Public education reform: Community or national funding of education Essay

Soares presents an article that draws on a political economy model of public funding as a tool to assess the education implications of moving from a community-to nation-wide funding policy. His intention is to widen the source for the finance of education that will redistribute funds both at the intra-generational and inter-generational levels. Previous literature has focused on the intra-generational redistribution effects of going from a local to state funded approach. Instead, Soares suggests a model of education reform that would see funding include the social security system and would allow factor prices to vary. Such flexibility would benefit welfare effects to students by enlarging the funding net in the form of a nation-wide system. Significant welfare gains that would occur with a nation-wide system are supported by other research (Soares, 2006; Wasser & Picken, 1996). Soares also reflects on his previous writings on the important roles of altruism and self-interest in influencing the political decisions of public education policy. He points to the inter-relationship of three main factors in determining how policy will be formed; altruism; the impact of public funding of education of the social security system; and the impact of these factors on factor prices. In conclusion, Soares article depicts a critical issue in education reform that has been ongoing for many years: How to source optimal continual funding for education that does not detract from the welfare of the wider population? He provides a viable alternative to funding. At present most States provide fewer dollars to minority and low-income students. A nation-wide funding policy would ensure that the funding gaps which exist across schools in the USA would be narrowed, providing equality of access to learning opportunities and resources. This would align with the recent No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.