New Library Topic: How Should Education be Funded?

Perhaps to the dismay of many in the freedom movement, public education is likely here to stay. But that does not mean that it cannot be improved upon. Besides, even the most ardent supporters of public education should realize its current failings and recognize the need for serious reform.

Our new library topic How should Education be Funded? examines how the system of public school funding undermines schools' efficiency and effectiveness. Currently, federal, state, and local taxpayer funds go to school districts, which then distribute the money among individual schools. According to a report by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a nonprofit think tank seeking to advance excellence in K-12 education, this district-centered approach to public school funding makes much less sense in a time when "public education is increasingly likely to happen not just in a neighborhood school, but in another district school across town, a charter school, or even a school in the next district over."

The focus needs to fundamentally shift from funding teachers, administrators, programs, buildings and supplies to funding kids. Attaching the money to the child directly would give parents more freedom to move their children to the schools they deem best and thus more control over their kids' educational outcomes. It would create competition among schools to meet children's individual and special educational needs as well as increase school effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability. 

More topics can be found in our library. Special thanks to our intern Annie Holmquist who created this topic! If you are interested in becoming an intern at IT, contact us here.