DavidKehr

ENGL2010
Notebook7
Question:
WhatiswrongwiththewaythepubliceducationsystemisfundedintheUnitedStates,andwhat
wouldbeaneffectiveapproachtoimprovingthatsystem?
Backgroundresearch:
Thesystemisfundedprimarilybypropertytax.Thegeographicalareaswiththemostvaluable
propertyaretheareaswiththemostfundedschools.Inotherwords,themoreaffluentthe
neighborhood,thehigherqualityofeducationthestudentsinthatareareceive.Toimprovethis
issue,itshouldbemandatedthateverystudentintheunitedstatesreceivethesameamountof
fundingyearly.Theperpupilfundingshouldbeequalinalldistrictsofallstates.
Constructahypothesis:
AnefforttoimprovetheUnitedStatespubliceducationfundingsystemwouldbemosteffective
byusingamandatethatrequiresallstatestoprovidetheirstudentsthesameamountoffunding
annually.
Testthehypothesis:
TheresearchrevealsthatanimmediatemandaterequireallstatesintheUnitedStatestofund
eachoftheirstudentswithidenticalfundingregardlessofbackgroundofthewealthoftheir
parentswouldbetoomuchatonce.Therequirementsmustbeimplementedincrementallyfor
themtobetakenseriously.Forexample,thefirstpolicyimplementedwouldreadalongthelines

of:Nochildinaeducationaldistrictwillbegrantedmorethan$1000infundingthananyother
childinthatdistrict.
Analyzedataanddrawaconclusion:
ThemeaningthatcanbeinterpretedfromtheresearchontheinequalitiesintheUnitedStates
publiceducationsystemisthattheinequalitiesareprimarilyaresultofthefundingpracticeof
usinglocalpropertytaxtofundlocaleducationinstitutions.Thisfundingmethodcreates
inequalitybydefault.Someneighborhoodswillbemoreaffluentthanothers,leavingthe
studentsinthelesseconomicallyadvantagedneighborhoodsatadistinctdisadvantage.
CommunicateResults
TheUnitedStatesmethodoffundingeducationinstitutionsisbasedprimarilyonpropertytax.
Thestudentswhohitthebirthlotteryandwerebornintowealthyneighborhoodswillexperience
ahigherqualityeducationsystemwhilethosethatcomefromafamilynotasprivilegedwillbe
ataneducationaldisadvantage.Toeasesomeofthisdiscrepancy,Idproposetoincrement
mandatesuntilitwascommontoseeperpupilfundingacrossthenation.