How We Can Shift Billions for Education Justice

Billions of dollars are still in play in states and cities across the country. It’s up to grassroots advocates to make sure they’re used to properly fund our public schools to support our students, advance district policies and move practices toward greater racial equity.

Federal ARPA dollars, COVID recovery funds, new allocations in last December’s omnibus budget, historic city and state surpluses, and now President Biden’s soon-to-be-released budget — organizers need to know how to navigate the many processes required to move those funds where they’re most needed. When parents, youth, and community advocates are well-versed in budget and policy, they can better address system-wide needs.

Dr. Ashley L. White will cover the details of this complex funding landscape and provide concrete ways to put this information to work both in your community and state capital. There will be ample time for questions as well.

Zakiyah Ansari, the Alliance for Quality Education’s Advocacy Director & New York City Director, will introduce Dr. White.

Michael Wotorson, the Schott Foundation’s OTL Network Director, will moderate the Q&A.

Ashley L. White is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the inaugural Education Fellow for Equity Access and Opportunity with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Before her appointment at UW-Madison, White served as the 2019-2020 Joseph P. Kennedy Public Policy Fellow with the Committee on Education and Labor under Chairman Robert “Bobby” C. Scott. Before earning her Ph.D. from the University of South Florida, White taught school for 15 years. White researches the intersectionality of ethno-racial identities and disability in postsecondary settings through the consideration of student and educator experiences and the policies that impact these experiences. Additionally, Dr. White invests time in working with school districts across the country to advance professional development for teachers related to special education, disability, and intersectional issues. As a scholar and advocate, Dr. White envisions restorative policy as a way to address the historical and present inequities that persist for ethno-racially marginalized individuals with disabilities at large.