Fairness in School Spending
July 31, 2019
Jane Porath, an 8th grade mathematics teacher at Traverse City East Middle School in Michigan and a Educators for High Standards Teacher Champion, takes on the complex issue of fairness versus equity in education funding.. The Every Students Succeeds Act requires states to track and report per-pupil expenditures on the school and district levels, a requirement in which “equity, not fairness, is the goal”—or, in other words, “spending across schools should not be the same” but instead “should be equitable.” Porath asserts that this is a critical point that should be recognized by state education leaders because “not all students have the same needs and equity does not necessarily mean giving the same to every student, but rather ensuring that schools receive the supports and resources needed to be successful.”