Funding schools equitably

When schools are funded insufficiently and inequitably, the consequences are many. Not only are schools and students forced to go without the resources they need to be successful, but this can lead to poor teaching conditions and teacher turnover, creating and perpetuating a deficit culture within our schools. Without sustainable, adequate funding, districts cannot focus on long-term, strategic planning. As a result, limited funds may be spent ineffectively.
The history of the American school system is fraught with stories of inequity. In the wake of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, Title I was designed to help level the playing field by targeting schools with the highest concentrations of poverty to receive federal aid. More than 50 years later, however, the quality of and resources available to a school largely depends on the wealth of the local community. Today, approximately 44 percent of school revenues are sourced from local property taxes, exacerbating disparities across communities.
All students, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or geography should have access to a high-quality education that provides them with the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to be successful. We must start by examining school funding formulas and ensuring that they are directing resources equitably and tied to student need. We will hold policymakers accountable for allocating scarce dollars wisely, making transparent and evidence-informed spending decisions. We will continue to advocate until our public education system is structured to end, rather than to perpetuate, the cycle of poverty.
All Policy Papers
Unmasking Inequities
January 2021
Our Students Can’t Wait
March 2018
One State, One Future
August 2016
From the Classroom to Congress
October 2015
All News
Educators for Excellence-Connecticut Reacts to Appropriations Budget Regarding Education Funding
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Connecticut
Daniel Pearson, Executive Director E4E-Connecticut
April 18 (Hartford) — Educators for Excellence-Connecticut (E4E-CT), a teacher-led organization, reacted to the appropriations budget released today regarding school funding in Connecticut. This...
Educators for Excellence-Connecticut Reacts to Governor Lamont’s Proposed Budget
Thursday, February 9, 2023
Connecticut
Educators for Excellence-Connecticut (E4E-CT), a teacher-led organization, reacted to Governor Lamont’s proposed budget at the 2023 Connecticut legislative session on Wednesday. Lamont’s plan,...
We need to appreciate and value our educators
Monday, November 21, 2022
Connecticut
New Haven recently announced that, in an effort to bridge the gap created by teacher shortages, they will offer current educators additional pay to take on the work of teaching additional classes....
E4E-CT Organizer Ernest Bailey Speaks on Fully Funding Education at the Appropriations Education Subcommittee Hearing
Saturday, February 19, 2022
Connecticut
Ernest Bailey
Dear members of the committee: Thank you for the opportunity to speak in support of fully funding education by expediting the ECS phase to coincide with the federal dollars running out. My name is...
E4E-CT State Director Daniel Pearson Speaks on Fully Funding Education

Friday, February 18, 2022
Connecticut
Daniel Pearson, State Director, Educators for Excellence-Connecticut (E4E-CT)
Dear Senator Osten, Representative Walker, and members of the Appropriations Committee My name is Daniel Pearson and I am the State Director for Educators for Excellence, a teacher-led nonprofit with...
Fully Funding Education at the Appropriations Ed. Subcommittee Hearing

Friday, February 18, 2022
Connecticut
Sara Kovack, Organizer
Dear members of the committee: Thank you for the opportunity to speak in support of fully funding education by expediting the ECS phase to coincide with the federal dollars running out. My name is...
Boston Teacher Perspectives: How Should BPS Spend Nearly $400 million in ARP Money?
Tuesday, June 8, 2021
Boston
As part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) signed into law by President Joe Biden, Boston Public Schools (BPS) has received nearly $400 million in one-time funding. BPS has wide latitude...
Public schools need funding, and they need it now

Monday, September 28, 2020
National, Connecticut
Read the entire op-ed by E4E-Connecticut member Keisha Sandy on the Hartford Courant. It was only four short years ago that Superior Court Judge Thomas Moukawsher read his three-hour, scathing...
The Bulletin Board: Back to School

Friday, September 11, 2020
National, Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York
...
Chalk Talk: Back to School Perspectives

Tuesday, September 8, 2020
National, Chicago, Connecticut, Los Angeles
No matter what ‘back to school’ looks like, teachers can agree that education won’t look the same anytime soon. And wherever teachers’ classrooms are, they’ll need more resources to reach...
This Labor Day, Congress can honor teachers by listening to what they need to do their jobs well in these challenging times

Friday, September 4, 2020
National
Evan Stone, Co-Founder and CEO
In 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed an act creating Labor Day in an attempt to apologize to American workers and labor unions after federal troops, sent in to break up a strike, caused the...
Survey of America’s Educators on Teaching During and After the COVID-19 Outbreak

Thursday, May 28, 2020
National, Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York
May 28 (New York) — Educators for Excellence (E4E), a teacher-led organization, released results today from Voices from the (Virtual) Classroom, a nationally representative survey of public school...
Here's What Teachers Think About Training, Pay, Strikes, and Choice

Wednesday, January 22, 2020
National, Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York
Read the entire article by Madeline Will on Education Week. About a third of teachers would go on strike over pay, a new survey finds. Yet despite frustrations with the profession, more than 80...
E4E-Connecticut Hosts Supply Drive for Hartford Teachers

Friday, January 10, 2020
Connecticut
In addition to their other responsibilities, on average, Connecticut teachers spend approximately $400 out of their own pockets each year to ensure that their students have what they need in order...
School funding, safety, and discipline reforms top list of priorities for Minnesota education advocates heading into 2020 Legislature

Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Minnesota
Read the entire article by Erin Hinrichs on MinnPost. Associations and nonprofits representing educators, school administrators and families are busy finalizing their agendas ahead of the 2020...
Letter from Chicago Teachers: Prioritize Our Most Vulnerable Students

Thursday, October 17, 2019
Chicago
This letter appeared as a full-page ad in the Chicago Sun-Times on October 18, 2019. If you agree that we must prioritize our most vulnerable students, add your name below! If you agree that we must...
As a teacher, I’m ready to strike — but there must be other, better ways

Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Chicago
Read the entire op-ed by E4E-Chicago member Dominicca T. Washington on the Chicago Sun-Times. On Thursday, I will be striking alongside my colleagues if the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public...
Members of E4E-Chicago React to Strike

Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Chicago
October 16 (Chicago) – As more than 30,000 teachers and school support staff begin their strike tomorrow, their reasons vary. Members of Educators for Excellence-Chicago (E4E-Chicago), who are...
The Bulletin Board: Inequitable Access to Excellent Teachers

Tuesday, September 3, 2019
National, Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York
...
Chalk Talk: Syeita Rhey-Fisher

Sunday, September 1, 2019
Connecticut, Minnesota, New York
Syeita Rhey-Fisher (her friends call her “Sy”), a fourth-grade social studies teacher in Hartford, Connecticut knows the power of an amazing teacher. “Growing up in the foster care system, I...
Mayor, Council Agree on New Budget for New York City

Wednesday, June 19, 2019
New York
Read the entire article by Katie Honan on the Wall Street Journal. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council on Friday agreed on a record $92.8 billion budget, which includes funding...
The Bulletin Board: Inequitable School Funding
Thursday, May 9, 2019
National, Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York
...
Chalk Talk: Monica Johnson

Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Minnesota
Most people just about fall asleep when the topic of school funding comes up. It’s not a sexy issue and there are a lot of nuances to understand. But for Monica Johnson, a teacher who has been...
E4E-Boston Member Submits Testimony to the Massachusetts Joint Education Committee

Monday, March 25, 2019
Boston
On March 22, 2019, the Massachusetts Joint Education Committee held a day-long hearing on overhauling how the state funds its schools. The legislators on the Committee sought community input on the...