be involved in the child’s education. I understand that not all parents can provide as much support as others but it doesn’t take that much effort to stop by the school and simply talk to the teachers and staff. Parental involvment is essential in education.