What do you get when you mix an economic downturn, a burst housing bubble and a state that collects the majority of its revenue from income and real-estate taxes? You get a race to the bottom of the education spending rankings. As of 2006 Oregon ranked 41st in k-12 per capita spending. Any bets on where we’ll be during the 2009-10 school year?

To give an idea of just how much have things have changed in the last 10 years lets look at my alma mater South Eugene High School. When I was a student here in the mid to late 90s we had twice as may staff members as we do today. To have a class of 24 students was unacceptable large in those days. Now having a class of 24 is unacceptably small. With the rise in the number of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), high stakes testing and the mainstreaming of former special education students teachers are expected to not just teach more kids but to specialize their lessons for more individual needs with little to no additional support.

Here in 4J, where I work, we’re fortunate to have a city that is willing to pass local bond measures to help support our school budgets. Most districts aren’t as fortunate and are cutting major expenses from the current school year. Teachers are being laid off mid year, school days are being cut, supplies are frozen and that’s just the start. In just a couple of days all three of Springfield’s unions are holding a meeting to ratify a new contract for this school year. Due to worsening economic forecast they’re looking to go well past the three days they have already cut off of their school year.

But not all is doom and gloom. We have gotten aid from Obama’s financial stimulus package which is helping keep public school system afloat. The economy will turn around, housing prices will rise and we’ll have money to spend on schools again. My hope is that this crisis allows us to really look at our school systems and evaluate what we would like from them. If we want to create a competitive workforce, educated citizens and invest in our future then we’ll have to put our money where our mouth is. Perhaps it’s been overused but Derek Bok had it right when he said, “if you think that education is expensive, try ignorance.”

As a final note, If you’re looking for small simple way to help without spending a lot of money you can always look up a current or former teacher and let them know how they have affected your life.