FINANCING & GOVERNING AMERICA’S SCHOOLSMs. Tracy

BELL RINGER

•Who is James Meredith?

BELL RINGER ANSWER• First black student to enroll in the University of

Mississippi to put pressure on JKF ton enforce civil rights for African Americans.

AGENDA

• Bell Ringer / Attendance / Announcements

• Revisit Property Taxes within JCPS• What was interesting? How would you pay for your property taxes if you

owned a home?

• Review JCPS’ budget proposal from August

• Discuss Federal Funding

• Read and discuss “The Tale of Two Kentucky Schools”• Reading reflection in notebook.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TopicPage #

Pros and Cons of Becoming a Teacher 4Pros and Cons of Becoming a Teacher 512 Characteristics of an Effective Teacher 6Where Do I Stand? 7Reforms in Education 8 - 12History of American Education 13 – 14Property Taxes in Louisville

15The Tale of Two Kentucky Schools

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Property Taxes in Louisville The Tale of Two Schools

Talking Point:

3 Big Take-Aways /Interesting Facts:

Question / Comment:

Property #1:1234 East Main StreetLouisville, KY 40000Asking Price: $215,980Estimated Property Tax: $1,533.46How to pay: I would need to set aside approximately $130 each month to pay for my home’s property taxes.

MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO

THE PROPERTY TAX

“The method of financing public schools…can be fairly described as chaotic and unjust.”

-Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart

HOW SCHOOLS ARE FUNDED

THE PROPERTY TAX

•Unlike many other nations, which use a centralized funding system, we have a very decentralized system.•We have 3 levels of government (local, state, and federal) and raising and distributing funds.• THE LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS SHARE THE BIGGEST BURGE OF FUNDING SCHOOLS.• FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS TYPEICALLY RESPONSBILE FOR 7 – 9% OF THE TOTAL.

THE PROPERTY TAX

• In colonial America, schools were the concern of local communities.• The Constitution did not designate a federal role in education, effectively

leaving it the responsibility of the states.

• In the colonial times, wealth was measured by the size of people’s farms.• Colonial towns and districts assessed a PROPERTY TAX.

• Today’s property taxes are levied on real estate (homes and businesses) and sometime personal property (cars, boats, aircrafts, etc).

WHAT’S THE ISSUE WITH THIS?!?

PROPERTY TAX EXAMPLES:

• Jefferson County property tax rate book http://revenue.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/6411A040-F3F9-47C5-8E24-18AE9C3E277D/0/Jefferson.pdf• Statewide Assessment Values http://

revenue.ky.gov/taxpro/CountyInformation/jeffersonco.htm

JCPS PROPERTY TAX HIKE IN THE NEWS

• http://www.wlky.com/news/local-news/louisville-news/board-approves-increase-in-jefferson-county-property-taxes/21440780• http://

www.wdrb.com/story/26284758/jcps-considering-seventh-straight-property-tax-hike

ASSIGNMENT• Using Zillow’s website, find three properties that you would be

interested in purchasing in Louisville.

• Record the properties’ addresses in your Interactive Notebook along with the asking price of the property and the estimated property taxes.• Estimated Property Taxes (Asking Price of the house * 0.0071)

• Devise a plan of how much money needs to be set aside each month to pay for that property tax each month.

KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

• Fact Sheet regarding Kentucky Public School Systems http://education.ky.gov/comm/edfacts/Pages/default.aspx

SEEK FUNDING• SEEK Summary: http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Board/Orientation/SEEK_Executive_Summary.pdf

JCPS

• High School Data Book• http://

www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/departments/acctresplan/Profiles/2013_2014_Profiles/HighProfile13_14.pdf

FEDERAL FUNDING• The Supreme Court ruled that education is not a “fundamental right”

under the US Constitution, and has left education to the states.

• Categorical Grants Funds directed at specific categories and targeted education needs.• Pre-school programs for poor children, library construction, acquisition of new

technology, lunches for low-income youth.

• Block Grants Large sums of money given directly to the states with few strings attached.

FEDERAL FUNDING• American Recovery and Revitalization Act (ARRA) was a

huge stimulus package aimed to revive the nation’s economy.• One part of the ARRA doubled federal aid to schools and

added new programs desiged to create log-lasting educational reform.• The federal government sent the states $80 billion to help

maintain current school programs and avoid firing thousands of teachers.

FEDERAL FUNDING

• Race to the Top Billions of dollars set aside for a competition between states.

• States competed in four priority areas:• Boosting teacher effectiveness and moving better-trained teachers into

high-poverty, high-minority areas.• Setting up new data systems to track student learning each year.• Improving academic standards and tests• Providing extra support to improve struggling students

THE TALE OF TWO SCHOOLSThe Tale of Two Kentucky Schools• http://

www.kentucky.com/2014/01/04/3018252_tale-of-two-kentucky-schools-barbourville.html?rh=1

Kentucky School Report Cards

• http://applications.education.ky.gov/SRC/

WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?

COMMERCIALIZING CHILDHOOD