Stay on message

by | May 16, 2018 | 2018 elections, Editor's Blog, Education | 7 comments

Democrats have the right message on education and they need to stick with it. North Carolina is 37th in teacher pay and 39thin per pupil spending. Republicans in Raleigh let our public schools down, denying them text books, supplies and support staff. Instead, they’ve engaged in ideological “reforms” that have shifted money from public schools to private ones.

Republicans are pushing back hard with charts and percentages. As Mark Twain said, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.” Republicans don’t want people to look too far back. All of their arguments begin in the middle of the Great Recession when the Democratically controlled legislature was dealing with a collapse of revenue. Many of the gains they cite over the last two years are the result of playing catch up to states that didn’t starve their schools as much as the NCGOP. Adjusting for inflation, we’re still far below where we were a decade ago in per pupil spending.

Too many Democrats want to argue with the Republicans over their talking points. Don’t take the bait and don’t let them control the message. Force Republicans to justify poor funding for schools and phony reforms that have resulted in little, if any, progress in outcomes but have diminished the educational experience of students and families across the state. Remind people that teachers are paying for school supplies out of their own pockets because the legislature won’t pay for them.

Government under the Republicans means lower taxes for corporations and the wealthiest among us and a sharp reduction in the ratio of revenue to GDP. The GOP would claim that reduction is good because it means we’ve shrunk the size of government. That’s only good if you weren’t dependent on the programs like public schools that got shrunk.

Republicans had a choice about how to govern and their choices reflect their priorities. They gave massive tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy at the same time they cut per pupil spending. In short, they chose the rich over our children. That’s the story Democrats need to convey.  Anybody who has children in public schools knows that’s true and they know that all the happy talk from Republican politicians is just political BS. Stay on message. Don’t lose this argument.

7 Comments

  1. Christopher Lizak

    Actually, we need to keep the message on the lack of resources available to schools, and NOT on teacher pay. The GOP is winning the narrative if we are talking about the salaries of teachers.

    Everybody I talk to is astounded that teachers make so much.

    The average HOUSEHOLD income in 2016 in NC was about $50,000. So the average teacher would still be earning an average household income in NC if they were single or their spouse was unemployed. And if they were married to a working spouse they are at least upper middle class.

    Stop hanging around so may lawyers and see what they say at the local Walmart.

    • BRETT CRAWLEY

      Teachers are making about 9% less, when inflation is taken into account, than in 2008. Their pay is about )10,000 below the nation average and their national rank has risen after years of cuts and freezes to 37th . Teacher pay should be competitive with other professions that require a 4 year college degree. Comparing teachers’ pay to those without a college degree is not a good comparison.

      • Christopher Lizak

        All of which may be true – but people also think “it’s my taxes that pay those salaries, and I don’t make that much.” It’s a very different perception for people who think they are footing the bill. Especially if they don’t have children in the system.

        It’s also a sad fact that even the well-educated often believe: “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.”

        It then follows that, if you want to make more money, go get a “real” job in the “real” world that actually produces something and makes profit.

        Whereas nearly everybody can understand the difficulties of having to do a job when given inadequate resources. There is a LOT of that going around in the private sector. THAT will resonate with a lot of different groups.

  2. walter de Vries

    Right, Thomas. But, I would also add health care to the Democratic message. Plus, the return to honest government and politicians who are not crooked and don’t get into politics to become part of the pay to play game.

    • TY Thompson

      Healthcare is not a constitutional right in the manner that “privilege of education” is. I wouldn’t suggest intertwining the two.

  3. smartysmom

    The republicans have been working hard to destroy the public education system in this country for a long time. The last thing they need is an educated, informed electorate.

    Not to mention monetizing it so they can get rich from taxpayers dollars? I hate it that my taxes are being used to make Ms deVos and friends richer

Related Posts

GET UPDATES

Get the latest posts from PoliticsNC delivered right to your inbox!

You have Successfully Subscribed!