Tax Reform Measures Will Undermine Public Schools and Funding, Advocates Say

LFA organizations sharply criticized the tax reform measure that passed the Senate and House this week because it jeopardizes federal K-12 funding and other discretionary programs to pay for massive corporate tax cuts. 

AASA, the School Superintendents Association, Executive Director Daniel A. Domenech said, "This policy may be a win for the wealthy, but it is an absolute defeat to our nation’s public schools and the students they serve.”

National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen García said, “It is nothing more than a massive transfer of wealth – a giveaway to corporate special interests and the wealthy paid for by working families and students."

In a Dec. 15 letter urging lawmakers to kill the tax reform bill, AASA estimates that a tax reform measure would harm public education through numerous changes to the tax code, including state and local tax deductions, expansion of 529 accounts to private K-12 schools, issuance of construction bonds and debt refinancing, and future appropriations to pay for the tax cuts. Read more.

What Are the Elements of Successful Schools? New LFA Report Identifies Essentials

In January, the Learning First Alliance will release a groundbreaking report, "The Elements of Success: 10 Million Speak on Schools that Work,"  that brings together the essential elements for successful schools, identified through years of research and on-the-ground work by its 12 member associations. Learn more from LFA Executive Director Richard Long in this Dec. 18 chat on Ed Talk Radio.

LFA Members Visit Schools Abroad

CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking) recently led a delegation of senior-level school technology specialists and educators to explore schools, examine policies, and meet with government officials in New Zealand. The South Pacific country was recently identified by The Economist as a “Best in Class Overall” nation for providing students with future skills education. Learn more about their experiences in this blog.

AASA also recently led a delegation to Scotland, where superintendents toured a system with small schools and small class sizes where students learn high-level skills and focus on pathways to college and careers. A tour of private schools convinced one AASA superintendent that, above all other resources, teaching quality is the most important factor in student achievement.