Marguerite Roza, Laura Anderson
Published May 21, 2019 on Learning Policy Institute’s Money Matters blog
Recent research reveals a lot about what those in schools and the broader public know about school finance, and what they don’t. It’s very clear that there are some important knowledge gaps about how schools are funded—and that many people are hungry to engage with the issue more fully.
There is also a clear need for leaders, from the state level to the school level, to cultivate greater transparency and to engender trust when talking about education funding, district budgets, and school spending—both within the education system and with the public.
Drawing from insights on the collective research, this article provides tips for school, district, and state leaders to communicate effectively about school finance issues—whether the topic is a state funding formula, a local tax levy, teacher salaries, or spending on athletics—and build much-needed trust and understanding in the process.
