Oregon's K-12 accountability: Bellwether's report on fiscal accountability

A new federal law has increased the ways that you can use your 529 investments — beyond just higher education! Expanded qualified K-12 and postsecondary credentialing expenses now offer opportunities to use these tax advantaged accounts during a student’s early years and as they skill-up throughout their career. Additionally, leftover funds (up to $35,000) in a 529 plan open for at least 15 years can be rolled over to a beneficiary’s Roth IRA, creating even more flexibility for those utilizing 529s. Visit my529.org to learn more.

Way to go California! AB 1098 and SB 638 are now signed into law establishing the California Education Interagency Council, a statewide coordinating entity that will break down silos between the state’s higher education, workforce development, and social services systems by developing a clear vision for shared prosperity and building the infrastructure to maximize state investments. #California #HigherEducation #Workforce #Opportunity

Understanding how Kansas public schools are funded matters. KAC Education Policy Advisor Emily Barnes breaks down the March Education Funding Task Force meeting, where the Task Force members looked at other states’ funding models in comparison to Kansas. Click the link in the comments to learn what the Task Force is considering as it works toward creating a new funding formula for K-12 public schools. https://lnkd.in/dDy2Prgd

An unprecedented number of school boards in Ontario have been taken over by the Ministry of Education this year. As more boards face financial strain, they risk being brought under provincial control. At the same time, Bill 33, now before the Ontario legislature, seeks to broaden the Minister’s powers to intervene. Gwenyth Stadig and Amber LeBlanc look at how these takeovers happen, and what Bill 33 could change for the future of school board governance in Ontario. 📖 Read more: https://gowlg.co/4nljLzL #OntarioEducation #Bill33 #EducationPolicy

What happens when federal oversight fades but 7.5 million students still depend on IDEA? I attended Dr. David Bateman’s Special Education Policy Briefing this week, and it helped me really understand the historic nature of the recent OSEP reductions in force and how much more responsibility now falls on educators to ensure IDEA and Section 504 are implemented with fidelity. OSEP (the Office of Special Education Programs) has been nearly eliminated. The regulations of IDEA and Section 504 are still in place, but the operational support that helps schools actually implement them is disappearing. That means 7.5 million students with disabilities could be affected. $15 billion in federal special education funding is on the line, and states will now have to issue their own guidance. This could mean less consistency and more variability in how students are served. For those of us in schools, these aren’t just policy shifts. They’re the ripple effects that show up in our caseloads, our classrooms, and our capacity to serve kids well. We’ll likely see more due process filings, heavier workloads, worsening shortages, and rising burnout. If you work in special education, I hope you’ll keep sharing your stories. The more we speak up about what it actually takes to do this work, the harder it becomes for policymakers to ignore what’s really happening in schools. For those of you not working in education, remember every policy, every regulation, and every funding decision impacts a real child who deserves a fair chance. 🌲

As Arizona continues to grow and evolve, so does K-12 education in the state. Katie Ratlief, the Executive Director of Common Sense Institute Arizona, is focused on understanding the role that education plays in developing Arizona’s economic future. Tune in to Inside the Issues: Education Solutions for Arizona on the Clean Elections YouTube channel to watch Katie and other education leaders discuss solutions to improve Arizona’s education output. Special thanks to Katie for taking the time to be part of this revolutionary discussion! Watch the full segment at https://ow.ly/SBFj50X9niQ

Jim Lloyd says what many superintendents, teachers, and principals have been saying for decades about standardized testing. It’s way past time to stop using these measures to rate schools and school districts. “The superintendent stressed that he has no problem with assessments in general. However, he noted that the method of using a standardized test to grade and provide school quality metrics to communities is harmful. “It’s not what assessments were designed for,” he said. “Once you standardize test scores, that does harm and it’s inaccurate as well. So what we’ve tried to really do is to develop our own system of accountability. “We believe that is more truthful and a more sophisticated way of accounting for school quality than the methodology that, quite frankly, everybody uses across the United States,” he said. “It’s three decades of failed accountability. Nothing has improved, yet they continue to do it.”

If you’re a state leader wondering how you can support districts through this challenging time, check out this piece with actionable recommendations from my colleagues Ventura Rodriguez and Catherine Premont at Education Resource Strategies #edchat

The Legislative Council’s Legal and Social Issues Committee is inviting public submissions to its inquiry into the impact of the government’s decision to delay increasing Victoria’s public school funding: https://lnkd.in/gtWTFytE The Victorian Government has delayed raising the state’s school funding to 75 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard until 2031. It was previously set to be increased by 2028. This delay represents a $2.4 billion reduction from previously committed funding for Victorian government schools. The Committee is seeking input from individuals, educators, school communities, organisations and stakeholders on the implications of this funding decision, including: • Comparative funding levels: State and Commonwealth funding per student in Victorian government schools relative to other states and territories. • Commonwealth contributions: The impact of the delay on federal funding arrangements. • Student outcomes: How the funding cut may affect the education of current and future students. • Workforce effects: Consequences for Victoria’s teaching and school workforce. • Resources and infrastructure: The ability of schools to purchase educational resources, teaching materials, capital equipment, and maintain buildings and grounds. “This inquiry is an opportunity for the community to have its voice heard on how school funding decisions affect students, teachers and the broader education system. We encourage all interested parties to make a submission,” said Committee Chair Joe McCracken. Submissions can be made via the Committee’s website: https://lnkd.in/gtWTFytE The Committee will report its findings to Parliament by 30 April 2026.

During the College Financial Health Show with Matthew D. Hendricks and Gary Stocker, we regularly see an increased use of contractors paid over $100K annually. The short video clip is an example of a college that decreased their employee W2 count while increasing contractor spends. A good question to ask this college is "what does this mean"? In a bigger sense, this example is for a specific college in PA. However, it also serves to remind college leaders, faculty, staff, community leaders - and even students and their families that financial health and viability information is readily available. Using data from audited financial statements IRS 990 forms, and other government data, we can quickly and convincingly show which colleges are financially strong. We can also show which colleges have exhibited financial results that suggest serious and substantial financial health issues. You can keep up with our updates here. https://lnkd.in/g7JvuqxX #collegeadmissions #collegefinances #financialaid #collegegraduation, #highered #highereducation #collegeviability #CollegeApplications #collegeclosures