This Election Is About School Funding, Democratic Control of Education

11/3/2016 – This Election Is About School Funding, Democratic Control of Education:

This Election Is About School Funding, Democratic Control of Education

THIS WEEK: No To Question 2 … School Climate Matters … College Costs Rise … Georgia Amendment 1 … Privatization Hurts Kids

TOP STORY

This Election Is About School Funding, Democratic Control of Education

By Jeff Bryant

“In the upcoming election … education issues [are] getting a relatively large amount of attention in states … Two recurring themes are 1) Who controls schools, and 2) How to save schools from a persistent funding crisis … If you’re discouraged about the lack of substance in this year’s presidential race, there are ample opportunities to support candidates and measures down ballot that will determine the course of education policy, and thus affect the well being of children and the future of our nation.”
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NEWS AND VIEWS

It’s Not Anti-Charter To Oppose Lifting Cap

Commonwealth Magazine

“Uncapped charter school growth means that municipal budgets … will suffer without a fix to state education financing … Tradeoffs in local budgets … include unsustainable cutbacks for basic city services … Uncapping charter school growth will only speed this growing divide … Uncapped charter growth will surely lead to district reorganization and school closures, but the transition will create inefficiencies that add costs to cities and towns … Keep the cap on charter school growth and seek sensible financing reform to ensure that all of our children succeed.”
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Positive School Climates May Help Narrow Achievement Gaps, Analysis Finds

Education Week

“Schools where students feel safe, engaged and connected to their teachers are also schools that have narrower achievement gaps between low-income children and their wealthier peers … ‘Schools do matter and can do much to improve academic outcomes … By promoting a positive climate, schools can allow greater equality in educational opportunities, decrease socioeconomic inequalities, and enable more social mobility.'”
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College Costs Rising Faster Than Financial Aid, Report Says

The Washington Post

“Colleges are putting the brakes on hefty price increases, but tuition and fees are still rising at a faster rate than the financial aid and family income needed to cover costs … Price increases have hovered around 3% … but net prices for a college education are rising … The positive news is that families are taking on less debt to cover the cost of higher education as the economy improves … People who earned a bachelor’s degree in 2015 left school with an average of $28,100 in debt.”
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Georgia Voters To Decide State’s Role In Struggling Schools

Education Week

“The ballot measure – known as Amendment 1 – has generated heated debate and created strange political bedfellows, with teachers’ unions, the state’s school boards’ association, the Georgia PTA, and some conservative Republicans lining up against the measure. On the other side is GOP Gov. Nathan Deal … the state chamber of commerce, some Democrats, and supporters of charters and school choice … The pro-amendment side has raised $1.2 million toward that effort with contributions from Georgia Leads, a Deal-backed group, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and 50CAN, an education advocacy group. On the other side, the National Education Association was expected to spend $1.5 million opposing the measure … A poll this month showing that most likely voters are leaning against supporting the measure.
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The Privatization Of Public Education Is Failing Our Kids

The Progressive

Wisconsin US House Representative Mark Pocan writes, “Wisconsin now has more than 32,000 students statewide enrolled in its voucher plan, even though approximately three-quarters of the new students receiving that public money were already attending private schools. Now they are just doing so on the taxpayer’s dime. States across the country are draining funds from public schools that educate the vast majority of our children and diverting it to a few students in private schools … Public schools are rightly required to educate all our children. Yet many voucher schools … are able to cherry-pick which students they prefer. They could refuse to take in a child who might cost more to educate, such as a child with disabilities … It is unconscionable for taxpayers to continue funding two duplicative education systems, particularly when the one can cherry-pick students and ignore educational standards and dodge showing proof they are working.”
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11/3/2016 – This Election Is About School Funding, Democratic Control of Education: