CITIZEN ACCESS

Full and Equitable Funding for Public Education

While 90% of the nation’s children are educated in public schools, Congress and the President are proposing private school vouchers (S. 3682/H.R. 5822) to children whose public schools are deemed failing under the No Child Left Behind Act. School vouchers would only divert money away from the already resource starved low-income school districts, which would further widen the gap in funding received by students from different areas. In Pennsylvania for example, while some school districts spend $16,000 per student, others can only afford to spend $8,000 per student. This allows for an environment where a child’s chances to succeed depend largely on the area he/she grows up in.

Federal education legislation should reflect the priorities of our nation, and ensure that a quality education for all of our children is a top priority. A strong public education system is critical to the future strength and economic well being of our nation, and our failure to make sufficient investments in education today will have negative repercussions for our country in the future. Unfortunately, too many of our students are not receiving the tools and help they need to succeed.

Solution:

  • In order to create many of the changes our schools need, more funding is required. Decreasing class size, hiring more qualified teachers, and ensuring adequate materials all cost money.
  • Bills such as the Specter-Harkin amendment in the Senate address this dire need, and attempt to freeze the slashing of education funding proposed by many in Congress.
  • A world-class education for EVERY student should be a top priority. Funding should not be funneled away from poor-performing school districts into voucher programs so that a few students can find a better school. This negates the root cause that in many cases is an initial lack of resources. Poor school districts, where the local tax-base is low and the children’s needs are high, must be prioritized for immediate funding.
  • Additional investments in proven programs such as Title I, IDEA special education, and Career and Technical Education, as well as higher education programs such as Pell Grants, are essential if we are to close achievement gaps and maximize the academic potential of every student.