Dear
I appreciate your concern for the school funding flexibility resolution currently before the Senate. I have communicated with many people interested in flexibility, and I have assured them that I too support full flexibility for all school funding, and that I hope this become permanent law. I believe every school should spend the taxpayers’ money as they see fit and let the taxpayers hold the school boards accountable for the results.
I also believe that flexibility demands accountability. True accountability comes in only one form—transparency. Transparency ensures that all teachers and parents and taxpayers know exactly where the funds are going. Teachers deserve to know where the dollars that are not going into their classrooms end up. Some non-instructional spending remains, of course, necessary. Teachers however must enjoy the ability to have an open discussion with their administrators, and their parents, about the priorities decided upon by the school. Teachers deserve to know why some money goes into their classrooms and some money goes elsewhere. The reasons may be sound, and if they are then all will agree. Without transparency, however, the questions go unanswered.
My amendment simply asks for transparency. It in no way delays the bill. The Senate can vote this amendment up or down as soon as it comes up. Let’s vote!
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