I recently saw a report that indicated that after another year of cuts in teacher jobs in Alabama, we can look forward to another year of teachers cuts combined with an increase in the amounts teachers have to pay in insurances, Increase in the amount education employees pay into their retirement plans and an increase in number of years a teacher will have to work to be "retirement eligible" in the Alabama State School System. According to Alabama Superintendent of Education Dr. Joe Morton. This is compounded with current shortage in educators allows Alabama to earn the distinction of having scores below the national average in the core subjects that allow students to compete in the increasingly global job markets that ensure sustainability for future families, the sons and daughters of Alabama.
In the age of enlightenment and information Alabama is falling fast and apparently according to Dr. Morton's plans we haven't even kicked in the afterburners that will plummet our educational pursuits with neck breaking skin stretching, conscious losing speeds. All the while our "leaders" only charge is to hunker down and endure. Where are the bright ideas these so called leaders are implementing to reverse this predicament we are in? Add hypocrisy here: In 2008 Dr. Morton's "bright idear" to increase teachers in the state was the creation of the Alabama Teachers Recruitment Incentive Program (ATRIP). This program pays the tuition expenses of new teachers in the state $5000.00 per year for four years in exchange for teaching in the state for four years. In his words...."a gift from the State of Alabama to them" now it all sounds good on paper but ummm how can the right side of your brain say you're gonna cut jobs and the left side of your brain say we are going to hire more AND GIFT THEM $5000.00 per year for four years to pay for their education??? because of this I feel this program is aptly names "A Trip!" As the Indians used to say " Him speak with forked tongue"
Being a country boy endows me with country boy logic and one thing I know for sure is... "you can't get blood from a turnip" ...
Alabama is grappling financially and the moral indigence of our leaders binds our hands and gives us a curb side seat. To the financial train wreck that is Alabama's educational monetary woes. Enter the Educational Lottery. I know what you're thinking Alabama does not condone an educational lottery or any form of gambling....and that would be true except for bingo parlors,dog racing, electronic "bingo" machines, raffles etc. etc. I mean even when churches want to raise extra money in a hurry for a cause...they often resort to church "raffles" ...what is a raffle a but a lotteries little brother? "All sins being equal" means all sins are equal.
What would we gain or lose by having a state wide "raffle" well lets look at our neighboring states which incidentally ALL benefit from Alabama NOT having a lottery and with the exception of Mississippi (which has full fledged casino gambling) DO have a lottery. According to the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) Tennessee received, $258 million, Georgia, $816 million, and Florida a whopping $1.224 BILLION, Alabama $0 and this was in 2006. These funds are appropriated by the State Legislatures and administered by the State Departments of Education and benefit school construction bonds, Community Colleges, State Universities, Public Schools, State Student Financial aid, and College Scholarships. What do they lose? besides the tax contributions of the few that get addicted to playing lottery and the faux morality associated with having a lottery in their state. I can't think of one more thing.
Having a population that cannot afford to adequately educate its citizens, that allows it's populous to fall behind not just the nation, but the majority of the world, to produce students that in general are not intellectually prepared to face the the intellectual challenges of tomorrow because of it's pompous, self indulgent, ignorant, need to say "we're better'n you " is in my opinion not only hypocrisy but a sin of sorts in itself. Forty-three of the other "United States" have opted to have a state lottery and of those 43 not one has received less than several million dollars to supplement the states educational revenue...The remaining 6 you ask? Well, Alaska has oil subsidies, Hawaii..Tourism, Mississippi and Nevada casino's, Utah and Wyoming relatively small populations.
Faux moral decay versus very real social decay which is more detrimental to flourishing of society? I leave you to your own reckoning , but I can see further taxation in my near future if something real and radical doesn't change....Alabama may be the "buckle" of the "Bible Belt" but most belts I've worn that broke....broke right there around the buckle. Let's not let Alabama's "coverall's" become those saggin' ghetto denims we all love to hate.
