The Myth of Education Cuts and Why Money Can’t Buy an A+

Many Arizonans, like many Americans, believe their state “underfunds” education. In fact, writes Jonathan Butcher in a policy report for the Goldwater Institute, Arizona education spending has mirrored national education spending by rising consistently, in inflation-adjusted dollars, for several decades. The evidence on education spending and student achievement is not what most expect, he writes. When people spend more money on something, they expect higher quality. But in education, state and federal data show that nearly a half century of funding increases have not translated into higher test scores. Lawmakers and taxpayers must confront evidence that funding has increased, but student achievement has not.