The Lesson in Greed

Education is not just what is taught, but it is what is learned.  The whole educational establishment, including the schools, the personnel, and the government all together effect public education.  However, there are some lesson being taught which can be very illusive.  This can be seen in what I wish to call, “ The Lesson in Greed.”

Greed is an excessive desire to acquire, a type of covetousness. The Lord Jesus warned about greed, as Luke 12:15 affirms, “He said unto them, ‘take heed, and beware of covetousness; for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.’”  Paul stated in I Thessalonians 2:5 that his work as a teaching elder among the Church at Thessalonica was not with “flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak for covetousness; God is witness:”  Again speaking of the qualities of a teaching elder in I Timothy 3:3, Paul described a teaching elder as “…not greedy of filthy lucre.”

It has been observed that:  “Education leaders have since tried a variety of reforms to inject greater efficiencies into the nation’s education system, from creating school districts to mandating instructional spending as a budget priority. But for the most part, these initiatives have focused on improving administration and operations, and so they typically require a one-size-fits-all solution that ultimately limits a school’s ability to creatively deploy resources. And the data suggests that the strategies have had little effect on improving overall productivity. Academic achievement per school dollar dropped by as much as sixty-five percent from 1971 to 1999. Despite our large annual education expenditures, the United States gets far less for its dollar than do other industrialized countries.” ( Return on Educational Investment: Background Information, Center for American Progress, Megan Smith January 19, 2011 )

There are many things that actually teach greed. There is a battle developing in respect to state budgets in many states  Some states wish to go on and borrow more, as for example in Illinois the governor proposes borrowing US$8.7 billion.  Other states such as New York and California are also leading the borrowing race. California is about US$27 billion short of the money it needs to extend current programs and services through 2012 and 2013.  Public education is one of the basic expenses in all states, much of which relates to salaries and benefits for employees.

Wisconsin is facing a US$3.6 billion budget deficit for the biennium, the next two years that starts July 1, 2011.  Governor Walker has presented a plan to the congress for many state and local workers, including educators, to change their current system, so employees would be paying about 5.8 percent toward their pension and about twelve percent of their healthcare benefits. They currently pay little toward their retirement benefits and about six percent of their medical premiums.

It is calculated that Wisconsin will save US$30 million in the last three months of the current fiscal year. Also in his legislation, Walker proposes to limit collective bargaining for most public employees to wages only. This issue has ignited a bomb throughout state governments, and demonstrations have exploded from Wisconsin, and are well likely to spread elsewhere as the problem is addressed.

John Russo, professor and co-director of the Center for Working-Class Studies at Youngstown State University in Ohio said: “It’s really an ideological battle that’s being

fought across the country right now….This is a real teaching moment. Let’s have this debate about the role of the public sector.”  Public Worker Protests Spread From Wisconsin to Ohio (By Mark Niquette – Feb 18, 2011 mniquette@bloomberg.net). Is the Wisconsin situation an illustration of greed being displayed and taught by the educators?

The question comes to whether it is it moral, reasonable, ethical, wise, and responsible to borrow on the backs of the tax payers and for future generations to maintain agreements that are subject to change, particularly in a time of financial duress. Furthermore, how is it that some of the highest academic achievement comes from private religious secondary schools where educators work for far less than public educators?

Seeing the state of our economy where most families are cutting expenses and are seeking to pay down their debts, is it right to indebt our state governments for possibly generations to grant costly benefits to the educators of a state?

Health care and pension costs, often produced by unionization, are soaring, making it even harder for public officials nationwide to close massive budget gaps. Forty-four states and Washington DC are facing a total shortfall of US$125 billion for fiscal 2012, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

There is a problem, and it needs debate as professor Russo said.  In our nation we have collapsed to the “Me, my, and I” trinity, in such a way that greed has thrown our judgments as a nation off balance. We need it corrected!

The Great Commission, Matthew 28, verses 19-20 stresses the importance of teaching to: “Go ye therefore, and TEACH all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: TEACHING them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:” (capitalized emphasis is the author’s) This was a commission not to greed, but to need. The public schools don’t have a divine commission necessarily, but it would seem to be very evident that the primacy of education should not be greed!

by Joe Renfro, Ed.D., Radio Evangelist, Retired Teacher and Pastor, Box 751, Lavonia, Georgia 30553, 706-356-4173, joerenfro@windstream.net