Giving Compass' Take:

• Maya Ajmera at The 74 claims that we are at the tipping point in America when it comes to funding schools and why we must drive investments into education. 

• How can donors work to increase access to the materials and resources that schools and teachers need to thrive? What can policymakers do?

• Learn about how to fix our broken education funding system. 

In the last few weeks, thousands of teachers in Oakland, California went on strike, following similar protests in Denver, Los Angeles and West Virginia. We are only three months into 2019 — and teachers have already taken to the picket line four times this year. In response, some critics have condemned these protests, chastising teachers for deserting their classrooms and even proposing they serve jail time or lose their certification. But these critics are missing the point.

In my work, I review hundreds of grant applications from teachers across the country. Their stories of need are heart-wrenching and make it hard to fathom how a student could thrive, let alone focus, in the current conditions many schools are facing. Low-income students have limited access to STEM classes, as participation would require them to purchase their own school equipment.

Read the full article about funding America's schools by Maya Ajmera at The 74