Policies - Education Reform Now

Resource Equity

We believe that every child should receive an adequate and equitable allocation of resources no matter their race, socioeconomic status, or zip code nor whether they are enrolled in a traditional district-run public school or public charter school. Addressing inadequacies and inequities in funding is a critical component of efforts to reform and improve education. Therefore, we support student-centric policies to:

Increase public education funding;
Distribute resources according to school and student needs;
Give school leaders more authority and autonomy on spending;
Increase teacher pay and provide incentives to attract and retain a diverse cadre of teachers in high-needs schools and specialty areas;
Extend learning time.

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Teacher Quality & Preparation

We believe that good teachers are the backbone of a high-quality education. Unfortunately, students in high-poverty schools are more than three times as likely to be taught by an unsatisfactory teacher as students in low-poverty schools. Because teacher quality is the number one in-school influence on student achievement, we support policies that promote innovation and fundamental change in teacher preparation so that teachers have the knowledge, skills and support they need to help all students succeed.

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Accountability

We believe that a strong accountability system, based on objective data and analysis, is an essential component of a high-quality education system. When families, educators, and elected officials can see how districts and schools are performing, we are better positioned to:

Help families choose the best school for their child and advocate for change;
Identify struggling schools;
Direct resources to where they are most needed;
Narrow achievement and opportunity gaps; and,
Ensure our students graduate college and career ready.

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Public School Choice

We believe that parents deserve the right to select among an array of free public school options, including traditional district schools, non-profit public charter schools, magnet schools and career academies. We are mindful that for affluent families – with the necessary resources and influence – school choice already exists. Our focus is on extending that opportunity to low-income and working class parents, who often send their child to their local school because it is the only choice they are given and because they do not have the financial means to move to a neighborhood with better public school options.

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Higher Ed Quality and Affordability

We believe that a college degree is a springboard to higher earning potential, and college access and success should extend equitably to all students. As it stands, however, students from low-income families and students of color suffer from both a lack of access to quality institutions of higher education, and once admitted, low levels of degree completion. On America’s top 150 college campuses, you are 25 times more likely to bump into a student from a rich family as you are a student from a working class or low-income family. White students earn bachelor’s degrees at nearly twice the rate of African-Americans and nearly three times the rate of Latinos. We work to advance policies to address these inequities and improve student access and success in higher education.

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