Money and Schools EDU 224 | Newberry College

Money and Schools Why is money important? What are the three main three trends in educational finance? What do they mean? How is education in South Carolina funded? By the end of class you should be able to answer these questions.

Why should teachers worry about money? There are a number of reasons why teachers should worry about school finance. Money is often the key to control in schools. Money determines the quality of students’ experiences. Teachers can be the victims of increased expectations and decreased spending. Teachers spend an average of $475/yr on classroom materials.

History has determined that American schools are funded through property taxes. Old Deluder Satan Law/Massachusetts Law of 1647 Every town of 50 households had to pay for a teacher Every town of 100 households must provide a (Latin) grammar school Northwest Ordinance of 1787 Funds provided for education through land grants Land Ordinance of 1875 Land set aside for public education Kalamazoo Michigan Case (1874) Michigan Supreme Court determined that taxes can pay for secondary schools Old Deluder Satan Law (1647, MA) The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 The Land Ordinance of 1875 1874 Kalamazoo Michigan case (MI)

Trends in educational finance Equity Adequacy Productivity

Trend #1 Equity Ask students what they think the term “equity” might refer to in education. In general, in education we use the term equity to say that every student – no matter his/her race, gender, or disability– has the right to the same facilities, resources, curriculum, etc. Equity is often used interchangeably with equality. Picture retrieved on 10/14/2010 from http://www.hreoc.gov.au/about/competitions/2003/stu7-4.htm

Equity Focus on US Constitution – 14th Amendment (equal protection of the law) Plessey v. Fergusson (1896) Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954) San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez (1973) Focus on funding inter-district equity through state constitutions Serrano v. Priest (CA, 1971) Robinson v. Cahill (NJ, 1973) Edgewood v. Kirby (TX, 1989) Equity has been an issue in education since the late 1800s. Unequal education for different groups of children had been taken for granted in the US since the establishment of dame schools in the 1600s. Plessey v. Fergusson invoked the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which states that all citizens have the right to equal protection under the law. Education – because it is state-provided – is one of those protections.

Trend #2 Adequacy Ask students what they think the term “adequacy” might refer to in education. In general, in education we use the term adequacy to say that different groups of students need different needs in order to reach the same educational goals. Some students will need more or different facilities, resources, curriculum, etc., while others may need less. What states like New Jersey found is that, in order to determine what different groups of students need to be successful, successful needed to be defined in terms of expected outcomes and curriculum standards. Picture retrieved on 10/14/2010 from http://zenhabits.net/key-question-how-much-is-enough/

Adequacy Despite equalized funding, disparities remained, so some poorer NJ school districts sued. Abbott v. Burke (NJ, 1985) NJ Supreme Court ruled that a “thorough and efficient education” required setting of state curriculum standards, achievement outcomes, and application of particular school reform models for lowest performing schools This case led to the birth of a funding adequacy argument and court-ordered school improvement. Adequacy has been an issue in education since the 1980s.

Trend #3 Productivity Ask students what they think the term “productivity” might refer to in education. In general, in education we use the term productivity to refer to whether we are getting educational results (rising student achievement) from the money we spend. In other words, these days we tend to ask if and how much money will make a positive difference for student achievement. How much bang will we get for our buck? The correlation between increased spending and student achievement is a hotly debated issue, and the research is unclear.

Productivity After Abbott v. Burke, poorer NJ school districts (known as the Abbott districts) received higher levels of funding than other, more prosperous NJ school districts. Did increased funding in the Abbott school districts make a difference? At the elementary school level there has been some improvement At the middle and high school levels student achievement has not improved In a recent South Carolina case involving Abbeville, elementary, middle, and high school funding was found to have a negligible effect on student achievement.

These days the question is not whether funding is equal or whether it is adequate, the question is whether the funding gets results. Ask students what they think about this. Do they believe money makes a difference? If so, is it a matter of equity or adequacy?

The Public Education Dollar: Where the Money Comes From Sadker & Zittleman, p. 218 (citing US Census Bureau, April 2008)

In SC, where does school money come from? School funding comes from a number of sources… Property taxes (secondary/rental properties, industrial property) Income taxes Sales tax Lotteries In 2006, SC education funding experienced a great change…no more property taxes on primary residences.

How equal are schools? Average Per-Pupil Expenditures Who spends the most? NJ & NY $14,500+ Who spends the least? UT < $,5000 Average = $9,138 SC = $8,001 - 8,500 Sadker & Zittleman, p. 224 (citing US Census Bureau, April 2007)

Federal Role Civil Rights US Department of Education (est. 1979) Funding (Legislation/Control through funding) Categorical or block grants Unrestricted or restricted grants Examples: 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) 2001 reauthorized as No Child Left Behind Remember – the federal role in education has been increasing steadily since the 1950s (and publication of A Nation at Risk). There are three portals through which the federal government influences education in the 50 states: civil rights violations, the US Department of Education, and laws like NCLB. Schools and states violating civil rights laws can be made to pay punitive damages. If a state chooses to not uphold the mandates of a federal law like NCLB, then that state can lose its federal funding, which has become more and more significant over the years.

What does all this mean for you? Accountability will not go away. Competition will increase. Choice programs, charter schools, and for-profit schools will multiply. School budgets will continue to be tight. Local schools and districts will seek alternate funding. What do students need to do? Understand the politics behind what’s happening in education (both locally and federally). Get involved. Make yourself competitive. What do you need to do?

Class Wiki Assign/discuss homework. Discuss next steps.