Teachers need to be part of solution

Editor’s note: According to Colony Middle School Principal Mary McMahon, students are doing a fund-raiser, but are collecting pledges for a write-a-thon to fund student activities, not as a benefit for the school’s general fund.

Last night at around 6 p.m., while my wife and I were eating dinner, two students from Colony Middle School (CMS) came to our door.

Although there were two students at the door, it appeared that one of the two was just there in support of the other, as she didn’t talk during the time they were there. The other student explained to me that she was raising money for CMS, and if she raised the most money she would get a new computer. She had a green donation sheet with her, which I assume was to write my name and other information on, but it appeared that was for her records and she never mentioned providing me a receipt for my donation. When I asked for what purpose at CMS was she raising money, she said it was for the CMS “general fund.” I politely declined to contribute, and both went on their way.

I assume this is a legitimate fund-raiser, and if not, then sorry, I wish I had more information, but I didn’t get either girl’s name. Assuming it is legitimate, let me just say how appalling it is that this would be something students are being asked to do with the carrot of a new computer dangling from the end of the fund-raising stick for the school’s “general fund.” As I work in a business that requires knowledge of accounting and general accounting principles, I am familiar with just what a general fund means. This means the school is free to do with these funds as it best sees fit. What I find that raises my blood pressure most about this is the act of these kids out knocking on doors for this purpose at the same time 500 teachers show up at a school board meeting with the intention of a threatened strike to get higher salaries.

I am a property owner in the Mat-Su Borough and, of course, a portion of my property taxes helps to fund schools. I have no issue with that, and am glad to do my part as a property owner. This belief by the teachers in this borough that they need to bankrupt the schools instead of sharing in the solution to the problem of higher salaries offset by shrinking budgets, is ridiculous, arrogant and insulting to the taxpayers of this borough. They are employees of a business in a down economy. In what other business, when revenues are down, would a business owner be expected to pay higher salaries? In a real world situation, any other business would be literally driven out of business if the employees were able to do what these teachers are trying to do to this school district.

I have lived in this borough for approximately 30 years. I grew up going to schools in this borough. My father was in school administration in this borough. I am not unfamiliar with the trials and tribulations of being a teacher in this borough, but enough is enough. The attitude that is so pervasive in the public sector that the tap will never run dry, so I have to get “mine” when compared to the way the real world works in the private sector is creating such a large disconnect from reality in this country right now. Across this country, state and borough, many people working in the private sector are not receiving cost-of-living wage increases. It is typical that this would occur in a poor economy.

So, as for the fund-raising idea, my suggestion would be to at least re-think the idea of sending students out to collect for the CMS “general fund.” I believe in general it is a poor idea and, especially in light of the current situation facing the school district in this borough, I believe it is an incredibly short-sighted idea at this time.

And as for the teachers being underpaid, my suggestion to teachers would be to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Tell us how you are going to create additional revenue without raising property taxes, and especially without sending out the children of taxpayers in this borough to collect additional funds via door-to-door fund-raising for “general funds.”

Otherwise, let’s start running public entities like private businesses. In other words, let’s stop printing money whenever we come up short and actually run these entities like everyone else in the private sector does every day. If there are no viable solutions to increase revenues without passing on higher property taxes to the borough property owners, then salaries should be cut and/or frozen at the school district. This should apply to management as well as teachers.

And no, it’s not a solution to say that “we could just get more money from the state.” That, too, is unrealistic and just perpetuates the problem. When more money is received from any government entity or program, it just means that ultimately somewhere or at sometime more tax revenues are taken from taxpayers. This isn’t that hard to figure out. At some point the well will run dry. Hard times create hard decisions, and I think its time to start making them.

Stuart Craig is a Wasilla resident.