Can you please give me some key take aways from this article? Equity in funding
ID: 393624 • Letter: C
Question
Can you please give me some key take aways from this article?
Equity in funding for public schools is a push for FAIR funding for all schools; all communities should be taxed the same so all students essentially receive the same amount of funds across the board, not matter the community. Adequacy looks at the absolute minimum amount of funding per student. The emphasis on either is different for each state though there is an over-all push across the country to increase the quality of education for all students no matter their demographic.
There are numerous challenges regarding the issue of school funding. A huge debate over the fairness of fund distribution arises when there is a wide gap between districts. For example, many schools receive funding based upon attendance numbers, so essentially a brand new school located in a city would receive more funds than a smaller, old school located in a rural location simply because the city school had more students, not based upon the need of the school. The largest outcry over equal fund distribution comes from citizens pushing for equal funds to be used ‘as needed’, like the above scenario based upon attendance, supplemental funding provided by the state is a common remedy for many of these issues.
Educational expenditures are 90% paid by state and local taxes. Payment by these taxes is a constant debate because many believe that state funding should play a larger role in school funding, especially in poorer districts. School districts with more wealth and higher property taxes receive more funds than those with lower property values and taxes. The source of the funding is extremely important because of the previously stated scenario, the funds or lack thereof directly affect the quality of education given to students. Funding directly affects many aspects of the public education system such as teacher salaries which determine the quality/experience level of teachers who teach within a district, school supplies such as laptops for students, science lab supplies/tools, and even school buildings such as the building of new schools or repair of old buildings.
In the case San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, a group of parents/citizens filed suit against the Texas school finance system on behalf of minority students who were poor and resided in school communities with low property rates. The US Supreme Court ruled that the Texas school finance system did not disadvantage any particular class or group, and that though education is extremely important, it was not recognized as being a guaranteed right by the constitution. This case is significant because it determined the extent of individual rights to an education as far as funding is concerned. Post-Rodriguez case, there have been several landmark cases with both different and similar outcomes. For example, the case of Williams v. California where the school district was challenged for not provided adequate teachers, school facilities and supplies for its students reached a settlement agreement in which the district agreed to provide all the needed tools/materials, safe school building and sufficiently prepared teachers for the success of its students. Another case however, Lewis E. v. Spagnolo in Illinois the court sided with the Illinois Public School Funding System, essentially stating that any issues regarding to education are up to the legislature to determine and remedy
Explanation / Answer
The article basically talks about the school funding system which as per the writer contains some anomaly like it is more of a quantitative system than qualitative. The schools are generally funded on certain ground which are not justified and do not lead towards just and equitable funds distribution.
On the other hand even law does not consider the school funding system as unjust, as we can see in the cases’ verdict given below is that the court also considered that the school funded system is not unjust when it is not taking care of minority because education not the fundamental right and which is subject to school scrutiny.
Basically the article deals with two section of school funding system, on is legal another one is moral.