Philanthropy & Washington Post Reporting: A Few Missing Facts
DC won more money per student from pro-privatization donors than any other urban school system, according to researchers who followed several years of educational philanthropy. The report has not yet been released, but the Washington Post shared some of results this week.
The Post article shares pertinent, if unsurprising, facts from the report:
- Cities that had a Teach for America site or laws that encourage the growth of charter schools, for example, were more likely to receive foundation funding.
- Some funding is tied to “more rigorous lessons tied to Common Core standards” (Cornerstone Assignments)
- National foundations support projects like DC’s Empowering Males of Color
In addition to focusing on the MSU research, reporter Michael Alison Chandler also added some details about PTA and other local giving:
Not included in the total is PTA funding, which brings a significant additional stream of funds to some schools in more affluent communities. The PTA at Maury Elementary School in Capitol Hill increased its fundraising dramatically in recent years. Its budget for this school year is $157,000, up from about $15,000 in 2009-2010.
The DC Education Fund — which funnels great sums from the Walton Family Foundation, The Broad Foundation, and other donors into DC schools — crowed, via Twitter, that the findings mean: “enthusiasm abt leadership, progress, programs driving success in fundraising.” But there may be other explanations.
A Few More Facts
There are a number of related points the Post doesn’t mention. For example:
- Many of the millions for “Empowering Males of Color” will go directly to an Illinois charter operator.
- $450,000 of the Cornerstone Assignment funds are for an electronic curriculum management system (which Philanthropy & Washington Post Reporting: A Few Missing Facts | Education Town Hall Forum: Weekly Broadcast Archives, Extended Discussion, plus Monthly BUS Ride:
