Reply #27: Unfortunately not. I just double-checked and yes, this is McDonnell's plan

[Neurotica]

He's pinning his school funding scheme on the 65% solution. Here's part of a September press release from our new lieutenant governor, Republican Bill Bolling:

"Several weeks ago Bob McDonnell and I announced a bold, new education funding proposal to increase classroom spending by $484 million annually without raising taxes. We would do this by transferring money from the central office bureaucracy to the classroom.

According to the most recent federal guidelines, Virginia currently spends 61% of our education dollars in the classroom. The fact that Virginia spends nearly 40% of our education dollars in the central office bureaucracy, instead of the classroom, is a disservice to Virginia students and teachers.

The McDonnell/Bolling proposal is simple - increase instructional spending from 61% to 65% by shifting an average of 4% over 4 years from the central office to the classroom. This would provide an additional $484 million to increase teacher salaries, reduce class sizes, improve textbooks and technology, etc.

Our children will get the best education by having the best teachers, best textbooks and best technology in the classroom, not by having excessive spending on administration and bureaucracy. Students learn in the classroom, not in the central office.

We need to focus as much of our money as possible in the classroom to give our children the knowledge and skills they need to compete for the high-quality jobs of the future.

On average local school districts would be required to increase the percentage of classroom spending by 1% per year during the four years of the McDonnell/Bolling administration. Each district would be given the flexibility to determine the best way to reach this goal in their locality..."


Meanwhile, the Republican who just unseated my Democratic delegate has promised to "give charter school applicants more options to establish schools."

Wonder what that really means?!