[Speed Gibson,
Thursday March 20, 2008 at 8:28pm]
Too close to the problem?
Education Minnesota President Tom Dooher says we don't have a spending problem, we have a revenue problem. I'm sure the DFL Legislature agrees. They also think that Minnesota health care costs can be trimmed by 20 percent in less than four years, all while improving quality and with greater access.
Health care is rocket science. Advanced degrees and training are clearly required, as is continuing education. So is high tech equipment and laboratories, which in turn needs top flight engineers and researchers. Mistakes can be fatal.
K-12 education is not rocket science. Advanced degrees are of no significant value. Its best practitioners seem to in fact be those who respect proven techniques, e.g., phonics. Mistakes are correctable.
For these reasons, the Legislature is obviously much more familiar with K-12 education than health care. In fact, a significant number of the Legislators are or were teachers. And Education Minnesota has over 50 lobbyists at the Capitol, many times the second largest delegation. What is complicated is the finances, and the Legislature is the direct cause of most of that.
Yet, the Legislature is sure that there is significant waste in the health care system that they don't understand, yet cannot find any waste in the K-12 system that they do understand.
This does not compute.
Health care is rocket science. Advanced degrees and training are clearly required, as is continuing education. So is high tech equipment and laboratories, which in turn needs top flight engineers and researchers. Mistakes can be fatal.
K-12 education is not rocket science. Advanced degrees are of no significant value. Its best practitioners seem to in fact be those who respect proven techniques, e.g., phonics. Mistakes are correctable.
For these reasons, the Legislature is obviously much more familiar with K-12 education than health care. In fact, a significant number of the Legislators are or were teachers. And Education Minnesota has over 50 lobbyists at the Capitol, many times the second largest delegation. What is complicated is the finances, and the Legislature is the direct cause of most of that.
Yet, the Legislature is sure that there is significant waste in the health care system that they don't understand, yet cannot find any waste in the K-12 system that they do understand.
This does not compute.
In the schools, if you double spending (inflation adjusted) over the last 15 years and academic performance goes down, the obvious solution is to increase spending some more.
Here's a better idea: Figure out what the state formula pays for every kid today, based on their residence. (I know that's very difficult, but they claim they can do it.) Cut the parent a check and tell them to find a school. No cost increase, but I guarantee results will improve markedly.
LL