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Thursday, February 6, 2014

Is School Funding Fair in Your State? | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity

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Is School Funding Fair in Your State?

Posted on: Thursday February 6th, 2014
What does "fair" school funding look like? What is it exactly that education advocates and organizers are calling for when they rally at state capitols demanding more money for their schools? 
If you ask the researchers at the Education Law Center (ELC) and Rutgers University, "fair" means putting more money towards those who need it most: students from low-income families. Whether states are funding their schools fairly – and how hard they're trying – is the subject of a new ELC and Rutgers report that every education advocate should carry with them. 
"Is School Funding Fair? A National Report Card" measures fairness in 4 ways: 
  • Funding Level: What is a state's average per-pupil spending?
  • Funding Distribution: Do states put more funds towards students living in poverty?
  • Effort: Relative to a state's capacity to raise funds, how much of its funds go towards education?
  • Coverage: How many students attend public schools vs. private schools? 
Here's how the states measure up. Where does your state rank?
(Don't miss the interactive maps for this report, which give additional measurements like pre-k access and student-to-teacher ratios.)
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