Implementing and Funding the Basket: The Next Steps
By William L. Phillis
It is abundantly clear that the responsibility for maintaining a
thorough and efficient system of public common schools falls upon the State. The Coalition
has set forth the programs, curriculum, services and delivery systems that must be
available to all students regardless of where they live or their current economic and
social status. Some of the components of the Basket of Essential Learning Resources are
beyond the reach of many school districts today. However, Ohio's public school system is a
state system. The State of Ohio has the fiscal capacity, human resources, existing
delivery entities such as, education service centers, joint vocational schools,
educational television corporations, Ohio education computer network, special education
regional resource centers etc., to help facilitate the implementation of the Basket. More
effective use of technology such as distance learning and the creation of new delivery
entities will be necessary to insure that each student's entitlement to a thorough and
efficient system is safeguarded. A master plan must be formulated to implement the Basket.
The development of a master plan must involve such considerations as:
scheduling of new school facilities, equipment and technology that support the essential
programming and services. assessing the efficiency and effective of existing delivery unit providers. involving higher education and other state services to help in providing the means of
securing a thorough and efficient system. utilizing existing state infrastructure to help facilitate implementation.
Obviously the components of the Basket must be costed-out. But the
costing-out process must be performed in conjunction with the formulation of the master
plan mentioned previously. It is equally obvious that the Basket must be phased in. It is
therefore not possible to put a price tag on the Basket at this time. Will the Basket
require more state dollars? Certainly. How much more depends on the efficaciousness of the
planning process, including the time line for implementation.
The issue at hand today is educational opportunity. The kinds of
educational opportunities inherent in the Basket are available in some school districts
today.
Some will attempt to turn the matter before us today into tax and spend
rhetoric. We ask rather that the discussion be focused on whether school children who are
being prepared for life in the 21st century need access to the kinds of
educational opportunities inherent in the Basket. Would we want these opportunities
available to our children, grandchildren and other family members? If so, would we also
want them available to all school children?
Therefore the next steps in the journey to the destination of a
thorough and efficient system include:
the State must accept the Basket or collaborate with the education community to
promulgate a mutually agreeable one. An appropriate funding system can not be devised
without first determining what programs, curriculum, services and delivery systems are
required in a thorough and efficient system. the State must devise an implementation plan which factors in the existing
infrastructure and resources of the State, state-of-the-art technology and "best
practices". The education community must be a key player in the development of the
plan. the Basket of Essential Learning Resources must be costed out in the context of the
entire delivery system. an appropriate school funding mechanism must be formulated. The level of the per pupil
formula amount would relate directly to the cost figure derived from the Basket.
We appeal to the State of Ohio to move forward with these logical
steps. However, the State's response to this appeal will likely relate to the next Supreme
Court decision in DeRolph. In the meantime the Coalition will continue to work toward an
appropriate school funding formula - one that will fund the Basket throughout the State.
|
