However, the debate over spending levels is out of touch with our real needs. When we focus on how much we are spending, we are not focusing on what needs to be done to teach our children. To illustrate that high per-pupil spending does not equal high student performance, the PRI report identified some of the highest funded school districts in the state and reviewed their performance on the STAR test. Many school districts with only half the per-pupil funding outperformed Sausalito. I support increasing California s funding for our K-12 schools.
Funding is needed to fully fund mandates.
Funding is needed to support expansion of the Class Size Reduction program. Funding is needed to improve teacher recruitment, on the job training, and retention. If increasing funding results in mathematically being at some calculation of the national average then so be it. If it does not, then it makes no difference. The key to funding is not some national average but how well the educational dollar is invested.