Name: Rohan Ristorucci
Social Justice Group: Funding Inequality in NYC Public Education (A)
Date of Fieldwork: December 19, 2024
Name of Organization and person (people) with whom you met and their title(s):Kate Quadfordt(Co-Founder of the City School of the Arts)
What I did and what I learned about my topic, activism, social justice work or civil and human rights work from this fieldwork:
For our first fieldwork assignment, our group interviewed Kate Quadfordt, a co-founder and art teacher at the City School of the Arts, a charter school in Manhattan. We learned that charter schools receive only eighty percent of the funding that regular public schools receive, but they have more freedom in planning their curriculum. Kate Quadfordt is well-informed about the inequities in public schools and understands their root causes, which stem primarily from a lack of funding and resources.
Kate explained the concept of “The American Dream,” which is often achieved through the education system in America. This journey typically involves progressing through the levels of education — elementary, middle, and high school. After that, one must attend a good college to be well-positioned for applying for jobs and moving up the ranks to establish financial stability. However, this pathway is not as straightforward as it seems. Many individuals lack the time or resources to attend college and may prioritize supporting their families over pursuing further education. Additionally, attending schools with limited resources often means encountering lower-quality teachers, textbooks, and classrooms. This illustrates the importance of quality education for future success.
Public schools located in neighborhoods with higher property values receive more funding because they benefit from higher property taxes. Since schools largely derive their funding from these taxes, wealthier neighborhoods are able to allocate more money to their schools. Another significant source of funding comes from parents. Wealthier schools often have strong Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), and affluent parents strive to ensure that their children receive the best education possible.
