The ???new normal???: No longer new, still normal

Don't look so surprised 
(Photo by Victor Bezrukov 19)

Though the specifics are still unclear, the debt-ceiling compromise will—at base—spell big cuts to federal spending. And that will, in turn, mean less money for the states—education or otherwise. Bleak? Perhaps. But district leaders (and parents and the public): Pick your chins up off the floor. We’ve been sitting under the shadow of this “new normal” in education spending for some time now—and shouldn’t expect simply to wait out the eclipse. Instead, smart adjustments can yield the savings needed. Don’t slash teacher jobs; think about lifting class-size ratios or rethinking Cadillac benefits packages. Don’t eliminate art and music; think about more efficient ways of delivering them instead. As someone named Rahm said not so long ago, you never want to waste a serious crisis.