EDITORIAL: Snyder misunderstands the true importance of education
Gov. Rick Snyder proposed massive reform to the funding of all levels of education in the state during a Wednesday speech in Lansing.
While the efforts appear to be aimed at increasing “efficiency,” it is more than likely they will simply make it easier for Snyder’s administration to make further cuts to a crucial component of so many Michigan residents’ lives.
The move to combine funding for both primary and university education will simply make cuts to funding appear smaller than they actually are.
Hypothetically, a 3-percent cut to state education will appear statistically insignificant and appeal to taxpayers, yet will make a larger impact on every student in Michigan.
Snyder’s plan is simply disingenuous at best and cynical at worst.
Though it is clear he cares deeply about the future of this state, particularly the collapsed economy, it is hard to understand how his plan will move us toward a lasting recovery. An increased emphasis on charter schools, a reduction of funding to both primary and university students and refusing to allow school districts to limit the enrollment of students from outside their border will not help in any way.
His plan will do little to improve a public school system already bending toward a potentially catastrophic breaking point.
The only way Michigan will ever move toward an economic recovery is through education.
Snyder said, “To see our students succeed, we must expect the best, and we must provide the tools, support and environment students need to reach the high expectations we have set,” and he’s absolutely correct on all fronts.
However, the proper tools for increasing the likelihood of more positive educational outcomes are not cuts and regulations, but a serious push for greater funding.
The “Michigan Promise” scholarship promised to current college students for high MEAP scores was a promise broken — many students never saw a penny of the money earned — and funding for college students has since been reduced in many other ways at both state and federal levels.
It is clear Snyder wants to see Michigan students succeed, but his policy only vaguely resembles his rhetoric. The charter schools and out-of-town schools combined with funding cuts will likely make the financial crisis facing school districts, particularly in urban areas, even worse.
College students are often seen as lazy leeches on the edge of the American economy, spending their days spray-tanning and drinking cheap vodka, but in reality, we make up the backbone of the future American tax base.
We are facing a future where there will be little to no unskilled labor employment, and it is crucial to the state and national economies that all levels of education be given financial support, rather than offered lip service and budget cuts.
