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Stretching the School Dollar
The fiscal crisis for states and schools is likely to endure and the era of big spending on American education may be over. We aim to provide bold ideas for how schools can become more efficient, rethink basic assumptions about their costs, structures and financing, and ultimately deliver more achievement at a cost the country can afford.
Recent Publications
Steps in the Right Direction
February 27, 2013
Dr. Paul Hill evaluates Governor John Kasich's education budget proposal.
When Teachers Choose Pension Plans: The Florida Story
Matthew M. Chingos , Martin R. West / February 21, 2013
In an era of budgetary belt tightening, state and local policy makers are finally awakening to the impact of teacher pension costs on their bottom lines. Recent reports demonstrate that such pension programs across the United States are burdened by almost $390 billion in unfunded liabilities. Yet, most states and municipalities have been taking the road of least resistance, tinkering around the edges rather than tackling systemic (but painful) pension reform. Is the solution to the pension crisis to offer teachers the option of a 401(k)-style plan (also known as a "defined contribution" or DC plan) instead of a traditional pension plan? Would this alternative appeal to teachers? When Teachers Choose Pension Plans: The Florida Story sets out to answer these questions.
Strategies for Smarter Budgets and Smarter Schools
Nathan Levenson / December 12, 2012
This new policy brief by Nathan Levenson, Managing Director at the District Management Council and former superintendent of Arlington (MA) Public Schools, offers informed advice to school districts seeking to provide a well-rounded, quality education to all children in a time of strained budgets. Levenson recommends three strategies: prioritize both achievement and cost-efficiency; make staffing decisions based on student needs, not student preferences; and manage special-education spending for better outcomes and greater cost-effectiveness.
Recent Articles
Stretching the School Dollar
Will Steve Jobs finally conquer the classroom?
January 26, 2012
The education sector remains an elusive prize for Apple, but the company is making a big move to change that.
Stretching the School Dollar
Why shame is never enough
December 6, 2011
Fostering efficiency in education will take more than transparency, as Montgomery County demonstrates.
Stretching the School Dollar
Why cut your core service?
August 23, 2011
Stretching the School Dollar
Who's to blame for the pension shortfall?
May 5, 2011
Stretching the School Dollar
What our Education Reform Idol contestants accomplished this year on collective bargaining and benefits reform
August 10, 2011
