1. Governance and Finance
EDUC Chapter 9

2. Tenth Amendment
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Assigns legal responsibility for education to the states

3. State Constitution
Governor-solicits public support for educational funding
State Legislature- supplies more than half of education budget, determines WPU
State Board of Education
State Superintendent
State Office of Education
District School Board
District Superintendent
District Office
Principals and Schools

4. State Board of Education Role (3/4s of states are appointed by the governor)
Issuing and revoking teaching licenses
Establishing the length of the school year
Publishing standards for approving and accrediting schools
Developing and implementing uniform systems for gathering education data, such as standardized achievement test scores, enrollment trends, and demographics

5. State Office of Education
Responsible for implementing state board of education policies on a day-to-day basis
Creates list of state-approved textbooks
Establishes standards in different content areas & influences curriculum
Staffed by Educational Professionals

6. School District
Administrative unit legally responsible for the education of children within a geographic boundary
Governed by a local school board of lay citizens responsible for setting policies within the district
Approximately 14,000 school districts in U.S.; an average of 280 per state
Number of school districts in a state ranges from 5 (Hawaii) to 1,030+ (Texas)
How many in Utah?

7. District School Board
Responsible for establishing educational policies within a district
Lay members elected in local elections
Members often do not reflect the cultural and economic diversity within a district

8. School District Superintendent
Implements policies established by local school board
Usually has an advanced degree in education
Sometimes conflicts with school board over implementation of policies

9. Functions of the District Office
Ordering textbooks and supplies
Developing programs of study
Ordering, distributing, and analyzing standardized tests
Evaluating teachers and assisting those with difficulties

10. Principal
Given the ultimate responsibility for the running of a school
Most important person in the district administrative structure, because the principal works directly with teachers and students
Responsible for:
Teacher selection and evaluation
School-level curricular and instructional leadership
Community relations
Coordination of pupil services (counselors, school psychologists, etc.)
Monitoring of school budget
Ensuring school maintenance

11. Public Education Funding
State Legislature
Income tax
Sales tax
Local Board of Education
Property taxes
School fees
Federal Government
Federal programs (federal taxes- personal, business)

12. School Funding Sources
States contribute 49% of educational funds
Local governments contribute 43% of funds
Federal funds constitute 8% of educational monies
What about Utah?

13. State and Local Revenue Sources
State income tax
Sales tax
Building permits
Traffic fines
Property taxes based on home and real estate values

14. Federal Funding of Education
Small proportion (8%), but large impact
Categorical grants target specific groups and designated purposes
Block grants provide states and districts funds with few restrictions (Reagan era)

15. District Educational Expenditures
Largest percentage (61%) spent on instruction
Administration, instructional supports (student services, teacher professional development, curriculum development), and maintenance of physical plants each take 10% of education funding dollar.
Transportation (buses) and food services each take up 4% of districts’ budgets.

16. Funding Inequalities
Because of differences in property taxes, wealthy districts spend more on education than poorer ones.
National average 23% more
Legal issues surrounding funding inequalities determined by state laws and courts
Weighted student formula allocates funding to schools within a district based upon student and school needs.

17. Different Forms of School Choice
Charter schools
Vouchers
Homeschooling

18. Charter Schools
Alternative schools that are independently operated but publicly funded
Often target specific areas of the curriculum
Arts
Math and science
Foreign language
Uneven quality due to increased autonomy
Research suggests that student achievement is no better than regular public schools and sometimes worse.

19. Vouchers
Vouchers are checks parents use to purchase educational services.
Use for private education, especially religious schools, is controversial.
State tuition tax credits, a variation on vouchers, provide tax cuts for parents of children attending private schools.

20. Homeschooling
While increasingly popular, accounts for only 2% of students.
Parental reasons vary.
Concerns about moral climate of schools (49%)
More positive social climate (15%)
Academic excellence (14%)
Specific needs of individual students (12%)
State laws regulating vary considerably.

21. Privatization Takes a variety of forms Arguments for Arguments against
EMO (Education maintenance organization) runs and manages schools or entire district
Industry-operated school lunches and buses
Industry-related tech support
Arguments for
Businesslike efficiency of corporations
Competition makes publicly run schools more effective and efficient
Arguments against
Bottom line is the dollar—not children’s welfare
Unimpressive initial results with corporations like Edison

22. School Choice and Cultural Minorities
Advocates claim that school choice provides cultural minority parents with alternatives to ineffective and unproductive local schools.
May result in increased segregation of students.
Education of parents about options and choices is crucial for future success.