8/10/04 Association of Metropolitan School Districts Principles of a Sound E-12 Funding System Funding Principles The Association of Metropolitan School Districts believes that past investments in public educational excellence have significantly contributed to the quality of life in Minnesota. Excellence in education requires investments in programs from early childhood through post secondary education. Minnesota cannot strive for a merely "adequate" system of public schools. We must strive to build the highest quality schools in the world if we are to compete at the world level. Consistent investments are essential to developing an educated, highly skilled workforce that attracts and retains quality businesses and sustains and enhances our economic growth. The AMSD Board of Directors has established the following principles to advance the discussion as policymakers work toward reforming our education funding system and sufficiently investing in our collective future. INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE Investments in early childhood education and full day kindergarten are essential to provide each student the opportunity to meet minimum state determined standards in reading and math. Recruiting and retaining high quality teachers and administrators is integral to enhancing student achievement. Investments must take into account the funds needed to attract and retain the best and the brightest in education. Educational excellence requires providing students opportunities in the fine arts and vocational education as well as participation in extra curricular activities. Broad education opportunities must not be crowded out by unfunded State and Federal mandates. The State must stabilize education funding to ensure consistent investments in excellence. All citizens, through existing statewide taxes, should contribute toward investments in educational excellence. - State or Federal mandates imposed on local schools must be accompanied with sufficient resources to enable public schools to meet those mandates. EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES Ensuring equal opportunity requires that education funding formulas recognize that different levels of resources are required from student to student and district to district. All students, regardless of ethnic background, whether an English Language Learner, a student living in poverty, a special education student, or a gifted student, must be provided the resources and opportunities to reach his/her full potential. Funding formulas must recognize the challenges associated with concentrations of at-risk students. Funding formulas must recognize geographic market-based labor cost differences. Taxes must be imposed so that taxpayer effort is equitable throughout the state. ACCOUNTABILITY Statewide assessments must focus on measuring individual student growth over time. Teachers, parents, students and policymakers must have timely, comprehensive and accurate information. Teachers must have assessment data that will allow them to differentiate instruction to challenge each student to reach his/her full potential and determine if each student makes at least a year's worth of progress. Compensation systems should be structured so that school boards and administrators are able to align employee compensation with the mission, needs and strategic goals of the district. Any school, public or non-public, receiving public dollars should be held accountable for how those funds are expended and should adhere to all applicable state laws and regulations. LOCAL CONTROL Locally elected school boards should have the ability to raise the resources needed to respond to local needs and challenges and meet community expectations. Administrators must be permitted to strategically deploy staff to enhance student learning and close the achievement gap. To the greatest extent possible, curriculum and other education policy decisions should be made at the local level by locally elected school boards and their appointed administrators working with their communities.