In Orange County, Calif., parents are being urged to pitch in $400 per student to save the jobs of hundreds of school employees. As the state's education budget stands, up to 20,000 school employees -- teachers, nurses, librarians, etc. -- could lose their jobs. Car washes that once might have paid for a field trip now are being used to pay a teacher's salary.
The Los Angeles Times has the details.
As we reach the final stretch of the school year, it would be an interesting time to see how Parent Teacher Associations in your area have spent the thousands of dollars they took in from fundraisers and donations this year. Do you see a difference, for example, in whether some schools need the money for "essentials" while others use the money for "extras"? Why is there a difference?
Is there a connection between schools that raise the most money and student achievement scores? Could one assume that schools where parents are more involved in fundraising are also more involved in students' education? I don't think I have ever seen anybody try to connect fundraising and achievement in a journalistic analysis.
