This is the most important
question about school finance reform, but has been the hardest to answer due in large part to a shortage of nationally comparable student achievement data.
And as we've traveled across the state speaking in
communities about school finance, concerns about special education funding have consistently been raised by a wide array of stakeholders.
At this point, though, one matter seems certain: whatever motivates people's
concerns about school finance, it is not sound information about what is actually being spent.
As our organization has traveled across the state over the past year
speaking about school finance and meeting with parents, students, educators, legislators, local officials, and interested community members, one point in particular has rung loud and true in every community no matter the town's size, wealth, demographic makeup, or location — Connecticut needs a school finance system that makes sense.
In fact, court
judgments about school finance frequently contain explicit notes cautioning that the funds will lead to improvements only if they are used effectively.
After a discussion of opposition to Betsy DeVos, EdNext's Paul Peterson joined the conversation
about school finance along with Linda Darling - Hammond of the Learning Policy Institute and Susan Ferriss of the Center for Public Integrity.
Scholars from across the political spectrum have suggested that improving
transparency about school finance could benefit students and taxpayers by encouraging educators to develop strategies to improve spending productivity.
He was on the board of Texas Association of School Boards and President of the Alamo Heights School Board, learning
all about school finance by serving on the special committee for revenue and funding.
Even for those who care deeply about education issues, any
talk about school financing is generally enough to make anyone's eyes glaze over.
Educating teachers, parents and community
members about school finance issues such as Full - Time Equivalency or FTEs, grant funding requirements and limitations along with basic operational costs will allow everyone that is involved with decision - making to develop a realistic vision of what is actually possible based on the amount of funding available.
As we've traveled across the state over the past two and a half years,
speaking about school finance and meeting with thousands of Connecticut residents, we have increasingly heard more and more calls for greater, more accessible, and more approachable information about Connecticut's financial state and fiscal challenges.