Money, Money, Money

• Teachers in Scranton are striking for more money
• Mid Valley school district officials are being criticized for spending too much money
• PHEAA is under scrutiny for recklessly spending money

All over the state officials continue to believe more money will improve public education. Gerald Zahorchak, Secretary of the PDE said:

We have seen dramatic achievement gains across the commonwealth in the past six years, proving that the state’s targeted investment in proven academic programs and the hard work of our educators is paying off.

The so-called “achievement gains” are called into question in the Commonwealth Foundation’s newest policy brief. A Pennsylvania School Report Card: How the Commonwealth’s Public Schools Stack Up to the Rest of the Nation, compares PSSA scores to scores on the National Assessment of Education Progress and concludes that PSSA scores exaggerate student achievement. More money doesn't produce more scholars.

Apparently exotic vacations and iPods do not improve the quality of education either. For more on frivolous education spending visit http://www.edificecomplex.org/