Updated Look at Crisis in PA. Funding of Urban Public Schools

[JPZenger]

Last edited Sun Apr 21, 2013, 08:17 PM - Edit history (1)

http://yinzercation.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/boiled-frogs/

The first part of the article describes the funding crisis in many school districts. The following is the conclusion of the piece:

Excerpts:

"Here’s what we will be calling on the state legislature to do this year:

- Reinstate $270 million in funding to K-12 education in this year’s budget (and for the next 2 years – to restore the nearly $1 billion in state funding level cuts over a three year timetable).

- Put in place funding formulas that have a strategy for allocating dollars, working toward a permanent, rational funding formula. Formulas must account for the number of students, include “weights” for the additional costs for educating students with special needs (including students in poverty, gifted students and English language learners), and provide sustainable and predictable funding for districts.

- Begin to address formula and funding mechanism flaws in the way that charter schools are funded (a good formula will set rates appropriately and not pit groups of children against each other);

- They must also provide cost of living increases for special education (which has been flat funded for 6 straight years) and career-technical education"