More Education Funding is Necessary, But Not Sufficient
By Brother Rogers
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Supporters of Initiative 42 believe Mississippi’s system of public education is desperately underfunded. They believe the state legislature does not see the urgency of adequately funding public education, and cite year after year of not fully funding the MAEP formula as evidence.
Opponents of Initiative 42 do not think our children in public education are facing desperate times. They trust the legislature to make wise decisions about public education. They even brag that public education has received a record amount of money.
Actually, providing a record amount of money is the least the legislature can do each year. If the spending level for public education from the previous year is to be maintained, then given inflation, achieving that same spending level would require an increase in actual dollars.
Note that this incremental annual increase can always be claimed as a record level of funding. However, it does not address whether that amount is enough to provide the children of our state with an adequate education. Supporters of Initiative 42 want to provide an adequate education to all children in our public schools, and they know it will cost more than is currently being provided.
Opponents of Initiative 42 claim that more money will not improve education. In calculus, there is a term that applies here – necessary but not sufficient. More money alone is not a magic bullet for educational excellence. But not enough money is a guarantee of mediocrity or worse. Additional funding is necessary, but not sufficient to achieve an adequate education in Mississippi.
I would like to hear those who argue that more money is not needed in public education to also, to be consistent, argue that Mississippi State University and other public universities need to discontinue their private fundraising activities. If more money doesn’t help universities provide a quality education, then why waste money on fundraising? Obviously, it is because more money does help in numerous ways, and it’s hard to believe any serious person doubts this fact.
Not investing enough in public education is an excellent strategy for keeping Mississippi in 50th place on state rankings related to education and social indicators. Opponents of Initiative 42 claim that poor, pitiful Mississippi simply cannot afford to spend what it takes to move Mississippi forward. Their attitude appears to be, “We are stuck in a bad plight but we are doing the best that we can. Just continue to trust us.”
Supporters of Initiative 42 reject this defeatist attitude and do not believe the legislature is serious about providing an adequate education, based on their track record. The leader of the Phi Beta Kappa Society was at MSU last week. He said that an excellent education helps leaders develop their imagination and inspiration. Our leaders in Mississippi, regardless of what happens with Initiative 42 at the ballot box, need to use their creativity and imagination to rethink how education is funded in Mississippi.
I often hear that throwing money at a problem does not help. Regarding Mississippi’s public education system, how would we know? We have never tried. Let’s fund the MAEP formula for 12 consecutive years and see if more money helps. The legislature will never do that, so Initiative 42 is an attempt to make them. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Brother Rogers is a guest columnist for the Starkville Daily News.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Supporters of Initiative 42 believe Mississippi’s system of public education is desperately underfunded. They believe the state legislature does not see the urgency of adequately funding public education, and cite year after year of not fully funding the MAEP formula as evidence.
Opponents of Initiative 42 do not think our children in public education are facing desperate times. They trust the legislature to make wise decisions about public education. They even brag that public education has received a record amount of money.
Actually, providing a record amount of money is the least the legislature can do each year. If the spending level for public education from the previous year is to be maintained, then given inflation, achieving that same spending level would require an increase in actual dollars.
Note that this incremental annual increase can always be claimed as a record level of funding. However, it does not address whether that amount is enough to provide the children of our state with an adequate education. Supporters of Initiative 42 want to provide an adequate education to all children in our public schools, and they know it will cost more than is currently being provided.
Opponents of Initiative 42 claim that more money will not improve education. In calculus, there is a term that applies here – necessary but not sufficient. More money alone is not a magic bullet for educational excellence. But not enough money is a guarantee of mediocrity or worse. Additional funding is necessary, but not sufficient to achieve an adequate education in Mississippi.
I would like to hear those who argue that more money is not needed in public education to also, to be consistent, argue that Mississippi State University and other public universities need to discontinue their private fundraising activities. If more money doesn’t help universities provide a quality education, then why waste money on fundraising? Obviously, it is because more money does help in numerous ways, and it’s hard to believe any serious person doubts this fact.
Not investing enough in public education is an excellent strategy for keeping Mississippi in 50th place on state rankings related to education and social indicators. Opponents of Initiative 42 claim that poor, pitiful Mississippi simply cannot afford to spend what it takes to move Mississippi forward. Their attitude appears to be, “We are stuck in a bad plight but we are doing the best that we can. Just continue to trust us.”
Supporters of Initiative 42 reject this defeatist attitude and do not believe the legislature is serious about providing an adequate education, based on their track record. The leader of the Phi Beta Kappa Society was at MSU last week. He said that an excellent education helps leaders develop their imagination and inspiration. Our leaders in Mississippi, regardless of what happens with Initiative 42 at the ballot box, need to use their creativity and imagination to rethink how education is funded in Mississippi.
I often hear that throwing money at a problem does not help. Regarding Mississippi’s public education system, how would we know? We have never tried. Let’s fund the MAEP formula for 12 consecutive years and see if more money helps. The legislature will never do that, so Initiative 42 is an attempt to make them. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Brother Rogers is a guest columnist for the Starkville Daily News.