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ORGANIZING AND PAYING FOR AMERICAN EDUCATION

ORGANIZING AND PAYING FOR AMERICAN EDUCATION. ORGANIZATION OF SCHOOLS. Principal In charge of school Meets with superintendent & district supervisors Site-based management Tenn. – Administrative endorsement Performance contract but no tenure Contract lasts as long as superintendent

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ORGANIZING AND PAYING FOR AMERICAN EDUCATION

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  1. ORGANIZING AND PAYING FOR AMERICAN EDUCATION

  2. ORGANIZATION OF SCHOOLS • Principal • In charge of school • Meets with superintendent & district supervisors • Site-based management • Tenn. – • Administrative endorsement • Performance contract but no tenure • Contract lasts as long as superintendent • Assistant Principal • Shares duties of principal – may be responsible for a specific area (discipline, athletics, etc.) • Not required to have administrative endorsement • Some schools have curriculum coordinators

  3. ORGANIZATION OF SCHOOLS • Department heads and team leaders – teachers serving as leaders • Teachers (largest group of adults in schools) • Principal & teachers must work to maintain communication • Tenn. • Student teachers • Probationary teachers • Tenured teachers • Superintendent can recommend to board & when the board approves contract is offered – when teacher accepts they are tenured • Teacher can keep job in 4th & 5th year without tenure with superintendent approval • Tenn. Code – teacher means all licensed personnel • Teacher contract length can vary – usually 200 days

  4. ORGANIZATION OF SCHOOLS • Support staff • Classified employees • Examples – secretary, library media specialist, custodian • Students • Compulsory Education Law – nonspecial ed. students required to attend from age 6 until 18 • Every school district required to provide kindergarten • Attendance for 180 days / at least 6.5 hours per day • See p. 147 for organizational chart • Teachers who need help or want to try something new should work up the chain of command beginning with team leaders or department heads

  5. ORGANIZATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS • Local Board of Education • legal authority for operating school systems • 92% in US are elected • Tenn. – elected for 4 year terms • Powers & duties • Only have powers granted by statute • Some duties cannot be delegated (awarding tenure, providing money, etc.) • Other duties are discretionary & can be delegated to the superintendent • Business must be conducted in public meetings • Examples of powers – obtain revenue, maintain schools, purchase land, purchase materials & supplies, organize & provide curriculum, control conduct of students, select and support the superintendent

  6. ORGANIZATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS • Superintendent (Director) of Schools • Serves as the local “expert” on education • Some superintendents are elected & some are appointed • Tenn. • Appointed by local board for maximum contract of four years • Contract is renewable • Must have a bachelor’s degree • Central office staff • includes clerical staff but also assistants to the superintendent and curriculum specialists • Work to help superintendent carry out the program of education

  7. ORGANIZATION AT STATE LEVEL • US Constitution does not mention education – states are charged with that responsibility • State legislatures grant powers to state boards of educ., departments of educ., chief state school officers, & local boards • Tennessee • Board of Education • 9 members appointed by governor • Memphis – Avron Fogleman (9th district) • Shelby County – Cherrie Holden (7th district) • has a substantial staff • Master Plan for Tennessee Schools • Commissioner of Education – Lana Seivers (appointed 2003) • State Legislature • Meets annually for about 90 days • State can take over low performing schools

  8. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S ROLE IN EDUCATION • Leadership – especially in times of trouble • US Department of Education • Established in 1867 as Office of Education directed by Henry Barnard • 1979 – cabinet status • Margaret Spellings appointed in Jan. 2005 • Federal educational aid can be categorical or a block grant

  9. ALTERNATIVES TO REGULAR PUBLIC SCHOOLS • Publicly funded schools • Magnet schools – focus on a subject area • Charter schools – 1st were in CA in 1992 • Year-round schools – reg. no. of days spread out across the whole year • Privately funded schools • Independent – funded by tuition & gifts – non-profit – board of trustees • Parochial – funded and governed by a religious body • Vouchers – public money that can be used by student to go to a private school • “For-profit” K-12 schools – such as Edison Project that has taken over failing public schools • Home schooling – growing in no. (1999=4% of all students)

  10. FINANCING EDUCATION • TAXATION • Property taxes are source of local revenue • Advantage – stable income • Disadvantage – accurate assessment difficult • Assessment – determines value of property – done every 5 years • Progressive or Regressive? • Progressive – based on ability to pay • Regressive – lower income affected disproportionately • State revenue sources • Sales tax (7% in TN with local option of 2.75% • Income taxes (not in TN) • Gaming (casinos – not in TN) • Lottery – used for scholarships and some states give $ to schools

  11. FINANCING EDUCATION • Education spending • Expenditure per pupil varies widely • 2001-2 Memphis = $7368 per pupil • 2001-2 Shelby Co. = $6024 per pupil • State $ required for 3 reasons • State has primary responsibility for education • Wide variation in school districts’ ability to pay • Personal wealth in real estate is lower • 2 types of state funding • Categorical - $ targeted by provider for specific purpose • General – $ provided centrally but budgeted locally • Provides equality of opportunity • Basic Education Program - $ for the basics • Extras are a local expense • TN BEP budgeted annually but funding is lower than actual costs

  12. FINANCING EDUCATION • Challenges to school finance • Serrano v. Priest (1971) CA use of property tax to finance education unconstitutional because wealthier areas got more $ • San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez (1973) said educ. was not a fundamental right under the fed. const. • Serrano v. Priest (1976) started 2nd wave of school finance reform based on idea that education was a fundamental right based on the equal protection clause of the constitution • Other cases were based on language in state constitutions • Rose v. Council for Better Education, Inc. – resulted in Kentucky Educational Reform Act in 1990 • Tennessee Small School Systems v. McWherther – resulted in the Educational Improvement Act in 1992 • Michigan changed from property tax to sales tax to fund schools • New Hampshire considered using a state property tax to fund schools.

  13. FINANCING EDUCATION • School finance issues of the future • Taxpayer revolt – questioning funding of educational reform • Accountability • Schools must devise a way of relating educational spending with results • Becoming accountable – NCLB and school report cards • Condition of Schools – states are paying less for construction and districts have to pay more for maintenance • Entrepreneurial Efforts to fund education • Advertising on buses and score boards • Student fees for activities and extracurriculars • Fund raising – selling stuff, school functions for a price, etc. • Solicitation of donations & sponsorships from businesses

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