Watching the Stimulus Plan with Interest

Posted by Alex Sharp Feb 7, 2009

Every college education program teaches Maslow's hierarchy of needs -- the idea that physiological and safety needs have to be met before students can really be open to learning new ideas. That is why I am shocked that the Senate just cut funding for school nutrition programs. Some people don't understand how that impacts teacher employment or stimulates the economy, so let me explain:

Schools have to make sure students are adequately fed before the kids can learn.

1. If states are paying for free and reduced lunches without increased tax payer assistance, they have to find the money somewhere else.
2. If schools have to look at places to make budget cuts, they look at reducing building costs, reducing programs, and reducing staff and faculty payrolls.

American public schools teach everyone, and our spending and test scores reflect that the whole population is being educated and tested, and some students have expensive needs that must be met just to manage basic skills.

Parents of limited income depend on free and reduced meal programs to help ease the burdens of feeding families. I have had students who only eat while they are at school. Society depends on schools to educate the future workforce. My gifted students have the burdens and gifts of high expectations being placed upon them, and instead of seeing money thrown at bailouts, I would much rather them see money being invested in the expectations that society places upon intelligent, capable, hard-working people.