Columnist Says Lack Of Classroom Spending Is Most Harmful To Education

Elizabeth Hovde wrote in a column for The Oregonian (10/2) that the "teaching profession sees high turnover in the first five years, but so do other industries. ... Though some of us might think Oregon spends enough on a per pupil basis (count me in that category), the amount of money reaching classrooms isn't enough." According to Hovde, until more resources are dedicated to the classroom, "large class sizes and shorter school years jeopardize the academic results we want for Oregon students and diminish the ability of even the state's best teachers to succeed" and "no amount of professional development and no number of teacher retention efforts seem likely to change that."