My career was in the public schools of several states. I never drew the connection to funding for schools and achievement until later.
This is what I have found. The states of the deep south are run by Republicans. In all of them, educational achievement is poor. Is there a connection between funding for schools and achievement? The answer to that should be a resounding "yes."
The poorest funded states for education are as follows... Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky, Texas, Tennessee, Georgia and W. Virginia. All GOP run.
Does the educated populace vote Republican if they have a poor educational foundation? Can a political party actually control the voter when he/she is poorly educated?
Robert Brooks
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Now that's funny. Memphis schools spent $11,250 per student which is 3rd in the state. Yet they are ranked #103 in the state academic rankings. Metro Nashville spends $11012 per student which is 4th in the state, yet they are ranked # 80 . When I studied statistical analysis at UT 55 years ago that was known as an Inverse Correlation.
Who do the educated populace vote for? In the 2020 election Biden carried 3 counties in Tennessee; Shelby which is 103 in academic rankings, Davidson which is 80 and Haywood which is 113. One may draw their own conclusions.
The highest ranking school districts in the state are Collierville, Maryville, Williamson, Greenville, Oak Ridge, Alcoa, Johnson City, Kingsport, Germantown and Arlington. Everyone of these Districts are in overwhelmingly Republican areas.
The city with the highest percentage of Democrats in the country is Washington DC. They spend the highest of any district in the country at over $30,000 a student. Yet only 23% of their 8th graders are proficient in math and the same 23% proficient in reading. Democrats are really getting their money's worth in the nations capital.
"What a weak barrier is truth when it stands in the way of a hypothesis."
Douglas Jones
Ooltewah