School equity? The problem is funding, not formulas
Democrats in the Illinois state legislature have been focused on the school funding formula for years. One of the leaders in this effort has been Democratic State Senator Andy Manar.
While Illinois state funding for public education ranks among the lowest in the nation, even the state’s progressive elected officials prefer to concede this inadequacy as a permanent feature while debating how to more equitably divide the crumbs.
This is aside from the fact that the current iteration of this plan, Senate Bill 1, would remove direct and dedicated funding for special education teachers from state education funding.
There can be no quality special education instruction without special education teachers.
In a state that supports our children’s public schools based on local property taxes and inadequate state funding, there can be no equity, regardless of the formula.
It is a moral failing of legislators who would rather do nothing to address the racism of current levels of state school funding while making bogus changes to the formula School equity? The problem is funding, not formulas. | Fred Klonsky:
