Postsecondary student demographics are dramatically shifting in the state of Texas, resulting in an increased need for state government resources to ensure college access affordability in the state. It is critical that lawmakers prioritize higher education to allow Texans from all backgrounds access to afford higher education. This editorial is an…

The University of Arkansas Center for Education Reform's report on charter school funding inequities proclaims large and growing inequities between school district and charter school revenues, even after accounting for differences in student needs. But the report displays complete lack of understanding of intergovernmental fiscal relationships,…

This article presents an interview with Terry Grier, superintendent of the Houston Independent School District (HISD), Texas's largest district. Before taking this post, he had been a principal or superintendent for most of three decades and remains a reformer five years into his leadership. Grier has maintained his passion for improving schools…

Beginning in the early 1970s, plaintiffs initiated a veritable tidal wave of litigation over financing public education in states with unequal funding for students in poor school systems. In the only case on school finance to reach the United States Supreme Court, "San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez" (1973), the…

With colleges and universities struggling to minimize the effects of the troubled economy, it certainly isn't an easy time to be a CIO. This article presents an interview with a panel of higher education IT leaders about best practices for steering IT through economic crisis. Panelists included Jan Biros, associate VP for instructional technology…

This essay is a contribution to the literature of critique of higher education policy and management. It offers a general discussion of problems arising from the proliferation of mechanisms of audit and quality assurance within the context of concerns about dependence on quantitative measures of values. It argues that uncritical dependence on…

In the tug-of-war between researchers and IT for supercomputing resources, a centralized approach can help both sides get more bang for their buck. As 2010 began, the University of Washington was preparing to launch its first shared high-performance computing cluster, a 1,500-node system called Hyak, dedicated to research activities. Like other…

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) leads a Mission Growth Working Group, which consists of states that are significantly impacted by the growth of military bases. The group includes state representatives appointed by the governors of Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,…

In this article, Aleman examines how Mexican American district leaders conceptualize and argue for a more equitable system of school finance. The superintendents studied are politically active educational leaders who participate in the school finance debate while advocating for their Mexican American constituency. The author addresses the nature…

The Texas supreme court upheld the constitutionality of Senate Bill 7 in a case referred to as "Edgewood IV." Three previous laws enacted to reduce fiscal disparities among Texas's school districts had been ruled unconstitutional by the Texas supreme Court. Summarizes the relationship between the legislation, the litigants, and the legal…

In this testimony Scott McCown testifies on behalf of the Center for Public Policy Priorities. The center is interested in public school finance because education is the pathway to prosperity for low-income Texans. McCown's personal expertise in school finance comes from having presided as a state district judge over the state's school finance…

Improving the quality of public education is high on the policy agenda in Washington and in state capitals throughout the country. Despite disagreement over specific policies, policymakers appear to recognize that an important element in any plan to improve educational quality is the measurement of student performance. Here, it is argued that most…

The supreme courts of Montana, New Jersey, and Texas have overturned their respective educational finance systems. Provides analyses of the three cases and a discussion of the implications for other states. (MLF)

Outcomes of the sweeping Texas Education Reform Bill of 1984 are highlighted. The roles of taxpayers, legislatures, state agencies, local school boards, administrators, teachers, and students in public education are noted in this discussion of the feasibility of legislating educational change. (MT)

Presents an economic analysis of public finance based on criteria of equity and efficiency. Discusses the operational problems and issues confronting community college practitioners and policymakers. Reviews public finance and cost-sharing in Florida, Illinois, Texas, and California. Recommendations include deemphasizing enrollment-driven…