Great News for Education: President Obama will sign a $787 billion economic stimulus package in Denver on Tuesday, and the bill allocates close to $100 billion for education. The line items include $40.6 billion to local school districts, $5 billion in bonus grants to states that meet specific performance measures, and $250 million for competitive grants to states to design and develop student data systems. (We're REALLY psyched about that last piece here at Silver Giving...here's why.)
As the Federal Government clearly understands, our school systems desperately need our attention. But if you’re reading this blog, you probably already get that.
But what are the key levers of change that will actually make a difference? And how can motivated, well-intentioned parents, community members, teachers, students, businesspeople help?
The best resource I’ve found for anyone who's asked themselve these questions about public education in California is Jeff Camp’s Education Impact Guide. Jeff leads the Full Circle Fund's Education Circle, and has has spent the better part of decade getting really, really smart about the challenges and opportunities in California’s public schools.
It’s a must-read for anyone involved—or who wants to be involved—in education. I'd compare it to the first chapter of your travel guidebook before a visit to a foreign country: you get the lay of the land, a sense of the history and the people. Maybe not as many cool glossy pictures, but some pretty great charts and graphs! And, perhaps most importantly, even some ways to prioritize the way forward.
Go ahead. Print it out. Read it.
You’ll be glad you did.
- Natasha