Adolfo Guzman-Lopez reports on Los Angeles radio station KPCC that a California appeals court is expected to rule soon in a case that claims that the state’s system of funding public schools in unconstitutional.
If the plaintiffs in the case prevail, observers say, it could prompt a groundbreaking move towards focusing on providing schools the amount that it would take to prepare students for college and beyond.
The report features Public Advocates’ John Affeldt:
Right now, California’s funding system is complex, but it essentially “delivers a minimum amount of funding, essentially based on what we did last year, with some adjustments,” said John Affeldt, a lawyer with Public Advocates, one of several groups that filed the lawsuits. (The suits’ plaintiffs include one of the state’s teachers unions, associations representing the state’s school boards and administrators, the state Parent-Teacher Association, a group of non-profits representing low-income, minority families, and more than 60 individuals.)
Creating a funding system around what it costs to prepare each student for college or a career would ensure “every student can succeed in the work force and succeed as an engaged citizen in our democracy,” Affeldt said.
Read the entire report here.
