As America struggles to stay competitive in the increasingly globalized workplace, we often read about how our children spend too little time in class. For example, (according to one source) the average American child spends 180 days per year in school. A kid in New Zealand spends 190 days in school; kids in Thailand and Scotland are in class 200 days a year; Israeli children log an average of 216 school days per year; and Japanese youngsters are in class a whopping 243 days per year. The Obama administration argues that we need to up the number of school days and for somewhat different reasons, many working parents would agree.
But the economy is taking its toll, and Prop 13 - truly, the gag gift that keeps on giving - continues to exact its termite-like toll on California's educational infrastructure. So nothwithstanding the fact that the decision is atrocious public policy, the Los Angeles school district is slicing several days out of its school year. Five days are being cut from this school year and seven more will be lopped off next year. This is grim news and its long-term negative effects are all too predictable.
Given that California's overall tax burden is well above the national average, it hardly seems likely that Prop 13 is to blame. Here's an idea: since private (and public, via employees) have all taken a pay hit during the recession, what if teachers' wages or pensions were cut instead of cutting school days? There's a reason that won't happen, and it's spelled N-E-A.
Posted by: David Bernstein | April 11, 2010 at 04:26 PM