Public education began almost two hundred years ago amid concerns that an educated citizenry was necessary for maintaining a democracy. Back then, a public education consisted of little more than learning to read, write and do basic arithmetic.

Today, our increasingly complex society and ever-expanding knowledge base demands much more from our citizens, and consequently much more from our educational system to train them. Science, history, mathematics, art, technology and physical education are all seen as essential to a well-rounded education.

But, why does public education cost so much—outpacing inflation almost every year?

That’s because, as we seek quality education, we are faced with a system that differs markedly from other sectors of our economy. First, technology, which is the driving force in increased productivity in most markets, does not affect education in the same way. Computers have improved productivity in business, but in education computers are just another big ticket item that teachers have to teach about. Second and more importantly, education is a labor-intensive institution. No one has found an effective way to replace teachers; and, I doubt we ever will. That’s because effective teaching requires give and take between teachers and students. To be effective, teachers have to know not only the subject matter, but also a lot about how students learn. For those of you who are disparaging of teachers’ abilities, I encourage you to try teaching a room full of 25 third-graders sometime. I think you’ll find that the knowledge, skills and temperament required to be a good teacher are beyond the ability of most mortals. That kind of well-trained labor force should cost money.

But, the funny thing about education is that buying that kind of highly-educated labor force doesn’t cost as much as it should. Teachers self select for a job in education. They don’t do it for the money; they do it as a life’s calling. And, indeed, educators pay a premium for the privilege of teaching. 

It is estimated that teachers are paid from 10 to 15 percent below what a comparably-educated person is paid in a non-education job. So many good people who otherwise might go into education don’t because of the low wages. Colorado is a particularly poor in that regard because we rank next to last in the difference between what we pay teachers on average and the median household income, by about $30,000 less.

It used to be that there were perks that came with teaching, such as a certain degree of job security afforded by tenure. But even those are being eliminated. For example, last year Colorado eliminated tenure for public school teachers. What about summers off? The primary reason teachers quit teaching is burnout; many teachers need the summer to recover from the intense job they do the other nine months of the year. (Again, you try it sometime.) Moreover, many teachers use the summer to improve their skills by taking advancement courses. 

The recent downturn in the economy has hit this country’s educational system hard—that is especially true in Colorado. In many school districts in Colorado, teachers’ pay has been frozen (without even cost of living adjustments) since the downturn in the economy.  Programs have been cut. And, taxpayers are unwilling to pay more to maintain the educational services that their children do have.

 Why? It all comes down to priorities. One way to look at priorities is to calculate what different nations are willing to spend to educate their children. If you look at starting teacher salaries across nations as a percentage of per capita GDP, you’ll find that the US pays about 80 percent of per capita GDP, whereas most other industrialized nations pay around 95 percent and some, Germany and South Korea, pay 141 percent. That says something about what we hold dear. (If you don’t believe that increased educational spending improves educational outcomes, look for an upcoming column.)

 Perhaps Americans no longer believe that education is all that important for maintaining a democracy. If you don’t, let me put it to you more … selfishly. Ten or twenty years from now, when you are drawing that social security check, would you rather have a bunch of under-educated workers in low-paying jobs supporting you, or do you want a well-educated, high-earning labor force?

Readers can e-mail the author at: jm.horner@yahoo.com