“Hopefully we never have to to fire our weapon.”. Last month, researchers from Johns Hopkins University published a heartbreaking study describing the conditions of public schools in Providence, R.I. Inadequate school funding derails the future for students already struggling against the odds—intensifying disparities that harm society as a whole by reducing young people’s capacity to contribute to society. Many countries, and some U.S. jurisdictions, have succeeded in funding high-quality education for all their students. StateImpact Oklahoma is a partnership among Oklahoma’s public radio stations and relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. For example, in Illinois, per-pupil funding ranged from $8,500 to $32,000 in 2016, with suburban districts in Cook County outspending nearby Chicago by more than $10,000 per pupil. What’s more, contrary to stories of overcrowded classrooms, schools have been getting ever more spacious. In Illinois, payments made by the state government into the state’s public school retirement systems on behalf of Illinois school districts are included in state total funding. the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. When we provide adequate funding for resources such as well-prepared teachers and school leaders, smaller class sizes (especially in the early years), and extended learning time, we see returns in the form of improved student outcomes. “Twenty-five years ago, when I started in this business as a teacher, this was nothing that we ever had to consider or focus on,” Romines said. Here’s what wasn’t a problem: lack of funding. The inconclusive, unsatisfying outcome of Tuesday’s election might be read as evidence of a country bitterly divided. Roughly one quarter of non-white voters cast their ballots for Trump, according to an Edison exit poll. Task Force for the Study of State Tax Credits and Economic Incentives. Sign up for our mailing list to stay up to date with the Learning Policy Institute. Grow up in a poor neighborhood? Although education spending took a hit during the Great Recession, it has been climbing steadily over the past five years and is at an all-time high in most states. Moore Public Schools Superintendent Robert Romines demonstrates the district’s new building entry system. StateImpact Oklahoma is a collaboration of KGOU, KOSU, KWGS and KCCU. However, safety looks very different depending on each school district’s budget. “It is tough to come in and know that we have a weapon, because that’s just not what we’re really supposed to be doing,” the staff member said. The reforms all feature three key practices: funding underserved students at higher levels, investing in educator capacity and equitable distribution, and ensuring access to quality preschool. However, safety looks very different depending on each school district’s budget. For the sake of America’s students, it’s time to turn our attention to devising policy solutions, not further cash infusions, to address the problems plaguing public education. States typically offset these disparities to some extent, but rarely provide an equitable system that can respond to student needs. In practical terms, these findings make sense. These are the words from a Black 10th-grader from a large, metropolitan public school system. Gary Shelton, OSSI’s program manager, says the agency has assessed about one third of public school districts since its inception. “But times have changed.”. That means the state’s school districts are largely on their own when it comes to safety. StateImpact Oklahoma reports on energy and the environment, education, health, criminal justice, and the intersection of government and everyday Oklahomans. One of Hartshorne’s armed staff members said frequent news of mass shootings motivated him to take on the extra responsibility, even though it does not come with additional compensation. Between 1995 and 2014, space increased by 30 square feet per high-school student (a 20 percent increase), 45 square feet per middle-school student (35 percent), and 80 square feet per elementary-school student (74 percent). For example, in his “Thurgood Marshall Plan,” presidential candidate Bernie Sanders declared that schools have seen “savage” budget cuts, teachers are paid “starvation wages,” and schoolhouses are “crumbling.”. https://stateimpact.npr.org/oklahoma/files/2019/10/School-Safety-SIOK-WEB.mp3. New Jersey—a majority minority state—climbed to #2 nationally in 8th grade reading and #4 in 8th grade math after it equalized its funding system. Get our conservative analysis delivered right to you. Lindley says five of his employees already carry guns on campus, and more are getting ready to go through training required by a 2015 state law allowing school boards to arm staff. The lawsuit cites ... Donald Trump over-performed the polls and shocked the pundits again on Tuesday, getting so close to the finish line that several key states have yet to be called. At least 26 states immediately responded by increasing or adding new funding for school safety, but Oklahoma was not one of them. It also relies on its good-faith watchdogs, such as honest pollsters, the media, and bipartisan institutions. Which it is, of course, but the election also provides evidence of a country strangely united — united in spite of itself. The new building entry system cost the district close to $400,000, and it was paid for with private donations raised through the Moore Public Schools Foundation. Providence spends $17,192 per pupil every year. This blog is part of the series, Money Matters, exploring research on the role of school funding in advancing equitable opportunities and outcomes for all students and elevating evidence-based policy and practice solutions. Kerner at 50: Who Will Be Bold and Courageous? The only incontrovertibly true sentence I can remember Donald Trump ever having spoken is: “Bad things happen in Philadelphia.” © 2011-2020 Oklahoma Public Media Exchange. Or do you provide a teacher, or a computer, or a textbook?” asked Superintendent Jason Lindley.

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