I constantly read newspaper articles regarding the government inadequately providing money to K-12 education.
This has made me wonder, how much money would it take before educators thought they had enough to guarantee success?
Schools are a business. Most people don’t think of them in that way, but they are.
We tend to view them differently than a grocery store, a gas station, a factory, or a construction company.
Education has more in common with these other businesses than most people think.
School districts have a budget, employees, insurance, and customers. All issues that every business must face.
Since students are our customers, schools are guaranteed not to run out of business any time soon. This is a wonderful position in which to be placed, but it can also have a downside.
A guaranteed customer base has the tendency to promote bad service. If you don’t believe me think about cable companies, airlines, fast food restaurants, and auto dealerships.
When you think of these businesses, is your first thought; Wow, they have great employees who provide even greater service!! (or is it, in another sure fire sign that the world may end soon… that kid behind the counter can’t even make change)?
These businesses have tried to improve their service in the last few years, mainly because it was so poor. Actually, poor is not the right word. Horrendous fits better (I believe this to be true mainly because the kids at Taco Bell keep messing up my order).
Their challenge is that they provide items most people feel they must have. The bigger challenge is that the people will continue to purchase these items regardless of the quality of service.
Schools have to beware of falling into this trap. And it is an easy trap in which to fall when you know that you will always have a customer base.
The economic definition of business is the social science of managing people to organize and maintain collective productivity toward accomplishing particular creative and productive goals, usually to generate profit (man, I wish I could write sentences like this… not mine, Google it).
This definition can be applied to schools, except that we are not in the business of generating a profit but expanding a student’s knowledge (in theory… I am not counting that student from 3rd hour who drives you crazy).
Even though schools have an endless supply of customers, we do lack something. Most people involved in education think it is money, but I don’t believe that finances are our biggest challenge.
It is not that I wouldn’t take more money for my school; I just don’t think it is the solution for all of our problems.
While schools are a business, we are also a government entity.
Being part of the government is always a recipe for success. What could possibly go wrong when the government is involved? I have a warm and fuzzy feeling just thinking about it (this is a little something I like to call sarcasm).
Would every school in America be better off if our budget was doubled next year? If every teacher had their salary increased by $25,000? How about if administrators had better health insurance?
If all of these things happened, would students be smarter, better-rounded, produce higher test scores, and be more prepared for their lives after a K-12 education?
I think in the immediate future that more money would help to improve education, but in the long term, I am not so sure.
If educators had more money with which to work next year, we would be thrilled… for a while.
Then human nature would take over and we would want an even higher salary, an even better retirement plan, and more respect for all of the wonderful things that we do for students.
More money makes humans happy… in the short term.
It is similar to buying a new car. It is a fantastic feeling when you first get it, but as time goes on, it just becomes a car (when the new car smell goes, so does a small part of your love for it).
At first you wash the new car every weekend and treat it like a member of the family (one that you like), but over time we begin to take it for granted.
I think we would see the same type of reaction if educators had an unlimited supply of money. It would definitely be cherished in the moment, but time has a way of wearing down our appreciation.
Don’t get me wrong, schools could certainly fine a place for more money. There is no argument about this, but over the long haul something would still be missing.
I believe that the major thing that lacks in education that other businesses benefit from is competition.
That is the secret (in my mind, not necessarily in a “normal” persons mind).
Competition would benefit students more than testing, newer desks, technology, or even higher property taxes.
It is what pushes humans to be successful. It is difficult to be self-motivated enough to demand progress without competition.
Competition helps us judge one thing against another. That is why we keep score at games (except little kids’ soccer), give grades in class, and get a raise for working harder than other employees (except at schools).
Without the competitive factor, we give our best. At least what we think is our best. And that usually falls well short of what we could actually accomplish.
America is built on the idea that if you work harder then you can be better than your competition. And if you are better, you will be rewarded.
This has helped us build the greatest country in the world.
It could help us build the greatest K-12 educational system in the world. Or we can just continue to throw money at the problem.
Side note… Soccer team won 1-0 in our first game, but who is counting, because they don’t keep score. Except for the kids. They keep track to judge if they were successful or not.