Philly Schools Open Despite Major Budget Shortfall
State lawmakers in Pennsylvania failed to pass a cigarette tax that would have provided much needed funds for Philly's schools. Instead, the school year will begin with $32 million in budget cuts, leaving schools without janitors and 7,500 students without transportation to school. Photo from organizers' multi-day sit-in at the state capitol in late June. Via Fight for Philly. read
Putting a Price Tag on Expanding Opportunity
Posted on: Tuesday August 19th, 2014
Massachusetts routinely leads the nation in test scores and high school graduation rates. But the state isn't immune to the same opportunity gaps (and resulting achievement gaps) that hinder students across the country, particularly students of color and students from low-income communities.
Massachusetts routinely leads the nation in test scores and high school graduation rates. But the state isn't immune to the same opportunity gaps (and resulting achievement gaps) that hinder students across the country, particularly students of color and students from low-income communities.
Now, two organizations are trying to put a firm price tag on what it would take to finally close those gaps and ensure every student has the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.
The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center and the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy have launched an ongoing project called "Roadmap to Expanding Opportunity: Evidence on What Works in Education." The project is a series of policy briefs that price out the different ways Massachusetts and local communities can provide evidenced-based resources like pre-k, wraparound supports, and teacher training.
Why is it helpful to get an exact price tag? Two decades ago, the Education Reform Act raised academic standards in Massachusetts and, to help students reach those new standards, established a fair funding formula for distributing state aid to low-income districts. That combination is why Massachusetts sits so firmly at the top of our nation's education system.
But today that fair funding formula is out of date, and revamping it won't be simple. Particularly in the current economic climate, winning a political battle for more school funding will likely depend on how Putting a Price Tag on Expanding Opportunity | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity: