March 20, 2024 – Public Advocates Managing Attorney for the Education Equity team, John Affeldt joined education experts Amber Arellano from The Education Trust-Midwest, Ericka Weathers, from the University of Pennsylvania and host Emily Richmond at SXSW in Austin, Texas for a special live episode of Educations Writers Association Radio to discuss concentrated poverty in communities and how to evaluate school funding formulas created to address the problem.
Signed into law in 2013, California’s Local Control Funding Formula, one of the boldest public education experiments any state has ever taken to improve student outcomes through greater equity, transparency, local accountability, and meaningful community engagement, accomplished a once-in-a-generation refresh of our public school system. It pivoted from a white-washed “Nation At Risk” approach where “all students can learn” to one explicitly focused on equity — on closing gaps and achieving justice for children, as former Gov. Brown put it, “in unequal situations.” Over the past decade, it has fundamentally changed how public schools are funded and held accountable. However, the promise of LCFF—addressing systemic inequities that create barriers to student success—has not yet been fulfilled.
Yet, LCFF imperfectly meets its ambitious promises.
Listen to the episode to learn more!
