Reflection upon History of School Funding - Paper | Ed Ad 507, Papers of History of Education

Download Reflection upon History of School Funding - Paper | Ed Ad 507 and more Papers History of Education in PDF only on Docsity! Ed. Ad. 507: Social Foundations in Education Fall, 2007 Writer: Jane Elizabeth Lotz-Drlik Class/Location: Education Annex Room 110 Date: October 11, 2007 TOPIC: Reflections Upon Politics/Power (History of School Funding) The history of school funding is about privilege- an uneasy topic in American discourse. Like the dialogues of race and class issues, discussion is difficult and painful. Who doesn’t… …believe himself/herself/children entitled to the best quality available? …want to believe that the “American Dream” is about being able to attain any position/prominence with the requisite dedication and hard work? … believe that “rule of law” protects all citizens of the United States, because the legal system is just and all Americans are obligated to obey the law? These beliefs are touted widely by we(?) Americans who have access to the best school systems. We pay our taxes, move to cities and neighborhoods with the best schools or transfer our children into them (legally or otherwise) , set up higher- education goals for our students and make sure that the public schools they attend facilitate their attaining those goals. But what about those students without that access? The public school system is theoretically available for the quality education of all American children. It was established in order to train caring, responsible citizens who would foster “democracy” and be prepared to enter the American work force. While these objectives purport to represent all students, there are drastic differences in the “quality” available to all children and the manner of work for which they are trained. Students who come from families with education and resources expect to be prepared for entry into elite (or at least reputable) institutions of higher learning. While such institutions may have slots available for students of fewer resources, their success rate and social acceptance are less sure. In contrast, children from poorer families, living in inner-city or impoverished rural communities, attend public schools with limited curriculums and classes designed to track students into service jobs or “blue-collar” work that pays less and has far less upward mobility than the positions that will be available to the aforementioned “privileged” students. Funding is a crucial variable. Schools are financed by some federal and state funds to be sure, but the bulk of funding seems to be generated by local, tax-based revenue. Poorer communities have a lower tax base and less money with which to fund their schools, while more affluent communities generate more tax money and are able to fund their schools proportionately. The best schooling goes to those with the most money. Parents who have the time and resources to explore schools and districts make a practice of buying homes or finding rentals (if possible) in the neighborhoods feeding schools of their choice. Many parents who live outside the boundaries of desired schools find ways of evading district requirements and manage to enroll their students anyway. The matching funds that some states make