Trends in the News Archive - Page 24 of 53

Trends in the News

READ AFTON'S "TRENDS IN EDUCATION FINANCE"

All Posts

Education Week, 7/23/18

New Mexico school finance ruling throws wrench into gubernatorial race

A lower court ruling in New Mexico that deemed the state’s school finance system unconstitutional has pitted the many candidates running for state office against each other over how to provide more money to its schools. A state district court judge ruled late last week that the state pays its teachers too little, provides its schools out-of-date textbooks and technology and, through its unique teacher evaluation system, removes incentives for its best-performing teachers to work at its worst-performing schools. That amounts to a system in which the state’s public schools don’t do enough to provide its students a constitutionally adequate education, the court ruled.

State Education Funding

SBNation, 7/31/18

How LeBron James’ new public school really is the first of its kind

James’ I Promise School opened Monday to serve low-income and at-risk students in his hometown. I Promise will feature longer school days, a non-traditional school year, and greater access to the school, its facilities, and its teachers during down time for students. That’s a formula aimed at replicating some of the at-home support children may be missing when it comes to schoolwork. I Promise is a regular public school, not a charter or a voucher-receiving private school. Per the state of Ohio, Akron’s schools were given just $10,028 in state and local funds per student in 2016 — more than the statewide average, but still a relatively low figure for a city of a little under 200,000. Ten thousand dollars per student can’t cover those services, but the buy-in from the LeBron James Family Foundation can.

Alternative Education Models and Funding Mechanisms Local Education Funding School Money and Performance

Chalkbeat, 7/31/18

With big names and $200 million, a new group is forming to push for the ‘portfolio’ model

Several big names in education reform are teaming up to start a new organization designed to change how schools are managed in cities across the U.S. — and they say they’ve already raised $200 million. The City Fund, as the group is being called, will push cities to expand charter schools and district schools with charter-like autonomy. It represents a big increase in visibility and influence for advocates of the “portfolio model” of running schools, a strategy that’s been adopted by cities like New Orleans, Denver, and Indianapolis. The basic idea is that families should be able to choose among different schools, and that those schools should be free to operate as they see fit. In addition, schools should be held accountable for their performance — largely based on test scores — with good ones growing and bad ones closing, while an oversight body coordinates essential functions like enrollment across schools.

Alternative Education Models and Funding Mechanisms

Education Week, 7/31/18

Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act signed by President

The legislation is a reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, a $1.2 billion program last overhauled by Congress in 2006. The new law allows states to set their own goals for career and technical education programs without the education secretary’s approval, requires them to make progress toward those goals, and makes other changes to federal CTE law.

Federal Education Funding

Education Week, 7/20/18

Candidates in midterms spar over school funding vs. taxes

How—or whether—to pour more money into public school coffers has emerged as one of the most divisive issues for states in this year’s midterm elections. In at least nine states, voters this fall will consider ambitious ballot measures that seek to increase, or in some cases curtail, how much legislatures distribute to schools. “Legislatures are having a really difficult time,” said Michael Griffith, a senior school finance analyst for the Education Commission of the States. “Taxpayers are not willing to be taxed much more. The types of taxes we have are antiquated. It’s based on an industrial economy, not a service economy. Even though the economy is fairly stable, perhaps, it’s not manifested in district spending.”

State Education Funding

The 74, 7/17/18

As universal pre-k struggles to secure a nationwide platform, it finds hope in cities like Chicago

If the plan reaches fruition, Chicago would join cities such as New York, Washington, D.C., and Boston, which are spearheading large-scale pre-K initiatives amid uneven state progress and a growing arsenal of research touting the benefits of early education. While 43 states currently offer some form of state-funded preschool for more than 1.5 million children, only a handful can be accurately described as “universal.” Universal pre-K is free and open to everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status. Bipartisan backing for state-funded pre-K — universal or not — has strengthened in recent years as research has affirmed the cognitive and social benefits of quality early education instruction.

Pre-K

Education Week, 7/19/18

To make ends meet, 1 in 5 teachers have second jobs

Nearly 1 in 5 public school teachers have second jobs during the school year, a new analysis of federal data shows. Across the country, teachers who work a second job earn an average of $5,100 to supplement their incomes. And teachers who moonlight in a non-education field earn about $1,000 more on average than teachers who work a second job related to teaching—$5,500 compared to $4,500. “Working after school hours cuts into time for lesson planning, grading, and other responsibilities”, said Joe Reid, a former teacher in Indiana.

Education Dive, 7/19/18

Americans overwhelmingly support higher education funding, report shows

A new nationally representative survey of 3,117 adults out of Teachers College, Columbia University finds that overwhelmingly (76%) of Americans say public spending on higher education is a good or excellent investment. Survey writers explain these perceptions play a role in policy outcomes for higher education resources at the governmental level, noting around 61% of respondents say that increasing federal support for post-secondary education is favorable, with specifically 52% wanting an increase in funding for community colleges.

Higher Ed

Education Dive, 7/19/18

Gates Foundation funds resources to help schools ‘unlock time’

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation today announced a $2.2 million grant to make free resources available to school leaders who are redesigning their schedules to better fit personalized, project-based and other learning models that call for flexibility. The Unlocking Time initiative features online resources related to bell schedules, case studies from schools, and the School Time Assessment — a survey that school leaders can administer to learn more about how they use time.

Alternative Education Models and Funding Mechanisms

The 74, 7/24/18

New Report: Most states lack power to merge struggling districts with wealthy neighbors, leaving poor districts stranded

A report released by EdBuild on school district consolidations highlights the roadblocks financially fraught districts across the country face when school leaders try to merge with more stable neighboring districts. Lawmakers in nine states have granted a state-level entity authority to mandate school district consolidations under dire circumstances, while mergers remain voluntary in most parts of the country. In states where consolidation is voluntary, however, community members and school leaders in wealthier school systems have few incentives to help out their struggling neighbors. EdBuild puts the blame on the system employed in most U.S. states, which ties school funding revenue to local property taxes.

Funding Equity State Education Funding