Jeanne Allen: What Obama’s Call for More Federal Education Spending Won’t Do

In his State of the Union address tonight, President Obama will call for a record increase in federal education spending, this in addition to more than $150 billion already being spent in 2009-2010. What does this mean for the quality of U.S. Schools? Jeanne Allen, a leading national expert and president of The Center for Education Reform, is available to comment on the president’s anticipated education plan.  Says Allen:

“When American voters say education is the second most important issue after homeland security, it’s not because they are looking for spending increases, but because they recognize U.S. education is failing to keep pace not only with our own expectations, but those of the world. A six percent increase in the federal budget doesn’t educate a child and it doesn’t reward a good teacher, or allow principals to dismiss those who do not perform. A six percent increase might allow a state to cover it’s contractual obligations to school districts, but those funds do not result in education being done well.

“Great education occurs when high quality educators, with strong, proven approaches, are given freedom to do their jobs and held accountable for results without iron clad job protections.

“When the President highlighted the educational plight of Dillon, South Carolina in his speech this time last year, he thought stimulus funds would improve things. But even after weeks of national attention, not only have dilapidated school buildings not been fixed during the past year, nothing has been done to turn around the poor quality of education being delivered to children there. The buildings are merely symptomatic of a larger problem.No incentive for schools to improve has been put in place and there are no new options for families to choose other schools.  

“More money doesn’t create incentives.  More money doesn’t make schools better.  Changing behavior gets results and that’s why education reforms that put decision making and power into the hands of individual schools and parents are the only steps we can take to get the results we all want.  No matter how much the president tries to tie his funding recommendations to reform, he does not have the power to make states change their ways.

“Race to the Top showed us that when Washington dangles a carrot, states will rush to grab it, but that doesn’t mean they are doing what works.   In the recent competition for $4 billion in new federal spending, most states polished off their old programs and put on a new veneer to compete. States that did more and better are states that have historically led the pack.

“The president knows that education is a winning issue, but without emphasizing the importance of moving power to the people, he will miss the mark entirely. The only people who stand to benefit from new federal spending are adults who are currently employed by the system and will use whatever money comes their way to grow and protect the status quo.”