Illuminating Bad Priorities

This morning the Kansas City School District announced it would close half of it's schools. In California they are proposing 4 day school weeks. Across the nation our school systems are being crushed by the weight if this recession. Why in every economic downturn to we punish the future so the few can thrive. As we Bailout Wall Street we punish Main Street. The Banking industry has received 13.5 Trillion Dollars to stabilize that industry. Is the education of American youth at least as important as bailing out Fat Cat Bankers on Wall Steet? How will we compete in an ever competitive World labor market if instead of increasing education funding we decrease it? The President allocated a 100 billion is Stimulus money to help fill the gap but the short fall for our nations schools is so great that it barely made a dent in the problem. More resources are needed and fast!

The problem is that we continue to fund our schools in the main from property taxes. As we all know what has happened to property taxes over the past few year. Others methods of funding must be found. I propose that Secretary of Education Duncan convene a high level meeting of the minds from all areas of American endeavor and find a way to avert this crisis. We all complain about out jobs going to countries like India. Well the reason for that is India has made this investment in education that enables it's citizens to gain the skills needed to attract industry and investment. In the 80's India doubled down on education and as a result today they have the technical brain trust needed to excel. While in America our High School dropout rate increases!

I am not sure how we turn this trend around but it must be done. With disregard toward political outcomes a new solution must be found. We are punishing those to whom we will be handing the stewardship of this country to. It is my belief that our nations youth are more valuable than anything that currently presides on Wall Street.