Spread the word: Campaign is a sham

'65-percent solution' to school funding seeks to advance a partisan political agenda
By Nora Carr, Columnist, eSchool News

There's a well-financed effort underway in states around the country to pass legislation that would overhaul school funding. The so-called "65-percent solution" aims to have 65 cents of every school dollar spent directly in the classroom. But as many online news sites and education blogs have exposed, this "solution" is no more than a slick campaign to advance a partisan political agenda during an election year. In this article, eSchool News columnist Nora Carr offers school leaders some savvy advice on how to fight back.

March 15, 2006—Political operatives have opened a new front in the war on public education.

Dubbed the "65-percent solution," the well-financed campaign to overhaul school funding is part of a partisan national strategy designed to split teachers and administrators in a fight for scarce education dollars. Simply put, it calls for legislation requiring 65 percent of school district budgets to be spent directly in the classroom.