Every child is entitled to a "Free and Appropriate Education" (FAPE) but is that doesn't mean equal resources. In 1954 a unanimous decision in the Brown v. Board of Education case ruled segregation in public schools is unconstitutional. So every child receives free education and students from all races and religions are welcome in all classrooms, however, does segregation still exist....through the suburban urban divide?
Many articles discuss the discrepancy between the school funding for the suburban district v. urban district. The discrepancy in these fundings affect the teacher's salary, resources in technology, lack of highly qualified teachers, lack of prep classes such as technology, gym, art, music and library classes, lack of funding from a PTA or local funding, and shortage of school resources; books, curriculum, access to teacher supplies (laminate machines, paper supplies, colored printer).
In the article Improving Comparability Requirements, it is stated, "The current local funding allocation strategy has resulted in a widening education gap that disadvantages poor and minority students". This article goes into the details of the unfair monetary distribution that makes schools unequal. Students shouldn't be penalized or be given a watered-down version of education based on their zip code. A possible solution will be allocating federal money accordingly with giving more money to the districts in need.
Governor Wolf has proposed "to adopt a mechanism designed to help address the problems that led to Pennsylvania's being labeled the most inequitably funded state in the nation." This will allocate more money to those districts in need and help close the education gap.
On a personal note, I see this inequality gap first hand. My children are lucky enough to attend a very small suburban public district where the resources appear to be unlimited. They receive a chrome book to use for the year, offering a language class starting in 7th grade, flexible seating, all sports with a qualified coach, ranked 16th in PA High Schools. It's another story where I teach! I teach in a North Philadelphia charter school where the resources are limited due to funding. Teachers are qualified but make half as much as those in the suburbs. Teachers lack supplies given by the school district so many teachers need to purchase their own supplies. Curriculum and resources are primarily made by the teachers. Students aren't offered the same sports programs like those in the suburbs, nor are they offered the same prep classes. The school I work at doesn't offer technology as a prep!
Honestly, if I didn't work where I work and see what my children receive I probably wouldn't see the educational gap but since I do see it I would like to be apart of the solution. What are your thoughts on this topic?
Resources
"Equal Funding for School Districts." Center for American Progress, 14 Oct. 2008, www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-12/news/2008/06/13/4535/equal-funding-for-school-districts-improving-comparability-requirements/.
Klehr, Deborah Gordon. "Pa.'s Budget Must Address Glaring Inequities in School Funding: Opinion." Https://Www.inquirer.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 22 Feb. 2019, www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/tome-worf-pennsylvania-budget-educaion-funding-20190222.html
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The inequity between districts is staggering. It is also surprising to me how different schools in one district can be too. The last school that I worked at was in a very wealthy neighborhood. Parents donated a lot of money each year to the PTA which allowed our elementary school to have a science teacher, money for teachers to buy supplies, and tons of after school programs. Other schools in the area didn't have any of these things. It made me feel lucky, but it also didn't seem fair or okay to me. It made me wonder if there should be a cap in how much the PTA could fund the school. I'm not sure if this would be a good thing or not though. It's a sticky situation.
ReplyDeleteIt is tough because you don't want to take away from a school that's getting funded, however it would be nice for the district to take this into account and fund the other schools accordingly so all kids can be on an equal playing field.
DeleteI think a student might not do so great in school if the school lacks the resources. Thus, that might not help the students when they go to college or when they try to enter the work environment.
ReplyDeleteThat's the problem...it's a vicious cycle! You have the poorer districts not thriving like the richer districts, thus the rich get richer and the poor continue to stay poor.
DeleteWow, this is such a valuable post! I live in Idaho where I have seen this happening for YEARS. I first noticed it in high school when we would go to other schools for sporting events. Most notably in my memory was when we would go to the 5A (largest) schools for state basketball tournaments. My school was the 1AD2 division (smallest) and we had to combine with another school to have enough kids for sports. The gyms alone in these other schools showed the divide between schools. I once asked Governor Butch Otter about this in high school, and naturally, he swerved around my question. Fast forward to now as a teacher and I am still seeing it. I am going from a district that survives because of ingenuity and an active education foundation to a district with twice as much money for benefits and a $500 classroom budget for each teacher.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, the funding formula in Idaho is atrocious and in elementary schools is based on the number of students that you have. So, for example, my school only had about 60 students K-6, which is not enough money to run a building. In Idaho they have been going back and forth on a new formula for a while, but it typically ends with small schools like my previous one losing more money.
What a shame...so the student suffers because he/she lives in a rural area, then another student suffers because they live in a urban setting, finally we have the suburban child who doesn't lack for anything at home nor at school. How is this a fair playing field...when will the cycle end? I
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