Education
Be Heard by School Funding Decision Makers
A series of public hearings the state Board of Education is holding on the needs of public schools is an excellent opportunity for Virginians to tell the Board that cuts in support for education have hurt schools and kids and stand in the way of helping all communities to thrive.
Shared Challenges: Underfunded Schools
A series of public hearings the state Board of Education is holding on the needs of public schools is an excellent opportunity for Virginians to tell the Board that cuts in support for education have hurt schools and kids and stand in the way of helping all communities to thrive.
Low Revenues Could Mean Virginia Falls Further Behind on Teacher Pay
If the two percent pay increase for teachers is cut, Virginia will have missed yet another opportunity to make the investments that help kids thrive. And this failure will particularly sting as it will come in a budget initially celebrated for investing in education.
Weighing Support in Each Virginia School Division
Since publishing that report we’ve run the numbers for every school division in the state in the table below. The divisions highlighted in green are the 10 divisions that would see the largest funding increase. A PDF version is available here.
Making A Fair Comparison When Looking at School Spending
As the public and media hold their local schools accountable, we cannot ignore that different students have different costs associated with their education. The evidence is very clear that students from low-income families have substantially greater needs and require additional resources. Failing to provide adequate resources presents a false choice to schools: cut services for the general student body or ignore the specialized needs of low-income students.
Local School Funding Headaches Started with the State
Localities across the state are wrestling with tough questions about how to find the money they need to support their schools. But the fact is, the state bears substantial blame for the situation. State lawmakers made deep cuts to public education during and after the recession, and are only now starting to dig out of that hole.
Money Matters in Education
Policymakers and concerned residents often ask if increased spending really improves student performance, particularly for those students who are struggling most. Well, a new study shows increased spending in low-income school districts raises the test scores of their students and reduces achievement gaps.