Reply to Alice Deal for All: Only by Breaking Student Count-Funding Link

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Reply to "Alice Deal for All: Only by Breaking Student Count-Funding Link"

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[quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele]Funding attractive programs is a necessary first step and in the case of smaller schools that you want to grow, can't be done with per-pupil funding. This is absolutely required to not only provide Deal for all, but also Wilson for all.
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For those of us newer to this conversation, what do you mean by "attractive programs", and what kind of funding would be required for them?  Also, when you say it "can't be done with per-pupil funding", do you mean per-pupil isn't enough so there needs to be more funding, or do you mean the per-pupil calculation should be changed itself?

And while I'm asking newbie questions, what is up with the funding staying with whatever school the student was at on count day?  Who does that serve (other than schools that kick out a ton of studnets right after count day and before DC CAS)?  Why has that been allowed to go on for so long, instead of having the funding follow the student and given out maybe in advisory allotments, or if nothing else, beginning of year and mid year allotments according to where the child is in school at that time?  That would be one of the few changes that would be more fair across the board to everyone.  Why doesn't it work that way in DC?[/quote]

By "attractive programs" I mean academic and extra-curricular activities that make the school a better choice than others. For instance, in middle school, offering more than grade level. Multiple foreign languages, specialized classes such as computer programming, advance art and music. A small school is simply not going to have enough students to fill classrooms for all of these things. So, they will always have to make difficult choices about what to offer. However, a school that is currently small, but hopes to grow, faces a chicken and egg problem. The per-pupil funding mechanism doesn't provide enough money to fund the programs that will attract more students. Without those programs, the school won't grow.

I think that at schools that are identified as schools that should grow: for example Roosevelt High School after renovation which will be less than half capacity, DCPS should fund programs rather than students. For instance, decide which levels of math, science, etc., which languages, which extra-curriculars and so on, will be offered. Then, provide funding for those. In the first couple of years, there might be classes with only a couple of students. But, other families will be willing to attend the school knowing that those programs are there. Moreover, that initial small class size could in fact be an incentive itself. Imagine having the choice between Option A that has an established calculus program or Option B that is offering calculus for the first time, but the class is taught by an experienced teacher and only has 3 students. By the time time the class reaches full-enrollment, it will be just as established as the other one.

As for funding not following the student, I think David Catania has legislation to address that issue.
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