Are schools a worthy investment?

"I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way" Greatest Love of All by Whitney Houston

Over the past few weeks I  followed the funding  in public schools. Here's a few conclusions I drew while researching:

Money is tight: Schools cobble together money from the federal, state, and local government along which grants and donations. Often it can take years to secure money and it does not adjust with inflation.

One thing to expect to see over the next year is schools fighting for more funding. COVID relief funds are drying up and most districts have not adjusted their budgets for inflation.

Some don't think it's worth it: It's hard to catch a law maker saying it directly, but many see public schools as a waste of money (check the comments on my youtube videos). Since they do not make a profit, schools are seen as a drain on the budget. Veiled arguments suggest funneling the money elsewhere or openly criticizing public schools and then withholding funding as punishment. They may argue there should be an "open market" for schools: but schools are not businesses. The return on investment is not literal cash- but I think educating children is an investment in the future.

These sentiments scare me because access to school is a human right. Defunding schools is dangerous. In the US it is already very clear that your zip code can determine the quality of your school. Can you imagine how inequitable it would be if the option of the free neighborhood school disappeared?

You have a say: School issues have a way of boiling under the surface. In fact, before the pandemic, I had not ever seen parents so interested and invested in what happened in schools. Keep an eye on your local school board, research how candidates feel about education, and vote regularly. Often school matters are determined in small elections with low turn out. Your vote and campaign donations really make a difference.

THANKS SO MUCH TO OUR SPONSOR GEMOO

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What's New?

• 3 EdTech Tools you need to try now: Check out my most recent video. If you're looking for better ways to organize parent communication or easy tech tools for kids this is for you.
• Quality time: Mike and I celebrated 10 years together and 2 years married last weekend. We unplugged and skipped town to Savannah, GA. All the flowers were in bloom and the weather was perfect. I couldn't have picked a better person to visit with. 💘
• FujiFilm: I love my Fujifilm Instax Camera (the new Polaroid camera)- but I don't always want to carry it around. I recently got a Fujifilm printer . It's the perfect compromise to print pictures from my phone on the fun film.
• Favorite Dress: Years ago I discovered this incredible dress made by warehouse (sometimes sold by ASOS). It's a button down midi dress with belt: perfect for teaching in. The fabric is lightweight and comfortable for a hot work day. I have it in three solid colors- but I discovered now they make it in zebra print .

Next week I'll be getting into tech tips for kid.

Til then,

Natalie