密歇根新闻广播 密歇根教育拨款下降

Funding for Michigan's public schools is insufficient¹ to meet rising education standards, according to a recent study by researchers at Michigan State University.

The MSU researchers said Michigan tightened² its total spending on K-12 public education more than any other state over a 20 year period ending in 2015.

The study said that after adjusting for inflation, the state's education funding in 2015 was just 82 percent of what it had been 20 years earlier. The study said, "No other state is close to a decline of this magnitude."

Senator Wayne Schmidt (R-Traverse City) is the chair of the K-12 and Michigan Department of Education Appropriations³ and Transportation subcommittees. He said on Stateside that he was concerned about the report, but doesn't believe it completely tells the whole story.

"There's a lot of challenges Michigan has faced following Proposal A, you know, in terms of the economy, student counts... But overall, we should definitely put more money in education."

Listen to Stateside's interview with Wayne Schmidt above.

The study noted⁴ that after adjusting for inflation, total K-12 public school funding declined by 30 percent between 2002 and 2015, and per pupil, the decline was 22 percent. Also, state support per at-risk student plunged⁵ by 60 percent.

"Michigan has tried to improve schools on the cheap. We've been focusing more on accountability and school choice policies," said David Arsen, MSU professor of education policy and lead author of the study. "But to make those policies effective, they have to be matched with adequate funding. And we've been kidding ourselves to think we can move forward while cutting funding for schools."

But Schmidt says the Legislature has not been cutting school funding. "We've been putting more money in... Now it might not always be at the rate of inflation, or whatever metric they're using, but we are continuing to put more money. And it's unrealistic to say, Well, we just needed more money. Where do you get it, when you've had tough economic times?"

The study's authors said the fundamental cause of lower school spending is tax cuts.

"We would have enough revenue to pay for adequate schools if we devoted⁶ the same share of state income to supporting education as we did a decade ago," said Arsen.

Declining funding and lower academic performance go hand in hand, according to the study, which found that Michigan ranked last out of all 50 states for improvement in 4th grade math and reading proficiency⁷ between 2003 and 2015.

The report calls for an increase of $3.6 billion per year, or a 20% increase. Schmidt says that is not possible.

"One, what are the taxpayers⁸... are they willing to do that, too? Two, I don't know if it's completely an issue of funding. I'm not say not to put more money in," says Schmidt. "More money into education, I think, can be beneficial, but it's not the end-all-be-all."

1 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

2 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

3 appropriations   

n.挪用（appropriation的复数形式）

参考例句：

• More commonly, funding controls are imposed in the annual appropriations process. 更普遍的作法是，拨款控制被规定在年度拨款手续中。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Should the president veto the appropriations bill, it goes back to Congress. 假如总统否决了这项拨款提案，就把它退还给国会。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

6 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

7 proficiency   

n.精通，熟练，精练

参考例句：

• He plied his trade and gained proficiency in it.他勤习手艺，技术渐渐达到了十分娴熟的地步。
• How do you think of your proficiency in written and spoken English?你认为你的书面英语和口语熟练程度如何？

8 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。