Rep. Crowley Asks Some Good Questions

State Rep. Paul Crowley of Newport commends the special commission that has recommended a new school-funding formula, but has some questions:

Does it make sense to invest millions of additional dollars in a system that has remained structurally unchanged?

Do we need, and can we afford, more than 35 school districts to educate about 120,000 students?

Where will the new money come from, given the glum projections for growth in state revenue?

How can the formula be “predictable” when the greatest expense, teacher compensation, will continue to be made by local school-committee members who have shown little ability to control contract growth and expansion of benefits?

How much of the new money would simply be needed to fulfill existing contract/retirement commitments?

What would encourage the General Assembly to invest new dollars in education when every effort at reform has been a protracted battle with either the teachers unions, school committees or both?

To apply a new formula and hundreds of millions of new dollars to the existing system of public education is akin to continuing to drive a clunker before replacing the worn-out brakes. At first glance the clunker may look nicer, but would you really rely on it to meet your daily transportation needs?

Good questions, all.