How+to+fairly+fund+high+poverty+schools


 * Research Question: How can impoverished schools receive proper funding?**


 * Author: Matt Repetto**

Funding has been hard to come by for the poorer districts for a long time. Schools remain divided into the haves and have nots and it seems it will stay this way unless there is some way for the government to spread and/or regulate schools. According to the article by Jonathan Walters, "the federal government antes up a mere 6 percent of all funding for public elementary and secondary education." This number is not likely to increase because most of the funding goes into teaching the mentally handicapped. The government puts billions of dollars into these programs but it has proved over the years not to be enough. The reason well-funded schools receive more money is because funding is raised by property taxes. People who have wealth and expect to have children want to gather in highly taxed neighborhoods knowing that they are paying for a good education. One proposed solution is the "Robin Hood" plan. This proposes that property taxes are redistributed from rich to impoverished districts. The issue is that it can reduce the quality education in the schools that are good and the fact that the ones that do have the money will fight tooth and nail to prevent it. (CQ Researcher, Walters)

School funding varies per state and per district. There have been arguments for both sides regarding the link between funding and education and its varying effects. It seems like there is too much of a link because money is what gets supplies and the right teachers to schools. The gaps in funding between states is not too great. According to the article, New Jersey was the highest per student expenditure with close to $9,000 compared to under $4,000 in Utah. It is also seen that drop out rates are higher among impoverished schools. Having the money to pay enough teachers to work at a school is huge, studies have shown that students perform better when there are small amounts of children in the classroom. Without the funds to pay enough teachers, students will not see these benefits. As funding gaps increase, it seems like achievement gaps increase with it. Unfortunately, according to the article, "By a 5-4 vote, the high court ruled that the U.S. Constitution does not require equal funding among school districts. This decision effectively foreclosed federal court action to remedy inequities in school funding, at least for the near future." It is tough to see that there aren't clear answers from the Constitution to help solve achievement gaps. (Educational Leadership, Biddle and Berliner)

This //New York Times// article does not go into depth about the elementary or secondary education issues in America. Its main point is Congress' inability to balance the budget which is effecting the financial aid programs in the United States. The education crisis has spread into college funding. In today's society, a college education is almost necessary. The Pell Grant is a huge program for college students and it will be cut by $3.54 billion in 2013. This is a dangerous loss for many students who possibly rely or need these grants to stay in school. This article is a little off topic, but it goes to show the deep issues that the American education system has. College is an important step in students lives because it helps specialize them. They learn and build upon skills that make them successful and in turn, this higher learning benefits society. (NYTimes, Ruiz)

The "Phony Funding Crisis" article proposes the opposite side of the argument. It argues that even though funding problems arise every year, teachers lose jobs, and schools claim to be underfunded, they still open and function. Sports teams still play, students are still taught and teachers are still paid. The article claims that school funding is, "more secure than ever before." A good sign for public schools is that they are cushioned and protected even during economic recessions. Yet again, the fact that the Constitution neglects education and ways of funding is brought up. School funding is in the hands of the tax payers. The people who can afford to pay for a good education do so by moving to certain districts. There is no way of stopping this because there is no way to politically control this aspect. Tax payers have say and control in where their money goes for schooling and there is no way and no reason to change this without causing a huge uproar. (The Phony Funding Crisis, Peng and Guthrie)

