DETROIT — The School Finance Research Collaborative on Saturday received 482Forward’s 2018 Ally of the Year award, given to proven allies for public education justice. Earlier this year, the School Finance Research Collaborative completed Michigan’s first comprehensive school adequacy study that determined the true cost of educating all students to make the way we fund schools more fair.
“This year, we are recognizing the School Finance Research Collaborative for its incredible leadership in spearheading the work to win full and fair funding for all Michigan children,” said Jamila Martin, Director of Operations for 482Forward, a citywide education organizing network in Detroit. “Thanks to the Collaborative’s pioneering research, 482Forward and our partners around the state have been able to launch a campaign calling for legislators to implement the study’s clear recommendations for a new, fairer school funding system that serves the unique, individual learning needs of all students.”
The School Finance Research Collaborative is a diverse group of business leaders and education experts, from Metro Detroit to the U.P., who agree it’s time to change the way Michigan’s schools are funded.
Dr. Randy Liepa, a School Finance Research Collaborative member and Wayne RESA Superintendent, accepted the 482Forward award on Saturday at a ceremony of about 150 parents, students, educators and community leaders at Marygrove College in Detroit.
482Forward is comprised of neighborhood organizations, parents and youth committed to ensuring all Detroit children have access to an excellent education, regardless of their race or socioeconomic status.
“We are very grateful to be honored by 482Foward, a key partner in our continued effort to educate policymakers, community stakeholders and the public at large about the need to fix Michigan’s broken school funding system to make it fair for all students, whether they are in Detroit, West Michigan, or the upper reaches of the western U.P.,” Liepa said. “Our work together will help ensure every student has the same opportunity to get a high-quality education and compete for the jobs of the future.”
The final Collaborative report provides a base cost for student achievement in Michigan, with additional funding considerations for special education, English Language Learners, Career and Technical Education programs, students living in poverty, preschool, geographic isolation, district size, cost of living differences and student transportation.
Read the full report here.
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