Big Surprise

Want to know why teachers and bureacuracts want to increase funding? Here's why:

Local school systems in Maryland spent more than half the money from the state's new Thornton aid program to increase teacher salaries an average of 8.5 percent over three years, according to an independent study released Wednesday.

Test scores rose in every county and the city over the three-year period -- particularly in the elementary grades -- although no one can prove the higher scores are linked to the extra money, the authors said....

....The average teacher salary across the state increased by about $4,079 to $52,330.

That's why. It all comes back to the bottom line. The Thornton money, instead of actually being used on methods to improve classroom results, winds up going towards teacher salaries. Again, I am not necessarily agains increasing teacher salaries. But I would have hoped that this entire Thornton mess would have actually resulted in money going toward the classroom.