This evening's news heralded more coverage here in St. Louis on the Albert Pujols contract dilemma with the Cardinals. ESPN speculated the following in a report today, Albert Pujols talks break off.
"Is Albert Pujols worth $30 million per season? He is a year and a half younger than Alex Rodriguez was when he signed a 10-year, $275M contract in 2007, and based on the numbers here, one could say that Pujols has been underpaid."Another issue that is on the Greater St. Louis area's plate is more budget cuts for one of our largest school districts. This evening Francis Howell School District announced that it expects to lay off nearly one-hundred employees (mostly teachers) this week during a board decision meeting. The almost certain decision will affect nearly every school in the district.
Check out KSDK's Francis Howell School district layoffs expected video report. (Technical note, when I embed this particular source it defaults to automatic play on my blog's home page, long story short it's rather irritating hence the provided link).
My brother and I are products of the Francis Howell School District. While I attended a private secondary school, my entire primary school education was through FHSD. My brother will graduate this May, a K-12 product of the district. Not only is FHSD one of the largest districts in the area, it also offers a myriad of extended learning services including top quality support for disabled and mentally handicapped students. While the district, like other St. Louis area districts, has faced budget cuts in the past, I feel that at some point enough is enough. I am not in any way criticizing the decision Francis Howell will most likely make as they are responding to their budget cuts the best they can. My problem is in the budget cuts, and education funding in general.
In a larger sense, education budget cuts are a national trend; St. Louis is not unique in this regard. Money is a hot button topic and everyone loves to complain about the darned economy. Yet at the same time, our entertainment industry seems to be doing just fine. I don't have access to credible figures, but I'd be willing to bet that an obscene amount of money is funneled into the entertainment industry annually in the U.S. Take James Cameron's 2009 Avatar, for example, which cost a whopping $237M to produce and grossed $2.7B worldwide. Criticisms regarding the content of the film aside, I wouldn't say it was completely hopeless (if you ignore the "unobtanium" moniker); but in the grand scheme of things, do we really think this film was worth the money? Here's the kicker, Avatar isn't the only movie out there to cost mega mullah. I guarantee that the majority of the films that make it to theaters blew through millions as well; and for what? To offer a lineup of new movies every few months - a ridiculously small percentage of which are even worth a fraction of the cost to go see it at the theater?
I realize it might seem a bit odd to take education cuts and the entertainment industry and discuss them side by side when they represent two very different systems. Education is government sanctioned while the entertainment industry is comprised of private corporations. The way I see it, however, there is a common denominator: the public (i.e. everyday Joe Schmoes, e.g. yours truly). Our tax dollars support the education budget in our states. Our money also directly funds the entertainment industry. The only difference is that taxes are compulsory and going to the movie theater or buying a DVD is elective.
This is not to condemn paying for a movie or sports ticket, entertainment is there for a reason. That said, I still take offense that we can so readily support one industry for our pleasure and then nickel and dime another. The possible solutions to this conundrum I guarantee would be met with heated criticism. Politics aside, this is our children's education that is at stake here.
To even begin to address our society's aspirations, that liberty and happiness our government was founded on to ensure, we absolutely have to educate our children. They are our future. If we neglect them now, we will certainly pay the price. This is not to say that a thrifty education system cannot provide a quality education, but with continual budget cuts we run the risk of jeopardizing the quality the system is able to offer for the sake of money.
I bring this up because I am passionate about public welfare. In a year I plan to graduate with a B.A. in Criminal Justice. Even in the short period of time I've been exposed to the Criminal Justice field, I can resolutely affirm just how crucial a supportive education is for society.
The money exists that would benefit education; the question is how do we as a society ensure that it's used in the best way possible?
Candidly, I wonder what it would take to organize a "Movie Tickets for Education" event? What if there was a way to encourage people to donate the cost of just one movie ticket's worth to their local school district?
Just some food for thought.
Signed,
RF
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