Overall Reaction to Your Research
//1. CQ Researcher Reaction:// I think it is crazy that the federal government only gives 6 percent funding for special education and very few other programs. They have tried almost everything in their power not to just put more money into school districts who need it. Even though billions of dollars are already going in, it is obvious that more could be spent. For such a huge issue on the agenda for America, to raise education levels to compete globally, there is too much stinginess. I do not feel that trying to spread funding from wealthy to poorer districts is fair or right. I also don't think it will happen, it is too controversial and not democratic. The money needs to come from something else. Maybe changing district boundaries would work but yet again, this is a controversial topic. Other than more government support, there is no clear cut solution. I think federal government funding is the best and most efficient way to give schools the funds they truly need. //2. Educational Leadership Reaction:// It is hard to balance the need for equality in education and the capitalistic system that we have. We see that schools do not have equal playing fields which is unfair. I know that the link between funding and education may not be the only issue related, but there is enough support and connection that it must be attempted to be balanced out. Money pays teachers, other faculty and for supplies. Knowing this, schools with more money will theoretically have better supplies, more current books and also draw the best of the best teachers. Good teachers will most likely follow the money. So I disagree with the argument that funding does not directly relate to education. Also, having current supplies helps kids adjust to technology that they will see in the future. Property taxes seem to be a leading culprit for the gap in funding because this is the main source of funding schools. It seems like the most logical tool to fund schools, but it is not the case for impoverished areas. //3. NY Times Reaction:// It is scary to see the spread of the funding issue into colleges. Grants are substantially important for students and families who are lucky enough to make it to college. With the new need for a college degree in the today's work force, to have grants reduced or completely gone is not good for the future of the country. We need more skilled people and critical thinkers to help solve the issues that Americans face now. If students cannot attain the skills they need to develop to become the next leaders, what will happen in the near future? I don't think that the loss of this grant will devastate families or college opportunities, but the underlying problem is something to worry about. //4. Opinion Essay Reaction:// I thought it was important to include an essay that argued the other side just to see if there was a strong defense to my support.Even though the points brought up may be true, I feel like it is only looking at the schools that are usually successful. Even though it argues that per pupil expenditure is rising, it neglects the fact that supplies are increasing in variety and cost for that matter. The issue is not just the need to get more money to impoverished schools, it is about balancing per pupil expenditure and balancing education. Even though funding may be increasing, there is still an achievement gap that is remaining the same or growing. It is great that students are getting more and more, but it seems like the better schools are getting even more and the poorer districts are still picking up the scraps. It's not just the issue of increasing the funds of the schools, its promoting equality to places that still do not have what is necessary. Obviously schools will find a way to run, but it is clear that not all schools are equal.

Relevance in Rhode Island Schools
Spreading the wealth is not something that can just happen. I feel that the best and almost only way to balance funding to impoverished schools has to come from the federal government. If property taxes are the main source of funding for schools, there is no way for impoverished areas in Rhode Island to increase property value or even be able to afford any possible increases for education. There are people who already have enough trouble getting food on the table in districts like Central Falls and a good portion of Providence. Though the government may provide billions of dollars for funding, it is clear that it is not enough. For the government to recognize the significance of the education crisis in America and then not to increase funds for impoverished areas is beyond me. How can we compete globally when we still have illiterate students coming out of Central Falls which has been a failing school for almost a decade? For a nation that is so rich and designed around improvement, there is too much trouble in the education system. To say that funding does not effect education is a lie. Money is what draws good teachers to schools and money provides these teachers with the resources they need. Special needs students are generally supported by the federal government, but it neglects helping all the other students who need support. Central Falls has a lot of students deemed "special needs" probably because the students' parents realize that they need this attention to learn. AYP scores drive Rhode Island school districts. Schools that have the funds don't seem to have issues with meeting AYP, while schools that struggle to meet AYP often are in impoverished districts. If somehow impoverished districts can get support from surrounding districts that are not failing and more government spending, I feel like achievement gaps will narrow. Or failing districts can be overtaken by nearby successful districts for support; any district that takes on a failing district will get a reward of financial support from the government. This is a slow process that I believe needs to happen in Rhode Island and around the country. These ideas may not even work, but something, maybe anything must happen to help impoverished schools receive necessary funding.

Meet Julia, an eight year old girl who goes to Underfundedtown Elementary School in Impoverishedville, AK. Her average school morning starts off with a math class of 30 kids that range from 6 to 10 years old. Some of her fellow classmates cannot speak English and her teacher is actually not a fully qualified teacher, she is an intern that is supposed to observe 3 classes a day. Ms. Ship has no previous teaching experience and has had no training what so ever for a classroom setting like this. Underfundedtown Elementary has a few classes like this with too many kids and non-qualified teachers. The elementary school has not been able to upgrade to whiteboards so it sticks with its scratched up blackboards. Ms. Ship also must battle the issue of not having chalk for the chalkboard; she has to buy her own before she goes in every day. Next, Julia has to go to a class with 5 out of the 12 students being special needs. The school could not afford its special education program anymore and had to cut its only teacher. These are just 2 out of the 6 classes Julia has to attend during her school day, she cannot afford lunch so she goes through the second half of similar classes with an empty stomach. She has dreams of graduating high school in the future and then finding a decent job. But each day she goes to school, her dreams start to fade more and more. A.) What is wrong with Julia's educational situation? B.) What seems to be the main issue with her school? C.) Can you think of any possible ways to provide this school with proper funds? D.) What type of impact would this have on your life if you were Julia and how significant is it for the future of America?
 * Class Scenario**