The DC Council took another step, on Dec. 3, toward approving legislation designed to provide “fair funding” for District schools. (See Washington Post report from Emma Brown.) The legislation is expected to have a second reading and vote within the next few weeks. However, schools budget expert Mary Levy notes, the only hearing so far was on an older version of the bill. (Here’s the Education Committee report.) Moroever, the final report of the Deputy Mayor’s study on “Adequate Funding” for DC’s schools is not yet out.
Levy spoke with the Education Town Hall on December 5 regarding The legislation and the forthcoming study report.
Education Town Hall, segment 2, December 5, 2013:
PLEASE NOTE: The discussion includes comments from two mayoral candidates. The Education Town Hall apologizes for background noise, due to the location of one candidate’s call; the Education Town Hall strives to include as many voices as possible.
The Adequate Funding study, Levy says, is “good and competently done,” while the legislation “doesn’t go far enough.” It is important, too, she notes, to ensure that funding can be accomplished without depleting other resources serving our neediest residents, including public housing and food stamps. There are many crucial issues still to be explored, Levy concludes, in developing fair and adequate schools funding.
The “Fair Funding” bill before the DC Council has changed substantially from the one on which the Education Committee held a hearing, budget expert Mary Levy told the Education Town Hall on Dec. 5. One important step, she argues, is for citizens to “push for hearings” — before AND after the current “Fair Funding” legislation comes up for a vote — on how the city will fund at-risk students. This conversation is complex and has been delayed too long.
Listen and #DoSomething!
— posted by Virginia Spatz, feature reporter
— Zakiya Lewis, Education Town Hall intern, contributed to this report
Education Town Hall Forum 
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