New Ideas Needed for Public Education Success

The current public education model is failing and as a result, so are kids, Greenfield Superintendent Conrad Farner said Oct. 4 at a meeting of the American Association of University Women at the .

Until we come up with a better way to fund education and determine what kids need, he said, the state's public education situation is never going to change.

"'Cutting to Excellence' cannot be the motto, but that's what we have now," he said. "Paying per pupil is an outdated way of doing things when kids today, from special education to social services to meals to medical care, have needs that go way beyond the traditional structure of public school."

Farner doesn't believe any current state legislators are advocating for kids. If they were, he said, there would never be a question about funding.

"Money is being diverted into private school vouchers and into virtual schools," he said. "They're looking to put public education out of business."

But that doesn't mean things can't change, Farner said. He said it's time for some new ideas about funding, providing what kids actually need and not relying on a "one size fits all" business-as-usual way of doing things.

Residents and legislative leaders will need creativity, vision, and the courage to challenge the status quo.

Farner proposed radical changes to the way people think about funding models, student achievement, parental involvement and the importance of teachers. Take a look at what he had to say:

Funding Models

Only the state legislature can make these changes and with scattered comments of approval from the audience, Farner said the time is now:

• Raise the state sales tax a penny and designate that money for public education similar to the neighboring state of Iowa. Wisconsin has one of the lowest sales taxes in the Midwest, and raising it from 5.1 percent to 6 percent would generate millions that would help alleviate some of the burden of property taxpayers.
• Allow districts to use Community Service (Fund 80) money to pay for general district expenses. Fund 80 programs exist outside the regular school day and extracurricular activities, and current rules say the money must stay within those programs. Farner used a day care as an example: If Greenfield School District opened and operated a day care, right now they could use money generated by the day care only to pay the day care's expenses, teachers and staff—not to help pay salaries for elementary or secondary teachers.
• Allow Common Fund (typically for books, video, etc. for libraries) monies to pay for the library staff and not just the materials for the library.
• Get rid of district-funded transportation and make parents responsible for getting their kids to school. Farner said that might increase the number of kids who ride their bikes or walk to school, and it would free up to about $1 million in his district alone.

Student Achievement

Farner proposed some ideas that he admitted might not be great ideas, but were instead meant to get people talking.

"The bottom line we want answered is do our kids have the knowledge and skills?" he said. "And that means we have to look at what kids need."

• Change compulsory attendance so districts stop wasting time, energy and money chasing kids who don't want to be in school or who, once they're at a desk, cause problems that prevent other kids from learning.
• Get rid of the minimum number of school days and hours of instruction. Farner said some kids need less and some kids need more and with the current way we pay for public education, there isn't enough money anyway. "What's wrong with having a variety?" he asked.
• Explore residential education centers where kids can live, learn and receive the services (social, medical, etc.) they need so when they disrupt the classrooms they're required to be in, they still have options. "We have to invest in kids, not leave them behind," Farner said.

Parent Involvement

Farner said he's not all that concerned with parent involvement because he believes in the abilities of his faculty and staff. Basically, he said he needs three things from parents and then his schools can take it from there:

• Make sure kids know they are loved
• Make sure kids are somewhat well-rested
• Make sure kids are somewhat well-fed

The problems arise, of course, when kids are in chaos outside of the structure of school.

"We have a moral imperative to help kids overcome cycles of abuse and poverty," Farner said. "That's why it's so important to create environments where we understand and can meet what kids need instead of expecting everyone to fit into one model."

Teachers

In response to comments and questions from the audience, Farner stated that current funding will keep the state from attracting and retaining top talent.

"Right now the rules are bizarre," he said. "But if we aren't going to change, then we need to know what we're willing to afford and make expectations that match. It's just like with a house or a car or any other service; you get what you pay for."

Teachers have real value to our society, Farner continued, and they should be compensated for that value since so much of our children's futures are tied to their abilities.