Associate Dean Phillips Speaks on School Funding
September 7, 2018 - The First Friday Forum in Jackson, TN, is a tradition of many years standing. Numerous local and state leaders, politicians, and newsworthy speakers have spoken to gatherings in Clayton Hall at historic First Methodist Church in 
downtown Jackson. Today D. Ben Phillips, Associate Dean and Chair of Educational Leadership in the School of Education at Union, was invited to share his thoughts on local school funding as a follow-up to his four-part weekly (front-page coverage) series in the Jackson Sun this past August.
The articles analyzed and tracked the funding of education and examined the impact of public/private school choice in Madison County. Issues were examined like the dynamic relationship of the local school board and county commission; the past and present of how local schools are paid for; the vital importance of mission in private schools; and interplay of public versus private school choices (in Jackson the percentage of private school families is twice the national average) in the community.
At the Forum Dr. Phillips told the story of how local schools are funded by property and sales taxes in conjunction with state tax revenue. He compared the role of the local school board with school boards in other states in relation to the county commission. After he spoke, many attendees had questions about public school funding and how it influences the quality of education in the community.
To learn more about Union University's College of Education, please visit: http://www.uu.edu/education.
