The most immediate question on many minds is how to begin to address the situation of inequality in the educational system.  There are a few studies and researchers who present a couple of options.

Create a minimum property tax by each state

The state will aid those communities “whose property tax base is too poor to reach that level” (Engel 24).

• This creates a bottom floor that guarantees districts a “minimum level of funding" (Johnston 2).
• Vermont passed this type of reform, called Act 60.
• It allowed localities to levy “additional property taxes” but when revenues exceeded a certain amount, the “excess reverted to the state and was put into a ‘sharing pool’ used to aid poorer communities" (Engel 24).
• Act 60 was later repealed and the sharing pool concept was disbanded.

 Use money to implement “curriculum and structural reforms,” not just to even out the funding gap (Tager 46)

• Use money to move students into smaller class sizes.
• Use money to hire and retain better teachers.
• Use resources more intelligently and use this to make changes in the classroom pedagogy.
• Teachers must have high expectations for all students.
• Teach higher level thinking skills to all students.
• Evaluate own biases to determine how to fix them.
• For more information, please visit Pedagogy