Running head: THE LACK OF FUNDING 1

The Lack of Funding in Public Schools:

An Educational Funding Crisis

Aaron Oakley

Glendale Community College

 THE LACK OF FUNDING 2

Should public school systems be receiving more annual funding? This is a question that

has been asked and argued on very frequently as of recent, especially with the constant decline in

educational funding. To elaborate, schools are beginning to terminate their art, music, and sports

programs due to a lack of funding. Not to mention that the system of funding is somewhat unfair

through the property tax system. Schools should obtain more money for teachers and these

programs, because they are responsible for a majority of the creative influences in our youth.

Included will be multiple perspectives to back the claim, such as students, teachers, taxpayers,

and State officials.

One of the biggest social conflicts in today’s world is the lack of public school funding.

This is an issue that has been getting increasingly worse for a while now. Now it is often thought

that the academics in school far outweigh the art programs in importance. While they are very

crucial, it’s foolish to rule out any significance from art and sports. The art and sports programs

at a school are what keep the students engaged. Although it is important to learn the curriculum

of the specified grade, it is still very important for the young students to be stimulating their

brains with fine arts and sports as well. In most cases, it is the aspect of school that students

enjoy the most. Not to mention that these programs are the foundation of the creative future of

our country. This is the first time they are exposed to these creative outlets. It is imperative that

they remain as they are. If they are very mediocre to the students, or even non-existent, then the

future of imaginative thinking in our nation will be drastically affected.

The first perspective included will be that of actual public school students. This might be

the most important perspective, because it reflects upon the individuals who are actually learning

in the public school system. It’s not hard to believe that students really enjoy having these
 THE LACK OF FUNDING 3

programs available. They actually happen to be some of the students’ favorite part of the day.

Also, participating in art activities actually positively affects academic performance. To

elaborate, “A report by Americans for the Arts states that young people who participate

regularly in the arts are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, to

participate in a math and science fair or to win an award for writing an essay or poem than

children who do not participate” (Martin, 2014). This is only one among many benefits that art

brings to students. Art also brings along strong elements of visual learning and focus, as well as

collaboration with peers. These benefits are very useful for the developing mind. Sports also

benefits greatly, by allowing students to burn off the energy they work up throughout the day. It

is more important than most people may think, especially with how hyper boys can be in

adolescence

The next perspective I will introduce is the thoughts of teachers on the topic. This is also

a very crucial perspective to include due to the role teachers have in education. They are

responsible for molding the youth, and educating our children adequately. Realistically, this is a

huge rule to play in society. Especially when there are plenty of teachers who are highly

underappreciated and underpaid. Children can be naturally deviant, and are quite the handful

sometimes. However, a lot of teachers do a great job at controlling the children and maintaining

the classroom. They also do well at actively engaging our youth in the learning process. Even

though they spend remarkable amounts of their own time and money on the matter. According to

EducationWeek.org, “a lack of supplies can be particularly surprising for teachers who are just

beginning to create their own classrooms. In her first year of teaching, Chloe Cole, a teacher

from Austin, Texas, discovered quickly how expensive school supplies, particularly those
 THE LACK OF FUNDING 4

involving technology, could be“ (Ness, 2017). Evidently, many teachers have strong feelings

towards their job. In most cases, it is more about the passion of teaching that explains why

teachers teach. That is why teachers end up spending a lot of their own income on classroom

supplies and necessities. Although there is a school budget, it is never sufficient. We can only

ignore this lack of funding for so long, before the quality of teaching begins to significantly

decline. Could you imagine if teachers didn’t but at least some materials for the classroom? It

would be nearly impossible to maintain efficiently. “Imagine how many classrooms would lack

the resources children need to write, read, learn how to use fundamental technology, or work on

creative projects” (Ness, 2017 Obviously, teachers care enough about their job to do that.

Teachers do so much, and are taken for granted more often than they should be.

A third perspective that will be analyzed is that of the taxpayers who fund public schools,

along with state legislatures. This is a very important perspective on the matter, because the

taxpayers of America are responsible for the existence of public schools, and their annual budget.

