Do Donations to Public Education Really Work?
With the vast amounts of money flowing into public schools in America, the question becomes, are these funding methods actually helpful? The answer to that question is relatively complex, but based on the data from the former U.S Secretary of Education Chester Finn, there is no direct correlation between schools that received funding and the bettering performance of students. This finding means that there is no direct link between private funding and the betterment of schools (Salsibury).
In many cases, philanthropists do not do enough research to donate effectively. They tend to just throw money at a problem rather than gathering information that could be considered important, which includes effectiveness of previous programs, the schools’ misused funds in the past, and what would be helpful in that community. The idea of money fixing every problem is one that some of the wealthiest philanthropists hold but in this realm it really does nothing. If a school does not have the capacity or the leadership to improve, no amount of money could truly help. This problem is because the donations go directly to the people who are already ineffectively running public schools in America. Without true leadership and a full revamp of the public school system there is no real use for this funding (Salsibury).
Interview with Assistant Superintendent Marlene Silano in Cheshire, CT on funding and her district's relationship with nonprofits.
