The current formula we use in Vermont to calculate student need and then allocate resources is a prime example of systemic racism and classism. It under counts how much it costs to educate children who come from poverty, are English language learners, and children who attend small and rural schools. This means that low-income and diverse communities that are home to these schools must cut their school spending in order to pass their budgets, or they must raise the additional dollars off of the backs of their mostly low-income tax payers.
Because the state refuses to acknowledge the actual cost of educating these learners, struggling communities are unable to access the resources they desperately need. These struggling districts are not the exception, either. These districts are the majority of districts in Vermont. It is the large, homogeneous and well-off districts that are in the minority and have been receiving more than their fair share of access to resources for over 20 years.
#vtpoli #vted #FixTheFormula #equity
VT Education Formula: Systemic Racism and Classism
Posted: October 19, 2021 by mschauber
The current formula we use in Vermont to calculate student need and then allocate resources is a prime example of systemic racism and classism. It under counts how much it costs to educate children who come from poverty, are English language learners, and children who attend small and rural schools. This means that low-income and diverse communities that are home to these schools must cut their school spending in order to pass their budgets, or they must raise the additional dollars off of the backs of their mostly low-income tax payers.
Because the state refuses to acknowledge the actual cost of educating these learners, struggling communities are unable to access the resources they desperately need. These struggling districts are not the exception, either. These districts are the majority of districts in Vermont. It is the large, homogeneous and well-off districts that are in the minority and have been receiving more than their fair share of access to resources for over 20 years.
#vtpoli #vted #FixTheFormula #equity
Category: News