It is also very important to address the perspective of taxpayers, because they are the ones who,

to some extent, are capable of refocusing funds through voting. Taxpayers tend to care about

school funding for the most part. Although it is a hard goal to tackle, many people, including

taxpayers and state officials have a sense of compassion towards the subject. In reference to

Senator Paul Bettencourt, “ “It’s extremely disappointing that the Legislature couldn’t provide

any real support for public education… “Although I knew it was going to be a long shot, I

wanted to see additional significant funding for public education as well as the beginning of the

restructuring of the school finance system that’s severely outdated and archaic” “ (Dembowksi,

Smithwick, 2017). Even though it may be harder than it seems to initiate a movement in the
 THE LACK OF FUNDING 5

education system, it is nice to know the people and state representatives care about it as well. It

just goes to show that maybe things will change for the better eventually.

Public schools in the U.S. should definitely receive more funding for their fine art and

elective style programs. These programs are a huge part of education in today's world, and they

serve multiple purposes. The first, and one of the biggest reasons that public schools should

receive this funding is because of the importance, and role that these classes fulfill for students.

All of these programs such as physical education, art, and music programs, have a big resulting

outcome on the creative thinking of these developing students. A lot of the time, these

opportunities are the only artistic or athletic influence in their life. It is crucial for these young

students to be exposed to these influences at a young age, because it teaches children to start

thinking outside of the box. It also engages students to use the right hemisphere of their brain,

also known as the creative side of the brain. “The right brain is more visual and intuitive. It’s

sometimes referred to as the analog brain. It has a more creative and less organized way of

thinking“ (Pietrangelo, 2017). Early exposure to these circumstances will allow for young

students to establish a strong creative foundation, and continue to build on it as they grow older.

Another reason they should receive more money would be to adequately pay the teachers.

Teachers are responsible for molding the youth and adequately preparing them to be productive

members of society. With a job so significant, there shouldn't be any hesitation to pay them

more. Especially with how dangerous school can be as of recent. Students often find teachers

that they build strong relationships with, and use as important figures in their life. Especially

when there is a lack of a role model in a students life. Teachers are really so much more than

they are made out to be. Anyways, a third and final reason why public schools in The U.S.
 THE LACK OF FUNDING 6

should receive more funding is because with more contribution and funding to school, the youth

is much more likely to stay out of trouble. It’s not that hard to believe. It gives them something

productive and important to focus on, instead of whatever trouble they may get themselves into.

More relevant than ever in poverty stricken neighborhoods. These productive alternatives allow

for students to focus on craftsmanship and understanding, which would result in a huge positive

change.

However, some argue that school funding is fine as is. It is often misunderstood by

parents that school is not that important, just because of the time period they may have grown up

in, or their parents’ own lack of a education. However, in today's world, an education is more

than necessary to be a successful and productive person in society. It is imperative to receive

education, and be exposed to music, art, and sports. We must show everyone how important this

issue is, and keep gaining publicity on the matter. Otherwise, our creative programs will soon

become a thing of the past.

In short, there is a lack in crucial funding in the United States public school system. It is

very prominent, and using the perspectives of students, teachers, and taxpayers, it is easy to

come to a conclusion in agreement with the claim. Obviously these programs are of use when

they are deemed this important by multiple different perspectives. The future of America

deserves so much more than the bare minimum. We should take every step we can to listen to the

actual perspectives that matter. It all has to start somewhere.

 THE LACK OF FUNDING 7

Work Cited

Dembowski, A., Smithwick, D. and Dembowski, A. (2018). Public school funding burden shifts

to taxpayers | Community Impact Newspaper. [online] Community Impact Newspaper.

Availableat:https://communityimpact.com/houston/cy-fair/at-the-capitol/2017/09/19/publ

ic-school-funding-burden-shifts-taxpayers-cyf/ [Accessed 23 Mar. 2018].

Martin, L. (2014, January 24). 10 Reasons Why Arts in Education is So Important for Kids.

Retrieved March 23, 2018, from

https://www.learningliftoff.com/10-reasons-arts-in-education-important-kids/

Ness, A. (2018, February 28). Teachers Spend Hundreds of Dollars a Year on School Supplies.

That's a Problem. Retrieved March 23, 2018, from

https://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2017/08/02/teachers-spend-hundreds-of-dollars-a-ye

ar.html

Pietrangelo, Ann. “Left Brain vs. Right Brain: What's the Difference?” ​Healthline​, Healthline

Media, 18 Jan. 2017, www.healthline.com/health/left-brain-vs-right-brain.