Network Schools – Wayne Gerseny to https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/04/03/magazine/thomas-piketty-interview u w B l.html?h I’ll smid=url-share the Is for

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Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, one of a handful of GOP Governors who are heeding the advice of the medical experts in opening their states, is also heeding the advice of his fiscal experts and so he is vetoing several bills designed to provide equity at all levels of education in the state. His decision to base his actions on data presents a conundrum to all who value equity and rational decision making. If one is basing decisions on hard data it will be increasingly difficult for fiscally responsible Governors to sign off on legislation of any kind that commits their governments to increased spending over time. This is a particularly tough pill to swallow for MD where the pre-pandemic economic forecasts and a well functioning government led to legislation that would move both the K-12 and university systems in the direction of greater equity in terms of funding. As noted frequently in this blog, achieving greater funding equity is politically impossible without spending more for schools because the reality is that any other solution requires a redistribution of funds that would reduce allocations to the wealthier districts. It seems that we are entering a new phase of equity where instead of using new money to help achieve equal funding we limit cuts to achieve that end.