Liberal group's (PPIC) loaded questions
Big surprise: A liberal-leaning think tank releases a study showing that Californians want more government spending on public education. As the Public Policy Institute of California explains in a newly released study, “As California once again confronts a multibillion dollar budget deficit, concern has grown considerably among the state’s residents about the consequences of spending cuts on kindergarten through 12th grade education, according to an annual survey released today by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) with funding from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Californians today are more likely than last year to believe that funding for their local schools is inadequate, and parents of public school students are far more likely to say that state budget cuts have had a big effect on their children’s schools.”
Ironically, PPIC claims not to have a political bias, although it’s clear especially from the loaded questions in this survey that it has a strong outlook. The questions mostly seem geared to eliciting the response that the schools are underfunded. I only saw one question relating to the effectiveness of current spending and nothing relating to the misuse of taxpayer dollars or to the way unions influence school spending. Most of the questions strike me as loaded ones that result in a predictable result.
Certainly, the public knows that their government-run schools have problems. But there are other choices than simply raising taxes, floating debt and giving the current establishment even more money. Not that anyone would know what those other choices are based on PPIC’s “non-partisan” research.
–Steven Greenhut
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I don’t know what the problem is here. Isn’t public education free? Why shouldn’t we want more of it?
— John Seiler
Nothing is free in this world, you will pay higher taxes for this “free” education. The U.S. pays more for K thru H.S. Education than any country, it is obvious more money is not working.
1. Nothing is free and people who think like that are clueless about public administration.
2. Want… wanting things is not a problem.. I want a winning lottery ticket… I want to be CEO of Forbes.. how interesting that we think just because people want.. they should have… education has become a multi-billion industry on five levels… and that is why it is so expensive
“Ironically, PPIC claims not to have a political bias…”
And this is coming from CalWatchDog, which claims to be a fair and balanced source without political or ideological bias. Yeah, sure.
Uhhh, Steve — exactly WHERE does CalWatchDog claim to be fair and balanced etc.?
We all understand the small govt bias of this website. I know of no one denying that obvious fact — allies or opponents.
Did that somehow escape your notice? Are are you (gasp) biased yourself?
Glad you dug this up. Been hearing news reports all day about this bogus poll.
O. K. Here we go.
Got this from a teacher about 20 years ago. Which proves several things including if you want the truth, check the system–folks in it usually know the scoop.
We’ve been lied to. What? Not-not-by–our–government–???!!!nnnnnooooooooooooo!
Virtually every increase we’ve agreed to has been used for building a bigger bureacracy,NOT for hiring more teachers, or better supplies, or whatever.
When This teacher started–in the 70’s, the teacher to administrator ratio was about 6 to 1;in ’91 it was more like 1 to 4. Counselors had about 50 or so students; by ’91 it went to more like 1200 or more. And it’s gotten worse since.
We voted again and again for ‘reduced class sizes’. IT HAS NOT HAPPENED—EVER. Where’d the money go?
Here’s a tip. Drive around any large town and check the number and size of administrative headquarters. Oh and don’t forget the satellite(mini)headquarter buildings Just make sure you take your chill pills first because what you see is really going to piss you off!
So, Education quality dropping like a rock, millions of parasites sucking up OUR money, and they say they need more.
Reform is what we DO need and NOW.
Fiscal accountability–not business as usual.