“To focus on district enrollment. Currently, the average number of attendees per day is what generates the funds. This penalizes systems like ours where only 70% of children attend on any given day. Thing.”
“Does that punish you?” I repeated. “If only her 70% of the kids are there, it doesn't need that much money.”
“You're wrong about that,” he said. “Our costs don't go down when we don't have kids. We still have to pay all the staff and buy all the materials, but nothing changes. The truth is, We need additional resources to support students who are absent, so we need to obtain additional funding.”
“Wait a minute,” I interjected. “The government is saying they want it to be given to them. Extra How much money if the students don't show up? ”
He answered my skeptical questions nicely. Maybe I should have arched my eyebrows. “That's right,” he explained. “We are asking the Legislature to make the funding formula more equitable.”
“Seriously?” I asked. “Do we want to reduce funding to schools that students attend so that schools with empty seats can get more funding? That rewards schools that aren't doing their jobs.” ! How on earth is that fair?”
“We are focused on the needs of our learners,” he said. “When you start talking about 'rewarding' schools, it sounds like schools think they can control whether students come or not. That's not the case. Our students have to work and care for their siblings. Many are homeless. We serve children who live with the legacy of white supremacist culture. We have immigrant students and families. Just surviving each day is an accomplishment.”
Yeah.
“Look,” I said. “Some kids face more challenges than others. Absolutely. But I don't agree with the idea that schools are powerless. We need to find out if it's worth getting involved. , you can have staff talk to families or knock on doors. You'll need to rethink transportation, educate parents, and set expectations. It's a hassle, but doable. . It sounds like you're throwing your hands up and saying no one should be held responsible.”
he shook his head. “That's a very simplistic, very privileged view of the situation,” he stammered. “Maybe you don't fully understand what we've learned about anti-racism, but it sounds like you're blaming your plight on the powerless.” We are here to serve them, not to blame them. And it's not just about getting kids into school. We understand how complex their lives are. and respect community norms.”
“Wait a minute,” I said. “I thought we agreed that truancy was a problem. Well, given compulsory education, it's kind of illegal. But it's rude to expect kids to come to school.” Is that so?”
