The Effects of Budget Cuts

We are living in a time of change. Our society’s expectations and values are evolving on a major issue that affects everyone. Schools are struggling to provide adequate resources, buildings, and programs to students nationally. The slapdash act No Child Left Behind is magnifying the problem. Young people require nurturing. Schools cannot only operate with chalk and talk lectures. Students should be using creativity and critical thinking in their education.

No Child Left Behind Act

The No Child Left Behind Act, NCLB, was passed in 2002 by the Bush administration. It is a school reform act that holds schools accountable for the education students’ receive. The focus is on four pillars: increased accountability for student performance, research and implicate teaching strategies, increase responsibility at the local level, and get parents involved.  Students must complete tests on the core subjects in school; if the achievement gap is reduced, the school is rewarded. Conversely, if the achievement gap is widened the school is punished by means of less funding. (The White House, 2002)

So, our students are expected to achieve more with less. The budget reductions force administrations to cut programs that are seen as least important. What programs are cut? How are these programs beneficial to students? Who is being affected the most? Students are entitled to a quality public education. If funding is reduced, the quality of education is reduced. Our government should be supportive of the students who do not perform as well on exams. They should understand that different people from different socio economic statuses achieve differently. Public education needs to give every child an opportunity to succeed, whether it is in math or music.

The most common programs cut in K-12 public education school systems are arts education, early childhood programs, and before-school and after-school programs (Feldman, 2002). However, these programs are crucial in student and school success (Feldman, 2002). Schools are also cutting teaching, administration, and custodial positions (Bowles, 2002). Students’ educational opportunities are being cut to the “core” subjects. Rosemary Coyle is president of the Connecticut Education Association and is concerned about the budget, “the trend I’m seeing is arts, music, P.E., and gifted-and-talented programs are either reduced or eliminated completely. In order to have a well-balanced education you need all of that. We’re not offering equal education…” (Bowles, 2002)

If schools are unable to meet the NCLB expectations, they must offer school choices and supplemental programs (Bowles, 2002). That sounds great, but where will the schools get the money to fund these options? State or private takeovers may be the only option for these schools. When public schools are taken over by the state or privately, the voices of communities and parents are cut (Bowles, 2002). Society is not made up of separate individual pieces. Our society has formed from a network of pieces that are interrelated and affect one another.