President Donald Trump will hold a military parade on his birthday, costing approximately $45 million, claiming it’s for the 250th birthday of the Army and Flag Day. This money might not seem like much to some, and no offense to the army. But I’m thinking about what teachers, known for scrimping and saving, would do if they had that much money.
How would teachers put $45 million into their schools for the students they serve? I’m guessing there are those in the army who can think of a better way to help their service members and veterans, too.
Many Americans resent such a presidential extravagance when DOGE cuts critical jobs, and tariffs are poised to raise consumer costs.
Concerns surround the look. Dictatorial leaders like such parades, and most Americans don’t feel celebratory watching the escalation of wars and ICE hauling off immigrants, who fled here because America promises a better, sometimes safer life, grandmothers, and those being chased in the strawberry fields and arrested in meat-packing plants.
Remember her?
The Trump administration’s cuts to education, led by WWE co-founder, billionaire, and incompetent Linda McMahon, are numerous. They aim to end the nation’s schools altogether, giving the funding to the states, who’ll pass it on to vouchers. For the record, voters vote against vouchers at the ballot box.
Of course, $45 million won’t save most major programs on the chopping block, like education for homeless children and youth, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which provides $129 million but is being switched to a state block grant. The fear is that state politicians will use the money for something else (vouchers), and kids with nowhere to call home will likely receive no more assistance.
Still, if you’re a teacher, $45 million could be a game-changer that could help many kids in your school district.
Hunger
Teachers know that children must be healthy and well-fed to learn. Minnesota provides free lunches, which are increasingly costly—much more than $45 million—but necessary. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) described five sobering cuts affecting families, including children. Fourteen million, they say, would buy more than 14 million lunches for high school students.
Children of Immigrants
Public schools work to accept all children, no matter where they’re from. Children and their families deserve support. Dual language and immersion programs cost $150 to $300 per student. While $45 million won’t begin to cover the costs of serving these children, it is our responsibility to do so.
The diversity that is a part of America is critical, and it will reap benefits for America and the country from which these families come. From The Wilson Quarterly:
Fighting against immigration—in a world where the largest economies are facing a rapid decline of workers—is a futile and self-defeating path. The most successful economies are and continue to be the countries that are most capable of attracting global talent and integrating foreign workers.
School Facilities
How much lead or asbestos removal in schools would $45 million cover? San Diego approached this question concerning lead in their school drinking fountains in 2018, and it isn’t the only school district nationwide that has struggled with facility concerns. Many urban and rural school buildings need federal investment in repairs or rebuilds.
Education Week reported in 2023, “America’s School Buildings Are Crumbling, and It’s a National Security Issue,” showing rural and low-income areas (many with Trump voters) lack property tax revenue to fund significant building improvements. The last such investment in school buildings came during President Franklin Roosevelt’s administration!
Teacher Shortage
Many believe there isn’t a teacher shortage but a teacher exodus due to lousy conditions and unprofessional treatment. Still, a $45 million investment in Illinois resulted in 5,400 teachers being hired in Illinois schools.
Educational Resources
In Baltimore, as teachers struggled to get raises, the superintendent outlined plans for cost-saving measures, which included cutting millions from supplies and materials and reducing departmental budgets. Forty-five million would cover plenty of resources and teacher raises! In addition, paraprofessionals could be hired as teacher assistants.
Special Education
Special education is consistently underfunded in school districts. Think how $45 million could help a poor school district provide better services for its students with disabilities. It could hire more staff, lower class size, and create programs that give children individualized assistance. It could also include parental support and offer teachers better resources to work with students.
Teacher Preparation
One problem is that universities are reducing the number of qualified professors who teach future teachers, especially in special education areas. The special education teacher shortage has lasted for years. Funding to increase the number of professors who prepare teachers and recruitment plans to bring young people to universities would lift the profession and help many children.
Artiles (2021) states that fewer university investments in special education preparation programs, researchers, and teacher education faculty have led to fewer teachers for students with disabilities, especially in rural areas.
School Libraries and Librarians
How many public schools have lost their school libraries and librarians? Is there any wonder why NAEP reading scores are low? The loss of school libraries affects the poor, and it’s dangerous and un-American for everyone.
How many school libraries could be reopened and librarians rehired with $45 million?
Migrant Education
The Trump administration is cutting $427.7 million in funding for students whose parents labor in seasonal agricultural jobs that put food on our tables. While $45 million wouldn’t be enough to cover migrant education nationwide, it would cover some school district costs.
An EdSource report includes a superintendent in Los Angeles County who says the loss of these funds will devastate public schools and English language learners there, where they’ve received $120 million in the past.
Social Studies and Civics Education
This administration has permitted $23 million in cuts to American History and Civics Education. Ignoring history and civics is dangerous for students who will not understand the past, present, and future, and how the government works.
Social studies, in general, have been ignored or given short shrift for years. Most teachers would support better funding of such programs in their school districts.
The Arts
Bringing the arts back into all schools is critical for a well-rounded education. A $45 million investment in a school district to provide public schools with art education, some qualified art teachers, and resources like musical instruments, art materials, theater props, and more would lift students.
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So, teachers can dream about how $45 million could help them teach, support students, and improve their public schools.
Reference
Lieberman, M. (2023, March 28). America’s School Buildings Are Crumbling, and It’s a National Security Issue. Education Week. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/americas-school-buildings-are-crumbling-and-its-a-national-security-issue/2023/03.
Artiles, A.J. (2021). The future of special education: Emerging visions on the preparation of leaders. Stanford Graduate School of Education, Equity Alliance. https://equityalliance.stanford.edu/content/future-special-education-emerging-visions-preparation-keaders
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