Proportional Cuts

When faced with tough economic decisions, we too often hear about school districts taking things away from kids.  Maybe they restrict access to bus service.  Maybe they get rid of certain extra-curricular activities (or add high fees to them). 

Schools will also cut things like art programs and music when things hit the chopping block.  But anyone who has seen the joy of his or her child making something from clay, for example, knows the importance of arts in a curriculum.  If anything, all schools should be expanding these programs as a strategy to support and improve the core.  Instead, we see our children suffer due to misdirected priorities.

That’s why I’m calling for “Proportional Cuts.”  High paid central office administrators should not be immune from the cuts they can levy against our children from the top down.  In fact, any high paid administrators worth their salary should admit that the primary emphasis of a school is to provide opportunities for children.

Here’s what I mean by “Proportional Cuts.”

Whenever decisions are made to cut things that affect students—from transportation to extra-curricular activities to teaching staff—the central administrative budget should be cut proportionally.  So if cuts affecting kids represent ten percent of the budget for those services, then ten percent also needs to come from the budgets of those making such decisions.

I fear that taking things away from children is a political game played by those with power to influence future decisions.  But it is not appropriate to play politics with the future of our City’s young people.  A policy of “Proportional Cuts” represents a step in the right direction.