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	Teachers, Schools, and Society by Sadker & Sadker
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Chapter 10: Financing and Governing America's Schools

Chapter Summary

The adequate funding of education presents a yearly challenge for state and local officials. Each of the most common strategies to fund schools-property tax, sales tax, personal income tax, state lottery, and other taxes-has drawbacks. Funding is especially difficult for poorer communities and states, where even high tax rates do not provide enough money for the schools. Some states have experimented with new funding methods, such as foundation programs, a guaranteed tax base for all districts, and a combination of programs to help poorer communities fund schools, but none has proved very successful.
States provide approximately half the cost of education, with local communities providing most of the rest. Local communities generally fund their schools through a property tax, which many people consider outdated and unfair. Since some areas are wealthier than others, some school districts generate more than enough money, while others must struggle to keep schools open.
Local funding disparities have led to a series of state court decisions mandating new state formulas for funding schools. These decisions have been called Robin Hood laws, since they require that funding-level difference between wealthy and poor districts be reduced or eliminated. Some courts are even mandating changes based on differences in educational outcomes.
New challenges to school finance include techniques for tying school performance to funding levels (accountability), deteriorating school buildings and materials (infrastructure), the role of the federal government in school funding, and the continuing effort to ensure the equal distribution of educational funds among wealthy and poor communities.
According to the U.S. Constitution, education is the responsibility of the states.
At the state level, the legislature, state board of education, state superintendent, and state department of education provide the policy and administration of schools. The state also delegates some of its power to local school boards and superintendents, who administer individual school districts.
The board of education at both the state and local levels is responsible for formulating educational policy. The chief state school officer, often called the superintendent, is responsible for implementing the policies of the board of education.
The state department of education's tasks are administrative and include licensing teachers and distributing state and federal funds.
On the local level, the responsibility of school operations rests with the local school districts, which generally have their own school boards and superintendents. They are responsible for school construction, the hiring of school personnel, and the formulation of school policy, all while operating within the rules and regulations of the state.
The business community has had a significant impact on schools. Certain business-oriented vales, such as competitiveness and punctuality, have been adopted by schools. Moreover, many businesses are becoming directly involved in schools, donating products, dollars, and volunteers to work with students.
Parents, school secretaries, and custodians can be influential in a teacher's success. They are part of the hidden government of schools.
Consolidation has decreased the number of school districts while increasing the average size of schools. Those who oppose consolidation claim that it leads to higher costs for transportation and administration but does not increase student achievement. Supporters of consolidation believe that it increases educational opportunities and efficiency by absorbing small school districts with limited educational resources and electives into larger districts.
Although educational responsibility rests with the states, the federal government still plays an important role through targeted funds and the setting of national standards and goals.
Recently, educational partnerships involving parents, community groups, and the business sector have had a significant impact on local school systems.
Traditionally, teachers have not had a significant role in school governance. However, the recent trends of school-based management, also called site-based management and collaborative decision-making, may provide teachers with a more influential position in school governance.

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