Lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of public school funding systems are currently in progress in numerous states, representing a unique opportunity to restructure the ways in which public education is financed and expand the opportunities and resources available to children across the country.
The public has an important role to play in ensuring that these lawsuits result in real improvement in our schools. Public Education Network (PEN) has developed a guide to encourage community organizations to employ public engagement strategies to inform school finance litigation taking place in their states.
While litigation may at times seem daunting and complex to non-lawyers, there is much that community-based organizations concerned with education reform can do to become involved. This guide is divided into three sections:
(1) An exploration of why public engagement and community involvement are critical to the fight for public school resources, and how community-based organizations can play active and direct roles in helping to secure resources for public schools for years to come;
(2) An examination of how education finance policy is made in theory and in practice, and an outline of the roles of the legislatures, the courts, and the school districts in the policymaking process; and
(3) A investigation of roles where local education funds (LEFs) and community-based organizations fit into this process. PEN outlines a four-phase approach for the involvement of community-based organizations in school finance litigation. Each is illustrated by an example of a support role played by an LEF or other community-based organization.
You can find the report, here.