Alternatives: Proposals For Local Governments Struggling With Limited Resources
Alternatives: Proposals For Local Governments Struggling With Limited Resources
In the fall of 1994, the Harry Singer Foundation invited a limited number, of mostly small-town schools, to take part in a pilot program. Students were required to find ways to stretch the resources of local government and make services more responsive to the desires of citizens. The Foundation hopes to gradually add larger communities, and offer categories for innovative state and national projects.
Volunteers at the Foundation narrowed the entries to 22. They were then edited and sent to the National Center for Financial Education in San Francisco, California, where they were reduced to five. These five were then forwarded to a consultant and former-public official in Minnesota who has been in the forefront of the reinventing government movement; the innovative mayors of Indianapolis and Houston, 12 governors, two former-governors and two members of the United States Congress. Many had the help of staff, but all read the proposals and expressed an interest in what these young people had to say.
The final entries are reproduced on the following pages, just as they were seen by the reviewers at the National Center for Financial Education in San Francisco. Across from each paper we reveal the school and participants, information that was kept from judges.
This project was a logical extension of our continuing Responsibility and White Hat programs. Over the years, through student submissions and other sources, we have collected stories of good-things going on around the country, in both the public and private sectors. These inspirational examples have been accessible to anyone with a computer and a modem since the fall of 1993.
Teacher
Dea Podhajsky
Ken Curtis
Adam Fuller
Josh Muxen
Nicole Engelhart
Kerri Morse
Kendal Piatt
Carolyn Whistlecraft
Darich Carpenter
Matt Brown
Sara Johnson
Lisa Shores
Greg Pace
Shannah Benningfield
Stephanie Tritt
Alexandre Risch
Kim Parish
Desiree Button
Keith Wohlwend
Monica Bauer
Youth
Rescue--The Activity
Our class first discussed how to keep providing government services with a shrinking government budget. The discussion helped us come up with questions for our poll. We asked for suggestions on cutting government spending and requested specifics on where cuts should be made and how any cuts could be made up. We asked what needed programs were being neglected. We received many responses ranging from welfare reform to breaking loopholes in tax laws which result in richer citizens not paying taxes, from cutting government official's salaries to cutting pork barreling. The majority of the citizens in our community told us that they thought too much money was wasted by the government. They said that some of the bureaucracy was excessive and should be cut back. They acknowledged a rising problem with "troubled kids".
The question we received the most response to and the one which our class felt was most significant to our area was the one concerned with "troubled kids" in schools. The question was "How do you think troubled kids in schools should be treated?" Though most agreed there would have to be a strict discipline plan involved, discipline problems start at home so people wanted kids to be treated with some kind of sympathy, maybe involving counseling.
Since majority of those who responded to the first poll agreed that "troubled kids" was a major issue, we started off there when conducting poll two. Several students from our class polled public officials including the school superintendent, and principals of the high school, middle school and elementary school. They, along with counselors and others involved with education gave us a list and description of programs for kids, most of them national in scope.
There are many programs created to help kids with whatever problems they might have. Whether it is someone who can't afford to buy lunch, or someone who dropped out of school. The programs are out there; they need to be sorted through. Before you can decide what program you think you need, you have to decide if it will achieve its purpose, which is ultimately to help the troubled kids.
One program that disjointed a number of people in my class was a part of the Mid-Columbia Youth Consortion, a federally funded program designed for kids with low incomes and low academic performances. The program is called P.A.S.S. and is for students who are behind in credits or who would not ordinarily graduate. This could be because they dropped out or "slacked off." What we thought was unfair was that this can result in them graduating with their class. For example, if they dropped out at sixteen and they came back to school a year later they should graduate a year late but this program gives them enough credits to graduate at the right time.
In some instances it is acceptable to spend money on those who drop out because of personal or family reasons. However, many students could care less and do not bother to show up regularly. Even Mr. A (who works for the PASS program) told us that PASS should be run differently or cut because of its extremely low success level. Mrs. L told us that the OIC program (drop-out retrieval educational clinic provides children with a second chance to get a high school diploma) should be cut because it devalues the high school diploma. They also told us that the special education, vocational programs and the PASS program are the most expensive.
The Project
After lengthy discussions, our class came up with Youth Rescue, an alternative which includes cutting OIC completely, making PASS regional so it will be more effective and restricting the summer lunch program to the people who need it. Mr. A like the idea of making PASS regional. He said it would be more effective, less costly and more children would complete the program. Youth Rescue would include getting a Big Brother/Big Sister program in our community and reinstating DARE with OIC money and some of the PASS money. We plan to have high school volunteers serve as role models for anti-drug programs at the elementary and middle school. The Big Brother/Big Sister program would be coordinated through the Natural Helpers program and would be run with the permission of the school board. The children wanting to be involved would have to get parental permission, and the high school volunteers would be screened by the teachers. Natural Helpers is already an established program at our school. The program gives students the training they need to help others with problems. Right now participants are involved with listening, tutoring and showing new students around. Our proposed Youth Rescue alternative would expand the role of Natural Helpers.
Incentives and Disincentives
We found only a few small problems with this proposal. First, children who need a Big Brother or Big Sister may not be able to get their parents' permission. Then there is the problem of transportation for those in the PASS program if it were to become a regional program with a more centralized location. Also, the Big Brother/Big Sister program and reinstating DARE may cost more money than cutting OIC and the proposed cutbacks for PASS. A final drawback is that OIC would be less able to help the few students who are currently helped by this program.
On the other hand, there will be no displaced workers if Youth Rescue becomes a reality. Mr. Allen would take a small pay cut; Mrs. Lepore would have more time to spend doing other things and summer lunch people will still be needed. These changes will affect people, but nobody will lose their job. This new program will help more individuals than the old programs and will cost less. Many people will still have the opportunities that the old plan gave them, they just have to take advantage of what is there. This new program will be a little stricter so people won't be able to slack off when given a second chance. This will be good because it will make students work harder and feel more fortunate to be able to take advantage of the programs available.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many programs that are designed to help kids deal with their problems, so that they can get on the right track. The first thing that needs to be done is to organize the programs, cut through all of the bureaucracy and actually do something about the real problem. People need to take time out of their own busy schedules and volunteer time to make society a better place. Somehow, somewhere people began to forget the fact that today's children are tomorrow's future and that they need to be guided in the right direction. the only way things will change is if everyone starts to care.
We believe our program, Youth Rescue, is an important program that could
really made a difference. Troubled youth are likely to become criminals; possibly
murderers and drug addicts. If all of us, but especially teens, can help to alleviate this
growing problem now, our own future will be a lot
easier.
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