#ncga: Senators slam drive-by, Dem spin on alleged harm to schools by budget delay
Blinkin’ Chris and his unruly mob have been on a tear telling us how the children will all get dumb and fail in life because legislators have not coughed up more money. Senator Tom Apodaca — senator Berger’s ‘muscle’ and the senate’s majority whip Jerry Tillman have clearly had enough of that nonsense: 
[…] Sen. , R-[Randolph], said school superintendents have the flexibility to use their share of the $100 million allotted for enrollment growth in the continuing resolution to pay for teacher assistants if they choose to.
“The last time we funded TAs fully, they took $90 million and bought other things with it,” Tillman protested. “I know we hear this hue and cry – just remind your school superintendents of that fact, what they did with that money when they had it.”
Sen. , R-Henderson, said he’d “heard a lot of yakking” about the impact of the budget delay on schools.
“Do you know of any schools that did not open this week?” he asked. “Do you know of any schools that didn’t have teachers there for the children?”
Asked by Sen. , D-Wayne, about the status of funding for drivers’ education, Brown protested that school districts shouldn’t be surprised state funding is being phased out.
“The LEAs were put on notice last year that this stuff was ending,” said Brown, R-Onslow. “It’s like they didn’t read last year’s budget, I guess.” […]
A few questions for the liberals and statists who want “more” money for “education”:
1 – How much more? Put an exact dollar amount on it.
2 – Where would the money from? Be exact – spending cuts elsewhere, or tax increases. If tax increases, on whom? “The rich” is not a sufficient answer. Define “rich.”
3 – Where, exactly, would the money go? Again, be specific. Teacher salaries? Central office staff? Supplies?
4 – If you say you want TAs, please show me specific research which shows that, after 1st grade, TAs have a statistically significant impact on a child’s academic achievement.
5 – You claim the budget “cuts” education. If I gave you a dollar last year, and I give you two dollars this year, please explain how that is a “cut.”
6 – If spending “more” money on “education” is supposed to help, why has academic achievement plateaued or dropped in the last 40 years, and how is “more” money for “education” supposed to reverse that trend?
Full disclosure – I am a former public school teacher, married to a public school teacher, and have two other family members who are or used to be public school teachers. My children are public school students. From kindergarten all the way through 4 years of undergrad, I went to public schools/state-supported college.
Great questions
Back to school myths and facts
http://www.johnlocke.org/newsletters/research/2015-08-27-7ccg34fab819cncvj7qar8m327-edu-update.html