$chools

The Record

In ‘Charter schools moratorium is reasonable’ (March 13) you maintain that charter schools are “draining” funds - $8,300 per student - from Troy public schools. Now I ask you. If you switched to a different newsprint supplier with a better or less expensive product would you fret about draining funds from the old supplier?

You also opine the “jury is still out on how effective charter schools are.“ Still, according to the latest ‘Report Card on Schools’ Troy spends $11,600 per student or 40% more than the charter school. If the newsprint supplier saved you 40% wouldn’t you say he was 40% more effective?

In ‘Unrealistic cuts…’ (March 18) you blame state taxpayers for the Troy School District’s budget problems.  According to you, the folks in places like NYC, Olean and Ft. Edwards should pay higher costs to improve the lower test results of Troy schools. No mentions by you that the Troy schools already spend more than those other schools and more than the state average. No mention by you of “draining” funds away from those other people or those other schools.

No mention by you either that the state’s payments to local schools has jumped 35% in just 4 years even as the local districts increased local tax revenue by 14%. In the past ten years per pupil spending in NY went from $4000 to $12000 – a 300% increase! How much higher are the standards or the test scores? Silence.

Expecting more effort from others instead of oneself rarely works to make life better. 

Would it not have been more accurate and appropriate for you to put the blame where it properly belongs - the people in the Troy school district, the Troy School Board, and Troy for allowing this to happen?