Details, details, part II

More about SHS’ education plan

ALOT OF Arkansans probably thought the new governor’s education plan deserved at least a B—for bold. But on second and better thought, they’ll probably end up giving it an A. Especially if the plan passes the Legislature, which it should.

The proposal certainly entails significant additional funding, and with all such increases come risks. But being bold is risky. For Arkansas to move forward in a major way, we need bold leadership.

For Arkansas to move from nearly last in starting teacher pay to fifth in the country is incredibly bold. It will also be incredibly challenging for a state that, according to 2019 numbers from the American Community Survey, ranked 48th in per capita income.

The cost for the taxpayers will be significant. Our story says there are 15,249 teachers who would move to the new minimum of $50,000 a year. Some of those teachers are already above the starting salary of $36,000. Assuming an average of $40,000, moving 15,249 teachers $10,000 a year will cost $152,490,000 a year.

That’s not the only cost. If you have teachers with several years experience, they will probably need to be moved to $50,000 a year, and some may need to be moved higher. Maybe no raises are needed for those near the top of the scale. But those with just a few years of teaching experience, and there are probably a lot of those, will need raises also. It will be interesting to see what the number is for that cost.

How to fund an extra $150 million a year (and more) can be done several ways. One is for the state to come forward with the money. A second way is local school districts, which set the salaries, to raise their property taxes.

Arkansas’ property taxes are low, compared to other states, while our sales tax is among the highest in the country. For the school districts to raise property taxes will require elections. If these elections don’t pass and the state doesn’t provide enough money, the school districts may have to do with fewer but higher paid teachers.

The general consensus is the fewer students per classroom the better, but the education research does not support that. In some countries like Japan, they have much higher student-to-teacher ratios, and higher academic attainment.

All of the financing for this remains to be seen. Raising all teacher salaries will not necessarily make teachers teach better. But it should help attract better people into the field of teaching and reduce the attrition of teachers leaving the field because they get better-paying jobs elsewhere.

OTHER THOUGHTS as the details to Governor Sanders’ education plan trickle out: — The idea to create a “dual diploma system” in the schools is a good one.

For a generation now, school systems in America have been focused on preparing students for college, which, in a vacuum, is great. But so many young people know they aren’t going to college—they have no desire for college. Not for the student loans, not for the 4-6 years of ramen noodles, not for the course study. So why not “prepare students to take on high-paying jobs in the workforce” when they graduate, which is what the governor’s plan calls for?

—The governor’s website says the plan includes taking away the limits on charter schools. After all, if they work, why limit them? (And those charter schools that don’t work can be shuttered. Unlike traditional schools.)

—The website also offered other tidbits such as safety training, community service requirements for kids, and something about requiring all third graders to be able to read at that level before advancing to fourth grade. We look forward to more details on all that. The new education secretary for the state says he and his people are busy working on it.

As for the opposition, it’s pretty much the same old, same old. Union bosses say they’d love more money for teachers, but they don’t want school choices for parents and families. To which the best answer we found came in one of the stories last week, a statement from the state director of Americans for Prosperity:

“Freedom is actualized when people are empowered to make decisions, not when decisions are made for them.”