A Tale of Three Education Budgets
Those who follow the politics of education closely, eventually discover that provincial and school board budgets are, simultaneously, the most important and the most undercovered aspects of education politics. I learned this early, as a trustee, I noticed that when the Toronto Board was about to put condom machines in the washrooms, or establish an LGBT liaison committee, it meant every seat at the press table that evening was taken. There were also TV cameras at the back of the board room and sound trucks on the street.
However when we debated and set the annual budget of some $2 billion in the 1980s, there was no big media, maybe a couple of writers for internal education worker locals, but nobody else. This budget decided almost everything the board could do for the subsequent year.
Of course the budget was 70% teacher remuneration, 10% other employee compensation, The lights and heat and repairs and supplies took you up to almost 95% but that left $200 million to allocate - that was up for debate. Different trustees, really different factions, wanted to spend the money on different priorities, new textbooks, professional development, staffing above the formula, more computers, whatever.
Although we would be in American politics, much closer to Bernie Sanders or AOC, Joe Biden has the best slogan in this area, “ Don't tell me what your values are. Show me your budget and I'll tell you what your values are.”
Let's look at three 2023 provincial budgets already passed this year and see what British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario regimes really value.
BC Budget 2023/24
To begin with the BC NDP government, for positive reinforcement first, The $2 billion to upgrade teacher salaries to the leading Alberta and Ontario levels is a great leap forward, and fixes a longstanding sore point.
Critics, however, find the $ 8.5 billion overall education budget falls short in many places. Clint Johnson of BCTF points out that the legacy problem of too many uncertified teachers is creeping closer to the bigger cities. It has now hit Chilliwak and Langley, Recruitment and retention remains an issue.
There was big money for capital, $ 3.4 billion, $214 million for the food programs but $0 for mandatory tech upgrades, with 87% rightly going to compensation, the budget is short in areas like tech, hydro and transportation.
Overall grade B+
Alberta Budget 2023/24
With an election looming May 29, shockingly, the AB education budget has been increased 5.2% to “address growth” after two years of zero increase in funding, notwithstanding rampant inflation. The $ 8.8 billion budget is scheduled to climb to $9.2 billion by 25/26.
Critics of course say this is not nearly enough after two years of flat budgets from the UCP. There is $1.7 billion to hire more teachers. AB experienced a huge learning loss due to COVID so there is $42 million to address learning loss.
Of course the huge waste of money is $117 million in new capital funding to create 2000 more spaces in charter schools.
There is a huge labour shortage in transportation, basically bus drivers. The government seems reluctant to remedy the situation with increased compensation.
Due to underfunding overall, and waste of available funds on Charters, this is not a good budget.
Overall grade D
Ontario Budget 2023/24
The ON government is using an accounting trick to disguise their actual cuts to education. Off the top, there is $800 million unspent from the 22/23 school year. On top of that, to add insult to injury, the 23/24 education budget does not contemplate any serious raise for teachers or education workers (or nurses). The Financial Accountability Office notices what really amounts to a $1.6 billion cut for K12 schools, but the Conservatives have fudged the numbers by including the new federal-provincial childcare agreement $2.3 billion, into the same budget giving the appearance of much more money, while that money is not available to existing K12 education. When you net that out, K12 is hit with another $47 million cut.
The education system does not have the funds available that it usually gets from parent fundraising which collapsed during COVID.
NDP MPP Peter Tabuns notes that any increases within the budget are at half the rate of inflation.
https://pressprogress.ca/ontario-budget-2023-doug-ford-cut-education/
Overall grade F
