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5: The Governance and Finance of American Public Education

  • Page ID
    81979
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    Learning Objectives

    • Describe how public schools are financed
    • Identify the governmental agencies and how NYS public education financed
    • Identify other School Options (Charter, Magnet, Online)

    Icebreaker: Reflect, write and Discuss

    Take five minutes to reflect on the questions below and write out your thoughts. Once finished writing discuss your ideas with a partner.

    1. New York State spends approximately $24,000 to educate each student a year. If you attended a New York State Public school do you think you received a $24,000 education each year? Yes or No and why?
    2. What are your thoughts on the amount of money NYS spends on each pupil per year?
    3. What should be the criteria for how money is allocated per school district? Who do you think should determine the amount of money allocated per school?
    4. If you oversaw the New York State Education budget what is one specific area you would improve and why?

    As a future teacher you will need to be aware of how schools are organized, governed and financed. Where you work will also determine the amount of money and resources available to you. The federal, state and local government all play a role in the complex financial system of education. Keep in mind that how well a school is funded is often a reflection of the community composition and wealth (number of businesses, homeowners, taxpayers, population size). In this chapter we will learn how schools are governed and financed in public education and begin to explore how these factors impact our ability to help students learn.

    CC licensed content, Original

    • Foundations of Education. Authored by: SUNY Oneonta Education Department. License: CC BY: Attribution

    This page titled 5: The Governance and Finance of American Public Education is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Tasneem Amatullah, Rosemarie Avanzato, Julia Baxter, Thor Gibbins, Lee Graham, Ann Fradkin-Hayslip, Ray Siegrist, Suzanne Swantak-Furman, Nicole Waid via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.